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■£*■:
LI HUNG CHANGS SCRAP-BOOK
Compiled and Edited by SIR HIRAM STEVENS MAXIM
CmtvALiBii OF THB Lsoioit OT HcmouR ; CrviL, MiCHAKicAL, AMD Elbctkical
EMGurBBR ; Mbmbui of THB LoHDOir Ckambsk or CoMXsacB ; Mbmsbb or
Tin RovAL Institution; Msmbbk or thb Bitmsn Asbociation por
THB Aovanckmbnt or SciBNCK ; Mbmbbr or THB British Bmpirb
Lbaoub ; Mbmbbr or thb Royal Soobtt or Arts, btc., btc
WITH PORTRAIT OP LI HUNG CHASG AS FRONTISPIECE
andPorfy'iwo IttmMirmHtmt
London :
WATTS & CO.,
17 JOHNSON'S COURT, FLEET STREET, E.C.
1913
?. ^
V\3
• • • «
I • • • "r
• • • •,. •
Dedicate!) to
THE MEMORY OF
MY DEAR MOTHER,
WHO HATED SUPERSTITION
WITH EVERY DROP OF BLOOD
IN HER HONEST BODY
CONTENTS
PAOB
List op Illustrations ----- vii
Foreword ------ ix
Works and Publications Quoted prom in this
Compilation . - - - - xxvii
SECTION I.
>
THE NATURE OF CHRISTIANITY
Introduction ------ 3
The Teaching op Science - - - - 20
Christianity and Paganism - - - - 28
Christianity and Persecution - - - - 37
The Murder op Hypatia and Bruno - - - 49
The Story op Gauleo . - - - 59
»
Rbugious Wars and Massacres . - - 69
The Inquisition -...-- 82
Witchcrapt ..-..- 86
The Burning op Joan op Arc - - - - 102
Crossness and Superstition in the Middle Ages - 108
The Immorality op the Popes - - - - '33
The Art op Lying - - - - " '55
^ The Evolution of Rbugion - - - - 169
vi CONTENTS
SECTION II. CHRISTIANITY IN CHINA
AGK
Introduction - - - - - -176
The Chinese People ..... 181
Reason and Toleration in China - - - 196
The Morality op the Chinese- ... 207 Infanticide - - - - - -219
Opium ....... 224
The Missionary Nuisance .... 236
Missionary Presumption .... 240
Failure of the Missionaries - - - - 260
Europeans in China ..... 290
How TO Deal with Missionaries in China - - 334
Missionaries in Other Lands .... 349
CONCLUSION
Miracles ....... 365
Spirituality ...... 366
Faith ....... 366
The Influence op the Bible on the Civilisation
op Europe and America .... 367
The Chinese and their Children - - -371
Recent Christian Atrocities - - - - 371
An Appeal to the Missionaries ... 373
Failure op Missionary Propaganda ... 377
Index ....... 37^
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
li Hun£^ Chang ..... Frontispiece
PACIMO PAOS
Sir Hiram S. Maxim ..... xxiv
Bible Picture— God Making the Sky ... 8
„ y, — God and His Angels . . . g „ „ — God Introduces Adam and Eve to the
Animals ..... lo
M — ^Temptation — the Apple and the Talking
Snake ..... lo
„ „ — God Visits the Garden of Eden - . 12
„ „ — Eviction of Adam and Eve by an Angel - 12
„ „ — ^The Flood ..... 14
„ ,, — Loading up the Virgins - - - 16
„ „ — Burning a Calf to Please God - - 18
A Typical Bible Picture — Bones .... 40
The Holy Office in Ireland ... 78
An Attack by Irish Roman Catholics on Irish Protestants 78
The Holy Apostolic Inquisition .... 82
The Burning of Joan of Arc by the Officials of the Roman
Catholic Church ...... 104
Bible Picture — One of the Phases of Hell as Taught by
Presbyterians and Catholics - - 112
„ „ — Jesus Casting out a Multitude of Devils - 122
„ „ — A Very Fine God-Box - - - 142
Flogging a Quakeress - •> - - - 146
Bible Picture— The Devil v. Angels - - - 172
„ „ —Putting the Devil in Hell (Bible Version) 172
A Buddhist Temple - .... - 178
Preparing Silk for the Market - - - - 1S2
••
VII
• ••
VllI
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
PACINO PAOB
Chinese Automatic Irrigating Wheel - - - i88
A Chinese Lantern Merchant - - - - 190
A Dinner Party at a Mandarin's House . - - 194
The Manufacture of Wooden Gods - - - 206
Mansion of a Chinese Merchant near Canton - - 208
Chinese River Scene - - - - -214
A Chinese Opium Smoking Saloon ... 226
Propitiatory Offerings for Departed Relatives - - 244
Interior of a Chinese Buddhist Temple — ^The Buddhist
Trinity ------- 272
A Religious Picture — A Christian Aspect of Hell - - 280
Chinese Ladies at Cards ----- 302
Interior of a Chinese Gentleman's Mansion - - 308
The Incarnation of Krishna and the Wonderful Events
