The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1853-08-24
The DAILY DISPATCH.
9HE BOOK OF RELIGIOUS PRECEPTS


~, AL-fi Il Il DYNASTY
ng ag,na, 4, sser lived in the world without offend.
time no 80, e =, commands of Heayeul bu, untsI tbis
ie s no one has known how to ol.; s,.,
prar;o,,s 3, .on, however, the great God has rada =
forth wboeyas 'sunicafion ion to man. and from HENCE
the great God OF his sins in the presence of
sn;r,s I9' 1ou' and avoids worsbipning Senro,,sd
spnHs, (gods,l practicing perversh aepIaveu
sIesshg the divine Commands NAV $50 80 u u ais-
anu ENJOY happiness, for thousands md nea ss.
and honour wolId gIsasare sure and delight with dignity
ooeS NOT repent OF his sins in the nreseo as ,
s.ea. uou, 9ut continues to worship denra ved a.;
lNs p.aclcIiig perverse things "a before and 1o;a
on TO transgress the divine coumands .n u,s sung
certainly be punished by being sent do,, =. MOST %
ana sunerlng misery for thousands and ,nvrid =.
years, IN sorrow and pain with trouble and a:S VI
word without end Which of these il the hest a,5
which the worst we leave it to vou to ;d ai'a
Ought not all of you, our brethren anj 80:
throughout the world, to awake from your ie.har
gyi II, however, you continue unawakend ,bar
you are truly base-born and deluded by the devil
you DO not know how to enjoy the bliss within your
reach; and all that great happiness, pleasure and
delight, dignity and honour, which is to be exne
rienced in heaven for thousands and myriads of
years, you do not wish to enjoy; while on the CON
trary you willingly fall into the crime of shining
against heaven, and thus bring down upon your
selves the righteous Indignation OF the great God
who will send you down to the eighteen hells. and
cause you to suffer eternal misery. How lamepta
blel
1nOSe WuOSb HllIluS nave Deen QeIuued Dy the
devil object and say that the great God is only to
be worshippcd by sovereign princes But we wish
you know, that the great God is the universal Fa
ther of all men throughout the world Sovereiyns
those OF his children whom he clothes with DOW.
err but the good those of his children who most
resemble him: while the common mass are still his
children, though stepped in ignorance: and the yio
lent and oppressive are his disobedient children
If you still think that soveregns alone are allowed
to worship the great God, beg to ask you whe-
tho nf nOp family ri MI o;r
eldest son. and whether they require tlial respect
and obedience from him alOnel
Do you not remember the period of the three dy-
nasties QroIn B. C. 2204 to b. G. 220) how Ching
thang afterwards the head of the Shang dynasty
was at first but prince of the empire, and yet he
reverenced the great God; also how Wan-wang
from whom sprang the founder of the Chow dynas
ty himself but a western lord, and vet he intel
ligently served the great God; neither Of these
worthless filled the station of sovereign, when they
paid their alterations to the great God If it were
true that the great God could only be worshipped
by the head OF the state, Ching-t hang and Wan
wang must have erred in adoring him: and if they
erred in adOring him, why did the great God regard
Ching-than with favour, and exalt him from the
station of prince TO be sole ruler of the empire
and give laws to the nine provinces? And why did
the great God regard Wan-wang with favour and
cause him, who was only western lord to obtain
two-thirds of the empire, until his Woo-wang
ascended the throne of Chinal
Some also say enormously, that to worship the
great God is to initiate foreigners; not remembering
that China has its histories which are open to in
vestgation. From the the time OF Pwan-koof
down TO the period of the three dynases both pTin-
ces and people honoured and worshipped the great
God. Ii now the people of the three dynasties did
not worship and honour the great God, why does
the Taheo classic quote an ode which says, Before
the Yin (Shang) dynasty had lost the sympathies of
the people, their ancestors were invited to do the
honours at the sacrifices to the great God" Mang-
tsZe has also expression in his book the fol-
lg-.r n4fnn Ifav
mass of mankind, he appointed princes and teach.
