The herald., 1897-02-01
UNIvERSALIST CHURCH.
Rev. A. A. Rice's Examination Of tn,
Moral Religion of Confucius.

AT Caledonia hall, the pastor Rev.
A. A. Rice spoke on "Confucianism, a
Moral Religion" this being the first in
a series Of discourses on the great re-
Mgions of the world. For his text he
used the words Of Confucius. which give
the golden rule in negative form, "What
you do not want done to yourself, do
not do to others
The preacher said, in substance:
when the human mind becomes
broad enough to receive and systematize
all the truth Of all the religions of the
world, then shall man have that by
which most rapid progress Is made and
perfection assured. Each religion has
some truth, but not all the religions have
all the truth. AS Is the measure of per-
fection of our religious perception, so is
the measure of our progress toward life.
1t is then, with the hope that we may
grasp full and complete truth that we
turn to survey and comparison of the
different systems of religion.
"Confucianism first claims attention
not only on account of it's age, but be-
cause it is a distinctly moral system,
just such one as many Christian of
today is satisfied with. The words OF the
text are the sunmum bonum Of many
Christians ambition and at the same
time the crowndng feature of the Chris
tian religion. How strange that we dis
like and abuse the Chinese who come to
our shores, the very product of Conufu-
c1anism, while we praise and welcome
the system which made them what they
are.
'Their idea of God was very meager
James Freeman Clarke says that per-
sonal God was unknown to Confucius; !;
hence their worship was directed to
spirits of the upper and lower worlds
and to ancestors.
1.-THE moral code Is the most striking
part Of the system, many Christian pre-
cepts as we'll as the golden rule in mega
tive form being found therein In read
ing the sacred sayings of the founder of
this religion we are, however, impressed
with the fact that his morality has a
limit. Some one once said to Confucius
ciple that injury should be recompensed
with kindness?' The master said, With
what then will you recompenBe kind
ness? Recompense injury with justice
and recompense kindness with kind
ness Again, 'Benevolence is the char
acteristic element Of humanity and the
great exercise of it is in loving rela-
tives. To love those whom men hate =
is to outrage the natural feeling of men.
IL
him who does So The richest fruit of
benevolence is this the services Of one s
parents
Regarding rewards and punishments
Confucianists read, apparently without
a mistake, the law of retribution as 1t
is found I'M nature, but failing to believe
in a PERSONAL Loving God and positive
morality they miss taking account of
rich rewards or mfseries which evolve
from such doctrines.
THE future life is but as dim vision
to them, cast out of consciousness as
much as possible, 80 that they feel not
its broadenening and perfecting influ-
ences. Their master said, While you
do not know life, how can you know
about death
ITO those Of our day who believe in
works without faith, in morality with
out God, in brotherhood without father
hood, Confuscia nism should come as an
example of failure. Pure and unadul-
terated morality has been tried nearly
three Thousand years, and its product
is the Chinese nation. May we not Judge
by the fruits