that Followed ----- 336
Bible Picture — Christ Transfers 2,000 Devils from one
Man into 2,000 Pigs - - - 338
Bible Picture — Christ Casts 2,000 Devils out of two Men
into 2,000 Pigs - - - - 338
— The Devil Places Christ on the Top of an
Exceedingly High Mountain - - 340
— ^The Devil places Christ on a Pinnacle of
the Temple - - . - 340
— Elijah Ascends to Heaven in a Chariot of
Fire ----- 366
— A Lively Skirmish in the Skies - - 366
n
II
i»
>»
11
»
FOREWORD
On the occasion of the visit of His Excellency Li Hung Chang to England in i8g6, I was told thaty when he stepped ashore at Dover, his first words were : '^ I should like to see Hiram Maxim." While His Excellency was in London I used to meet him nearly every day, I had many long con- versations with him, and he paid me the great compliment of saying that I understood Chinese philosophy and religion much better than anyone he had ever met who was not himself a Chinaman.
The correspondence that I had had with Chinese officials, and my close friendship with some of their representatives in England, enabled me to under- stand exactly the position of affairs in China ; and this stimulated me to investigate still further, and thus add to the knowledge that I already possessed.
As I found that His Excellency did not understand the true nature of the missionary propaganda in England, I determined to submit sufficient data to enable him to understand what had puzzled, not only himself, but a great many other Chinamen, regarding Europeans and their system of civilisation. I found that it was very difficult for a Chinaman to under- stand why there was such an immense difference between the intellectual calibre of our scientific men
ix
FOREWORD
and our engineers and that of the missionaries whom we send to China. The Chinese were greatly puzzled as to how it was possible for people who were able to build locomotives and steamships to have a religion based on a belief in devils, ghosts, impossible mira- cleSi and all the other absurdities and impossibilities peculiar to the religion taught by the missionaries.
I found that a large number of intelligent Chinese based their opinions of the English and Americans on the specimens they had met in their own country, teaching, as it seemed to them, a most preposterous and immoral superstition ; and it was my aim, in compiling for His Excellency a scrap-book with explanatory notes, to put the Chinaman right in this respect I wished to show that we were not all fools.
I was well aware of the enormous amount of harm that had been caused in China by the missionaries, whose mischievous propaganda had resulted in the loss of millions of lives. I was also familiar with the opinions of Chinese officials, and of their anxiety lest the missionaries would cause some attack upon them by the Christian nations of the West. In China nearly all men of the official class are followers of Confucius, and set the highest value upon the teachings of that great philosopher. Among other very sensible things which he taught was : " Never have anything *' to do with those who pretend to have dealings with '* the supernatural. If you allow supernaturalism to '^ get a foothold in your country, the result will be a ''dreadful calamity." I felt it necessary to prove to
FOREWORD xi
His Excellency that the form of supernaturalism which the missionaries were attempting to impose upon his country was even more mischievous than the simpler Asiatic forms, and I therefore compiled for him a selection of passages, relating to Chris- tianity, from writers of knowledge and authority. In subsequent years I have more than once placed. similar accounts before my Chinese correspondents. The English reader will probably find some interest in the perusal of this collection of weighty verdicts on the nature and historical records of Christianity in Europe; and, for the purpose of instruction and contrast, I add a similar series of authoritative state- ments as to the real character of the Chinese and the work of the missionaries in China.
