CHRISTIANITY, To the Editor of the "Norta-Cutna Damty News."
Sir,—You naturally deprecate religious controversy in your correspondence columns, and controversy is by no means the purpose of this letter. But I do wish to say a few words about "canned theology," and conservatism in the Churches.
There was in our Lord's time something which might be called "canned theology," and He was at Pains to scatter it, not, however, in obedience to any voices of the age, but so that a still older de—posit which He called "the Word of God" might be conserved, I suppose that those who are loyal to Him will imitate His con-servetism in this respect, and continue to regard those Old Testament Scriptures as the Word of God, whatever new theologian, or other voices of the age in which them. This seems ' a conservatism they hap en to live, may say about. which is both reasonable and right.
Our Lord -further claimed 10 speak the words of God with an authority equal to that of the older. writings, and He took measures for the preservation and transmission of His words to future generations. The New Testament, which tells us all that is certainly known of Jesus of Nazareth and His teachings, ig full of appeal to conserve all that He taught, and of warnings against all solicitations to act otherwise.
It seems then that, whether it suits the temper of any particular age or not, conservatism is of the very essence of Christianity.
Tt is not a pleasant thing to be disowned by one's age, but after all, if it never be, it is a good deal better than being disowned by "the King of the Ages."
Christians need not fear the effect on themselves or on others of a conservatism which "keeps the commandment of God and holds the testimony of Jesus," for to those the whole world will come round at Jast; but the conservation of Christians is one means to that end.
I am, etc., W. &. Movze. Ningpo, Jan. 23, 1922.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.