10.Appendix: A Letter from Watchman Nee to the Compiler
《 Collection of Newsletters and Watchman Nee 's Testimony 》
CONTENTS：
COLLECTION OF NEWSLETTERS (2) AND WATCHMAN NEE'S TESTIMONY
1. Preface COLLECTION OF NEWSLETTERS(2) 2. Issue No. 10 3. Issue No. 11 4. Issue No. 12 WATCHMAN NEE'S TESTIMONY 5. Preface to the New Edition 6. Introduction 7. The First Testimony—Salvation and Calling (Chapter One) 8. The Second Testimony (Chapter Two) 9. The Third Testimony (Chapter Three) 10.Appendix: A Letter from Watchman Nee to the Compiler
PREFACE Volume 26 of The Collected Works contains the final three issues of Collection of Newsletters which was published from late 1933 until July 1935 in order to facilitate fellowship between the churches and communication among the saints in various localities. In addition, we have included in this volume the three testimony messages given by Watchman Nee in a co-workers' meeting held at Kulangsu, an island off the southeastern coast of Fukien province, China, in October 1936. This section of Volume 26 has been published previously by Living Stream Ministry as Watchman Nee's Testimony (1991 Edition).
COLLECTION OF NEWSLETTERS ISSUE NO. 10 September—October 1934
A MESSAGE FROM BROTHER LAN CHIH YI To my brother in the Lord, Mr. Watchman: I returned to Hankow after the end of the Third Overcomer Conference and was dealt with deeply by God. Through the Lord's enlightenment I easily saw that my position in the orphanage was not according to God's will. Although I am able to work freely there, I have lost the strength to fight in the matter of testifying for the truth. The work in Wuchang and Hankow has not begun, because I have hindered God. My soul magnifies the Lord! The teachings in 2 Corinthians 6:14 and 17 persuaded me even more strongly into obeying. I dared not procrastinate any longer. I handed in my letter of resignation on April 11. Who could have expected that once I handed in my resignation, the hindrances would come? There has been the attack of Satan, the entanglement of emotions, the refusal of my superiors to release me, and their determination to keep me; I am still struggling to put them aside at this date. The road before me is even darker. But I deeply believe that the waters of the Jordan will part. The eye of faith sees the glory on the throne. I plan to send in another letter of resignation sooner or later. Please pray for this matter, asking God to eliminate every hindrance so that I can walk in His God-ordained way. Jesus Christ is Victor! Amen! I heard that you will not go out in the summer but will study Revelation. Is this true? Please let me know. If the Lord is willing, I will go to Shanghai during that time to be edified. I have had a question for a long time that has never been answered. I brought it up at the end of this last Overcomer Conference. Unfortunately, it was not answered at that time. My question is, "Can those with old debts (such as those who have gone bankrupt in business) work solely for God as a preacher (referring to a called one with a gift)?" Please write me a letter in response. I am praying for it. I send my solemn and respectful greetings. Peace in the Lord! Your little brother, Lan Chih Yi June 12, 1934 A LETTER FROM BROTHER YANG LI JEN OF P'ING YANG, CHEKIANG PROVINCE Peace to Brother David Hsu: Jude 20-21; James 5:7-8 I do not know whether or not you were able to receive the letter I sent you a few days ago. While I was thinking about you quite a bit, I read Collection of Newsletters. In it was a letter you sent to your friend Tsai Ch'ing, so I know that
you have moved back to Ningpo. Thank the Lord for His grace in initiating (through the brothers) Collection of Newsletters so that we can obtain a different kind of fellowship in Him with the brothers. Through it we also learn about the work raised up in each locality and the news of the individual brothers. This endeavor is very good. But we should also be wary of two things: (1) a kind of special fellowship that comes from the flesh and easily becomes one of the elements of a denomination (there has been the initiation of letters of recommendation); and (2) the abominable works of the flesh which might be mixed in if they have not been thoroughly dealt with by the cross; they "steal glory from God." Presently, everything is very good, but in the not so distant future, I am afraid that it will lose its original meaning. Brother, allow me to say a few direct words of sorrow: If a person is not completely of the spirit and controlled by the spirit, his fallen flesh and the fruit of his fallen flesh— denominations and stealing glory from God—will never be completely eliminated. O Lord, You know our corruption. May You search out everything and gain everything. May You also come quickly. I wonder what you think about this, brother. You said, "We are busy...as if `the master is returning quickly and the slaves are busily preparing,' and our hearts are truly like this." You also said, "In ourselves, we could pass through in comfortable rest, but our business now is because of Him—the Lord." This word really made me happy! Truly, our heart is like that of a servant; truly, we could rest comfortably in ourselves. Therefore, everything that we have or do must be because of the Lord. In the last letter I sent you, there were a few matters to ask you to pray for. Thank the Lord! I already know about your recent situation, so I have plenty of material to pray for when praying for you. (Material does not seem to be such an appropriate word.) I ask that you pray to the Lord that my prayer life would grow and improve. The news from P'ing Yang published in the sixth issue of Collection of Newsletters mentioned Sister Lin Chih Ming in the tenth meeting place. She has temporarily fallen because of her husband, and she does not come out any longer to meet or break bread with the brothers. However, Brother Su Chih San is much stronger than before and sometimes comes to the table meeting. The persecution these two are under is very heavy. May the Lord grace them with strength and be magnified in them. Please pray for them!
How has your health been recently? What is the condition of the meeting in your locality? Please write and tell me. "The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you." Amen! The last verse of 2 Timothy 4. Respectfully from your weak little brother, Yang Li Jen February 12 Note from Watchman: We should certainly pay attention to the two points that Brother Yang mentioned. However, I would like to clarify the first point: If our fellowship is not larger or smaller than what God has commanded, we will never be a denomination. I am afraid that many brothers have only seen the error of denominations but have not seen the connection of the Body. Even though everything has failed today, we should still act according to the principle of one Body. Those who do not understand will think that we have a special fellowship because we still want to keep the principle of the Body. Those who have left the denominations are standing in the position of the Body. They are not a disorganized mob. We definitely should not misunderstand and think that we must be a scattered rabble before we will not have denominations. A scattered rabble may not be a denomination, but it is definitely not the Body, nor does it have the principle of the Body. The book The Assembly Life will be published soon. The chapter "The Practice of Fellowship" is most crucial. I am afraid that the brothers might misunderstand after reading Brother Yang's letter, so I feel to especially add these few words.