My interest in China and the missionaries began some decades ago. In the early seventies, having invented a new form of locomotive head-light, it was necessary for me occasionally to visit Rochester, New York, where a firm of lamp-makers was introducing my new invention. I always stopped at a small hotel near the station, and on the occasion of which I am writing, the whole town being full of parsons and all the hotels crowded, I was obliged to put up with a bed on the drawing-room floor in company with twenty-five or thirty parsons. The idea rather pleased me than otherwise. Having been in the train the whole of the previous night, I naturally felt tired. I therefore went to bed early, and soon fell asleep. At about ten o'clock I was awakened by the arrival of the parsons. I do not know what particular
xii FOREWORD
brand of Christians they were, but I imagined that they belonged to some hard-shelled Protestant variety. They all seemed to be discussing foreign missions, heathen lands, etc. The most noticeable figure was a very good-looking man, well over six feet in height, and about sixty-five years of age. He was an excel- lent speaker, and I was very much interested in listening to his conversation regarding foreign lands. Finally, the conversation turned on China. This gave the distinguished gentleman his opportunity, and he talked steadily for fully half-an-hour about that remarkable country and its people. He said that there was a great deal of misapprehension in America regarding the Chinese, and that many Americans were led to believe that the Chinese were little more than degraded and uncivilised barbarians. However, after being in the country for many years and learning to speak and write their language, he felt himself in a position not only to dispute the many statements that had been made to the discredit of this great people, but also to defend them. The Chinese were certainly no worse than other people. He then went on to tell us much concerning the history of China and the character of her people. He said : '' China is the oldest and most populous " country in the world. Her form of civilisation is ''the only one that has stood the test of time. " Babylon, Egypt, and the Roman Empire have all ''passed away. Of the old Empires, China alone " remains. The United States, according to our way " of thinking, is a vast and populous country ; but
FOREWORD xiii
u
tt U
China is still larger, and has a population about ten times as large as that of our great American Republic' In China about 359OOO babies are born, ** and about the same number of people die, every day ; " the birth rate and the death rate being about equal. ''The Chinese are a very peaceful, law-abiding " people. There is less crime in China than in any ''other country in the world, in proportion to the population. The people are very honest in their dealings, and their word is as good as their bond — they are, in fact, an excellent people. No people in "the world are able to get so much out of the soil "as the Chinese, their skill in this direction being "simply incomparable. They are very tolerant in " their ideas, and there has never been any religious "persecution in China; they do not interfere with "anyone's religion, provided that the religion does " not interfere with their institutions."
These statements seemed to astonish the majority of the listeners. One parson, with a heavy black beard and of pugilistic aspect, did not agree with the speaker ; but, as he had never been to China and knew nothing of the subject, it was hinted that he should keep quiet.
The question then arose as to the prospects of con- verting this great nation to Christianity — how to bring them to Christ. The speaker said that it was a curious fact, and one very difficult to understand, that the only obstacle he had ever met with was apathy. The
' This was in 1872.
xiv FOREWORD
Chinese could not be made to take any interest what- ever in religious teachings. You might talk to them on any other subject in the world, and they would be interested— -especially if they thought you had any information to impart which would enable them to earn more money. The very instant, however, that you turned the conversation in the direction of Chris- tianity they yawned and quietly walked away. Every possible means had been tried, and still they could not be interested. It appeared to the speaker that nothing less than the direct interposition of the Holy Ghost would suffice to bring these perishing heathens to their senses and save their souls from endless torments.
