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THE RELIGION OF CHINA.

(CONFUCIUS.)

"THERE are instances of nations where uncultivated nature has been left to itself, without the help of letters, and discipline, and the improvements of arts and sciences. But there

are others to be found, who have enjoyed these in a very great measure, and yet, for want of a due application of their thoughts this way, want the idea and knowledge of God. It will, I doubt not, be a surprise to others, as it was to me, to find the Siamites of this number. But for this let them consult the King of France's late envoy* thither, who gives no better account of the Chineses themselves." The conclusion at which one of our most celebrated moralists arrived in the year 1689, is still strictly applicable to the state of religion in the Chinese empire. Without retreating into the mists of antiquity, and labouring to discover a clue to the labyrinth of fable where

true history is now inevitably imprisoned, we must still assign a high antiquity, and pay some respect to the early records and even traditions of the Chinese. They are unable to give any distinct or probable account of their original country; but the presumption is that they were a colony from Egypt, that separated at an early period from the first family of mankind. That they do not observe a Sabbath-day has been explained by the supposition, that they migrated before its institution on Mount Sinai, in the wilderness; or, if this point be itself doubtful, that its observance became neglected in the journeyings of the separatists themselves through so many lands-besides that human nature is unhappily most prone to forget those practices and duties which impose upon it the wisest restraints. Let it therefore be allowed, as a goal in Chinese antiquities, that they were originally Egyptian colonists or emigrants a statement that has never been contradicted-and a multitude of seemingly inexplicable difficulties in their history, customs, and manners, will be at once resolved, and themselves at the same time reduced from their childish celestial origin to the common parents and great family of the universe. It *La Soulière du Royaume de Siam.

+ Locke's Essay on the Human Understanding.

was a problem to discover the source of the Nile, and, from the mysteries of its rise and fall, a miraculous character was readily ascribed to its fountain; it was another problem to detect the mouth of the Niger, and evaporation, subsidence, and more mystic modes of its waters escaping, were gravely spoken of. Investigation, perseveringly and philosophically conducted, has shown that the one collects and the other discharges its waters according to the well-known and invariable laws of nature. As soon as historic witnesses can be assembled, the Chinese will be found to be derived from the same parent tree as all the other offshoots that are planted in the various habitable regions of our globe.

Before any regular form of worship was established in China, that is, any of which we have record, it is supposed that polytheism prevailed, and was the primitive, indigenous religion. Idolatry-a disease that had infected the Israelites, Egyptians, Grecians and Romans, was widely and deeply sown and implanted, and gross and palpable objects alone received the homage of the people. It was when this debasement had closed its reign, 550 B.C., that Confucius appeared; and an extraordinary concentration of means and advantages in his individual person rendered him a well-qualified minister of knowledge and amelioration. A native of Loo, or Keo-fow-Hien, in the province of Shan-Tung, of royal descent, and possessed of shining abilities, he united every qualification for the founder of a sect or leader of a great section. Having shown a repugnance to the amusements of boyhood, Koong-foo-tse devoted himself from his earliest years to study and contemplation, the result of which was a disgust for the whole seheme of religion and morals then existing. The king having declined to encourage his predilection, the philosopher at once withdrew from court, retired to the principality of Sum, and there became a teacher of morals. Resigning the dignity that belonged to his high birth, he traversed the northern provinces, and by his self-denial and enthusiasm evinced a sincerity of character that soon drew the well-disposed and intelligent around him At length he had the happiness of seeing three thousand disciples hearkening with attention to his discourses, and filled with an attachment and devotion that no terrors of punishment could influence. The virtuous tendency of the precepts he inculcated becoming known to the many petty potentates, who then ruled the countries now incorporated into the vast empire of China, he was solicited to visit their respective courts, and accept of honour and preferment; all these invitations he respectfully but resolutely declined. Convinced that the glories of this world are but glittering, and that the acceptance of political authority would militate much against his ministry, he determined upon pursuing closely and strictly the objects of his early ambition—the introduction and foundation of a system of morals that should long be cherished by his grateful countrymen.

