To the Eilitor of the Nonru-Cutva Datty News.
Sm,—The reader of the able article which appeared in your issue of 13th May, hardly knows whether more to admire or to criticise. The writer is certainly quite enthusiastic in his views about the success of the distribution of the sacred Scriptures. "We may safely predict for the Bible, in the near future, at least as high a place as any other exotic sacred book in China." His graphic description of the vast machinery now in motion all tending in the one direction of exalting the Bible," "the fast increasing number of Bible Agents and colporteurs, foreignandnative," the printing and disseminating of ' the Bible whole or in Parts, wholesale, million copies ut a tine, throughout the length and breadth of the eighteen provinces," the rapidly growing army of missionaries engaged in preaching from the Bible," "this inundation of China with our Scriptures," will likely find its way into the annual reports to the great British, Scotch and American Societies, coming as it does from such high authority.
The reviewer will agree that the introduction of the Bible into China is a Protestant question. Here is one of the distinguishing characteristics between Protestant and Roman Catholic Missions, Protestants bring the Bible. We will not discuss the Apocrypha. It will never be generally known in China. Protestants do not sell it'and Romanists neither distribute it nor the sixty-six books of the Bible.
The reviewer, though evidently an able Chinese scholar, we are inclined to think, let his pen slip'when he wrote the lines, "From first to last our Bible has been a far more uncertain book than the sacred writings of the other great religions." Not to discuss Taoism, whose revered text is only the bulk of one of the minor prophets, will not the writer kindly re-read Dr. Eitel, the highest authority, upon the late introduction of the complete Buddhist piece of economy did not commend itself to on the occasion of his From the well furnished shelves of his the Committee, one member, himself a Scotsman, remarking, Why, the Queen translations and refresh his memory will say we're all Scotsmen in Shanghai about the burning of the books and the sub-10 a.m. has been fixed for the service of sequent collection of the Chinese Classics thanks in the Cathedral, which is not ex-the house-boat is bravely launched out pected to last more than an hour; and it upon the sea of Biblical criticism. For two proposed that the procession,—the first of centuries this has been the field of research the kind in Shanghai, if we except perhaps for the learning of the Church universal. the Masonic procession at the laying of the Four companies of oriental scholars, two in foundation-stone of the Cathedral—shall England, and two in Americs, two for the start at about 11a.m. Tt is hoped that this Testament and two fur the New, gather-procession will include the navy, the yoluning up the criticisms of generations, have teers, and representatives of all the local so-sent back and forth across the Atlantic cities and clubs, and every effort will remade their mutual correspondence, till the Re-to make itas effective 'a display as possible. vised Version appeared. And what is the The Straite-born subjects of Hor Majesty result? The Old Testament is almost King in Shanghai have been invited to take part James's unchanged! In the New the changes in it, and they will be an interesting feature are mostly grammatical. In one case, mit! After traversing the principal streets, the omission of twenty or more words i the procession will pass under the large another eight or ten verses are marked triumphal arch that is to be erected at the doubtful, but the text remains essentially end of the Nanking Road, and assemble on the same. the bund foreshore at noon, where the "The advice to Missionaries,—''they might salute of 101 guns will be fired by the unite to produce a joint translation, once volunteer artillery, or by H.M, S. Sapphire, and for all, which would be generally and three cheers will be given for the received, and also prove acceptable to Queen, on the invitation of H.M.'s Consul-Chinese of even the highest literary taste,"
General. The next act will be the garden-—should be written in gold and sent to rty in H.M.'s Consulate grounds, at which every minister of the gospel in China, itis hoped that the whole foreign community AS a practical illustration that the ise in Shanghai will attend without Mr. John's work is not uncalled for,—last Saturday morning, the day after the review appeared, having no other book at the time at hand in the chapels, I presented two of the scholars now attending the Prefectural examinations with copies of his Matthew. In the evening they called at my house and said they had been reading the Gospel and were very much pleased with it. Very sincerely, Twin Pagodas, Soochow, 17th May.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.