1913-09-03 — Page 3

IF CHRIST CAME TO HONGKONG!

MAN-MADE THEOLOGY IN EVERYDAY LIFE.

PROBS A 'CORRESPONDENT.]

Change and decay in all around ser, so runs a line in one of our beautiful evening hymns.

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THE HONGKONG DAILY PRESS, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 31», 1913,

Gad they experience.

LADY LEAVES £750,000.

The leaven PRISONERS ESCAPE AT MACAO. the conduct of the novitiates, nuns and

At about 7 o'clock on Sunday eleven

£135,000 IN DEATH DUTIES. priests are anything like correct, then it of holiness still worked in the Church, in odd out-of-the-way places, and he had is easy to understand how it is that picked up a craint of food here and there, notorious prisoners succeeded in escaping |

Mrs. Marion Pender Smart, of Tun- Ireland is one of the most backward Decrees and dogs, and laws, and in a most daring manner from the Macao bridge Wells, wife of Dr. Francis Gray countries to-day. The priests fict, drink regulations inid not killed all life. The finol, and up to yesterday morning only Smart (who survivet her by only a few

immense complex machine of pope, and gamble, are ignorant and illiterate; cardinals, curia, ecclesiastical officials, three of the men had been recaptured. days), and widow of Mr. Thomas Jones- and here again we find the churchbishops, priests and nuns, dead and The prisoners were confined in colis Gib and daughter of the late Mr. Edward Ford Duncanson (of the firm of Gibb, organisation interfering in secular affairs mechanical for the most part, had here almost in the centre of the prison, and Livingston & Co.), left estate of the gross to the'interest of the men who are depend

not personalty. The duties on the pro- et upon for money to maintain the church

value of £750,442, of which £698, 115 is party at this valuation will amount to about £135,000.

By her will the testatrix left:-.

and its satellites and to the detriment of For power and the common people.

honey it (the Church) was sacrificing the heritage of the saints. It no longer made For an effort të exprs this living faith a religion that embraced all life it was its own power. According to Boyle, one busily substituting formulas to buttress

and there a wheel instinct with the life of the spirit, that kept in touch with the growing needs of humanity.""

It was after coming to this conclusion that Halph was driven out of the Church, beggared and denounced, and out of his fatherland to seek a living elsewhere. If Father Halph is a true reflex of the con- dition of life and church in Ireland. is

tivir faith Ther: will never be another it any wonder that men are shaken in

Inquisition, bút church organisations, without a 1 have already said, dis- crimination as to erved or denomination, can be just as cruel and repel instead of attract men to the Christian faith.

through a window. They had to pats after forcing two iron bars they squeezed along several corridors in which warders were supposed to be stationed, but they reached the entrance gates unchallenged Our and "made haste ta depart." correspondent believes this to be unpre cedented in the history of the prison, and it is incomprehensible how eleven men could evade the "vigilance" of the warders in such a way. A strict enquiry into the occurrence is obviously desirable.

£20,000 to her husband in loving remembrance, and it is my hope that he will use the same for making further provision for the Dr. Sunt Homes which he proposes to found.”

ruined by the clever man's manipulation if stock and shares, by the flotation of huge organisations for the production and control of wealth, by the payment of wages that make the living of pure and holy lives impossible and resort to drink and immorality almost inevitable; and no ammut of free will offerings to the church stand its institutions will ever wipe out the black stain or under the evil that has been In the material world, change and decay wrought. John Hudder's experiences" in are inevitable. If we are not to jettison that Middle West town are the experiences the whole theory of evolution, and I, for of all true Christians throughout Chris one, see to reason why we should, we tendom. In a general way, we call our

Christians and automatically Just regard chunge as an inevitable part selves of life. Every thoughtful man who takes assume a superiority over the benighted the trouble to look around him has to heathens by whom we are surrounded; adtail that everything he sees is passing but how would our Christianity stand the brough the various stages of evolution, test if the Founder of our faith were to and to most of us it is a matter of opinion | come down to Hongkong? whether the change is for the better or for the worse of humanity. In the spiritual world, in the realm of religious thought, there has bien, and is still going on, a remarkable change a transmutation of ideas and ideals that is inevitable in view of the great advance in scientific knowledge during the past century. The tendency of the present day is to break away from the unsubstantiated assump- ́tions of dead theologians and the creeds and dogmas they drew up for the guidance of truman conduct. The "religion" of the churches and charchunen is passing of the universe is the moral God you full of that grace' and loveableness that Shanghai and Canton when two new reorganization loan agreement, by which further made bequests to her servants,

