363
Defense of an Essay §r.
JULY,
as self-existent from eternity. Or, they may have conceived of, and spoken of, eternally existing principles, and not mentioned Shángli
among
them; in which case the inference against Shángti's self-exis- tence from eternity would be ten-fold stronger. This last is the fact; the Chinese have speculated about eternally-existing first principles, but Shángtí is not mentioned among them. These principles are táu 道 and li理, which are the same, i. e. the primitive Reason, destiny. fate, “ which neither wills nor wishes, plans nor makes,” and Ki氣 the primordial substance, which "can settle and collect together,
make and do."
2d. In regard to the making of the heavens and the earth, Chinese writers are not silent. They do not regard heaven and earth as eter- nal; they are made, and made in time; but Shiingti had nothing to do with the making of them. Take as an instance the account given in the 49th section of Chúfútsz's Entire Works, of the making of heaven and earth. The eternally-existing principles are Li and KiHe sometimes calls Li the Tai kih, Great Extreme, and soinetimes K'i.
“ Li neither wishes nor plans nor does, 理却無情意無 計度無造作;“it is without form or trace, it can not make or do any thing";無形迹他却不會造作: but Kri氣 he
affirms, as I said above, "Can settle and collect together, make and do."
Ki can ferment and settle and generate things.”氣則 能醞釀凝聚生物也. The Kior primordial substance he
views under the two aspects of Yin and Yáng, i. e. as passive or active. Of the Yin k'i, or primordial substance, which has vis iner- tiæ, Kwei is the ling spirit, or pek anima: and of the Yang k'i or primordial substance which moves, or is active, Shin
神 is the ling 靈 spirit, or loan 魂 soul, animus.
蕙
From these materials how are heaven and earth made? This primordial substance, so informed by Shin and Kwei, commenced revol- ving: but I will give the account of the actual making of the heavens and the earth in Chiful sz's own words, closely rendered. 天地 初間只是陰陽之氣這一筒氣運行磨來磨 去磨得急了便許 渣滓裏面無處 結成地在中央氣之情
之情者便為天為日 爲星 星辰只在外常周環運轉地便在中央不 動不是在下 "In the beginning of heaven and earth there only was the Yin-ned and Yang-od K ́1 (i. e_the primordial substance
懵便月