To the Editor of the "Nomru-Cmna Datty News"
'Sin~Perhaps I may be allowed to make a brief reply to the letter which appeared three days ago your correspondence columns, concerning a statement I recently' nade.
'The earliest Gospel was _undoubtedly that of St. Mark; the first six verses in Chapter six fell us of visit made by the Christ to His Own village, where, "many hearing him, were astonished, saying.... 'Is not this the carpenter, the son' of Mary, and brother' of James, and Joses, and Judas, and Simon?' And are not his sisters here with us?" The original Greek leaves no shadow of doubt about the accuracy of this translation, Hence T said that Mary had four other sons and at least two daughters, T in no way deny the doctrine of the Virgin Birth; T am quite aware of the tradition of "the Early Church; but we have in the Gospel's clear indications that these brethren of the Lord did not believe in Him ull after the Resurrection, "when tone of them, James, soon became (he Leader of the Christians In Jerusalem; but surely, when the Christ, entrusted His mother to the care of St, John (incidentally, He did not Speak of her as His "mother," but as "Women"), He did so simply because He was then estranged from His brothers, Certainly, Jesus was. the first-born of the Virgin Mary, Mary and the names of the four sons already mentioned were common names, and it is an attractive theory to maintain that, whoever these feu" sons were, they were not the sons of the Virgin Mary, people who obviously knew first hand far more about the home life of Jesus than either the Fathers of the' Early Church (who lived centuries afterwards) oF still later writers who fare desirous of reading into per-Tectly plain words a meaning which they do not contain, The statement T made was, however, never intended to cause anyone pain, still Tess to lead to a religious controversy, I have stated my view: your correspondent has stated hi Jet us agree to differ, Shanghai, Nov. 28. seernla correspondence closed Eo, Fouowine a trip tothe front_o meeting was held at Laohokou, an Important coal-mining centre' in South-West Hupeh, on November 28, by a large number of Chinese writers and publicists, to provide an opportunity for an' exchange of opinion, says a Chinese message to the "Sin Wan Pao." Miss Agnes Smedley well known American writer also arrived In Laohokou take part in the meeting after a trip to the Kiangsi-Hupeh borders, the report adds, 'Avour $50,000,000 worth of medical supplies and funds have been contributed to China by various American charitable bodies sine the on Freak of the Sino-Japanese hostilities, says the "Shun Pao." The relief work' Is being carried "out. mainly among the city people in the war zones and in the North China flood areas, particularly among. wounde? civilians and soldiers, the report states, But personally, and 1 have gone into the original Greek carefully, I can see mo ground whatever for questioning the accuracy of the earliest Gospel—especially on a point! nowhere contradicted in the other Gospels, I am aware that Roman' Catholics and many Anglo-Catholics disagree—but when' the Bible deflnitoly says one thing, and tradition ther, T personally' accept as my authority the Bible, 'The words St. Mark are so clear that T feel we have no right whatever to assume' he does not mean what he says. agree that Jesus did call His followers "brethren"—but that in no way affects what St, Mark so clearly states, quoting remarks made by Da, W. W. Yen, former Chinese Ambassador to Moscow, Dr, C,_T. Wang, former Ambassador to Washing ton, Dr, Chiang Po-ling, President of the' Southweet University Federation, Dr, Wang Shih-chieh, Minister of Publicity of the Kuomintang, and Dr.
Pin, Vicar Apostolic of Nanking, have been elected honorary presidents, of the Peoples' Foreign Relations Ase Seclation, says a Chungking Chinese message to the "Chinese "American Daily News." The association, with the ce-operation of other public. or~ ganizations in Chungking, ts. making reparations for a reception to be held in honour of M. Henri Cosme, French Ambassador to China, the report states.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.