The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-01-28
POINTS 10 Golden RUIZ
WI TING FANG SUGGESTS THAT
CLERGY DO NOT PRACTICE
THEIR PREACHING
FORMER MINNEAPOLIS DIVINE
Taken to Task blythe Chinese Min
lister for "a Recent Sermon
Criticising the AM
bassader.

PHILADELPHIA, Jan 27.--Wu Ting
Fang, China's minister plenipotentiary to
the United States, replied to his critics
today in the course of sailecture on "Con-
fucius and Mencius,' delivered hafere
the Society of Ethical Culture at Aeri-
cultural hall. Every available inch Of
both seating and standing room was oe-
cHried by an audience attracted by the
protest and criticisms raised by Minister
Wu's recent utteranees in New York
city on the subject of Christianity, listen
c with much interest to the speaker
;. te Chinese minister's statements were.
: oT ever, extremely cenServa tive. S.
turns Weston, director of the society,
Introduced Minister WI, who said:
fwenty-foar centuries have rolled by
: 4 &c ConfuciuS walked this earth IFS
i; fGence is as great today among his
q untrymen as it ever was before. Never
was his name held in greater veneration
than it is now. Throughout the length
and breadth of the Chinese empire every
where are temples erected in his mem
DRY. Eevery school boy acknowledges
him as the supreme teacher of the CHI
nese race. His spirit pervades nation
Of 400,0G0,000, and his word is recognized
as law to the most august emperor on
the throne, as we'll as to the meane5t
peasant at the plow. Thus is Confucius
enthroned in the hearts of his country
men.
The address on Confucius I delivered
last month in Carnee." hall, New York,
has aroused a great of comment
1t is a source of grati.-.>iion to me that
remarks made on that occasion have
ELECTED comments from the Amerio aa
press, which have been generally very
favorable, and also expressions of opin-
ion from persons in different parts of the
country. But, on the other hand, I have
seen IN the newspapers some adverse
criticisms on my address from number
of clergymen. But lest a false impress
sion may have gone forth in regard to
my address, 1 take, this opportunity to
say few words abeuti it by way of ex-
planati ton ri tr.
TAKES UPtDR. HOYT.
Minister WI then, quoted an extract
from the sermon of the Rev. DR.. Way
land Hoyt, of this city, in which the lat
tribute to the work of Christian M s.
sionaries in China and asked what reply
the Chinese minister Could make
DR.. Hoyt has done me, though doubt
continued WI Ting. Fang. Since he
wants reply 1 have no hesitation in
giving him one. indorse every word
that Earl Ii has said on the subject of
foreign missionaries, as cited by the doc
tor. To prove that / arp sincere in what
say, beg to refer the doctor to the ad-
dress l delivered ia December last be-
fore the American Academy of Political
Science in Philadelphia, on the Causes
of the Unpopularity of Foreigners in
China L suppose the doctor had not
read this address, or if he had read it,
he had forgotten it. In any case would
not believe that an eminent divine could
be eapahe of purposely misrepresenting
Again DR.. Hoyt and some other
clergymen from their addresses seemed
TO think that charged all missionaries
Win crying out for vengeance. Let me
read the exact words I used Love your
enemy is Christ's command, but at this
moment some Christian missionaries
are crying out for vengeance, and blood
shed. Note that I used the word some
I am inclined to think that the reason
why some clergymen, and I am glad, to
say there are not many took offense at
what | said in my address on Con -ueism
in that l took the liberty of institutinsy a
comparison between Confucism and
Christianity which they supposed WAS
done to the dispQragenlent of the latter.
mere was certainly no intention on NV
part to make an attack upon Christian
1ty Surely, it is no diseredit to say that
Christianity is too high and elevated for
fra1l humanity, and that all Christians
are not acting up to its tenets, Just as it
is no disgrace to acknowledge that the
Confucionists in China do not live I'D to
the teachings of Confucius.
TURNS TO THE GOLDEN RULE.
''It seems strange that some clergy
men should resent any attempt to COM
pare Christianity with any other systems
OF oeilef, While they themselves do rot
scruple to attack other religions. In
other words they do Just what they do
not want others to do 'i
| believe that all religions teach men
to be good. If every man should really
try to act up to the doctrines enjoined
by his religion the world would be far
better 1t would be well if priests and
clergymen Of every faith and creed wou
do their best to promote this desirable
end. Thus these words of Confucius
would be fulfilled, Let us all live in peaoe