The Sun.
London, England, 1853-08-22 00:00:00

matters ; he also gave him a seal and a sword, with a
commission to destroy his enemies. After having slain
many he was again taken up to heaven,, where he says
A collection of papers relative to the civil war in that he saw the mother and wife of Jsus, whom he
China has been presented to the House of Com- calls his elder brother. Having received now instrue-
mons by command of her Majesty, in pursuance of tions and encouragements, he came down the third time
their address of the sth, just. It comprises the cor- to consolidate his government.
respondence between Sir George Bonham and the "All these assumptions of journeys to heaven mid
Foreign-oflice. The chief points of the intelligence heavenly interference bring the pretender into discredit,
conveyed in these dispatches has already appeared and lead to the suspicion that the chief of the insurrec-
in our columns. tion has arrogated to himself a direct connection with
Under date of Shanghai, March 28, Sir George the Deity in order to overawe his followers, and make
Bonham writes : them subservient to his will.
" The worst feature connected with the advance of the " ' The Book of Celestial Decrees' purports to be a col-
insurgents to Nanking has been a kind of penie amongst lection of communications from God, our heavenly father,
the Chinese merchants and traders at Shanghai, which and Jesus, our elder brother. who, it is said, have several
has reacted in an injurious manner upon our trade. times since the year, 1848, come down into the world
There is at present little or no business carried on, and to declare the divine will to man. In 1848 our Heavenly
money is very scarce. The arrisal of two additional yes- Father is said to have told the multitude that he had
sels of war has, to a certain extent, restored confidence, appointed the chief of the insurrection to be their celes-
but it is impossible to expect commerce to flourish when tial king, commanding them to be obedient to his corn-
the country so close to Shanghai is in its present disturbed mends, and aid him in attaining the empire. The same
condition, a state of things which it is impossible to year Jesus is said to have told them to fight in order to
cope with, and the final result of which it is exceedingly subdue the country, when they would all attain to high
difficult to foresee. Ire eat that for m art, I have offices ; but to have declared that if they disobeyed the
at present no apprehension for Shanghai, and I propose commands of their superiors, or retreated in battle, he I
accordingly to proceed to Nirgpo
Majesty's steam-sloop Hermes, where for manyp 'reasons, bidding their secreting any of the booty, and to have
I think it advisable a ship of war should apear ; the ordered them to give up everything to the general tree.-
British community at Ningpo
,having applied for the sury. On a subsequent occasion the Father is said to
visit of a vessel of war in the present disturbed state of have reproved them for disobedience to orders, and for
the country, and the proximity cf the army of the incur- want of courage, telling them to consider whose rice
gents. 'My absence from Sharghai will not exceed a they were eating, and in whose work they were engaged,
week, and on my return to this port I hope to find mat- as an inducement to them to go forth to battle and kill
tern will have assumed a more tangible and decided their enemies ; adding that, if a man wishes to become a
shape ;in the meanwhile I have been anxious not to lose hero, he must not live at his ease, for the more men en-
the opportunity offered by the hi-monthly mail, of plat- dure the greater will be their honour • and much more
ing her Majesty's Government in possession of the real to the same effect, all very unlike what might be ex-
facts of the ease, as lar—au-,•-up to the present moment, pected to come from our Heavenly Father, and very dif-
they can be ascertained, more :especially as the local ferent from anything ever uttered by Jesus.
press in this country may exaggerate matters and cause "The pamphlet closes with a number of proclamations
unnecessary alarm and apprehension." from the chief himself, urging the people to obey Ilea-
On the 31st of May, 1853, Lord Clarendon sent ven's commands, to keep the males and females at a
the following dispatch to Sir G. Bonham : proper distance, not to encroach on other's rights, to
"Foreign-office, May 31, 1853. maintain harmony, to display courage, and when engag-
" Sir—l have received and laid before the Queen your ing in battle never to retreat. He then gives various
dispatch of the 28th of March, reporting such intelli- details respecting the marshalling of the forces, urging
gence as you could obtain respecting the progress of the the people to fight valorously, and promising rewards
insurrection in China, and 'stating that you had deter- according to their merit, including the highest dignities
mined, pending instructions from home, not to interfere in the present world, and glory in the next. The chief
in any shape in favour of the Chinese Government. appends a summary of doctrine, in which he details the
"Her Majesty's Goverment approve your determina- divine attributes, and disclaims for himself, or others,
tion in that respect, which is in entire conformity with those titles which he thinks are due to God alone. He
their wishes and intentions.—l am, &c., particularly insists on obedience to the Seventh Com-
(Signed) " CLARENDON." mandment, all offences against which are to be visited
Meantime various meetings had been held at by death, without mercy. The last proclamation regards
Shanghai, by British merchants and residents, to his harem, and forbids any one to mention the names or
concert means for the protection of their property ranks of any of its inmates, or even to look at them.
