Directory_and_Chronicle_1845 — Page 406

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and turning to utter ruin, or converting to evil purposes, a rast amount of the rich bounties of the great Creator. Paganism, the worship of false gods, the maintenance of expensive and tedious rites and ceremonies, all based on false systems of opinion, is the greatest scourge that can afflict any nation-blighting the fairest prospects of the life that now is, and sowing thick the seeds of eternal sorrow for that which is to come. No description, no words, that we can use, will give the reader a perfect picture of all the religious institu- tions of a pagan people. A sketch of some of the principal in Shang- hái, with brief notices of their most prominent features and leading characteristics, must suffice for this article. What we give will be derived partly from books and partly from personal observation.

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1. Shi tsih tán, ; this is an altar dedicated to “local divinities," that preside over the land and over the grain, supposed to control the destiny of the existing government. So long as their favor is sccured, it stands, but when that is lost, it must fall! Ac- cording to the ancient ritual, it was the prerogative of the emperor, impiously styled the son of heaven, to worship the celestial and ter- restrial gods, the gods of the hills and rivers, of the land and grain, with the manes of his ancestor. So his princes and ministers, go- vernors and magistrates, were severally required to pay religious homage to all the local gods, supposed to exist within the territory over which their jurisdiction extended. And thus it is at present. “The great august ruler” takes the lead, and “the hundred officers" follow, each local magistrate being by law required to pay religious honors to the local divinities, of which the Shí tih are chief. In Shánghái their principal altar stands near the north-west corner of the city, not far from the field of Mars, or the grounds used for mili- tary parades.

2. Shin kí tán, these are altars dedicated both to the celestial, and terrestrial divinities, the gods of the winds, thun- der, lightning, rain; of the hills, rivers &c. Their principal altar stands in the southern part of the city.

3. An altar dedicated to the god of agriculture stands outside of the northern gate of the city, to which place the chief magistrate, on a certain day every spring, must go; and like his imperial master, commence the agricultural labors of the year. There you may see him, in his official robes, holding the plough, standing forth an ex-

ample to all the people of the surrounding country.

4. On the northern side of the city, within the walls, there is an altar dedicated to those divinities who preside over plague, pestilence, drought, etc.