Up to this point I had not uttered a word ; doubt- less I was supposed to be a young parson, whom no one recognised. Seeing my opportunity, I said that I would like to ask the speaker a question. ''You " have told us what an excellent, law-abiding people " the Chinese are ; you have told us of their honesty '' and incomparable skill in cultivating the soil. You *' have also told us that they have been a great nation for some thousands of years. Do you mean to say that all these excellent people, who are dying at the rate of 35,000 a day, are going into endless perdition " because they do not believe our religion ?"
The pugilistic parson very quickly responded. He had any number of very forcible quotations from the Bible to show most conclusively that every Chinaman — in fact, everybody in the world who did not believe as he did — would without doubt be tortured for all
FOREWORD XV
eternity in a fire^ind-brimstone hell ; of that there could be no question. Others said that the Chinese had had an opportunity to believe and be saved, and it was their own fault if they did not accept it
I then asked what became of the souls of Chinamen who had died long before the advent ot Christianity. Would they, too, perish because they did not believe in a religion that had no existence at the time ? Then, again, not one Chinaman in ten had ever heard of Christianity. Would these be tortured for all eternity because they did not believe in a religion of which they had never heard ?
The principal speaker again took the floor, and said : " Gentlemen, if I believed that all these excellent people, who never heard of Christianity, had gone into everlasting torment because they did not believe it, I would never preach another sermon in my life. '' It is too dreadful. It cannot be true. I cannot believe " that God, in his infinite mercy, would be so unjust." But the pugilistic parson was on his feet in a second with overwhelming Bible evidence to prove that all these countless generations of Chinamen were being roasted in fire and brimstone. However, the principal speaker was too much for him ; his arguments were strong. He proved that the Chinese had had no opportunity of believing. Other nations required miracles to make them believe, and the Chinese had never been stimulated in that way ; evidently God, for some inscrutable reason, had willed otherwise. I think that all were converted to this way of thinking except the pugilistic member of the party.
it
xvi FOREWORD
I was given the opportunity of saying a few words
myself, so I asked some simple questions of the
principal speaker. I said : '' You have told us that,
''before Christianity was introduced into China, the
"Chinese probably went to heaven, just as other
"people did — that is, good Chinamen went to heaven,
"and bad ones to the other place, exactly as in Chris-
" tian countries. It is true that they had never heard
"of Christianity, and could not be expected to believe
"in a religion of which they knew nothing. But
"how is it now? We have presented our beautiful
" religion to them ; and from some cause, either a
"fault in the religion itself or in the manner of pre-
" senting it, they take not the least interest in it, and
" consequently do not believe it. What will happen
" now to these honest and well-disposed Chinamen ?"
All agreed that, as the Gospel had been presented
to them, they had been given the opportunity to
believe, and had failed to do so, and that they were
now in the same category as other unbelievers, all of
whom must inevitably perish. To this I replied :
" Has it ever occurred to you, gentlemen, what a lot
^\ " of grist you have been bringing to the Devil's mill ?
"^ " Thirty-five thousand Chinamen dying every day, and
V6^ "everyone going direct to the lower regions, to be
^ "punished for all eternity in the lake of fire and
^^ " brimstone I Would it not have been infinitely better
^ " if we had kept away from them and let well enough
^ "alone?"
At this point there was a great uproar — in fact, a perfect Bedlam. The pugilistic parson approached
FOREWORD xvM
my bed with his clenched fist; but when he saw what a big, broad-shouldered man he had to deal with he kept his distance. They called me an atheist and an infidel, and every objectionable name that they could think of, and wanted to know which Church I represented. I replied that I was not a parson at all, but simply a mechanical draughtsman.