A FEW WORDS FROM CO-WORKER TS'AI CH'I Greetings to my dear brother in the Lord, Mr. Watchman Nee: I have not written to you for a long time because I have been too lazy to write since we parted. However, I have met with you often before the throne. I would like to mention some matters briefly so that we may thank the Lord together! He has raised up faithful children in all the localities of Wenchow and P'ing Yang to truly take up a heavier cross and live a more difficult life for the Lord. There are a few brothers who once worked in the denominations. Now they stand alone by relying on the Lord for the sake of obeying the Lord. This is completely His work, and we thank the Father for this matter.
There is something in all the localities that causes us to worry. Many brothers and sisters have not really been revived! They have only moved out of the denominations. Nevertheless, we have already seen "a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand" arising! Therefore, we hope you will pray for this. Peace in the Lord! Your brother, Ts'ai Ch'i Some brothers who live by faith: P'an Huo Ling, 36 Beneath the Iron Well, Lan Hsing Temple, Wenchow; Lin Sheng Wu, P'u Men Horse Carriage Station. A LETTER FROM THE JAN BROTHERS IN HANGCHOW REQUESTING TO LEAVE THE DENOMINATIONS Greetings to the Directors of the Sze Cheng Chapel: Because we have seen that in the Bible there are no denominational differences and that it is a sin to have denominations, please remove our names from the Sze Cheng Chapel's Book of Life. This is not a matter of personal emotions but of obeying the teachings of the Bible. Since we have done this, we do not need to mention it again. When we meet, we are still friends. We have no other motives. That is all we have to say. We greet you. Peace in your way! Sincerely, Jan Ch'i Yu, Jan Feng T'ien July 10 LETTERS FROM CHEN CHIA DISTRICT, HUAI AN, NORTHERN KIANGSU One Greetings to the faithful bondslaves in the Lord, our dear brothers, Mr. Watchman and Mr. Witness: Thank the Lord for His love. Its depth is immeasurable. Even a worthless and evil servant like myself has been graciously called by the Lord! The Lord's table was established in my home more than two years ago. In the beginning, when we were laying the foundation, more than twenty people believed and were baptized. A few of them had never been in the denominations. The rest came out of the denominations. Then we did not increase again until June of this year when two sisters were baptized into the Lord's name. They were both more than seventy years of age. Recently, three or four more who are seeking the Lord and trust in Him have been added. We are still in a period of waiting. Last year two people went to sleep in the Lord. My wife was one of them. Before she died she said two
sentences to me: "In the future, you do not have to stay in the house, you can go out to visit. On the Lord's Day come home." She shut her mouth and stopped breathing after these words. This proves she was saved. Our meeting place is less than two miles from a denominational gospel chapel. When the preacher of this group saw that we had left the denominations, he became contentious. He began to slander us before the people who went there to worship. He is very diligent in his labor of "sweat." Every Saturday he visits the homes of the worshippers to charge them to come worship on the next day. His diligent watchfulness shuts them in as tightly as the doors of the city of Jericho. We are really too immature. We can only drink milk and cannot take solid food, so our meetings are very low. I believe that God is almighty and a day of stirring up will come. If this were not true and He knew that I was cold, why would He grace me in the first place? I went to Shanghai in January to attend the Overcomers' Conference. I received both God's enlightenment and the brothers' help. During the conference, I first heard Mr. Lee speak on the living of a Christian. He said that toward the Gentiles we should be proper in everything, and we should keep our position in dealing with the brothers. Next I heard Mr. Nee say that if a Christian has not been sent, he should return to his own occupation. After the conference, I returned home. I prayed earnestly before God. I truly did not know what kind of occupation I should go into. I did not have the strength to be a farmer. I did not have the capital to open a shop. Thank the Lord, He opened the way for me. He enabled me to return to my old occupation of teaching. The school is in Hsu Chia Village about ten miles from my house. It is five miles from Ke Chia Village and seven miles from Chu Chia Kou. Although the supervisors are not brothers, they allow me to be free on the Lord's Day. At first I planned to rotate between these three localities on the Lord's Day. I did not know that I would feel a heavy burden once the Lord's Day came. So I still return home to meet every week. Although I walk twenty miles in one round trip, I am not tired. The glory for this should be given to the Lord Jehovah. He has made it more convenient for me to read the Bible at school than at home. In the early morning I read five Psalms. I read a few chapters of the Old Testament in the late morning and a few chapters of the New Testament in the afternoon. I have more than enough strength to do this and can also discuss the teachings with two or three students. There is no one to oppose. Now I would like to ask the brothers and sisters in every place to pray for us because the believers in Chen Chia Yu are mainly backsliders. Ask the Lord to revive the cold ones, uphold the weak, and
free the oppressed. I also ask you, brother, to teach such a useless one as myself how to walk in the Lord's way. Moreover, I ask that you pray much before God because the locality of Chen Chia Yu lacks gifted members. Pray that the Lord would raise up priests to blow the horn before the ark of God while walking around the city of Jericho. I will write more details about the other matters in another letter. Peace in the Lord! Your brother, Chen Ju Ni August 13, 1934 P.S. I am more than sixty years of age. I am not very talented, nor have I studied in depth. My eyes are going bad. My writing is very illegible. Please tell the editor of Collection of Newsletters to feel free to delete, change, and make corrections as needed.