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of the characters,~~

**The Church has reduced social torture to a fine art. Why, even a layman like John Hodder is troubled over the can only escape it by burying himself dogmas of the church, and at one time is onewhere. Do you think I could five in Dublin, or anywhere in Ireland once the in danger of leaving it. It is Eldon Church had definitely attacked me 7 Parr's emancipated daughter who induces I feel a new man since the chance was him to remain, and her influence develops offered me of escaping it all-innuendoes, in him that personality which is the secret accusations, efforts to prevent my work, defamation and calumny, P4Z; making of all successful preachers, and,sistent, continuous. My Lord!" he said for the matter of that, of all successful excitedly, “I have come to believe that the arganid Church is itself the devil men i know.

with whom it is always threatening people,"

Again I ask If Christ came to Hong- kong, how many of as would pass the test which would enable us to become · His disciples?

SHIPPING NOTES,

"Why do you insist on what you call

The Duiven Steamship Co. which now authority she asks. "As a modern

Nut all his fellow priests are depraved maintains a service between Dairen and woman who has learned to use her own mind. I simply can't believe, if the God hypocrites, however. Some of them are Tientsin in contemplating a service to assert Him to be, that He has established

we are wont to associate with the puristeamers now building for them in Japan earth an agency of the kind you infer, and delegated to it the power of life and beneficent fathers and true benefactors of are delivered. death over human souls. Perhaps you do the people, imbuing them with spiritusi not go so far, but if you make the claim

THE SALT GABELLE.

FOREIGN KUPERVISION DESTRUCTED,

KMALI. REVENUE RECEIPTS.

£2,000 to the Trubridge Wells Homou pathic Hospital alsolutely, and a further 210,001 to that institution conditional apon a wing being heilt in memory of her. fnusband and called "The Frank Smart Wing."

15,000 to the London Homeopathic Hospitul.

£2,000 to the Royal National Lifebont Instication.

£2,000 to the Coited Kingdom Benclicent Society.

€2,000 to the British and Foreign Bible Socicly,

£9,000 to the Biblewomen's Domestic Mission, Russell-square, W.C:

Subject to mumerous other hentests,

PEXING, August 29th. M. Kroupensky, Russian Minster, and Mr. B. F. Alston, British Chargé d'Affaires, on behalf of the five Legations of the Quintuple Group bankers, youter- day called upon the Premier and made formal representations on the subject of the reorganization of the Salt Gabelle. Mrs. Smart left the residue of her pro- They pointed out that the administra-perty to her nephew, Thomas Jones Gibb tion was now, vested in the Ministry of Duncanson. There are also twelve bequests Finance, and that a special department of £1,000 each and others of £500, mostly was created under the terms of the to London charities, and the testatrix the executive function was vested in a foreign associate,

The Inspector General's Department was denied ad- ministrative powers, and treated merely as an Audit Office. The two representa

agreement should be made operative and that. Sir Richard Dane and his Chinese associate be permitted to proceed with the

reorganization.

THE PREMIER'S REPLY.

through a period of stress, and men who bave the good of humanity at heart are wondering what will be the result. It is

A reorganisation of the Ellerman lines not so much that mankind is better at all you must make it in its entirety.grace and implanting in them the "self-is about to take place. Part of the scheme educated to-day and is not content with There is an idea of commercialism, of reverence, self-knowledge, self-control" is that the Ellerman Lines (Limited) will gives demanded that the terms of the loan old theories and the restrictions imposed by the churches-though there are nowa. days a large proportion of well-educated men in the world; but men are beginning to recognise that the changing conditions of civilisation are bringing to the surface seial problems that cannot be thrust back into the depths, problems that the religions of warring seetarians seem to he incapable of solving. These problems, it is felt, must be tackled from a different standpoint than that of the churchmen;

nonopoly in that conception which is utterly repugnant to anyone who tries to apprench the subject, with a fresh mind, and from an ideal point of view.

And religion must be idealism-mustn't it?

"Your ancient monks and aninta weren't satished until they settled every detail of the invisible world, of the past and future. They mapped it out as if it were region they had actually explored, like geographers. They used their reason, and what science they had, to make theories about it which the churches still proclaim as the catholic and final truth. You forbid us to use our reason. You

An

INTIMATIONS

THE BEST

Mr. Hsiung Hsi-ling, the Premier, replied that he had only recently taken not a up office, and that he was in THE BREWER'S

ly. He made it clear, however, that he did not share the views of the two representatives, and that the Government intended to continue to deny the right of the Inspector-General's Department to

and whether we call is socialiam or any of declare, in order to become. Christians in all the churches; and yet one is fain is to be created and to be taken up by the revenue of the Salt Galielle embodied |

the other "isins" in everyday use a new force must be introduced to deal with the new conditions where they are detri- mental to the public well-being. So much by way of preamble.