The ease with which I discomfited this room full of parsons, and the consciousness that I was in the nght, gave me confidence; and shortly after this occurrence I made a point of going very thoroughly into history, philosophy, and religion, especially the religion and philosophy of the East. I read every- thing I could find, fully determined to make myself able to meet all comers ; and I think I have succeeded. My next contact with the missionaries was in the summer of 1895. I was then invited to attend a meeting that had been called in London for the purpose of sympathising with the relatives of certain missionaries who had been " atrociously murdered in " China." I consented to be present, if I could have a seat on the platform and be allowed to speak for twenty minutes.' It was therefore announced in the papers that I was to speak at this meeting. The place was crowded, and the Chairman, in introducing Mr. Austin, the principal speaker, said : " Notwith- standing the fact that I am an Englishman, I cannot agree with the sending of missionaries to China ; I
it
' I attempted to stop at the end of twenty minutes, but was not allowed to do so. I spoke for one hour and twenty minutes, and also at an adjourned meeting^ the next evening.
A
xviii FOREWORD
" think it is the greatest mistake in the world to do so. "The Chinese themselves certainly ought to have something to say in the matter, as they are the party most interested ; and they, it would appear, ''do not approve of it. Only think of the absurdity ''of sending nineteen-year-old girls, completely un- " acquainted with the ways of the world, to a country " like China, to go out and preach on the street to an "antagonistic and unsympathetic rabble, a strange "religion in pigeon-Chinese, which must certainly " sound very comical to the natives. To my mind, "the whole system is wrong — in fact, I think I may " say it is criminal, and should not be permitted for a "moment. Mr. Maxim, whom we all know, and "whose name is a household word, will follow the "speakers and discuss the question from a Chinese " standpoint." «
Mr. Austin's address was too long to be reproduced here. SufSce it to say that he gave a short history of the Chinese nation. He admitted that it was a very old form of civilisation— how old no one knew. He had much to say about the numerous massacres of Christians that had taken place in China ; and referred, in particular, to Mr. Stewart, the English missionary, and his nineteen-year-old girl assistants, who had been " atrociously murdered " at some obscure little place in China. He thought the whole trouble was due to the action of the French Roman Catholics. The Chinese, he said, looked upon all foreigners as of the same class ; .they could not dis- criminate between the different kinds of Protestants
FOREWORD XIX
and Catholics. If one was a European and a Christian, they placed him in the same category with the others. The French, he said, had induced many of the rabble to be baptised ; and the rabble were not unwilling^ to become Catholics, because it enabled them to prey upon their fellow men without receiving the usual punishment In his opinion, there was only one way out of the difiSculty ; and that was to banish every form of Christianity from China except ' that particular kind in which he (Mr. Austin) believed.
Only recently the report had reached China and done much harm that the Greek Catholics and the Roman Catholics had, in the absence of the Mahom- medan Guard, flown at* each other at the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, and a dreadful carnage had followed. In referring to the recent Chinese mas- sacre he said: "These poor missionaries, who had the " good of the Chinese at heart, had been atrociously " murdered simply because they had told the China- " man the truth about his own religion."
Mr* Austin was followed by other speakers, who defended the missionary and his work, and I was then requested to speak.
I said that, as far as I could understand, a certain number of English missionaries had penetrated into some obscure and remote corner in China, where they established themselves, built a little church, and amused themselves by attacking the Chinese system of religion and ethics. This went on for about five years without the villagers taking the least interest in the propaganda. Then some natives
XX FOREWORD
came down from the mountainSi attacked the mis- sionaries, killing some of them, and burnt their church. I pointed out that exactly the same thing^ would have happened if these missionaries had gone to the west coast of Ireland, preached the same doctrine, attacked the Roman Catholic Churchi and told the people that their ancestors had gone to hell because they did not believe in the missionaries' particular brand of religion. Still more surely would this have been the case had they taken the Irishman's wooden images, crosses, etc., out of the Catholic churches and burnt them in the public square.' The Irish, instead of allowing such conduct to go on for five years as the Chinese had done, would have killed the missionaries within five minutes. One need not go to distant China to earn the martyr's crown. All that one need do is to tell the Irishman the truth about his religion.