Two Greetings to the faithful bondslave of God, the brother whom I miss, Mr. Watchman Nee: Last year I received a letter from Yi Lin mentioning the need for fellowship. I also heard about the publication of Collection of Newsletters. I am very much in favor of it. A few days ago, I received the fourth issue of Collection of Newsletters. I have not received the first three issues. I really thank the Lord that I was among those who attended the recent Overcomer Conference. I was enlightened by God during the meetings, so that my spirit sprouted new life and I learned something of His truth. I was very joyful to be able to fellowship with the brothers in the Lord in the Body. Although this was my first meeting with you, it was a great blessing in my life. Now that I have returned home from Shanghai, I cannot forget what happened there. Please allow me to tell you something of my experience. Since I left the denominations at the start of the year, two years ago, I believe that I have received God's grace and received His sweetness in my living. I began to meet in the Lord's name in my home. There were more than twenty people in the meetings. Not long after we had established the Lord's table meeting, we met with some experiences of suffering. I will not go into detail. Satan took the opportunity to work much in my home. It was something like the situation in Matthew 10:35-36. This occurred because I was weak and could not govern my own house. How can I govern the house of God? Therefore, I ask you to pray for me that I would overcome all the enemies. This is my greatest hope.
Unfortunately, the first time we met, we did not have the opportunity to communicate freely, so I am writing this letter to you in fellowship. I also hope that the second time we see each other, my joy will be full. If this letter can be used in Collection of Newsletters, please feel free to edit and correct it. Otherwise, you can discard it. There are other things I want to tell you, but I will do it next time. Peace! May the Lord bless you! Your little brother in the Lord, Chun Ju Nih May 27, 1934 A LETTER FROM BROTHER CHANG YU CHIH, CHIA HSING, CHEKIANG Brother Lee: I received your letter. It comforted and encouraged me very much because I was struggling, wanting the Lord to give me a meeting while at the same time feeling in my deepest part that I should wait for Him. Your word to pray and be patient caused me to rest. The principal here is also a good brother in the Lord. He wants me to bear the responsibility for preaching the gospel with another brother, Lo Yung Tien. The school meets together for a short time to have so-called morning devotions every Friday and Lord's Day. The principal wants us to preach the gospel to the students during this time. Although we feel that this is a good opportunity, we feel a great pressure, as if we cannot bear this responsibility. We are praying that the Lord would give grace. If it is His will, we would be willing for you to come to preach the gospel for a few days at our school. If you are willing to come, please tell us. There is not a table meeting in this locality. We are willing to watch the Lord Himself lead His flock step by step in Chia Hsing. "It is sufficient to have the Lord!" Last Lord's Day I got dysentery and stayed in the hospital to rest for five days. I am completely well now. The Lord's keeping power got me safely through. Until we meet again. Peace in the Lord! Your little brother in the Lord, Chang Yu Chih September 3
A LETTER FROM SISTER RUTH LEE IN HER TRAVELS The following letter was written to Brother Witness and me by Sister Lee while she was traveling and working in southern China. She specifically requested that we not publish her letter in Collection of Newsletters because it is contrary to the position of head covering for a sister to talk about church matters. But feeling that this letter is profitable to the believers in each locality, we publish it. Brother Lee and I assume full responsibility for its content and anything pertaining to it. Watchman Nee Ruth Lee's Letter Reads: Dear Brothers Watchman and Witness: It has been one month and four days since I left Shanghai. I arrived in Swatow on June 13. I left Swatow on July 10 and arrived in Hong Kong on the eleventh. I arrived in Kung Ho City in Tai Shan on the twelfth. I already described the approximate condition in Swatow in my letter of July 9 to the sisters in Shanghai. On June 25, I wrote a letter to Mr. Watchman (which was delivered by the #215) in which I explained why I could not return to Shanghai for a time. I asked that the responsibility for editing the Collection of Newsletters be given to Mr. Witness in the future. I did not mean to place a heavy burden upon the brother, but I have a desperate reason for not being able to return to Shanghai—the sisters outside of Shanghai truly have a need. They do not have as many good opportunities as the sisters in Shanghai. I will stay in Tai Shan until August 5. At the beginning of next week, we will start a sisters' conference. In general, the first week will be for preaching, the second week for studying the Bible, and the third week for preaching again. Every afternoon there will be a time for individual fellowship. All work must pass through fire to prove its value. What can one do apart from the Lord? At this time, in the various places, through personal fellowship with the brothers and sisters and from what I have seen and heard, I have much for which to be grateful to the Lord. Yet I also have some fear and sighings. Most of the brothers and sisters in Swatow are like a sheet of white —all that is needed is some good writing. They are also like a piece of good ground—all they need is proper sowing. Within a year's time, about twenty brothers and forty to fifty sisters have actually begun meeting together, not including those who only come for the
messages. The sisters in Taishan labor incessantly and offer themselves to the best of their ability. These are good signs. I wish that from now on the brothers would pay attention to the following matters: (1) If the brothers in a certain locality desire to have the Lord's table, they should at least know what the church is and the reason for the table. If some presume that simply because they have no name they are not a sect, and yet in many activities they are a sect in another form, and if they consider that only they are the church and are better than anyone else, then inevitably they will become the worst sect. (2) The brothers and sisters in a locality who are lacking in gift should procure proper jobs and serve God with their jobs. Otherwise, they simply become dead preachers sitting in their parishes, where neither sinners are being saved nor brothers and sisters are growing in life. Consequently, the place is full of spiritual death. We may ignore any derision from the denominations, but what about our testimony? If a place is without a worker, it is best for the brothers and sisters there to pray livingly, remember the Lord, and give personal testimonies. It is not necessary to adhere to a set form. If a brother or sister professes to be called by the Lord yet is not gifted, then in the eyes of others, this calling is questionable. The problem with this kind of worker is that he is either presumptuous or lazy. Sometimes problems also arise in regard to material supply—those who are pure may suffer hardship, while others may make godliness a means of gain. (3) If a brother or sister is gifted, it is best for him or her to serve God according to what he or she has. For anyone to go beyond their gift when they minister will unavoidably be unreal or in error. (4) Even though we are standing on the "right" side, nevertheless, it would be best that our messages would emphasize what is in the Bible, without saying explicitly that this denomination or that denomination is right or wrong. We should let any seeking one, after hearing the truth and realizing the error in which he is, be willing to pay the price to follow the Word. Avoid arguing over minor points. To be divided because of different interpretations of the Bible, is not this the way of the Brethren? More and more I feel that every time as we break the bread, although our eyes can only see a certain number of brothers and sisters, yet, through the bread, what we actually see are all the saved ones. Otherwise, the testimony of Ephesians 1:23 is lost. (5) When the authority of a local church is in the hands of the sisters, and the sisters are not clear, then the brothers should be frank to admonish them
concerning this. But if the sisters intentionally refuse to stand on the proper position, then the brothers will not have a standing there. However, there are some places where the sisters are very good, while the brothers are old, formal, and dead. In such cases there is need for some enlightened brother to deal with these brothers. If the brothers will not listen, then one cannot blame the sisters for backsliding or being disjointed. In cases like this, the brothers are still a sect, only with the word free added to it. It is excusable to be in this situation if one is unclear, but if he is disobedient after knowing, then it becomes a matter of motive. The reason why I have said so much is not that the brothers in Shanghai have any strong points or special authority; I am only hoping that in your speaking or writing you would pay attention to these aspects. I am a sister, and in this letter I am simply conversing with you as a member of the family giving you a report of these matters. The brothers in Swatow are very burning for the gospel, preaching twice weekly with two brothers responsible each time. In this matter I will be honest to say that the brothers in Shanghai are behind. I really ask the Lord to supply the work and the need of the workers in each of these localities. Recently quite a few brothers and sisters in each locality were out of jobs, while the others mostly had only average jobs. Although many brothers and sisters have given their utmost, there is still a lack for the work and the workers. On the one hand, the workers should never tell the brothers and sisters directly or indirectly of their need by giving hints or speaking through others. Yet on the other hand, often some brothers and sisters either regard the responsible worker as a rich man, or sometimes care only for the work and not the worker. I say this not because I have a need, but because of my observation. Pardon me for writing about so many things. Peace in the Lord! Sincerely yours, Ruth Lee Greetings to all the brothers and sisters in Shanghai.