I have been reading two new books dealing with religion in everyday life, They are not religious books in the blu accepted sense of the word "religious, but novels, and appear in Messrs. Mac. millan & Co.'s Empire Library. Were it only for their analysis of present-day Christianity and its apparent inadequacy to deal with sucial problems, they are both worth reading and pondering. Both are brimful of suggestion to the nimble-witte". Bath indicate the crying need for

that we have to accept authoritative state- ments. Oli, can't you se

acquire from Sir John Ellerman his that "alone lead life to sovereign power," interest in the Buckmail Steamship Lines, God help Ireland or any other country including the 1,000 management shares,

on which the dividend for the past whose priesthood uses its influence to keep was £200,000. Included in the purchase the people bonighted and weds them to are some £42,000 of the Bucknall Pre-

ference shares are to be increased their vices in order to benefit from them.ference issues. The Ellerman Lines Pre- I must not be misunderstood. I do not £100,000, and are to have a guarantee inveigh against the Roman Catholic separately invested, of $100,000. Church. I am well enough aware that issue of £1,200,000 new Five and Hall per cent. Preference shares is to be creat religious persecution and intolerance areen and the existing ordinary capital is to not confined to one particular church he increased to £1,250,000, and to be Were there not the "unco guid" of entitled to a dividend of 61 per cent., and called Preferred Ordinary capital. An Robbie Burns' time! There are hypocrites issue of £20,000 Deferred Ordinary share Sir John Ellerman as part of the scheme. The Ordinary shareholders are to receive bonus of £11 in cash or £10 in Five and Half per cent. Preference shares and El in cash. Sir John Ellertaan will take such dividend as the profits for the 2 months ending September 30th next permit. He will take shares in respect of the sum of £350,000 which he advanced to he company, and, in addition, he sells his interest in the Bucknall Lines for £360,000 Preference. Shares and £40,000 out of the £50,000 Deferred Ordinary shares. He undertakes certain obliga- tion with the object of putting the com- pany on the soundest fouting possible. including suscribing for further shares to the extent of £200,000 and also taking up and subscribing for such of the Buck-4 hall Debentures when they fall due as the company may then wish him to do,

that an to believe that good really predominates authoritative statement is just what an and that all the churches, alloit that they ethical person doesn't want? Belief-faith need to refurbish their dusty dogmas, are doesn't consist in the more neptance of

staterrent, but is something much really working for the moral and spiritual higher-if we can achieve it. Acceptance regeneration of the people.

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mind of the reader,

Ralph

assume administrative powers.

According to the Chinese estimates of in the prospectus of the Crisp loan. Tis. 17,000,000 is available annually, which is roughly equivalent to $12,000,000 every two months. The investors in the Crip and Quintuple loans will be interested to know that the receipt from the Salt tabelle by the Central Government in May and June amounted to under $300,000, or five per cent, of the estimate. This astonishing result is not due to the disturbed state of the country, for three-

under the complete control of the quarters of the salt producing regions aru Government.-C. Daily News.

NEW PREMIER'S POLICY.

IMPORTANCE OF FINANCE,

BREW

GUINNESS'S

WHEEL BRAND

PERING, August 27th. Hsiung Hei-ing, the new Premier, in Lan interview granted to a representative The Ellerman Lines will almost be of the Ostasiatischer Lloyd, said that be alone among the large shipping com had been guider in all the positions with panics, in that it will have no debentures which had been entrusted, including the last om at Johol, unly by patriotism, owners, including estimated tonnage now and the he had always been deeply of any kind outstanding and will be the building af 77,800 tons, of 560,222 tons.terested in all the affans of the nation. For the past three years the company has The main point for China at present was been the largest payer of dues to the the reorganization of her finance, which. Suez Canal Company. It is interesting was a bter of the utmost importance H. Bow to recall that the Elterman Lines is.

STOUT.

SOLE AGENTS FOR CHINA:

of authority is not faith, is mere O'Brien thought so, and streve hard to credulity, it is to shirk the real issue believe that the good would eventually If we know, there would be no virtue in striving.

If I choose & God. I cannot overcome the evil. In his own case, how take a concensus of opinion about Him-ever, the reverse happened, and he is not the only one who has been driven out of He must be my God.

