These are the definitions of these two terms which I use in this book. Of course there are all grades of Higher Criticism and New Theology, ranging from the mildest, almost touching the border line of evangelical faith, down to the very deadliest, which never ceases blaspheming Christ and the Holy Scriptures; but whether they are mild or extreme, these doctrines are a real poison to the Christian faith. Not only did I almost kill my spiritual life by absorbing such poisons into my own system, but also by introducing such poisons into the Japanese churches, I did great damage to the cause of Christ in my country. A friend has asked me whether I still feel the evil effects of the study of such books on my spiritual life. I answered him, “Yes. If you once absorb poison into your system it is very hard to get entirely rid of the evil.” He also asked me whether it is wise for one to read such books in order to know our opponents’ positions. “Yes,” I said. “Sometimes it is necessary for us to study books of this kind in order to find out their fallacies and untruths.” But even then we must be very careful not to be poisoned ourselves. It is sometimes necessary for the student of chemistry to enter the chemical laboratory and handle deadly poisons, in order to make important experiments, but at such times the student must take as perfect precaution as possible not to take the poison into his own body and die. In the same way, when you are going to make experiments with these poisonous doctrines of the enemy of the Gospel, you must take perfect precautions not to absorb their poisons, as I did. Moreover, I like to caution my orthodox brothers and sisters against handling these poisonous books except under the urgent necessity of making important experiments. Though we have to provide deadly poisons in our chemical laboratories for the purpose of experiments, it is not at all necessary or advisable to put them in our kitchens and dining-rooms; no, it is not wise to handle them too often. However, I am not going to discuss at present the question of New Theology. I am simply going to show you how baneful and destructive was its influence upon my own spiritual life. That is all I intend to do here. Some of the professors of New Theology said to me, after hearing my lecture, “You have the facts which no theory can refute.” Yes, I have the facts, or rather I myself am the fact, and I am going to give this fact, and not theory, or argument. Now let me proceed to tell the processes and steps by which these studies destroyed my evangelical faith.