The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1867-07-30
CHINESE WORSHIP.

CHINESE WORSHIP.
The writer of the following letter is a native
of North Carolina, but for several years MIS-
sionary in China. We copy from the kaieign
Biblical Recorder:
SHANGHAI, February 1st, 1867
Dear Brother TAYLOR I'm your last letter, you
solicited some communications that might De
used through the religious press OF the South
do not know how l can better subserve the
cause of Missions at home, than by writing
series of articles on ancestral worship among the
Chinese, or the Chinese idea of death, and what
is required for the repose of the spirit of the de-
parted A detailed account of the practices OF
the Chinese in connection with the solemnites
of death and the future world, will, to the unita-
ted, throw much light upon the religious condl-
ton of great people, aud will, [ trust, awaken,
in the hearts of many, a lively interest in the
China Missions. Ancestral worship is by far the
greatest obstacle with which the Christian Mis-
sionary has TO contend. 1t has, and naturally
so too, deeper hold upon the affections OF the
people than all the other systems of worship COM
bined.
The Chinese believe in the Immortality of the
soul, and in future rewards and pInishments, TIL,
according TO their idea of transmgration ofsouls,
the wheel of fate casts the soul back into the
world again, either in the form of man, beast,
bird or insect according to its manner OF lie du-
ring its previous period of existence among the
living. They believe 10 two worlls-the world OF
light in which we live, and in the world of dark
ness in which the souls of men take up their
abode after death. Men in the world of light
cannot see or know anything in regard to the
condition Of those in the world of darkness, but
it is the duty of the relatives of the departed to
make at stated periods, such contributions and Of
ferngs, as will contribute to the repose and hap
piness of the departed On the contrary those
in the wcrld of darkness both see and know all
about their friends in the world ofHght and have
the power of returning to afflct such as are want
ing in ilial pie:y and to reward or prosper those
who are faithful in the observance of all the es-
tabshed rites due the dead. In the Chinese
mind the world of darkness is an exact counter
part or reflection of the world of light; hence it
is supposed that it has an official, corresponding
to every official in the Chinese Empire, from the
Emperor down to the lowest lictors Of county
magistrate. And these imaginary officials of the
world of darkness are represented in the world of
light by idols, the images of departed heroes In
all the Tawist temples throughout the EMPIRE
Indeed there is pretty good evidence to show that
the Tawist religion is an offspring OF ancestral
worship, for the two systems are lnseParably con-
nected Hence every country ruled by magls-
trate has its county deity, with full retnue of
attendants corresponding to that ofthe magistrate;
every district Tor two) has its district deity every
province ruled by a governor has its provincial
deity; and the Empire ruled 10y an Emperor, has
an imperial deity, "Shang-te' or 'nyoh wong
shang-te," to whom all the subordinate gods are
amenable in the same sense that the subordinate
Mandarins are amenabie to the Emperor And
as the auth 9rity fthe Emperor extends to the
extreme limits of the Empire, so in like manner,
this imperial deity is to be found in all parts of
the Empire. (By the way, the name of this SUI
preme ruler among the gods, "Shang-te," is the
term used bv the English Missionaries and a few
Americans to express in Chinese the holy name
of God Moreover, the Chinese predicate Of
the rulers Of the world of darkness, the same ven
atty that is so manifest among the rulers of the
world of light, the Mandarins of the present day.
Indeed without revelation, it is not possible for
them to conceive of higher standard Of morals
of the rulers of the world to come, than the de-
PRAYED examples set before them by the rulers
of the present world. Hence they naturally sup
pose that the former may be influenced or OPP
posed by the means, bribery, that are found
to be so potent among the latter. Indeed the
mainly to proptiate the gods and the spirits ofthe
world of darkness, and to avert evil and calamity.
AS the rulers of the people impotent to protect
them in the hour of calamity, but are all power
full in levying and collecting heavy exactons, so
they do not expect good from the gods but only
evil-indeed all the evils known to the Chinese
are supposed to come from the gods or the spirit
world. MATHEW I. YATES.