A SMALL TESTIMONY I lay sick in bed for thirty-one years just like the man in John 5 who was sick for thirty-eight years. Today I have been completely healed by the Lord Jesus. I began studying theology in a denomination in 1903. At first I was baptized by sprinkling, but later I went to another denomination and was baptized by
immersion. I have received salaries from several denominations and preached for a few denominations. It was just like in Revelation 3:1 where the Lord said, "I know your works, that you have a name that you are living, and yet you are dead." During these thirty-one years, I was living a life that shamed the Lord. Furthermore, because the denominations could not satisfy me, I also sinned for three or four years by not reading the Bible, praying, or going to meetings. I was sixty last year according to the flesh. In November I was sick for twenty days. My physical body was very weak. In March of this year, Brother Ke Ts'ung Yi came to Chin Chia Pien Elementary School, Kao Tze, to teach. He zealously exhorted me to obey the Lord. Later, I asked Brother Ke to clearly explain some of the things I doubted. After hearing his explanations, it seemed as if scales fell off my eyes. I was able to see. I thanked, obeyed, and praised the Lord. Now there are a few matters I would like the brothers and sisters in the Lord to pray for on my behalf. First, please ask the Lord to keep me and strengthen me to the end. Second, please ask the Lord Himself to do a good work in me and glorify Himself through this useless, weak vessel to testify for Himself. Third, please ask the Lord to save my wife, son, daughter, son-in-law, and my grandchildren, that our whole house may believe in the Lord and be saved. Fourth, please ask the Lord to establish a place for a meeting in the Lord's name so that those who believe in the Lord with a pure heart will have a place to meet and partake of the Lord's table. Fifth, please implore the Lord to work in my circumstances that I may always glorify and obey Him. Also pray that my home would be near a meeting in the Lord's name. Sixth, please pray that the Lord would add saved ones into His precious name every day so that the lost sheep may become a flock under the hand of the great Shepherd, our Lord Jesus Christ. Hallelujah, amen. Finally, I bless all the brothers and sisters in the Lord. Health in spirit and body! The smallest brother in the Lord, Feng Ching Yi August 17, 1934 This letter was sent in by a believer in Kao Tze, Kiangsu who was helped by Brother Ke and was revived. NEWS FROM LIEN SHUI, NORTHERN KIANGSU Greetings to our dear brother in the Lord, Watchman: May the Holy Spirit within each brother pray for us, the dried-up children. We have been believers in the Inland Mission for many years. We were all blindly zealous and knew nothing about being saved and overcoming. We often sought
the truth. We have seen the divisions among the denominations, and when we met brothers who believed in the Lord, we asked, "Which church do you belong to?" Then we praised his church for doing this or that or we discussed the salary the believers gave the preacher. Our spirits were not pleased that we did not speak of the Lord's grace, but we had no alternative. Thank and praise the God who loves man. He sent His faithful and obedient messengers, Chiu Jih Chien and Chi Yung Tung, to Chi T'ang Chi to begin the work there and to give us the truth. This was from July 26 to August 1, 1929. God laid hold of a few of us. Satan also worked by saying, "Chiu and Chi from Su Chia Tsue are speaking the devil's doctrine. The last days are here. There are false apostles and false prophets. The Lord has told us not to believe in them or be led astray." But in our hearts we felt that the Scriptures they quoted were all true. Later we bought some books from Ting Chung Shu, including The Christian Life and Warfare, The Christian, and The Spiritual Man. But we were still cheated; we did not understand, and we placed our flesh in this life at the forefront. We were unable to overcome for three years. The Lord placed us in trials, while Satan raised up some work. The Seventh-day Adventists preach a proper living, the law in the last days, and the commandments. Many worldly people followed. In April and May of 1933, thirty-six people were baptized. Oh, thank the Lord, He enlightened us to see 1 John 4:1-6. All the brothers and sisters in our locality were considering our love for God. The Lord who knows man sent His messenger, Brother Chiu, to us again. In more than ten days of work, God grasped a few brothers and sisters out of the many to meet, break bread, and praise. We were so joyful. We thank the Lord and remember how much He loves us. Our Lord and His cross were livingly depicted before our eyes. Our hearts could not help but respond; we each shed tears. After about fifteen minutes, we read the Bible, broke the bread, and received the cup. It was so sweet. There are seven brothers and four sisters who break bread together. The responsible brothers are Sun Tze Kang and Chi Ju Ch'un. We received an issue of Collection of Newsletters and learned about the conference in Shanghai. Satan did a special work. Brother Chi wanted to go, but his wife persecuted and frustrated him. It is difficult to describe the situation in a sentence. The Lord caused him to overcome, and he arrived safely in Shanghai. The devil also worked so that he would have a recurrence of a chronic illness. When he suffers from this illness, it usually lasts for ten days. This time the Lord blessed him in that he was healed after two days. He asked Brother Chi Yung
Tung to tell the brothers and sisters who love the Lord to pray for him. Thank the Lord that He heard their prayers. In February Sister Chin began a women's work in Yi Lin. The Lord moved a mother and daughter, Chi P'ing Ch'uan, and another sister, Chi Tao Hua, and her daughter, Chi An Yu, to go to Yi Lin for more than twenty days of learning. Chi P'ing Ch'uan and Chi An Yu were both baptized in Yi Lin. They entered into the Lord Jesus' death and are living to God. A sister was baptized here in our locality on April 15. Every Lord's Day, the attendance is more than thirty people. God's promise is true. He adds saved ones to us every day. Every Lord's Day many sick people come. We are still meeting in the old meeting place that the China Inland Mission used to occupy. It is in Sun Tze Kang's house. He is saved and his wife obeys, but the rest of the people in the household are unbelievers. We hope that all the brothers and sisters who love the Lord will pray for us before Him. We do not know where God wants to put us because we are young and dry. We do not know what God's will is. Every Lord's Day, a brother who is led by the Holy Spirit gives some testimony. We do not know when God will give a gifted member to His church. May the Lord bless each one of you. Health and peace to your spirit, soul, and body! Your little brothers, Sun Tze Kang and Chi Ju Ch'un July 3, 1934 We cannot write too well, and we are afraid that there are many misused words and incorrect characters. Please forgive us.