theln that they might be the yicegerents OF
God on earth, graciously comforting tranquility on
the various regions he also says although man
be vile, if he goes through the proper fast
ings and ablutions, he may sacrifice to the great
God The Book OF Odes says that ''W an-wang
was careful and respectful, while he inteligently
served the great God, and enjoyed unwonted
degree of happiness" 1t also says, How great is
God, when he approaches in glorious majesty p
In the same work God is said TO have addressed
Wan-wang saying, 81 regard you as possessed of
intelligent virtue:' again, 'when you come into the
presence OF the great God beware Of dividing your
affections" Further, in due time, Ching-thang
appeared whose feeling of respect daily creased
until his intelligence gradually advanced towards
perfection. He honoured God, and God made him
pattern TO the nine provinces of the empire
The Historical Classic contains the following ex-
pressons 81 (Ching-t'hang) fear the great God and
do not dare TO neglect correcting the disobedent"
The great God disappearing (of the tyrant Chow
has determined on sending down this caamity"-
Il (Woo-wang) presume respectfully to receive the
commission OF the great God in order to suppress
dsorderly counsels." 1.-The great God is not inya.
riable in his dealings; On those who do good he
conters hundred blessings, and on those who do
evil he sends down hundred calamities' The
Book of Diagrams says, ''The ancient kings invent.
ed music. in order to promote virtue, and they es-
pecialy performed it before the great God" Now,
If you say that we are following foreigners, we beg
to ask whether Woo-wang of the Chow dynasty,
when he presumed respectfully to receive the
commission of the great God; and Wan-wang of
the same dynasty when he 'intelligenly served the
great Cod together with Ching-t hang of the Shang
dynasty when he honoured the great God or Chu-
en-heuh when he reyerenty served the great God"
beg TO ask whether all these worthless followed
the foreigners! The fact is, that according to the
histories of both the hinese and foreign nations,
the important duty ofworshippin1 the great God in
the early ages OF the world several thousand wears
ago, was alike practiced both by Chinese and for
eigners but the various foreign nations in the
have practced this duty up to the present time,
while the Chinese practced it only up to the Tsin
Han Gynasties; since which time they have errone-
ously followed the devils ways, and allowed them
selves to be deceived by the king OF hades. Now,
however, the great God out OF compassion to the
children of men, has displayed his great power and
delivered men from the Vaccinations of the evil
one; causing them retrace their steps, and again
to practice the great duty which was performed OF
old Thus while alive they no longer subject
TO the devils influences. and after death they
not taken away by him, but ascending to heaven
they enjoy endless Bliss This is all owing to the
unreasonable grace and infinite compassion of the
great God Those VINO are still unawakened say,
on the contrary, that we are following foreigners,
thus shelving to what an intense degree they are
deluded by their great adversary. Mang-tsze says
that Truth ia one:' il men did but understand this,
they would acknowledge that both Chinese and for
egners ought together to practice the great duty of
worshipping God.
TIE form to be obserred in seeking The orgireaess of
sins:
Letthe suppant kneel down in the sight of hea-
ven and pray to tine great God TO forgive his SINS
lie may either employ such words as occur, or he
may use a written form; when the prayer Is over,
let him take basin of water and wash himself
Clean or if he perform his ablutions in the river
it will he still better. When he has obtained free
dom from sin, let linn morning and evening con
tinue TO worship the great God, praying that God
would regard him with favour. and grant him his
Holy Spirit to change his heart Atevery meal also
he should give thanks 70 God, and every seventh
day worship and praise God for his n1ereies. Let
him also constantly obey the ten commandments
and not on any account worship the corrupt spirits
(eods) that are in the world neither let hun do any
corrupt thing. In this way people may become tae
sens and daughters OF the great God IN the present
life they shall he the objects of the divine favour
and after death their souls will ascend to heaven
where they shall enjoy endless bliss. All people
throughout the world, no matter whether male or
female, Chinese foreigners, must parsue this
method, or they cannot 90 TO heaven
A prayer fer peBi.eEt sian1;-
l. thine unworthy son or daughter, kneeling down