Virginia advocate. [volume] (Charlottesville, Va.) 1827-1860, 1829-12-25
FROM THE VIRGINIA. LITERARY MrsEu NJ.
CHINESE WORSHIP OF PARENTS.

In the TRANSACTIONS of the Missionary
Society for October 1927, is the Journal
OF MIR. Medhurst, missionary of Ba-
tavia, containing the following passage,
which will afford d useful lesson to all
those of every determination, who consi-
der that their particular form Of belief
can~possess, in itseh, points SO striking as
to come home to the hearts Of all who
may hear it,.
" Visited The China Camp, where was Cor a
considerable time eiihsagcd in a conversation
respecting some of;fhe Chinese superstitions.
particularly the WORSHIP fof deceased parents, in
sisting that God alone was entitled to worship
and alteration, and. thst,our parcniy or proeeni-
tors, however :nuch they mi !ht claim our .ove
or respect, could not be made the objects Of our
worship without sin against God They urged
the prccept of Confucius, which says that pa
rents, when slive, must be served with proprie.
ty, end when dead must be suitably buried, and
sacribced to, according tn their rank, which pre-
ccpt seemed TO Consider parents entitled to wor-
ship. They asked what duties christians per.
formed in reference to their parents told them
nor them, and to do all in our power to render
their lives comfortable and their deaths happy /;
when dead to bury them with all possible re
spect and dccency, mud ever 20 remember and
observe their good advice hut that, as to sa, ri
fees and Worship we dare not render them any
such homage, because, worship is duo TO Gid
only. and we are, not tp take our parents and
make Gods Of them. ",T'lIen," said they, " ycri
arc unfilial" You serve ,yonr parents when
alive but whom dead think no more about them.
said there was medium 10 be observed be
tween entirely Jdiscardipg them from our minds
on tho one hand and eieYa,ins iheui the rank
of Gods on the other But Said they if Confuci.
us has cnjoiDed il we mus. obcy. !" Not" replied
f" If one greater than Conficios has forbidden
it; ard when we hear God expressly forbdding
such practices, We dare not venture to engage in
them. How do You know, reioined they tina,
God has prolibifcf IL? Have you ever heard
God express his disapprobation Of it' At Mount
Sinai raid no declared his will by an audible
voice from avon, and IN that will IL is forbid
don to worship any other God before him,
whether our parents, or ancestors, or any one
else Well said trey, you have your way, and
we have oDre--a way that has been followed for
thousands Of years, and by millions Of people
and tier sfcro we cannot alor it il is Of no use
TO talk TO as onthc subject. Isaid that, whether
1t would be Of use or not, ] must do my. duty in
endcavouring 10 point out % them Tho right
way, j, was with them 10 receive or reject t. as
they chose. So, said they, since you do moi boz.
love tho sayings Of Confucius, We bavc po.bihq
more 70 say, slry your Arguments arc vaa before.
we thought something Of yeu, but DOW, since You
argue against The worship Of parents which is
the highest duty Of sfaI pistyj you bring man
down 70 The jsscl Of tho brp;ss, prd show tI,s.s
that As yet yop huow nallipy. replied -tba, j
neither Objected 10 Cofuciay, nor to 6iisl ,,:osy
bot taSi !Glal pic.y b. an'noa;,s gDeui-ca az Z,
defy our pagrIit;.''