To the Bditor of the Sm,—A recent number of the Times contains 'a letter with the above heading, signed S., to which, if yon will allow me space in your columns, I wish to call attention.
The letter is so bitterly one-sided and so lacking in argument, that Tam at a loss to diploma-account for its insertion in the Times, ex-tic and mi believe in the Divine cept on the ground of the social position origin of christianity and that China would lene influence of ae writer. There is be decidedly benefited, if in any measure plan proposed in it for the management of missions. marvellously like that set, forth it because a christ If then christianity. is a religion by the Chinese Foreign office in their mis-mored above the miserable superstitions we sionary despatch, and this gives it a very fird here, it is mere twaddle to say that suspicious odour of one of the Legations "the first act of a missionary is to rob a in Peking. T should be glad to think I am man of his father's faith." It is an old mistaken in this supposition, but it seems heathenish notion, strange it should so of-hardly likely that any one at home would, ten be trumped up by so-called christians, very nearly simultaneously with the Chi-that christianity produces disloyalty to the nese Government, hit upon the very plan sovereign, disobedience to parents, hatred proposed by them last winter for the man-among families, discontent among all, as well agement of missions. The coincidence is as animosity not only against the mission-to say the least singular, ary, but against she white man. Either say S. speaks of missionaries in China without boldly that all missionaries are nothing but attempting tomake any distinction between mischievous agitators and political" inone class and another. Protestant, and Retrigues, and have the country cleared of man Catholic, and the different classes to be them at once; or, that christianity is a found in both bodies, are indiscriminately ting as its propagators do not violate the od thing for China to know, and that so lumped together. The whole are made responsible fora few. Mr. Wade in one treaty, and are proved to behave well, they of his letters thet recently appeared in the aust have the protection allowed by treaty Blue Book, tells us that some Roman Catho-lies in official and even ecclesiastical posi-to all peaceable subjects. of mbssiguarion which, os I have id, a ses a plan for the management tion disapproved of the action of certain portion of the Roman Catholic Missionasuspiciously like to the missionary pro-ries. But S. has no idea of making dis-gramme of the Tsungli Yamen, tinctions. His logic seems to be that be-absurd as that programme itself. Fancy cause certain individuals among the Rothe Chinese Government turned into a man Catholic Missionaries have acted in missionary Board of Directors, receiving such away as to rouse the suspicious of the missionaries on arrival, superintending the people, therefore all missionaries are them, and directing them how and' where injudicious in their action and dangerous to to work, "in a limited or unlimited eapacithe peace of the country. ty and locality." (Does this. last singular The substance of the letter is that misexpression come direct from the despatch sionaries, not being for the most part it sounds too strange for plain English.) "gentlemen born," are not likely to be very Fancy the Chinese Government issuing judicious or to teach loyalty to their con-directions to the churches that the sover-verts, that they in fact weaken the all eign and government are to be prayed for, ance of the Chinese to their authorities, and that the converts are not to be taught and are therefore a constant source of danger, that they are ever clamouring for to pray for Buropenn sovereigns and finally receiving the periodical reports of protection, and that they teach their con-the missionaries, as S. strangely puts verts to pray for European sovereigns. This it again, "concerning their missionary last isa novel charge, and I would very duties?" What a charming arrangement much like to know where S. obtained the How simple, how effective—for the end the information. It certainly is new to me, Chinese Government has in view! The and I feel sure equally new to every mis-only thing wanting is that S. should suggest sionary in China. The other charges cana plan by which the different missionary not lay claim to originality or novelty. We Societies should hand over to the Forel have heard them before, and they have office in Peking, with full confidence in been answered before. It is not worth the honesty of its intentions, the sums while to enter upon them again. But I annually raised for the- support of mis-would just suggest to S., if he is in China, sions; and the organization would be com-that he should seek to become acquainted
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.