The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-08-05

by side with little if any friction or want
of harmony Although radically different
in their origin, characteristics and general
aims each seems to be a complement of
I the other. y Chinaman may select and
follow as much of all three as ne pleaSeS,
| without being inconsistent The mission
airy has therefore TO study all three re-
hg1onS in their history, doctrines and
practical influence upon the heart and
! everyday life Of the people before he can
nope 10 meet them on their own ground
and answer all their objections to Chris
| tianity. He has three separate citadels to
/ attack instead Of one.
The writings of COnfucius are the
source whence the officials and Hterati
derive their theories Of government and
social duties The ethics of COnfucius
pervade and influence every phase of
Chinese life. The doctrines taught By
their most holy sage are cited the in
fallible criterion OF UDrightneSS and in
tesrity in public and private life, and We're
disseminated several centuries before the
coming Of Christ. They We're not original
with COnfUcius. but rather the teachings
of the ancient kings and sageS. who -four
lShed liz the far-0n golden ages Of China,
when the evils of bad government We're
unknown. and when the Chinese seem to
have recognized and worShiped the true
God. COnfuciUS confessed to be only a
refOrmer, tranSmitteT, and not the aU-
thor Of new religion Bat il is almost
impossible 10 estimate the enormous hold
this system with its time hOnOred classics
now has upon the educated and thinking
men of China Its teachings are of a high
moral order, yet they are. as much disre-
garded in everyday affairs as Christ $
teachings are diSreSarded among our
selves The Chinese know what is right
but fail utterly TO practice it
Then there is TaOiSm, the second form
of religious faith and practice, originating
with the philosopher LaO-tSZe in the cen
fury Ehen the Jews returned from Baby
lon. Its ancient classic, the Tao-teh-klng,
sNr,u H. Of
Testament teachings than any other book
in the world. Had this system remained
in its original purity il would have served
as an excellent basis for Christianity
/. Unfortunately the Taoists went astray,
hunting Tor the Philosophers Stone. the
elixir of Immortality with other vague
conceptions, and then fell into the gross
est superstitiOnS and demOnOlatry- The
evil influences of modern TaOism upon
Chinese society are tremendous, and II Is
a greater foe to the Christian missionary
than COnfucianism.
These two great religions, Confucian-
ism and TaOism, did not satisfy the long
ings of the soul of the Chinaman. nor did
they afford comfort or sOlaCe in the many
troubles and SOrrOwS of life. To supply
this want Buddhism came from India
some time before the birth of Christ. but
il was not till shortly after that event
that the Emperor Ming-u had his Won
derful dream. and as a result sent mes
SengerS to India TO invite Buddhist teach
erS. After experiencing many viciSsitudeS,
Buddhism became firmly established The
worship of Amida Buddha with the
goddess of mercy became prevalent
while temples and mOnasteTies. priests
and nuns were soon TO be found every
where. The western paradise, the Budd-
hist hells the TRANSPORTATION of souls, the
vegetarian diet, the doctrines of karma
and NiTvsna, and the worship of the god
dess Kwan-yin, who has power TO save
and TO bestOw sons upon her votaries, are
all so firmly engrafted on the ordinary
Chinese mind that ii seems impossible
that they should be modified, much less
effaced by the teachings OF Christianity.
Yet the missionary is expected to go for
ward bodily TO attack this giant also. in
the name of the Lord. and armed only
with his sling and his stone.
LAS il all these difficulties were not
sufficient Buddhism had hardly settled