The majority of people in St. John's are no more Christians than I

a church organisation because he could not swallow dogmas or submit to methods am. They attend service once a week. and the rest of the week they are bent upon that are absolutely unchristian and wholly getting all they can of pleasure and intolerable. proft for themselves. Do you wonder

Father Italph takes, perhaps, a narrower that those who consider this spectacle come inevitably to the conclusion that either view of the subject than The Inside of the Christianity is at fault, is outworn, or Cup. Necessarily so, because its shafts else that it is presented in the wrong are directed against 2 particular emancipation from formalism: and mer

way?"

denomination, and probably it is the uncerdotalism. Both hit hard at the The outcome of Hodder's mental and exponents of Christianity- the present-spiritual searchings and unrest is that he outcome of personal experience. That is day Pharisees, the men in the pulpits and takes to slam work, where he is constantly certainly the impression it creates in the the men and women in the pows. Both coming into contact with the baneful

In one of his reflective chapters, the call for the revision of so-called Christian effects of the operations of his vestry-menantuor depicts Ralph reviewing his past ideals and the shaking off of effete «reeds and principal seatholders. He submits

experiences:

a continuation of the old Leyland. Line, for all settled States. For this reason he and illogical dogrins.

bimself to a course of study of writers not

"He thought again of his past, the shares of which were bought by the bad himself taken charge of the Ministry strictly orthodox, and eventually preaches clearly and rapidly. Scales fell from International Mercantile Marine Com-ef Finance." When we have settled the The God he pany, on the basis of 197 per £10 share finance of China," I said, all other sermon which brings a hornet's nest the eyes of his mind, about his cars and threatens St. John's had been groping for was within him all Only those who were shareholders of the things can be easily settled. I shall use the time. He had been in the hearts of old Leyland Line at the time of the sale all my influence to strengthen the Central with disruption.

those who sought him from the beginning. were allowed to subscribe to the Ellerman Government and 1 shall carry through Christ came to point out the way now. Lines, and the value of the shares of those this task jointly with the Parliament. who then subscribed has now been more The time for beginning this work is most He was the Way, the Truth and the Life,

It may be noted that the favourable at the moment when the disclosing new treasures as the minds of than doubled, men grew, and their hearts expanded. Bucknall Lines is being taken over at rebellion in the South is as good as

less than two years purchase. The suppressed." The spirit of God moved and scheme has apparently been well received,

It has been decided," be continued, MAPPIN&WEBB, grew on earth twithstanding the vain einen it was announced to the share

to divide China into ave or six turge attempts of men to check it. An out-of-holders the shares have advanced from date man-made theology could as little E to £20.

1

When Sir John Ellerman military districts. The Tutubs will be narrow the idea of God as it could, by a took over the management of the Buck-dispensed with, and all other provincial foolish decret (a recent Papal decree on rall Lines in December, 100s, the liabili-affairs, in addition to the military, will modernity is evidently hinted at here), ties of the lines, including the Preference be under the control of the Civil Governor. stop the earth and the sun in their courses, capital, were £913,000, and although The officers will be retained, as the present

A Church that was a true several new steamers have been added to

The first of these books is written by one. of the ablest novelists of the day--the American Winston Churchill, author of Richard Carvill" and "The Crisis." It denk with sume riddles of the twentieth “The Inside of the Cup" is a book century, as exemplified in the social and that will make men and women think. church life of an important Middle West In spite of its enunciation of unorthodox -town in the United States of America. views, I do not think it will drive a The central figure is the Rev. John single follower of Christ from the church, Hodder, who is called from a country Nay, rather will it confirm them in the parish, where he has been complacently true faith, will broaden their outlook.on preaching the comfortable doctrines of humanity, and fead them to better works the Episcopal Church, to take charge of and a truer conception of the ideal the fashionable church of St. John. At Christianity. the head of the vestry is Eldon Parr, one. It is a coincidence that a book written Church, garnering and distributing all the fleet in the interim the amount has division of the country into provinces will

of those typically Amerienn "strong wen" in a different strain but travelling over the author delights to portray. Olber some of the same ground should appear. members of the vestry are mostly simultaneously dealing with problems of dependent upon Eldon Parr and his Irish life and religion. Father Ralph, by schemes for their riches and their position, Gerald O'Donovan, is a severe indictment in the town. By his financial manipula- of Irish Catholicism. tions, Parr has amassed great wealth, but The son of a retired army officer and he is not happy. His son, the apple of a pious mother, 'Ralph O'Brien, before his his eye, who he hoped, would carry on

LOWIA.

A monstrous

WORKMEN'S INSURANCE IN

JAPAN.

the spiritual riches of her children, could been reduced to £271,000, do so much for the real life of the world. But instead of being a light, this Church that claimed his allegiance cast a pall over the mind, set up barriers instead of

NEW LEGISLATION FORESHADO WED. breaking them down, drove men out instead of opening her gates wide: men. cried ̈£load for bread and they were

The Japanese Government is said to offered stones.

