CHRISHNA.

Auckland Star, Volume XX, Issue 194, 16 August 1889, Page 4

CHRISHNA.

(To tho Editor.*

Siß,—Miss JTewcombo's letter may bo diemiascd Avitli the remark that many »*ore quotations, similar to the ones she Fends, could bo addacecl, also many very weifinty ones of an opposite character, tho opinions of ripe scholars, ancient and modern. As wo arc , both Christians, there ia no need to quoto them". Dr. Hooper's letter has eaueed mo nmusomenfc and disappointment — amuaomeiifc that the pastor of a church (of which since the renewal of my baptismal vows I have been a communicant) should consider ib compatible with his dignity to write in such a strain ; disappointment that one so able should havo been unable to do more than tacitly admit lie has a bad case und so take refugo to abuse. As tuis will be my iir.al letter, allow me, sir, to taUe the reverend gentipmnri'a remarks in order. I never assorted that any particular missionary held narrow ideas, though as a body I think they do. Nothing was farther from my thoughts than to.wish to do the rfaiMQ harm. Possibly I hays fcSßght Ohnstinnity as long and as fervently as Miss Nowcombc, only I hold charity begins at home. If she does not", wo differ. I etiU respect her. I am as sorry an her champion that her health hns failed. That, however, doM not ai;cjt facts. The doctor next proceeds to ponnfc out errors into which I havo inllcn. Were I to deal with what he says aa I should like to, I should expect, air, that ifc would prove too long for your columns, so I will, ten brevity's sake, put it in tiiis way :— lilt reverend gentleman, where he has stated accepted facts, ha* not told ice anything I did nob know before. When, however, be departs from that and enunciates his own opinions, I merely say I know many think with you and many think diflerently, which might ateo be said in reply to every statement worth considering in the letter. Regarding the spelling of tho name (really, if the doctor did not feel there was more in my letter than the ufcter nonsense he would have people believe, he wouldnot descend to such trivialities), I believe xC is more correct to use the " k," though " eh or "c " is frequently used as an equivalent with Eastern words (witness the spoiling of towns with which every schoolboy is familiar), and as I derived my spelling from tho source of my information, it could hardly be said to exist in my imagination. A3 a matter of fact,, ib is very often spelled ftjth a " eh." The whole of paragraph numbered two (2), the most sensible one in the letter, quite represents my own opinions, excepting where it asserts the story cannot be traced to a period anterior to our era. If the doctor in his own heart holds that view he surely knows that others, to whom he "dare nob hold a candle,"'hold another. _ In paragraph three (3), there is nothing that goes to the point. En passant, my wrath" was nob excited, arid ia not now, oven with this abuse. I wrote in the hopo of eliciting information, and'have merely to Tegrot my failure. In paragraph four (4) I am attacked. I must ton fees I knew that Christina's morality vas below par; though, as I make a habits dwelling upon all that I can of an olevatinor tendency, as far as my small nind will permit me to comprehend—am, in fact, 0 very humble and Unworthy disciple of Matthew Arnold—l had for the nonce forgotten what I was subscribing myself. It would bo impossible to study anything, ancient or modern, if one was deterred by unpleasant details from prosecuting their (-tudiee; all we con do is not to gloat over carrion. No more moral obloquy rests on me because of my study or nomde phjWfl fcnan liad * selected "Solomon," " Byron," or many others who were hardly the embodiments of the virtues as practised by my censor. I will not give in, even fco Dr. Hooper, in' my reverence for Christ. Still I hold, as do many others, that as -light has come from the East, so lighb will come from the East. Nob that we expect another Christ, but that evolution will result in higher mental and spiritual development of man, and that he will better carry "out his destiny as part of God's great plan, better comprehend and acb upon Christ's teaching, that Buddhism and Mahometanism have an important part to play, tha ; t the symbols of the Star and Crescent are oho with the Cross, a Trinity in unity. I refer to increase of mental vision to enable us to comprehend all things as we should. The signs of the times point that way already. I cemprehend the difference between Hinduism und Buddhism perfectly, nor has the " Light of Asia " misled me. If Dr. Hooper considers that missionary enterprise is meeting with all desirable success, again we differ. Canon Taylor and many others consider it has proved a great failure. Putting Sir Edwin Arnold out of the question, it ia well known English tvhristiaos of broad sympathies find points in common with the Hindoo and Buddhist—less to teach him and more to learn from him than they expected. . All minor points in my letter are taken up and violently common ted upon, bub the main point remains aa fcefore. Tho word

Krishna means black, the Doctor says; just so. Christ comes from the Giteek meaning to anoint j the Greek derivation was probably Eastern, meaning " bliack," and the earliest representations of Christ (some of which may be seen on the Continent! to this day) were black. Should the Doctor have any real information to I should be so pleased. Personality w?ll remain unanewered, but I should like hinl. to kinow he has been castigating and trying to mislead a woman.—Yours, etc., . Chrßshna.

P.S.—I am.content thatfthose versed in both sides of the 'question- should, decide whose remarks show most prejudice and want of Christian amiability, mine or Dr. Hobper's. Alao, (there is no reason that tho publks utterances of'a woman should nob be commented upon-; she invites it'when 'she assumes a public position. • C