1850.
Defense of an Essay, &c.
475
had a man in answer to the question, What do you mean by the heaven and earth you worship, and which you say is Shángtì? point with his hand to heaven, and stamp with his feet upon the earth.
In looking at this matter practically, it should be remembered that nine-tenths of our congregations are composed of common people, by whom the Shángtí of the Táuists is much worshiped; whereas the Shángti of the classics is worshiped only by the Emperor: from this it follows, that if in addressing the common people we exhort them to worship Shangtí, they will naturally understand us to mean this being, as was the case in Ningpo, and with Mr. Syle in Shánghái.
But should our hearers understand by it the being whom Yáu and Shun worshiped, this being, I am persuaded is a false god, as well as Yuh-hwáng, and it is not worth while to stop and discuss the difference between them, as it would show great fastidiousness in a Christian teacher to choose between two false gods, which he would commend to his fellow-men as an object of worship. So that could it be made to appear that our hearers would certainly understand by the phrase Shángti, the Tien For Háu-t'ien (Expansive Heaven) whom Shun worshiped under this title, at the same time with the six vener- ated objects and the hundred shin; and that they would in consequence of our exhortation address their prayers to him or it, such conviction would not in the least mitigate my objection to the use of this phrase, as I should have no doubt that they would be as much guilty of idola- try in worshiping Hán-l'ien Shángtí, i. e. Expansive Heaven, the Supreme Ruler," as if they were to pray to Yuh-hwáng Shungti, "The perfectly Imperial great celestial Ti, who at the extreme begin- ning opened out heaven, and who has ever since regulated the various kulpas, possessing divinity and embodying reason, the most honora- ble in the glorious Heavens, &c.” *
Dr. M. in his reply to the Plain Questions of a Brother Missionary, denies the fact he had formerly so positively affirmed, viz., that Shángti in “every
every book of worth and note," when standing alone, always and invariably meant the Supreme Being, and him only. In this last docu- ment he affirms on the contrary that Shángti is a “generic term." Dr. M. fancies that he has proved this last position when he shows that in addition to the Tun, or Hiu Tien Expansive Heaven, of the
This is the title of Yuh-hwing, the Supreme Ruler of the Tuists, given on p. 33 of Dr. L's argument. We shall search the classics in vain for such predicates of Tien, or Hau Tien, the "Supreme Ruler" of said cassics. Tien is nowhere described therein as he "who at the beginning opened out heaven" (ì. e. Tien), o: he "who has ever since regulated the various kulpas," &c.