The fault lay not only with her have found it necessary to introduce theology and philosophy, but with her system for the compulsory insurance f birth, was dedicated to the church. His whole spirit. Not only were the minds workpeople side by side with the now Factory Law. For this purpose experts his schemes, becomes infatuated of a shop mother and nurse imbued him with the of her children fettered, but their hearts have heen sent to Europe and America to

** vocation." His

were crushed. Love and pity had flown, study the systems in operation there, and girl, is parted from her by his father, iden that he had a

a Bill has now been drafted based on the goes out into the world to lead a reckless education was directed to this end. From away with knowledge. life, and finally dies as the result of his the hands of the Jesuits, he passes into a arganisation, self-seeking, material, think reports of the experts sent abroad. The excesses upon his return to his nat vechurch seminary in the country, and ang only of itself, had taken the place of Bill is said to be chiefly based on the

the men of fod whose lives manifested the Germ systera Layan Chowricle. Parr's daughter, leaves him into Maynooth, where he is initiated into urder to carve out an independent career, the priesthood. This step leads to the and a pathetic picture is drawn of the insanity and death of his father. Exercis- lonely rich man, surrounded by all the ing bis influence over the widow, the uutward evidences of wealth, the arbiter bishop succeeds in depriving Ralph of his of the fate of huge commercial concerns patrimony, and when the young priest, and of the destiny of thousands of his desirous of improving the condition uf fellowmen, yet bankrupt of that human the people of Bungakone, raas counter to the interests of the bishop, the League, affection and respect and true spiritual and the gombeen then, he is denounced grac which bring the highest form of and obliged-to-abandon the church, and peace and contentment to the soul. What goes ont into the world a beggar and dots it matter that he gives fiberally to

which the ignominy the church and its activities? As Joh follows an unfrocked churchman. Mr. Hodder realises, when be is driven to O'Donovan's book is sure to give rise to doubt because his preaching does not

much controversy. He writes us one with "move" his congregation, there is some:

inside knowledge. If the picture he gives thing lacking in this conception of

Men and women any of the working of a church seminary, of Christianity.

the education imparted at Maynooth, and

covert d

with

439)

PERTUSSIN.

Is a harmless and efficient remedy against all diseases of the respiratory organs, especially WHOOPING COUGH, CATARRH." OF LARYNX,

BRONCHIAL ACUTE AND CHRONIC CATARRH," ASTHMA, &c,, which has been recognisel Also the AFFECTIONS unequalled by the highest aufkozities.

OF THE LUNGS will be greatly relieved by the are of it;

TO BE HAD AT EVERY CHEMIST.

IMPORTERS:

S. J.

BETINES & CO.. TIENTSIN AND PEKING. VOELKEL & SCHROEDER, LTD.,

SHANGHAI.

PROVINCIM. ADMINISTRATION.

also be retained. The plan of establishing districts directly dependent upon the Central Government has been abandoned.

RUTTONJEE

& SON,

14, QUEEN'S ROAD CENTRAL.

LIMITED.

NEW CONSIGNMENTS

PRINCE'S

PLATE

I am firmly convinced that as soon as STERLING SILVER WARE. order is restored in the provinces the latter will again sand regular contribu tions to the Central Government. The rgorganization of provincial administra tion can be expected within the very hear future. The leaders of the rebellion have fed and loyal officers are now in charge of all provinces,

"I would prefer to have the election of a President deferred until the whole constitution has been passed."

THE BELGIAN LOAN

The Premier concluded by stating that he had no official knowledge of the alleged new-Belgian-Jew. He did not consider it very probable that such a loan had been closed, is its subscription must be a failure for the time being, in view of the agreement with the Quintuple Group, which provides that no bonds of other loans shall be issued before February 15th, 1914.

ESTATES.-The

ANGLO-JOHORE. RUBBER report states that, in spite of the

(GUARANTEED FOR 30 YEARS).

CUTLERY,

From the

SOLE AGENTS:

fact that Mr. Dundas-Mouat and Mr. CHS. J. GAUPP

Turner found a considerable number of trers available for tapping not being tapped, the amount of rubber-harvested aironed to 71,893lb.. against the former manager's estimate of 80,000th., being an increase of 3,983lb. over the prospectus. estimate. Of this outpat over 48,000lb. have been sold on the London market at of gross average prices realizing a 34. 5-65d, per lb., as compared with 4s. 71d, for the previous year. The first profit and os, account accompanies the balance- shest and shows a debit balance of £1,375.

& CO.,

ALEXANDRA BUILDINGS.

CHATER ROAD.

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