The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1872-12-19

ELI PERKINS.
What a Heather Says--What q Japanese
Thinks about Chrlstianlty--Fah
with Heather Chap.

FnTH AVENUE HoTEL, JUNE 10.
We had quite long talk with Nakshima
the japanese Commissioner. who explained
the currency 20 rs. He Is Il gentleman ui
superior intelligence and don't look like "a
heather at all.
First we asked him about his religion.
" am heather" he said, smiling;
don't believe In rcligiou-thut Is, in thF
to be honest"
what do you think OF our Christi" we
asked, thinking the Commercials reader
! would like TO know what q heather does De
! lieve.
lIumbug, all humbug." he replied
/ What do you think OF MOhammed fT
Mohammed h a fraud, TOO, and SO are
/ all those middle men who say they are in
/ splred. Coniucius was n wise man. but 100
more inspired than Socrates. An these men.
like Brahmiu, Buddha, Swedenborg, Brig
ham Young. Joe smith, and, Ia fact, every
man, from Moses TO Brigham Young, who
has set himself up as inspired from God, o.
a hum bug
ing"
well, though ] am q heather, believe
How is that" we asked, becoming IN
terested.
You believe in God--so DO i, and so doef
every nation. Weunly differ in the Saviour
or Christ. Why, the Arabs believe iu tbr
.
20O,OO0OOO OF people believe in Mohammed,
and only 5O,OOOOOO in Christ. 10 is always
the same God all over the world. They
may spell II differently, but it IS the same
God, with the same attributes, such rs Omni-
presence, ubiquity, omnisCience, iuhuify,
Potentially, etc. In Greece they call him
IheOs in France, Deus; In Germany, Godt;
IN China, Jos; I'm Asia, BrAhmin; in Amer
lea, God. Many japanese believe iu the
same God which you do, but receive Buddhu
as mediator in place OF Christ, Buddha WIS
a good man. lie was modest, sincere and
self-sa"rihcng, but he was not God. He
gave up life Of ease near the throne to
teach men to be good. lie gave up immense
wealth and went with the poor. Your
Christ made no such sacrifices. He was
poor--a carpenters son. He was killed be-
cause lac preached hei estes which the JewH
didn't believe. He went a little TOO far and
lost his life like Cranmer and Latimer,
and rs 10000 foolish people do in ludiB
every day, ROssel lost his life ln France
and John Brown here. for preaching what
the people don't believe Tie dav viii come
when you viii almost worship John Brown
as the Swiss do William Tell. Dying for
our faith signifies nothing. Why, sir, l0-
900 people Kill themselves every year Tor
their faith"
But, don't you think a Saviour neces-
sary ~
NO. God can do all the saving or de-
stroying. When you bring man 10 assist
him, YOU destroy al his greatness-hi-
mediators are only religious brokers. God
Is too great To ask or permit any one to us-
sist him. We have the SAME law Of right
and wrong as you have, and still we don't
believe your Bible nc all. God has given his
law to us. The Koran, your Bible, the
teachings Of SwedcnbOrg aud Brigham
Young all differ, but the doctrines of the
like ,Iustinian, Socrates and
ContucIus. all agree. That g., they agree
that God is great--aud that he is too great
10 have any prophets
=" Don't you believe that Christ came into
the world TO save IL ~
mo, sir. lie did not come into the world
any more than you did. First he knew De
was herr--a boy like all Nazerene bOys.
llis miraculous birth Is the fancy OF lcgen-
iary historians. He was put to death like
John Brown, because he went round break
ing Jewish laws, that L., saying things which
had no reason IN them. After he was killed,
St. Paul and ST. Peter established your
church. They made "a grand political Gene
tire, ana established the seven churches of
Asia none Of which stand to-day. Ephesus
and Antioch believe In Mohnmmcd now.
know MOhammed is "a humbug, and Of Che
same knowledge / know all prophets 20 be-
reject your church. ] call You q heather
because you reject my Buddha. He was as
great and pure rs ever "A man was. He
taught people % work; not to an become
die preachers. While / respect Buddha,
10 not think nc was inspired; and G be
wasn't, then no man ever was.n
That j. what that heather said, aud be-
lidn't think he was talking saCrileUioua.
lie did not think he had said anything rude,
It least no rudeT than we are always saying
1T him.