1850.
Animadversions upon Philo.
497
active verb, according to Morrison, means to excite or agitate, not to produce. Philo tells us, the Clrinese say, the word in question means to produce, to bring into existence. We shall be obliged to him to show us the Chinese lexicographer or commentator who so explains the word. Philo's object in thus rendering the passage is, doubtless. to exalt his sung into an intelligent agent, who, he says, brings all things into existence." This appears more evidently in his Synopsis at the close of his article, where he says, with re- ference to this quotation, “spirit means, the producer of all things; an active agent from and by whom the Chinese conceive all things to derive their ex- istence." We object altogether to this mode of representing the sentiments of the Chinese, who do not conceive of the wind as an active agent, from and by whom all things derive their existence. Grammarians tell us that who is applied to persons and rational beings. Fung, in the estimation of the Chinese, is without life and reason; the use of the masculine or feminine relative, in connection with fung is, therefore, improper. pp. €3,64.
If W. H. Medhurst Sen. will turn to the Shwoh Wan, or to the Kwang Yin, both of which “Lexicographers" are quoted in Rânghi's Dictionary, he will find tung explained by tsoh E to make; and ch'uk
to produce; not absolutely to create, but to bring into their visible forms organic bodies, vegetable and animal,-uch bodies as cannot come into being without some active agent. Considering the word tung, in this sense, to excite or to produce, Philo remarked, that the Chinese regarded this form of expression as equivalent to that which produces, or he who produces, i. e. the PRODUCER. Philo used the
two forms of expression, that which and he who, purposely, because he knew there were those who regarded fung like Ruach, as an active agent.
If "fung is that by which all things are put in motion," two ques tions arise; first, what, "in the estimation of the Chinese," is the motion in which all things are put, and second, what or who is the efficient cause or agent controlling "that by which" all things are thus put in motion? In Philo's estimation, the Chinese regard Heaven and Earth, "the Parents of all things," as this controlling cause, and fung as one of their active agents in this grand operation. Philo may be incorrect in saying “the producer," because the Chinese believe there are, other active agents, besides Fung, employed in producing all things. This, however, is plain, these two divine Be- ings, Heaven and Earth,—no matter in what way their influences are combined and exerted, do in and of themselves constitute the controll- ing Power, or chú tsái, “as the Chinese will have it." The motion, specified above, is one of the two states, motion and rest," spoken of in the Book of Changes: See "Theology of the Chinese,” passim : these two, the Chinese say, revolve in uninterrupted succession : and exclusive of these two states, motion and rest, there is no operation in nature."
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