THE EXPERIENCE OF THE MEETING IN CHEN HSIA KUAN IN P'ING YANG, CHEKIANG PROVINCE (1) Before there was a meeting here, we listened to the Word and worshipped in the meeting in the Ao Nei denomination. At that time I listened to the Word, but I did not know that Jesus was crucified for me or that He died and lives for me. All we wanted was to change our behavior a little. Thank God, in 1928 Brothers Wang, Ts'ai, and a few other good servants of the Lord came from Wu Tai and Tai Sun to meet with us in Ts'uo Tze. At that time I heard that Jesus died on the cross for us to bear our all and shed His blood to cleanse away our sins. I immediately received, believed, and was saved. I was not only saved but also revived. I was not the only one who was revived. There were several other
brothers who were revived at the same time. Every Wednesday and Friday evening at 5:30 we went to Ao Nei for a two-hour prayer meeting and walked back home. It was a trip of more than ten miles over narrow paths and mountain roads. We returned home at 11:30. One brother told us that before he believed in the Lord, he could not walk five miles in half a day. After he believed in the Lord and was saved and revived, he could walk more than twenty miles with us on foot every Wednesday and Friday to the meetings. It was more than six hours round trip. This was truly the power of God overshadowing him. There are some other brothers who have been attending the prayer meeting for more than a year now. Thank God! (2) In 1929 a few of us discussed the possibility of having a prayer meeting in our own locality. At that time the brothers were all in one accord and went immediately to rent a place for the prayer meeting. On Wednesday and Friday more than ten people, including old ones, young ones, men and women, met to pray. After discussing the situation, everyone prayed and waited before the Lord. Thank God for His marvelousness. At that time there was a five-room tiled house in which a demon had appeared. Nobody lived in it, and it was for sale for a very good price. They wanted one hundred twenty dollars. We had very few people and most were poor. We could not borrow money from other churches. We prayed before God; each person did his best. We wrote down our own offering and placed it in the offering box. Some for one, two, three, ten, twenty, thirty, fifty, or one hundred dollars. After adding them all up, it totaled two hundred dollars. The brothers then purchased this house. The house is about ten miles from Chen Hsia Kuan. Later, we set a time to tear down the old house. All the work was done by the brothers in the Lord. God gave us another miracle. The five-room house of wood and tile was torn down in one day. We carried the building materials, totaling more than two hundred baskets, to the river by hand and transported them by boat to Chen Hsia Kuan. (3) In 1930 a four-room tiled house was temporarily completed. The entire cost came to four hundred fifty dollars. Thank God. We do not know where the money came from. We never expected God's grace to be so great. In our human mentality, we wanted a two-room straw thatched house. Who could have guessed that God would prepare a four-room tiled house for us to meet in? God really does everything beyond what we ask or think. (4) We began meeting in September of 1930. There were six brothers in the table meeting. There were more than twenty people who came to the gospel meetings.
