To the Editor of the "NontH-CHINA Dat News.
Sie,—I cannot but confess that sense of fear and uncertainty possessed me. when I wrote the other day a letter on the "Christian General." A. forbidden subject, the Toast touch of which will: be' sure to call forth protests and sallies from innumerable sources. Two such replies came to-day; and' I do not know how many more may appear as time goes on. There is the Christian Literature Society those duty, as the editor informed me, is to protect the interests of Christianity and to combat with the pen all dissenters. They are interested; while I am disinterested; they are an organized union, professional writers, while T am an amateur in writing, possibly alone. 'The odds-are against me; but I will not forsake my cause, T will speare out what I believe to' be true; anil truth shall know no fear?
T am very much surprised to see how some people begin to write before they understand what they are! writing about. " Your correspondent J. Darroch is evidently one example, 'Yo him, "P.D.2." is analogous to Tillate, because "both "cannot find fault' with Christ! But this their only analogy; for while Pilate condemned Christ, "F.D.Z." respects fand admires hunt If'J. Darroch is a true preacher, he ought not to find.D.2." an opponent at all, Wha is not Christ, not Chris-y, but " certain form of curren: Christianity, which pretends that Christian is. good good who does profess hima " Christian! J
Iinperfeet and. spurious, Christians and T have mie doubt he will also are good and upright ians, In that ease, we:
essentially on the sams ground, and there is no cause for controversy at all.
When J. Datroch says that Christinnity cannot be valued above virtue, he seems to assert that virtue and Christianity are identic While I agree with him that, true Christianity means virtue, I will yet sry that it is something more than virtue, for it is virtue plus the pro-fossed name of Christianity. Now T believe a man may still be good, even if he does not profess himself a Christian. Virtue and the name of Christianity are at I separable, When T say "Christianity la valued above virtue itself," I mean the mere professed name of Christianity: begins to be rogardet ae more important than the real practice of virtue itself; or in other words, Christian form' usurps the place of Chi eve none but this If Lam not mis precisely what in; I believe in love and cauality, but there is no necessity for me therefore to profess the name of Christianity. Love and equality fare in the spirit of humanity itself; and Christ was not the. only aman, not even the first man to-discover it. True virtue means development and freedom of human spirit; it is no mere imitation, not even "imitation of Christ. ' The professed name of Chri ts misleading. Many Christia nowadays superior to others in morality. eliove that they are precisely this false sense of superiority which T attacked; for believe in equality, not in superjority. No mere name of anything will make a man superior in any will incidently answer here the avestion raised by-your other correspondent "Apted." He commented humorously on my sentence, "If 1 have to become a Christian in order tu go to Heaven, why I prefer Hell swith all its fires." What I mean here ts that the Heaven and Hell described by current Christian preachers are wholly inconceivable. here will be men who are sure to go to Heaven (if such a thing figuratively exist) although they are not Christians, just as there are tien who will go to Hell in spite of their being Christians.
To come back. to the Christian General himself. J. Darroch says thatnhe-could bear personal witness the. good. discipling of Feng's soldiers,. But have I denied that? Have I'not said that two things to Feng's credit are the good discipline fof his soldiers and his being not very rich himself? But what about the two other things I have put Jdown to Feng's discredit? Is Feng nearly as blameless as Aristides? If I dislike Feng I dislike him with good reason. Even without the imprudent name.of Christian General, meaning ideal general in China, T trust, I have a right to dislike him personally. But with that imprudent name my pride as Chinese is hurt the more. is scarcely definitely ascertained as is Feng's, who is probably a traitor—to think that such a man should be held up as the ideal general, the saviour of China! His admirers say, he is a Christian; but I deny] the mere professed name of Christ-inn ity to mean anything plausible Tam, ete,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.