f
the temptation in the Garden of Eden. And yet, upon this is made to rest
your whole theory of the Fall, of Original Sin, and of Christian
Redemption. As for the history of the Jewish people, we can see in it
nothing but one long story of cruelty and bloodshed; how can a Creator, a
God of Love, be supposed to have permitted and approved such things?"

(_c_) _The Incarnation._ The whole doctrine of the Incarnation is full of
difficulty to the mind of an Oriental; _not_ because of its strangeness
and novelty, but owing to his very familiarity with stories of miraculous
birth in his own legends.

(_d_) _The Atonement._ "Why should Jehovah require the sacrifice of His
own Son?" This is a difficulty that would present itself with especial
force to the Buddhist; by whom all life is held sacred, and whom such
texts as "Without shedding of blood there is no remission," fill with
repugnance. The explanation offered by Buddhists themselves of the
Christian doctrine of Atonement is, that its origin must be sought in the
fact that, from the most ancient times, the idea of sacrifice, and of
human sacrifice, has existed; and this explanation they go on to apply to
the Holy Eucharist.

(_e_) _Eternal Punishment._ "How," it is asked, "is your doctrine of
Everlasting Punishment consistent with that of the Remission of Sins? And
how, on the other hand, is not your scheme of salvation ethically wrong,
if it allows people, after sinning all their lives, to be forgiven on
their death-beds, that so they may enter a Paradise, wherein good and bad
alike have a place?"

(_f_) _Faith and Belief._ "What right have you to ask us to believe
anything that does not accord with science and experience, when you have
no better opportunities of knowing than we?"

(_g_) _Christian Ethics._ "Some of these--e.g. the doctrine of the Sermon
on the Mount--we admit to be good; but they are not peculiar to
Christianity--our own teaching is very similar. In other of your ethics, we
see only an ignoble and selfish storing of treasure; it appears to us that
a good action, done for the sake of reward or gain, must entirely lose its
merit."

(_h_) _Missionary Work._ "We do not claim that our religion is the only
way of salvation, but readily recognize the good points in other systems
as well. You, on the contrary, appear to hold that there is no other way
but your own; and indeed it is only on this supposition that we can
understand the strenuous efforts whic