“Before faith came, humanity was an impious lot, immoral and prone to wickedness. But God gave us the Law, and the teachings of the Sages.” The Sage counted off the teachers of mankind. “Moses, Elijah, Confucius, and Mencius brought us the Law of Heaven. But the Law was merely to guard us, and did not bring us to God. The law was our teacher, to bring us to Christ, that we might be saved through faith.”
The Emperor shifted in his seat on the ground, and looked up at the dismal sky. The Sage continued speaking. “But after the faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.”
The Emperor’s jaw dropped, as he took in the man’s words. The man was about to continue speaking, but then he stood up and scowled. “You would deny the teachings of Confucius?” he demanded.
The Sage laughed. “He came to fulfill the Law, not to destroy it. But you obey the Law because you should, not because it gains you salvation. Only your faith can do that.”
A mist began to spread through the clearing, enshrouding the people and the sage. “The Law was different for different people. To the Jews, he sent a prophet; to the Chinese, he sent a sage. But whether Han or Manchu, scholar or peasant, man or woman, all are one in Jesus Christ.”