Now there are sixteen in the table meeting and more than sixty in the gospel meeting. God has cast out demons and healed sicknesses in many places. Now many people want to come hear the gospel. I ask the brothers and sisters in every place to pray for us. Peace in the Lord! From, Wu Tze Chien June 18, 1934
THE TRAVELS OF THE CO-WORKERS IN P'ING YANG To our two brothers in the Lord, Watchman and Witness: How have you been recently? Are you still in Shanghai in the heat of the summer, or have you gone someplace to get away from the heat? We, the coworkers here, think about you often. You must be thinking of us just as we think of you. Therefore, we want to tell you something of our recent experiences and what the Lord has charged us with in the work. We hope you will not forget to pray for us. Our Lord is to be praised because while we were walking in error, He called us and led us back so that we would walk according to His way. This is the Lord's special grace to us. However, most of the leaders of the denominations do not understand us; they have accused us again and again before the magistrate. They have used violent words to threaten our weak brothers and sisters, but the Lord's solid foundation has been laid. No one can tear it down. Thank and praise the Lord! In this situation with enemies on all sides, the Lord gave us a new call to remember the souls of sinners. (For the past few years, we were busy with internal affairs and almost neglected to preach the gospel.) For this reason, we, the few useless ones, have been gathered together by the Holy Spirit to begin a gospel preaching work. On July 19 we began our journey from Fang Yen. We wanted to go to the areas around Pei Kang to preach the gospel, but during those few days it was constantly raining and the river flooded. The steamboats on both sides of the river could not run. We had to wait for the next day to take a sailboat. Unexpectedly, the boat was stopped in the middle of the river by flooding torrents, and we could not reach our destination. We were forced to leave the boat and go ashore to continue our journey in the rain until dusk. We spent the night in a China Inland Mission chapel (because one of our neighbors was working there as a teacher). Although the rain stopped the next day, the flood
waters had not receded. Therefore, we had to take a detour over the hills and mountains. We finally arrived in a place called He Hsi around noon and rested at an inn. There was another place about five miles away called Hsia Hsi where several of our brothers and sisters meet in the Lord's name. We wanted to get there to break bread and remember the Lord on the Lord's Day, but the flood still had not receded, and we could not go on. We had to stay at the inn until the water went down. That afternoon, Brother Ts'ai passed out gospel tracts on the street and preached the gospel from door to door. Many people heard the Lord's name. But the people in the denomination were very unhappy. A young believer came to our lodging and solemnly told us, "Now the government has made a declaration that you are not allowed to disturb our church." Later a preacher walked past our hotel, and a woman called to him, "Mr. So-and-so, these guests are also preachers; why don't you give them hospitality in the church building?" The preacher raised his head and looked, but he did not say a word; instead, he raised his head high and walked away. This was suffering persecution for the Lord's name, so our hearts were very happy. In the evening, we preached the gospel to a few people at the inn and then went to bed. The next day (the Lord's Day), the water had not completely receded, but the road was only covered with water up to a man's knees, so we proceeded with difficulty. We wanted to hurry to a place where the brothers met to break bread, so we carried our luggage on our backs and carefully plodded along. While we were walking, there was a deep drainage ditch next to the road, and Brother Chen unexpectedly lost his footing and fell in! The water was rushing along, and the ditch was very dangerous. Fortunately, the Lord's hand held him up. We pulled him out unharmed. Even his suitcase was not damaged when we pulled it out of the water. We really thank the Lord unceasingly for His grace. When we got to Hsia Hsi, the brothers' hospitality in the Lord's love was very warm. We spent the Lord's Day there. Beginning the next day—from Monday to Friday—we had gospel meetings every evening. During the days we had a few edifying meetings for those in the church. We preached the gospel by first printing red announcements that had the time, date, place, and an invitation to come hear the gospel on one side and John 3:16 on the other. The brothers took these announcements and delivered them door to door. In the evening the brothers went out to invite them again and pull them in. In this way we surprised the entire population of the village of Hsia Hsi. They all came, both men and women. All the seats were filled. It is often very difficult for unbelievers to remain
quiet in a meeting. But the Lord was among us, and He stretched out His powerful arm so that the whole audience listened quietly and solemnly from beginning to end without a single interruption. Many people in this place are Catholic. They came every time to hear the preaching. One Catholic head of a household locked his house up and brought the entire family to the meeting. He also gave us some things for the use of the meeting. Our meeting place was small, and there were not enough chairs; some of the people who came to hear the messages brought their own chairs. After the message, they carried the chairs home. Although they listened until the middle of the night, they did not act tired. The Lord was indeed drawing people to Himself. We thank and praise Him! On Saturday afternoon, we left the brothers, sisters, and new gospel friends in Hsia Hsi and walked thirty-five miles to Shan Men Street. There is a meeting there which recently left the denominations to meet in the Lord's name. They knew that we would come on that day, so they had made early and good preparations for our room and board. Four or five brothers also walked eight or nine miles along the road to welcome us. Once we got to the meeting place, we felt the Lord's grace and love enveloping us on all sides. Our hearts really felt sweet. That afternoon the brothers went out as usual to preach the gospel and pass out announcements and tracts. In the evening, one hundred people came to listen to the gospel. This time Brother Ts'ai got up to speak the message. He was blessed with power by the Lord, so the listeners were very moved. However, we did not make them sign their names. We do not like to do this. The next day was the Lord's Day. In the morning, there was an edification meeting for the believers. In the afternoon, we spoke on the necessity and meaning of baptism. After the meeting, five brothers and four sisters went to the river with us and were baptized. In the evening there should have been a table meeting, but because many people came to the meeting to hear the gospel, we had to preach the gospel to them first. After the crowd left, we had a table meeting late at night. The spiritual atmosphere in this table meeting was very thick. We all felt as if we had ascended to the heavens and seen the Lord face to face. On July 30 (Monday) we rested during the day. In the evening, we preached the gospel outside in front of Brother Lee Shu Jen's house because the house was too small. Brother Lee had already contacted all his relatives, neighbors, and clan. By evening there was a great number of people gathered together for the meeting. The topic of that message was John 3:16. After hearing the message, all the people were filled with joy because they knew that God loved them.
