Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1870-10-20
The Churches last sunday
DISCOURSE ON CHINA.


After the usual impressive morning service at
st. Johns church on yesterday, Sunday the
Rector Rev. 4. Gardner Littell, introduced to the
congregation with few appropriate remarks,
the Rev. Mr.. Thompson who has been Mission
ary to China for ten years. The Rev. gentleman
gave most interesting account of the religion,
the customs and manners of the people in that
country. He began his address by remarking
that we in this part of the world can not realize
the vast extent of country in China. Then spoke
of the government there as being altogether
despotic, yet patriarchal. The emperor is looked
upon as Father. as Son of Heaven. The
Government is as we'll organized as our own in q
trortili point of view, very grand and powerful
in knowledge, improvements, &c. But in a
religious point of view, they are dark Idols arc
set up at the corners of the street and at Other
public places, which are worshipped by those
who pass by.
They have two or three great systems of reli-
eion. First system established by Confucius
five hundred years d. G.. This is undoubtedly 8
highly moral system, and has had much good
effect on the people. Yet it is altogether Earth
earthly"
When man dies, according to their idea all i,
darkness and annihilation.
Second system is Buddhism, the doctrine which
was taught by the Hindoo sage, named Buddha
About the year 64 A. D. the Emperor had a yisior
which appeared unto him and told him he hat
good friends in the West, whom he must sent
| for. He accordingly sent messengers to India
and from thence arose this religion in China
which soon spread all over China, Japan and thu
neighboring islands. This system of religion
consists in worshiping innumerable deified mel
\ and things. They have some idea of rewar,
and punishment after death. They say tina
a person, after death, passes into an unseel
| world. If they have been good while in thi
world, after death they will be absorbed ii
Buddha,n as they term it, and afterwards retur1
/ to this world in higher condition of life. Or
| they have been bad while in this world, they wi
/ afterwards return in l0,cer condition of life
| and thus be punished or if ue,ybad, be entrel
annihilated. This system Of Religion, Buddhism
| is the religion Of the masses, the common pee
pie. The religion of C0nfucius is the religion Q
the upper classes, the .Aristocracy
Third system is the Ancestral Worship. Th
Chinese suppose that in the future world til
same things are needed by persous who are dea
as they had while in this world, and that thos
things must be sent to them by friends and rt
lations whom they left behind. Therefore,
each chapel or Ancestral Hal, and in each chap,
they have tablets attached to the wall, on thes
tablets, are written the name of the departed
with the date of their birth and death, At ce
periods of the year, the friends of the decease
come and make offerings of food for the spri
which, they say, come in and partake of the foe
prepared for them. On the 7thday, PARTICULAR
after the death of an individual, the friends
the dead person bring food and place it on IL
!, tablet and after going through various religion
ceremonies, the Priest rings small bell, whit
is signal for the spirit to eat the food. Th.
also send money to the departed by burning
supposing that it thus passes into the unset
world.
Hence we can understand why the Chimes
} insist upon being carried back to their nati'
land either alive or dead. They think that
their wants are not supplied after death by the
relations and friends, that they will wand
about in the spirit world neglected and miserabl
The Chinese feel obliged to supply food al
money for the departed, for if they do not do S
they say that the neglected spirits. come ba
and affiict them in various ways hence " D
living are in bondage to the dead"
' Polygamy is very common among them,
: they are very anxious to keel. up the ancestl
3 line. If you ask native Of China to come
this country, they think you ask him to leave
4 ancesters and if their children become christian
o the parents think that het,. only hope of hap
q ness in future world is taken from them.
J, IN regard to the ,conen OF China, their pc
fI6n Is much higher lhansin Other heath