I then asked Mr. Austin how he would like some one to tell him the truth about his own religion ; how he would like to go into a bar-room on the east side of New York and tell the half-drunken Irish the truth about their religion ; and I inquired if he had ever known a religion that would stand the test of truth. Turning then to an ecclesiastical fledgling who had been shocked at seeing a god-factory in China, I pointed out that there were plenty of god- factories in Europe. I had seen one in Paris, where very beautiful gods were made ; and another in
' There are wood-cuts in missionary books showings the Christians bumingf Buddhist goda*
FOREWORD
Spain, where all the Christian gods were manu£Eic« tured, the workmanship being finer than anything I had seen in Paris ; and T added that there was a shop near the Brompton Oratory where many Roman Catholic gods were exposed for sale.
Some of the later speakers agreed with my remarks, and we came to the resolution. Mr. Austin had drawn up the following, which the Chairman put : ** This meeting wishes to express its sympathy with " the relatives of the poor missionaries who have been ''so atrociously murdered in China for telling the "Chinaman the truth about his own religion."
I then offered an amendment as follows : '' This '* meeting regrets exceedingly that the English and " Americans persist in sending missionaries to China ''to attack the ancient and orthodox faith of that "country, and it strongly recommends that the " missionaries should stay at home and allow the " Chinese to enjoy their own religion, in their own "country, in their own way." This was carried by a large majority.
About the same time a letter appeared in a London daily advising the English and Americans to join and force the Chinese to pay an indemnity of 2,000,000 dollars for every missionary killed in their country. If this had been carried out, and the Chinese had received a right to a similar sum for every Chinaman killed in Australia and the United States, the Chinese would very soon have had money sufficient not only to pay off all the indemnities demanded of them, but enough would have remained to build and equip the
xxli FOREWORD
largest fleet of ironclads that the world has ever known.
The speech which I made was of considerable length ; it was taken down in shorthand, and after- wards transcribed. A copy of it was sent to the then Chinese Minister, who greatly appreciated it. He had it translated into Chinese, carefully engrossed and bound, and sent to Li Hung Chang, who delivered it to the Emperor. When Li Hung Chang subsequently visited England he brought to me, from the Emperor, the much-sought decoration of the Double Dragon, which gives me a high rank in China, and consequently a permanent and cordial interest in its affairs. It is that interest which impelled me to collect the passages relating to Christianity which appear in this "Scrap-Book.**
I have had but one object in compiling this book, and that is to save human life and prevent human suffer- ing. If this humble effort of mine saves one China- man from being killed, one Chinese girl from being outraged, one Chinese village from being looted and burned, or prevents one misguided man or woman of my own race from wasting his or her life in the vain and foolish attempt to make the Chinaman change the name of his religion, I shall be satisfied. The reading of a book often sets people thinking, and thinking is fatal to the kind of folly that I wish to combat. One clever and sarcastic Frenchman did more with his pen for human liberty to make life worth living than any ten men ever did with the sword. One brave American woman, while doing
FOREWORD xxiii
her own house-work with her babe at her breast, wrote a book that thrilled the world and led to the abolition of slavery in the great Republic.
A few years ago there was a Congress of Religions at Chicago. Many said that such a thing would be impossible. How could any understanding be arrived at where each particular party was absolutely right and all the others were completely in the wrong? Still the Congress saved the American people more than a million dollars a year, not to mention many lives abroad. And this was all brought about by one brave and honest man. When it was announced in Calcutta that there was to be a Congress of religions at Chicago, some of the rich merchants took the Americans at their word, and sent them a Brahmin monk, Viva Kananda, from the oldest monastery in the world. This monk was of commanding presence. and vast learning, speaking English like a Webster. The American Protestants, who vastly outnumbered all others, imagined that they would have an easy task, and commenced proceedings with the greatest confi- dence, and with the air of " Just see me wipe you out.'* However, what they had to say was the old common- place twaddle that had been mouthed over and over again in every little hamlet from Nova Scotia to Cali- fornia. It interested no one, and no one noticed it.
