"John i. 1.—Christ is here pronounced to be God; does Tien-Wang claim to be God or man? Matt. xxii. 29, 30.—How is this to be reconciled with the statement that the Western Prince has contracted a marriage in the other world? Matt. xx. 25-26.—How is this to be reconciled with the Tien-Wang's assumption of authority in spiritual matters? John iii. 13, Gal. i. 8, Rev. xxii. 18-19.—How can Tien-Wang have another revelation? This document the Chang-wang was afraid to present to his chief. He returned it to me, and I supposed that I should hardly find a man bold enough to keep it in his possession."

This may be the American Baptist mode of procedure, but we may easily believe it is hardly the style in which an English missionary of ordinary good manners and education would act. If a Chinaman were to arrive in England and draw up a similar list of queries, and send them to the Queen, it would afford a precisely parallel case. The Chang-wang, after assuring Mr. Holmes his hyperbolical theories were "erroneous," must have felt himself grossly insulted by the latter's uncourteous catechising. When about to leave Nankin, Mr. Holmes states:—

"On Wednesday we had determined to return. On announcing our intention, we were entreated to remain a few days longer. He (Chang-wang) also invited me to come back again, and bring with me my family, offering to give me a place in his own house. On our departure a sum of money was offered us to 'buy tea,' as it was stated, 'on our way home.' This we declined.... He insisted that he would have no face if he sent away a guest without making him some present, and substituted a piece of silk, which, with several little articles received before, are preserved as memorials of the visit. A present of a small globe, with several other foreign articles, were very gladly received on his part."

From the extracts I have given, one might naturally suppose Mr. Holmes would have returned from his visit favourably impressed; with what astonishment, then, will be perused the following "reflections":—

"I shall content myself with a few general reflections upon the state and prospects of this movement. I went to Nankin predisposed to receive a favourable impression.... I came away with my views entirely changed. I had hoped that their doctrines, though crude and erroneous, might, notwithstanding, embrace some of the elements of Christianity. I found, to my sorrow, nothing of Christianity but its names, falsely applied, applied to a system of revolting idolatry."

How does this agree with the well-known uncompromising iconoclasm of the Ti-pings? How can it be reconciled with the statements given by Mr. Holmes as to the Christian knowledge of the Chang-wang? which, he says, "contained little that could be objected to," or the passage, "I gave him to understand that I had no objection to make to what he had said"? Is it from this Mr. Holmes derived his idea of "revolting idolatry"? The narrative continues:—

"Their idea of God is distorted until it is inferior, if possible, to that entertained by other Chinese idolaters. The idea which they entertain of a Saviour is likewise low and sensual, and his honours are shared by another." (Compare this with the Tien-Wang's proclamation at page [84], giving the titles to the chiefs, and strictly forbidding himself to be addressed by any appellation that may infringe upon the attributes of the "Celestial Elder Brother" (our Saviour), and then judge of its truth.) "The Eastern King is the saviour from disease, as he is the saviour from sin." (The Eastern King had been dead some years.) "Among the features of their theology that shocked me most may be mentioned the following:—They speak of the wife of the Heavenly Father, whom they call Tien-ma (Heavenly Mother), &c., &c."

If Mr. Holmes was so "shocked," it would have been his duty to teach instead of to criticise them, especially as they "entreated" him to remain, or "come back" to them.

He further states:—

"I had hoped, too, that though crude and erroneous in their notions, they would yet be ready to stand an appeal to the Bible" (meaning his arrogant list of queries), "and to be instructed by those competent to expound its truths. Here, too, I was disappointed."