Whoever dares to disobey shall be beheaded ; and who-
and common interests.
Full details of the expedition of her Majesty's ever reports anything that is said outside into the
harem, both
steam-sloop Hermes to Nanking, with Sir G. Bon- to be eheadele carrier and the person
ham on board, have already been published. "This latter document indicates that the chief is
Among the documents addressed to Sir G. Bon- bent on atta• • empire, andwhile claiming every in-
hamuring
the following have a peculiar interest : dulgence for himself, is resolved to punish severely all
"THE INSURGENT.CHIEFS TO SIB GEORGE BONHAM. those who interfere with his pleasures.
("Translation of thetYellow Silk Document.) " ' The Revelations of the Heavenly Father during his
"We, Prince of the East, Yang, the Honae teacher, descent on earth' details the examination and detection
and the master who rescues from calamity (an ecclesias- of a traitor, on whom they were about to confer an ap-
tical title), principal minister of state, and generalissimo ; pointment, when the Father is said to have come down
and from heaven in person, on purpose to arraign and cross-
" Prince of the West, Seasu, assistant minister of state, question the delinquent, and having brought his treason
and also generalissimo, both subjects of the Celestial to light, to have returned to heaven. Considering this
dynasty, now under the slay of Taeping, truly commis- a mighty display of the Father's power, the leader called
sioned by heaVen to rule, hereby issue a decree to the upon his followers to kneel down with him and acknow-
distant English, who have long recognised the duty of ledge 'the celestial favour ~ after which he directed his
worshipping heaven (God), and who have recently come ministers to record the declared will of God, on the oc-
into the views of our royal master, especially enjoining casion of His descent upon earth. The result is the pam-
upon them to set their minds at rest and harbour no phlet before us. There is no word of their having seen
unworthy suspicions. any form ; but the idea of the Father's presence seems
"The Heavenly Father, the Supreme Lord, the Great to have been impressed upon the minds of the bystand-
God, in the beginning crested heaven and earth, land ers ; when the Father is said to have addressed the leader
and sea, men and things, in six days;_ from that time of the insurrection, saying, 'I am going to take this
to this the whole world his been one family, and all matter in hand to-day ; any other person would find it
within the four seas brethren ; how can there exist, a hard task.' He is then said to have commanded the
then, any difference between man and man ; or how traitor to be brought, and to have interrogated him in a
any distinction between principal and secondary birth ? variety of ways, in consequence of which the man con-
But from the time that use human race has been in- fessed his' uilt and was put to death. In the course of
fluenced by the demoniacal agency which has entered the examination the traitor is asked if he knew who was
into the heart of man, thee have ceased to acknowledge addressing him, to which he replied, ' The great God,
the great benevolence of God the Heavenly Father in the heavenly.' Also, if ho knew who was the sun, to
giving and sustaining life, ceased to appreciate the in- which he answered, ' The sun is my sovereign, the ce-
finite merit of the expiatcry sacrifice made by Jesus, lestial ruler, the true lord of all the nations of the earth.'
our Celestial Elder Brother, and have, with lumps of ' Over what breadth,' it was then asked, ' does this sun
clay, wood, and stone, practised perversity in the world. shine l' to which the answer was given, 'He illumines
Hence it is that the Tartar hordes and elfin Huns so the entire world.' These words must be understood,
fraudulently robbed us of cur celestial territory (China.) however, with some limitations, as the Chinese are in
But, happily, our Heavenly Father and Celestial Elder the habit of considering the territory subject to their
Brother have from an early date displayed their miracu- own emperor as the whole world.
lous power amongst you English, and you have long " After the examination was concluded, and the Father
acknowled the duty of worshipping God the Heavenly had returned to heaven, the whole army rejoiced toge-
Father and Jesus our Celestial Brother, so that the ther at the goodness of God, and proceeded to kill pigs
truth has been preserved entire, and. the gospel main- and oxen, and offer them up in thanksgiving to the Fa-
tained. Happily, too, the Celestial Father, the Supreme ther of all for His power and mercy in confounding the
Lord and Great God, has now of His infinite mercy sent fiendish schemes of their enemies, and for His gracious
a heavenly messenger to convey our Royal master, the care of His own children. It is evident from this that
Heavenly King, up into heaves, and has personally en- the insurgents are neither Jews nor Mohammedans, or
dowed him with power to sweee away from the thirty- they would not offer unclean animals to God.
