Japanese Religion

Ve had a long talk witb Nakshitíia, the Japariese Couimissioner. Ho is a gentWiuau ot superior iritelligence, and don't look Iíko a Leuthen tit all. First we askd lliiñ aboüt his religión. " 1 am, a heathen," he said smiling. ' I don't believo in religión, tliat is, iu tho forma of religión. My religión is to cío good, to be honest." "Whatdoyou think of our Christ?" we agked. ' Humbilg - all numliug," he rcpliod. "Whutdoyou think ot' Mohammed ?" " Muliaminud is a fraud, too, aud so aro all those middlo men who say thi:y are iuspired. Confuuius was a wise man, but no more Inspirad thau Sócrates. All theao men like Brahma, Badilha, Wwedonborg, Brighan; Yomif;, Joè Síiiith ; ahd iti fací, every man Irom Muses to Brigham Young, wbo haf set himselt' up as iuspirod l'roin üod, is a hurabug.' " What kind ot religión do you believe in r " " Well, though I am a heatben, I belipvo about as you do." "Höwis that?" we asked, becoming interested. "You believe in God - so do I, and so does every nation. We orily diiFer in the Savior or Clirii-t. Why, the Arabs believe in the samo Qud, lm; take Mohammed as s, savior ; 210,00 ',000 oi' people believe in Alohainmed, and on!y 00,000,000 in Christ. lt is always the same God all over the world. They may spell it ditt'erently, but it is the saine God, with the same attributes, suoh as oinuipresence, ubiquity, omniscieneo, infiriity, potentiality, etc. In Grecce, they Cali hmi Theoa; in France, Dieus; in Germany, Gudt; in China, Jos; in Asia, Jttralnnin ; in America, God. Many Jupnnesf) beliuvu in the ?ame God which you do, but recr ad ás ïcediator mstoad of Christ. Buddha was good mun. Uu wna modest, sincere, and selt' sacrific-ing, but he was not God. He gave up a lile oí' ease near {he tho throne to teaCÜ ïrvjn tó be good. Ho gave up immense wcaltli, and went with the poor. Your Christ made no suoh sacriiices. He was a poor carpenter's sori. He was kill ok beoause he preached hereaius which the Je 'S didn't believo. He went a little too far. and lost his lile, like Cranmer and Lutimer, and as 10,000 foolish people do in imlia every year. Kossel lost his lite in France, n'ritl John Brown here, lor preacfiiiig what tho people did't believe. The day will como when you will almost worship John Brown as the Swiss do William Teil. Dying for onr faith, sig;niiis ïiothinp. Why, iir, 10 Ö00 people in Inditt bain and kill thenisolves every year tor their faith." "But don't you think a Savior isiieceésary 'f " 11 Xo. Coï can do all the 3avingorc!estroying. When you bring t man to assist him, you destroy his greatniiss - his potentiality. 'Ihese people who claim to bo mediators are only roligious brokers God is too great to ak or permit one to :i?i hinï; We huvi! ihe sume law of righi and wfDiif; which you have, and stül wo dun t beliète your Biblo at all. God has given his law to ns. The Koran, your Bibie, the toachings of Swedenborg, iind Biighom Young all dill'or, but the doctrines of tiiu jiliilosophers like Justinian, Sócrates, árid Cöntuctns all agree. Xhat is, they agree that God is great - and he is too great to have any prophots." "D rit you believe that Ctirist came into tho world to savn it 'f"' ".. sii1. He did not corne into tho world any more than you did First he knew he was here - a boy likoáll th'ö Nazarene boys. His mir:iculous birth is, tho t'anoy of the legendary hUtorians. Ho vus put to (ÍPfth lileo John Brown because he wont round broaïting Jcwish laws. After he was killed St. Paul and St. fot er established y ur church They made a grand political center and establishod the se ven ohürehes of Asia, nono of which stand to-da . Epfièsu's aiid Antioch bc [ievein Muhamn ednow. lknowilohainiried was a humbug, and of the suimkuowlèdgè I know all prophets to be huinbags. You cali me a neathen because I reject your church. I cali you a heathen beoause you rpject my Buddha. He was hs great snd pure as ever a man v. .is More than that he gave up riohes and station Ho tanght people to work, not lo all become idle preáohera, While I respect Buddha, I do not think he was inSpired, and if hu wasu't no man ever WHS." That is what that heatlicn said, nnd he didn't think he was talkiiig Sátiritegious. He did not think he had said anythtng rud", at least no ruder than we aro always saying of him.