444
Defense of an Essay, &c.
"
Arg.
myɛvé”, self-existent, the cause of all other beings, and possessing infinite power, &c. Of Shangti, Dr. Medhurst admits that he is no where said to have “created the heaveus and the earth and that we do not find that the Chinese predicate of him self-existence, nor do we remember any place in which they expressly describe him as ex- isting from eternity." Again, on p. 553 of his Reply, he writes, "Ou p. 51, Dr. Boone says, although we admit that the word shin is never used by the Chinese to designate the self-existent, almighty Being who made heaven and earth, still we contend that the highest being they have ever conceived of is included in the class called shin. We will admit the first part of the above statement, because the Chinese have no idea of such a being (see Inquiry, p. 109.); and there is no need of contending for the latter, as we do not deny it." Knowing these facts, as Dr. M. did, I can not understand how he could write,
"What Cudworth pleads for on behalf of the Greeks may be allowed to the Chinese, and they may be considered as monotheists because they believe in one Supreme God, the Author and Ruler of all." Is Shingti an absolutely perfect Being, is he the Author of all, of hea- ven and earth? The whole statement is calculated to mislead those unacquainted with the facts of the case, and is irreconcileable with Dr. M.'s own acknowledgements given above.
The comparing the Chinese t'ien or Shángtí to the Greek Zsuç or Latin Jupiter, does not imply that those who make this comparison suppose there is much similarity in character between the chief gods of these several nations; but what is meant to be affirmed by it is, that they are man-made gods, without holiness, and devoid of those characteristics which distinguish Jehovah, the true God. In some respects the Greek Zeug is very superior to the Chinese Tien; they resemble each other in that the one is Bagiλsus "king of gods and men," the other is Shángti, Supreme emperor, or emperor on high: if there are many acts of Zeug unworthy of him, and such as we do not find predicated of Tien, he has, to balance this, a mnch nobler character in other respects, and an unmistakeable personality. Tien, on the contrary, is a perfect puzzle; impassible, impersonal, and is guilty of no gallantries, and always faithful to ti h earth, with whom he begat all things; yet he is as entirely devoid of all holiness as Zɛug and indifferent who shares with him the honor of religious worship.
was,
* To denote this matrimonial relation, T'ien in the Chinese cosmogony, is called the ying (male), and Tí is the yin (female).
(To be continued)
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.