three heavens demoniacal influences of every kind, and " The anthropomorphism displayed in the above pam-
expel them thence into this lower world. And, beyond phiet is very striking. The Deity is brought down from
all, happy is it that the Heavenly Father and great God a state of distant superiority, and is represented as fami-
displayed his infinite mercy and compassion in coming liar with mortals, in a degree which to us appears some-
down into this our world in the third month of the year what revolting. His cross-questioning the culprit, in
Mowshin (1848), and that Jews, our Celestial Elder order to find out the truth, and his scolding several of
Brother, the Saviour of the world, likewise manifested the officers for their neglect, to whom he ordered 100
equal favour and grace in descending to earth during the blows each to be given, are rather undignified represen-
ninth month of the same year; where, for these six tations' of the conduct of the Supreme, leaving the im-
years past, they have marvellously guided the affairs of pression on our minds, that not only is the whole scene
men, mightily exhibited their wondrous power, and put got up for the purpose of overawing the multitude, but
forth innumerable miraculous proofs, exterminating a the individual who conceived it is himself possessed of
vast number of imps and demons, and aiding our Celes- a vulgar mind. The language in which the pamphlet is
tial Sovereign in assuming tie control of the whole drawn up is also excessively colloquial, and in some
empire. instances provincial.
"But now that you distant English ' have not deemed " Having thus given a general view of the above five
myriads of miles too far to cone' and acknowledge our pamphlets, we leave the reader to form his own opinion.
sovereignty; not only are the soldiers and officers of our To ourselves it appears exceedingly difficult to arrive at
Celestial dynasty delighted and gratified thereby, but a definite conclusion. There are some things good,
even in high heaven itself our Celestial Father and Elder very good, in the productions before us, leading us to
Brother will also admire this manifestation of your infer that the authors were divinely taught, and to
fidelity and truth. We, therebre, issue this special de- cherish the hope that not a few will, through the me-
cree, permitting you, the Engltsh Chief, to lead your dium of these truths, find the road to heaven. There
brethren out in, backwards or forwards, in full accord- are, however, some things of which we most highly disape
ante with your own will or wish, whether to aid us in prove ; not the least of which are the pretensions to new
exterminating our impish foes, or to carry on your coin- and immediate communications from , the Deity, some
mercial operations as usual ; and it is our earnest hope of which afford representations of the Divine Being far
that you will, with us, earn the merit of diligently sere- different from what we have been accustomed to in the
ing our Royal master, and, with us, recompense the Christian Scriptures, and made to serve the end of per-
goodness of the Father of Spirits. , sonal aggrandizement and ambition.
"Wherefore we promulgate this new decree of " The only way to account for the difference is the
(our Sovereign) Taeping for the information of you Eng- supposition that two minds, or different sets of men,
lish, so that all the human race may learn to worship our have been at work ; the one animated by a sincere and
Heavenly Father and Celestial Elder Brother, and that humble desire to serve God and to seek his favour
all, may know that, wherever our royal master is, there through the merits of the only Saviour, and the other
men unite in congratulating hill on having obtained the desirous of imposing on the credulity of the unthinking
decree to rule. many, with the view of elevating themselves to supreme
es A special decree, for the information of all men, power. Which preponderates, or which is likely ulti-
given (under our seals) " this 6th day of the 3d month mately to prevail, it is impossible, without long and in-
of the year Kweihaou (I Msy, 1853), under the reign timate personal intercourse with the people themselves, i
of the Celestial dynasty of Taeping, to say. One thing is clear, that a considerable know-
" Note.—The authority from which this document ledge of Christianity exists among the insurgents ; and
emanates has established a new calendar, making the could wise instructors effect a residence among them,
year to consist of 366 days, divided into twelve months the good might be fostered and the evil repressed.
of 30 to 31 days. Their present year commenced on Should the insurrection succeed, me may at least expect
the 4th February, 1853, their second month on the 7th a perfect toleration for Christian missionaries and • ; it is
March, and their third month on the 6th April." not unlikely that the party, when predominant, will
To this Sir G. Bonham replied : cherish a favourable disposition towards foreigners, as
" I have received your communication, part of which holding in general the same doctrines as themselves.
lam unable to understand, and especially that portion They would doubtless admit of commercial intercourse ;
which implies that the English are subordinate to your but we may gather, from their books and their conduct,
Sovereign. Owing to its contents, lam now compelled that opium would be strictly prohibited—not as now, in
to remind you that my nation, by treaty entered into name only, but in reality.