If he abstained from political interference, he was not less scrupulous in avoiding anything that could offend the religious prejudices of the multitude; and the subjects of sacrifice and the nature of the gods he enjoined his disciples to abstain from touching on. Having published

his moral code, and instructed his chosen disciples in the mysteries of his philosophy, he retired from public life, and, during his closing years, devoted himself to the amendment and completion of those celebrated works which have rendered his name immortal in China, and his character respected by many civilised nations.

It is a common mistake to consider Confucius as the founder of a religion so far from introducing any new system of faith in matters of this sort, he cautiously respected popular prejudices, confining himself to the propagation of a moral philosophy: and when compared in history to Mahomet and Zoroaster, it is not in unity of pursuit, but similarity of success; Mahomet being the founder of a religion, Zoroaster a lawgiver, and Confucius a moralist-so that although we commence our sketch of the religion of China, with an account of the labours of Koon-foo-tse, or Confucius, it is in accordance with vulgar error, and not with the accuracy of history. Confucius laid down first principles of philosophy, which he expected no one would be able to refute, or unable to comprehend:-" That out of nothing there cannot possibly be produced anything-that material bodies must have existed from all eternity-that the cause of things must have had a co-existence with the things themselves,-that therefore, the Cause is also eternal, infinite, indestructible, unlimited, omnipotent, omnipresent-that the central point whence the Cause (or strength) principally acts is the firmament (Heaven), whence its influence spreads over the universe-that it is therefore the duty of the supreme prince, in the name of his subjects, to present offerings to Heaven (Tien), particularly at the equinoxes, the one for obtaining a propitious seed-time, the other a plentiful harvest." From this first cause, Heaven, two principles were evolved, designated existence and decay, or good and evil, or light and darkness, so that at the first beginning of the system we have a species of sacred Triad, a circumstance that will hereafter, i. e. in speaking of Bhuddism, be particularly alluded to. Without, therefore, any reference to dominant creeds, or any attention to the political feeling of the people, Confucius proceeded to the institution of mysteries to be observed by his followers, in which the prejudices of his high birth exerted an insensible influence over him, for he selects the highest places for his altars, and the highest personages for his priests. Confucian sacrifices were offered to Heaven (Tien) on a rude cairn of stones, or on a large tabular one erected on the summit of some conspicuous mountain. This early and universal practice appears perfectly natural amongst all unenlightened people, especially those who look to Heaven, the sun, moon, and stars, as the origin or dwelling of creative power. The Persians, according to Herodotus, considered the circle of the heavens as the great ruling power of the universe, the fountain of heat, and light, and life, and which was represented in their books by a circle enclosing a waving line, and the mountain pinnacle was the altar of their sacrifices. Tacitus writes "that the nearer worshippers can approach to heaven, the more distinctly will their prayers be heard:" and certainly in the Roman temples the people always strove for the nearest seat to the

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tutelar deity, with precisely a similar object. So also, when Noah quitted the ark, he built an altar on the mountain where it rested, and made a burntoffering, whose smoke ascending to heaven was pleasing to the Lord. The sacrifice of Isaac was appointed to be made on a high mountain in the land of Moriah. Balak carried Balaam to the top of Mount Pisgah to sacrifice there, and curse Israel; and the Redeemer used to retire to a mountain

to offer the sacrifice of prayer. It appears, therefore, that this custom has prevailed, not only in the infancy of all nations, but at later periods, and under examples worthy of all honour.-What is the origin of the sect called Jumpers in our own age?