When, however. Viva Kananda spoke, they saw that they had a Napoleon to deal with. His first speech was no less than a revelation. Every word was eagerly taken down by the reporters, and tele- graphed all over the country, where it appeared in
zxiv FOREWORD
thousands of papers. Viva Kananda became the lion of the day. He soon had an immense following-. No hall could hold the people who flocked to hear him lecture. ' They had been sending silly girls and half-educated simpletons of men, and millions of dollars, to Asia for years to convert the poor benighted heathen and save his alleged soul ; and here was a specimen of the unsaved who knew more of philosophy and religion than all the parsons and missionaries in the whole country. Religion was presented in an agreeable light for the first time to them. There was more in it than they had ever dreamed ; argument was impossible. He played with the parsons as a cat plays with a mouse. They were in a state of consternation. What could they do? What did they do? What they always do — they denounced him as an agent of the devil. But the deed was done ; he had sown the seed, and the Americans commenced to think. They said to them- selves : '' Shall we waste our money in sending missionaries who know nothing of religion, as compared with this man, to teach such men as ''he? No I" And the missionary income fell off more than a million dollars a year in consequence.
I have realised that good words, both printed and spoken, often have a marked effect, and lead to important and beneficial results. I am not a pro- fessional writer, yet zeal often compensates in no small degree for skill. I have therefore some hope that I have been able to present the matter in such a light as at least to call attention to the great injustices
(yWCCtUt^ zAi/f(af***e-^
FOREWORD XXV
that have been and are being inflicted, in the name of religion, on an immense number of innocent and helpless people.
We are no longer children ; mystery and falsehood are no longer necessary ; and I do not hesitate to say that, if we were to take all our religious books, and treat the myths, falsehoods, and interpolations in them as the Russian Censors treat objectionable articles in the English papers when they enter their country, we should gain materially. I do not believe that the welfare of nations depends on the teaching of myths and fables to our children, and I do not believe that it is right to tax our industries to teach anything but correct and truthful ideas of the universe in which we live. I do not recognise any difference between the laws of God and the laws of Nature. If anyone has a God whose laws differ from natural laws, that God is a false god, just in so far as he is untrue to nature. I believe that plain, naked truth, un- adulterated with falsehood or myth, could be made more attractive than the religion of the present day. I see no reason why morality should not be inculcated on scientific lines ; and I feel that, as the nineteenth was the century of scientific investigation and mechanical reform, brought about by some of the most remarkable giants of intellect that the world has ever known, so the present centuty will be a century of religious and moral reform — a reform that will be startling both in its range and influence.
H. S. M.
ERRATA
P. 36, line 30, /or " Vol. I, p. 383," read "Vol. II, p. 383/'
P. 85, line 5,>r " p. 58" read'' p. 68."
P. 106, line 3i,y5ir "seek-seeking" r^a^f "self-seeking."
P. 121, line 2a, for "Vol. II, p. 357," r^arf" Vol. I, p. 357."
P. 122, line 8,/or " Vol. II " read'' Vol. I."
P. 123, line 23, for '^ Ibid,, pp. 56-7," read "Ibid,, Vol. II,
pp. 56-7." P. 135, line 21, for " give them " read " give him." P. 144, line 29, for "pp. 455-56 and 456-57" read" pp.
451-56 and 456-57." P. 159, line 23, /or " p. 43" read " p. 134." P. 183, line 33tfor " pp. 6-7 " read " pp. vi-vii.** P. 185, line I, fir " ideas quiet " read " ideas quite." P. 188, line 21, for "p. 19" read"p, 17." P. 214, line 22, /or "p, 532" read "p. 232." P. 220, line S, for pp, "74-5" read "pp, 174-75." P. 244, line 5,/?r " p. 349 " read " p. 348." P. 261, line i5,>r"pp. 281-82" read"p, 280-82." P. 279, line 15, after words "compels them to tolerate "
read "Ibid., p. 306."