with the Chinese Government, has obtained the right of " The advantages to be anticipated from the success
trading at the five ports of Canton, Foochow, Amoy, of the insurgents are, the opening of the country to reli-
Ningpo, and Shanghai ; and that if you or any other gious and commercial enterprise, and the introduction of
people presume to injure, in any manner, the persons scientific improvements, which will benefit both the giver
or property of British subjects, immediate steps will be and the receiver. It would be sad to see Christian na-
taken to resent the injury in the same manner as similar tions engaged in putting down the movement, as the
injuries were resented ten years ago, resulting in the insurgents possess an energy, and a tendency to im-
capture of Chinkiang, Nanking, and the neighbouring provement and general reform (as witness their calender)
cities, and in the treaty of peace, the conditions of which which the Imperialists never have exhibited, and never
you will have learnt from the copy sent to you the day can be expected to display. Questionable though it be,
before yesterday. (Signed) "S. G. BONHAM." the form of Christianity which the insurgents profess is
Inelosure No. 10 contains the general views of far better than the stupid idolatry hitherto practised by
the Chinese Insurgents. It is as follows : the Chinese ; and it is possible that European na-
"tions, if engaged on the opposite side, would be going to
'The Book of Religious Precepts' is decidedly the war ith some people in som respects, better than them-
best production issued by the insurgents. The reasoning
selves. Shold
unaided by foreigners
Should the Imperialists
is correct, the prayers are good, the ceremonies enjoined Probability), .1 .seems little
(with the exception of the offerings) are .
unobjectionable
• •
revel over the insurgents (of which there
' they will become much more exclusive and
the Ten Commandments agree in spirit with those de-
insolent tan before. They will remember our neu-
livered by Moses, and the hymns are passable. The
trality, our intercourse
with the insurgents and, above
apparent statements of the doctrines of human depravity, redemp-
all, -the similarity between our religion and
tion by the blood of Jesus, and renewal of the 'heart by
theirs, with the fact that the insurgents have derived
the influence of the Holy Spirit, are sufficient to direct their religion from foreigners. Chinese diplomatists
any honest inquirer in the way to heaven. If this were at some future day may wield these arguments to our
the only pamphlet issued by the insurgents, or if they
prr e'udice
tly than ever
were all like this, we should sincerely rejoice in the I ,
the introduction of those doctrines
stic
movement, and wish it success.which have caused their Government
" ' The Ode for Youth' gives some admirable lessons in their estimation
is the creator so much trouble. Be this matters have pro-
as i't may,
regarding the honour due to God, who and
) seeded too far already for Europeans to be able to clear
father of all. It sets forth, in very clear terms, the i themselves in
in the eyes of the Chinese all connection,
coming of
salvation of Jesus into the world for the on of ionly
men or at least sympathy, with the insurgents ; and the
men by the shedding of his blood on the cross, and then ,
le that appears at present advisable, is to keep our-
goes on to detail the duties that are required of us as
1 pseolvieys from being involved any further in the quarrel,
arents and children, brothers and sisters, husbands and
and to avoid all Government connection with either
wives, relatives and friends ; concluding with instrue-
party. Foreigners should be prepared, however, with
tions as to the management of the heart and external , • u -
resist any attack which the ins r
1 sufficient force to
senses. Altogether it is an excellent book, and there is
gents may be induced to make on them to their o
"n
destruction. (Signed)
not a word in it which a Christian missionary might not •" W. H. MEDHURST.w
adopt and circulate as a tract for the benefit of the Chi- The
collection concludes with the following de-
nese.
Lord Clarendon :
" ' The Trimetrical Classic' begins well. It details spatch from
"Foreign-office, August 3, 1853.
the creation of the world and the history of the Israel-
ites, their deliverance from Egypt, the passage of the " Sir,—I received on the 30th ultimo your dispatches
an account
Red Sea, and the giving of the law on Mount Sinai. It 1 of the 6th and 11th of
May, givingof your
rters of the insurgents at Nankin
g
then speaks of the mission of God's Son, Jesus, into the I visit to the head-qua
interesting details illustrative ' of
world, his suffering, death, resurrection, and ascension, i and containing many
opposed
to the reigning
with his command to preach the gospel in all the world, I the present state of the parties
through believing which men May go to heaven. The I dynasty of China.
Government have read these accounts
writer then says, that the Chinese, in early ages, I "Her Majesty's
d the
interest, an ey entirely approve of
worshipped one God, but were deluded after- , with the greatest ~ in despatches.
reported your
wards by superstition, on which account God is your proceedings as
said to have sent down the present leader of the "The excellent report drawn up by Mr. Interpreter
insurrection (who is called his son) into the world , Meadows of his interview with the insurgent chiefs has
to study the Chinese classics ; after which he took him I not failed to attract the attention of her Majesty's Go-
up to heaven, and gave him instruction on celestial lvernment. That gentleman appears to have exhibited