On July 31 (Tuesday) we left Shan Men Street and walked for thirty miles to Shun Hsi. There are more than one thousand homes in this place. The population is about five thousand, but there are only five who believe in the Lord, counting both men and women. These five believed last spring when Lee Shu Jen, Hsu Chi Jen, and other brothers went there to preach the gospel. We spent six days there. In the mornings of the first three days, we rested. In the afternoons, we preached the gospel door to door and passed out announcements inviting them to come hear the gospel in the evening. The last three days we had meetings with the brothers in the morning and evening. They were for the edification of those who had already believed and those who had believed in the past three days. In the evening we still had a gospel meeting. We really thank the Lord for those six evenings of gospel meetings. He first prepared a large house for us. We only rented a small part of the building. We borrowed the courtyard and the halls around it. It could hold one thousand people. This solved the problem of overcrowdedness. Every afternoon the brothers went out to pass out announcements. In the evening they went out again to invite people in. If some did not want to come in, we very politely pulled them in. Every evening there were more than one hundred people. Sometimes a few hundred people came to hear the message. We did not speak anything to them but Jesus Christ and His crucifixion. Sometimes we also mentioned the coming judgment or the signs of the end times. God did a great work through His own Word. Every evening after the meeting, there were always a few who stayed there and would not leave. We spoke or prayed with them, or we asked them to stay for a snack, and then they received the Lord. On the last day of our work there (the Lord's Day), the new believers came and worshipped together with us and became our brothers and sisters. Thank and praise the Lord. If He does not draw people, what can His useless servants do? May many sinners be saved and the Lord's name be glorified more! Our hearts were satisfied. Hallelujah! Praise the Lord! On August 6 (Monday) we left Shun Hsi. We were going to go to Chu Hsi. The brothers accompanied us for several miles out of town and said good-by to us in a pavilion. We picked up our luggage and went ahead. Unexpectedly, a farmer in his thirties came up to us and wanted to carry our luggage for us. We did not understand. When we asked him why he wanted to carry the luggage, he said, "I was not able to hear you preach during the few days that you were in my town of Shun Hsi. I was just leaving to come and hear you last night when something came up and I could not do what I wanted. This morning I heard you were
leaving, and I was very sad. So I came here especially to carry your luggage for you and walk with you for awhile. This way I can hear your doctrines. Please talk to me while we walk." Our hearts were filled with heavenly joy when we saw this. On the way we told him about man's sin, the punishment for sin, and the salvation of Christ's cross. We walked for more than ten miles through the mountains. After about one and a half hours, this friend left us. At that time he confessed Jesus as Lord and knew that the Lord Jesus had taken away all his sins. We stood on that mountaintop praying with him. Thank the Lord, this person got saved! After he left we continued ahead. We arrived in Chu Hsi around noon. There are more than ten brothers and sisters in the Lord's name here. We stayed for two days. There were gospel meetings both evenings. More than one hundred sinners heard the Lord's salvation. May the Lord bless His messages so that many may be saved from among the listeners. We left Chu Hsi on the eighth and walked twelve miles to Ting P'u T'ou. Brother Wang Yu T'ing was there. We met with Brother Wang Yu T'ing and Brother Chang Wu Sheng and the other brothers. Our spirits were very happy. However, our bodies were a little weak, so we rested there. We will not go into any more details. We only hope you pray. Peace in the Lord! Your brothers in the Lord, Chen Hsiang, Ts'ai Ch'i Wang Ch'ung Hsin, Lee Shu Jen, Chin Tze Fang August 13, 1934
A LETTER OF IMPORTANT CLARIFICATION Greetings to my dear brothers and sisters in the Lord: In April I sent a letter to Collection of Newsletters with news of the co-working brothers. Today I suddenly saw that it had been published in the Newsletter Paper. Facts had been deleted and topics had been added. I was very surprised. There was no impropriety in the letter I wrote. But I have not read the Newsletter Paper very carefully this past year. In fact, I have forgotten the address of the Newsletter Paper. Nevertheless, I never wrote to it. Brother Chen Ch'in Fa and I saw this paper at the same time and think that the postman must have given the letter meant for Collection of Newsletters to the Newsletter Paper. This shows how the enemy will stop at nothing to attack us. I am making this announcement to dispel the doubts of the brothers and sisters. May the Lord bless us. Peace in the Lord!
Your little brother in the Lord, Wang Yu T'ing August 22 P.S. There will be a five-day conference in Nan Kang Fan Shan, P'ing Yang from August 29 to September 2. Brother Chen Ch'in Fa and I will be responsible for the messages. We hope that the hungry and thirsty brothers and sisters will be edified. We hope that the brothers and sisters who are in one accord with us in Shanghai will pray for us. It is very important. Your brother, Wang Yu T'ing A LETTER FROM SHIH YU FANG TO JAN CH'I YU Brother Ch'i Yu: After you separated from Sze Cheng Chapel, I was not peaceful in my heart day and night. When Pastor Chen Ts'ung Kuei led the meetings in Bethany, I suggested that he go to your place. I was willing to pay his round-trip ticket. Unfortunately, he did not have the time to go to Hangchow. He stayed in my home for one night in Nanking. I spoke with him about this matter. He said that you [left the denomination] too quickly and that it was a pity. Before he came, I also wrote a letter to Pastor Cheng Chi Kuei asking his opinion. According to what Pastor Chen Ts'ung Kuei says, Pastor Cheng is most opposed to the Little Flock. He speaks from the Bible and is able to turn you back to the church. I hope Pastor Cheng can write a letter to you and that he can perhaps come to see you and explain everything in person. I am very willing to pay the round-trip travel expenses. I do not know much about the Little Flock, but I feel that you are taking the easy way and are not willing to bear the cross in the church to help the weak brothers more with the strength God has given you. It is difficult to make the weak brothers into good ones, but this is your work. The group you have now entered must be very holy. They are all of similar wills. But who will go to exhort and care for the weaker brothers? The Little Flock only wants better people (Christians) or more zealous people (Christians). Although the organization of the church has many problems and perhaps some errors, it needs some spiritual people like Wesley and Martin Luther to change things through the strength of God. Don't you agree? The church has a long history already. God has already done miracles in the church. I hope you have a peaceful attitude. If Pastor Cheng can speak correctly according to the Bible, I hope you can come back to help the church. I was planning to come to Hangchow today, but my house is being
repaired, so I will go to Hangchow next Friday (August 3). When I come, I will write again. Please do not come to the station to meet me; I will go to your house myself. Peace in the Lord! Your brother, Yu Fang July 28 at sundown P.S. Pastor Cheng is in the area of Honan leading some meetings. He will write an article against the Little Flock which will be published in a gospel magazine.