It was the custom of such nations to mark with a great stone the burialplaces of their kings or warriors, particularly of those who fell in battle, or subdued a rival power; superstition having generally placed those heroes in the catalogue of the gods, these tombs became the altars at which offerings were made to their manes, or the aid of their spirits invoked. Sometimes a heap of loose stones served the purpose; and for this custom, one that prevailed also amongst the ancient Britons, the tombs of the great, and the cairn of stones, and the mountain's summit became the scene of supplication to the Power of heaven. Taking advantage of this ancient prejudice, Confucius improved the cairn and the pillar-stone into an area enclosed by four upright stones, (Tau,) and every altar in China at the present day is ornamented with four loose stones placed at the four corners, like the horns of the Jewish altar. He extended the principle of spirit-adoration, by requiring the most constant offering of prayer and sacrifice at tombs of relations and parents; and, although the mountain has been deserted for the shelter of the vale, his injunction and the eternal invocation of departed spirits still prevails. We must not here omit to notice that our term altar is derived from the Latin altus, signifying high, and when applied to a Christian church, is synonimous with high-place, although the Romans applied the term Altare to a structure dedicated to the high or superior gods. The city of Peking, the metropolis of China, stands on a sandy plain, but its three altars, of Heaven, Earth, and Agriculture, are elevated on artificial mounts within the precincts of the imperial palace. Gentle habits and the space over which the increased number of votaries is spread, rendering the mountain-altar no longer convenient, this article of the Confucian doctrine is partially abandoned, but the aristocratic maxim of excluding all save princes, or rather the king alone, from the office of Pontifex Maximus, is still observed: "So great is the distance," says the philosopher, "between the Creator and the creature, that the king, or ruler of the people, is alone worthy to offer sacrifice on the altar of heaven. This creative power also is best satisfied when man performs all the moral duties of life,-the principal of which consists in filial piety, and the most entire submission to the reigning prince.” The metaphysical sentiments and moral precepts of Confucius are contained in nine volumes, known as "The Four Books," and "The Five Canonical Books:" our readers may remember, that nine was also the number of the Sibylline Books offered for sale to Tarquin, king of

Rome. These miscellaneous writings treat of self-government,-of social intercourse,—of œconomics,—of public instruction,—of politics, generally. The style is terse and sententious, if not dictatorial; their moral and religious precepts are honourable to their author, but his metaphysics, like some of Aristotle's, so obscure and often unintelligible, that he has been suspected of employing ambiguous language and introducing studied difficulties into this part of his labours. These difficulties have given employment to commentators; and the explanations of his meaning, which possibly the philosopher himself did not perfectly comprehend, while it has multiplied literary occupation infinitely, has impressed the Chinese people with an ardent admiration of the splendid genius of that man, whose doctrines were so difficult to be understood even by the most learned of his followers. But the immortality of Confucius should be limited to his country, of which he has certainly deserved well, for amongst the cold climates of the west he will meet with but few proselytes. A modern traveller, acquainted with the Chinese written and spoken languages, and in other respects eminently qualified to pass sentence on the philosophic labours of Confucius, says, "The compass of his intellectual researches was narrow: the stock of his theology and his philosophy scanty: and for this reason he was easily tempted to lay an embargo on every kind of inquiry. All questions touching the existence and creation of celestial beings, and the share they take in the economy of the universe, were excluded. To hold father and mother in everlasting veneration was the sum of religion. Sages and the instructors of mankind, however, rank with father and mother, and are worshipped by such as choose to admire their character;" and such is the extraordinary mixture, the Olla Podrida, which forms the guide of the wealthy, and learned, and high-born in China.

Although his praises are celebrated without the accompaniment of altar, or priest, or temple; yet those whose wealth enables them have temples, or halls of ancestors, in which they sometimes address the spirit of the national philosopher. In every city, however, there is a great public building, or college, called the Hall of Kong-foo-tze, wherein literary examinations are held, and degrees of office granted; there men of letters meet together, on appointed days, to discuss philosophic questions, like the ancient Stoics and Peripatetics, and pay public respect to the memory of the founder of Chinese ethics. On a large tablet affixed in the most conspicuous place in each hall, and in letters of gold, is inscribed, "O Kongfoo-tze, our revered master, let thy spiritual part descend, and be pleased with this our respect which we now humbly offer to thee!" Perfumes, flowers, fruits, and wine are laid before the dedicatory tablet, whilst various kinds of scented gum, frankincense, tapers of sandal-wood and gilt paper, are kept burning. This ceremony is analogous to the offerings made in all public cemeteries in China to the spirits of departed relations : it has prevailed from immemorial time in Persia; was practised by the Romans, who presented gifts to the genii of the dead; and the decking of graves at certain seasons, a custom of Catholic countries, is an