WORKS AND PUBLICATIONS QUOTED FROM IN THIS COMPILATION.
(They are recommended to all who wish to make a study of
the subjects treated.)
The Warfare of Science with Theology. By Professor Andrew D. White. (Macmillan and D. Appleton & Co. ; 2 IS. net.)
This remarkable work is in two large volumes. The author is a professor of history, and was at one time American Ambassador at Berlin. It deals very thoroughly with the superstitions of the Middle Ages.
The History of the Intellectual Development of Europe. By Professor John W. Draper. (Bell; 2 vols., 5s. each.)
History of Civilisation in England. By Thomas Henry Buckle. (Longmans ; 3 vols., los. 6d.)
The Rise of the Dutch Republic. By Motley. (Rout- ledge ; 3s. 6d. Also Bell ; 3 vols., is. each.)
The author of this work was for a long time American Ambassador at The Hague.
The Conflict between Science and Religion. By Professor John W. Draper. (Kegan Paul ; 5s.)
This fine work is one of the International Scientific Series, and has gone into many editions.
The Real Chinese Question. By Chester Holcombe. (Methuen ; out of print.)
Chester Holcombe lived in China a great number of years, speaking and writinf«^ the language ; and he was the representative of the United States in that country both as Charge d'Affairs and as Acting Minister. His work is of considerable value.
The War of the Civilizations. By George Lynch. (Longmans; out of print.)
The author is the well-known war correspondent, who
xxvii
xxviii WORKS AND PUBLICATIONS QUOTED
was present at the invasion and sacking of Pekin. He witnessed the robbery of Chinese houses and the set line of loot by the missionaries, and he assures us that the conduct of the Christian troops was such that it cannot be described in writing. Mr. Lynch expresses it as his opinion that there is a much better opening for missionaries in London than in China.
China: Its Social, Political, and Religious Life.
By Eugene Stmon. (Sampson, Low ; out of print.)
M. Eugene Simon was an engineer in the employ of the French Government. He travelled in China for ten years, and, being completely without religion, he was able to tell the truth. The Chinese regard this work as the most truthful of any to be found in Europe or America.
The Riddle of the Universe. By Professor Ernst Haeckel. (Watts ; 4s. 6d. net.)
As Professor Haeckel occupies one of the foremost positions in the scientific world at the present time, nothing need be said in recommending his great work, which now has a world-wide reputation.
The Chinese. By John Francis Davis. (Knight; 5s.)
Ingbrsoll's Works. Dresden Edition. (Watts ; twelve vols., £6,)
Of incomparable value to all who are interested in Freethought.
Chinese Sketches. By Herbert A. Giles. (Trubner ;
out of print.)
This work gives a very fair insight of life in China, and, as the author was a British Consul long resident in China, his statements may be implicitly relied upon.
Religion in China. By Joseph Edkins, D.D. (Kegan Paul ; 7s. 6d.)
A Short History of Christianity. By J. M. Robertson. (Watts ; 5s. net.)
This very clever work should be read by every student of religion, as well as
Letters on Reasoning. By the Same Author. (Watts ; 3s. 6d. net.)
The Age of Reason. By Thomas Paine. (Watts; 6d.)
Thomas Paine was a Deist, and believed in only one God. He is the author of the memorable saying : '* The world is
WORKS AND PUBLICATIONS QUOTED xxix
my country, and to do good is my religion.'* An intel- lectual giant of his time, he has been lied about more than any other man that ever lived.
Through the Yang-Tsb Gorges (ids. 6d. net), and Gleanings prom Fifty Years in China. Both by Archibald Little. (Sampson, Low ; 5s. net.) Two interesting and reliable works.
The New Far East. By Arthur Diosy, F.R.G.S.,