Jan Ch'i Yu's Answering Letter I received your letter. I thank you very much for your kindness, but there are a few things that I must explain: (1) What is the little flock? Please read Luke 12:32. It says, "Do not be afraid, little flock, because your Father has been well pleased to give you the kingdom." Can you oppose this little flock? The term "little flock" refers to all the saved ones who believe in the Lord's name at all times and places. If you oppose the little flock, you are opposing yourself and myself unless we are not saved. We who meet in the meeting place at 321 East Street Road are not called the little flock. We are called "The meeting place of those who meet in the Lord's name in Hangchow." Outsiders call us "The Little Flock" because the hymnal we use is called Little Flock Hymnal. This really is not our name, because we do not have a name. We cannot take this broad name. If we have a name, we have become a denomination. (2) What is the church? Ephesians 1:22-23 says, "The church, which is His Body." Ephesians 4:4 also says, "One Body." Therefore, the church includes all the saved ones who believe in the Lord's name in all times and places. Please look at 1 Timothy 3:15 also. The church is called "the house of God." Then what is not the church? The church is not a chapel, nor is it a youth group, nor a sect or denomination. Every saved believer in the Lord's name is a member of Christ. The members are produced naturally; they cannot join anything. Therefore, I "meet in the Lord's name" on East Street Road. We have seen that according to the Bible there should not be "denominational" differentiation. Having denominations is a sin. I left Sze Cheng Chapel. I did not leave the church; I only left a denomination. My leaving of the denomination was not
because of individual preference but because of obeying the teachings of the Bible. (3) In the Bible, the word sanctified in its positional aspect means that something is separated unto God. Please read the section beginning with Matthew 23:17, 1 Timothy 4:4-5, and John 17:19. In the Bible, holy and common are opposites. Holy and sinful are not opposites. Please read Ezekiel 44:23. The brothers and sisters who meet in the Lord's name do not all have a great knowledge of the Bible, nor have we all attained a high level of spirituality. However, we can say that everyone among us is saved. The level of salvation, however, varies. Some have been saved for two months, some for six months, some for a year, and some have just been newly saved. Our greatest work every week is to preach the gospel. Preaching the gospel is to bring unsaved ones in through the door of salvation. Many people misunderstand us and think that we only are trying to pull people out of the denominations. That is a great mistake, but it was also my previous concept. (4) The organization of the church: The organization of the church is spontaneous just as the organization of a body is spontaneous. The present chapels and denominations are not the church, so they need man's organization. Because there are many unsaved, unregenerated, and worldly ones in the denominations, they need man's organization. If you come to Hangchow, I will welcome you very much. However, it is best if we do not discuss this matter because the light which we have individually received is different. You cannot understand the truth of leaving the denominations in your heart without "God's enlightenment." This is my answer to you. Greetings! Your brother, Jan Ch'i Yu July 30, 1934
AN OLD LETTER FROM DAIREN, MANCHURIA Dear Brothers Ho and Huang: I have a small question that I hope you can answer for me. Brother Miao Wan Hsiu of the meeting here asked about the matter of registering the church with the government. When I was in Shanghai, Brother Liu Tien Min of Shantung also wrote a letter asking about this matter. Unfortunately, I did not pay attention to how the brothers answered him at that time. Therefore, I can only ask you
brothers to answer the question again. The condition here is certainly different from that in Shantung and inner China. (Parts omitted.) Peace in the Lord! Your brother in the Lord, Chang Chen Ming January 28 Answer Brother Chen Ming: We received your letter a long time ago. Please forgive us for not answering sooner. If the local government requires the meeting to register, we should obey. However, we cannot register a name because we may not have names. We can explain to the local officials that we have a Christian meeting at a certain address and then tell them who the responsible ones are. Peace! Answered by, Witness P.S. According to the brothers from Ch'ang-ch'un, the meeting there has already registered with the authorities. A few of the responsible brothers went to the authorities and explained to them the nature and origin of the meeting. They also promised the authorities that they would be completely responsible for that meeting. I have heard that not only were they able to do this without difficulty, but the authorities even complimented them. A LETTER FROM BROTHER WITNESS LEE (FROM SHANGHAI TO FUKIEN) Mr. Nee: I received your letter. I thank you for the thorough teachings it gave me. I hope you will be willing to teach and correct me often. Thank the Lord, He really blessed Brother Luan's work in Chefoo this time. Brother Chao Pi Cheng sent a letter that said, "The condition of this conference was very good. Brothers T'ien P'ing Fang and Chang Tze Chieh were helped much by this conference...The sisters' work and fellowship is much better than before. The brothers and sisters seem to be a little revived." Brother Chao Ching Hai sent a letter, saying, "We thank God because He has heard our prayer and the prayers of all our brothers and sisters. He bound Satan for us; therefore, we were not bothered by him in this conference. He also caused us to see the Lord's victory. After we received your telegram that Brother Luan would be coming to Chefoo by the Tung Chou Steamer, the children in every home got sick...Some became sick from falling off the heated beds; some became sick from falling out
of their strollers. The rest were mainly sick with fever. They were all very ill...But through the desperate prayer of the brothers and sisters, all the sick children were well by the time of the first meeting...In this conference, God truly blessed us. We really see a revival in our brothers and sisters. We truly thank and praise our dear Father. He also preserved His servant, Brother Luan, so that he was very healthy physically...Many brothers and sisters who love the Lord in the denominations came to attend the meetings. All the seats in the meeting hall were filled every meeting, and we even added chairs in the corridor...Mr. Hsu Chu Lan, the leader of the home table meetings, was very touched. He bought many of our books...He said he would definitely be able to go to Hangchow to attend the conference there." Brother Chang Tze Chieh sent a letter, saying, "During this conference the devil attacked strongly, but in the end he was defeated. During the daytime, it rained often, but every evening it cleared up at meeting time. After the meeting was over, it rained all day and night. There were thirteen days of meetings. Brother Luan testified twenty-two times to us. One day he spoke for eight hours including the time he spoke to outsiders. When we were singing hymns, his voice was hoarse, but during the prayer, his strength increased...We really thank and praise God that His presence is so good! The atmosphere in every meeting was very living (one meeting was not so good); the flavor of the meetings gives us sweet longings. Brother Luan said many times that it was because some took up the responsibility to pray. I was edified very much during this time. May you brothers thank the Lord much!" Yes, we really should thank the Lord! May He preserve what He has done there through our brother. I already answered the letter to the brothers in P'ing Yang and put the news into the Collection of Newsletters. A few days ago, I felt that I should leave the city, but I do not know where to go. After receiving your letter today, maybe I should go to P'ing Yang. However, I will wait for the Lord to give me the message and then make the arrangements. Please pray much for this. There are great difficulties in the matter of visitation among the brothers in Shanghai. Brothers Tu and Wu do not have much time, and I do not have much either. I hope Brother Chang returns soon. We are now paying attention to the matter of the brothers' fellowship. It seems that recently the brothers have risen up. (We see it in the table meeting and their prayer.) I really need help and prayers now. Peace!