Chinese Freemasonry.

modern nations ( in reality the true ancients ) may have had occasion ancl opportunity , according to their several capacities , to re-discover moral and physical truths , ancl re-perpetuate them by slightly varying systems , the common centre point of all their systems being that " God is One , ancl in Him is no darkness at all . " Of course this recognition of the unity of God , as in

other nations , was preceded by a species of ] 3 olytheism ; it was impossible in primeval times to grasp the idea of One Eternal Sustainer , and hence minor spiritual beings were worshipped by the very early Chinese , They hacl in those times no sacerdotal classes , nor were there any revelations from heaven to be studied and expounded . The chief of each tribe was its priest ; the emperor was the high priest of the empire ; the subordinate prince was

spiritual ruler of his province , and every father was the priest of his family . "The name , " says Dr . Legge ( "Chinese Classics , " vol . iii ., part 1 . Polergomena , p . 193 ) , " by which God was designated was the Rider , and the Supreme Ruler , denoting emphatically His personality , supremacy , and unity . We find it constantly interchanged with the term Heaven , by which the ideas of supremacy and unity are equally conveyedwhile that of personality is only

, indicated vaguely , ancl by an association of the mind . By God kings were supposed to reign , ancl princes were required to decree justice . All were under law to Him , and bound to obey His will . Even on the inferior people He has conferred a moral sense , compliance with which would show their

nature invariably right . —( " Shoo King , " Part iv ., Book iii ., par . 2 . ) All powers that be are from Him . He raises one to the throne , and puts down another . . Obedience is sure to receive His blessing . ; disobedience to be visited with His curse . —( " Shoo King , " Part iv ., Book iv ., par . 2 , et passim ) . The business of kings is to rule in righteousness and benevolence , so that the people may be happy and good . They are to be an example to all in authority , ancl to the

multitudes under them . Their highest achievement is to cause the people tranquilly to pursue the course which their moral nature would indicate and approve . — ( " Shoo King , " Part iv ., Book iii ., par 2 ) . When they are doing wrong , God admonishes them by judgments— -storms , famines , and other calamities . If they persist in evil , sentence goes forth against them . The dominion is taken from them , and given to others more worthy of it . The Duke of Chow , in his

address on the Establishment of Government , gives a striking summary of the history of the empire down to his own time . Yu the Great , the founder of the Hea Dynasty , ' sought for able men to honour God . ' But the way of Kiie , the last of his line , was different . He employed cruel men , ancl he hacl no successors . The empire was given to Tang the Successful , who 'greatly administered the bright ordinances of God . ' By-and-bTang ' s throne came

y to Show , who was all violence , so that ' God sovereignly punished him . ' The empire was transferred to the house of Chow , whose chiefs showed their fitness for the charge by ' finding out men who would reverently serve God , ancl appointing them as presidents and . chiefs of the people . '

It was the duty of all men to reverence and honour God by obeying His law written in their hearts , and seeking His blessing in all their ways ; but there was a solemn ancl national worship of Him , as ruling in nature and providence , which could only be performed by the emperor . It consisted of sacrifices , or offerings rather , and prayers . No image was formed of Him , as , indeed , the Chinese have never thought of fashioning a likeness of the Supreme . "

We are not now considering the nature of the Chinese religion , ancl-have , therefore , introduced the foregoing passage in order to show that the primitive Chinese , like all the primeval nations—the Hindus , the Egyptians , the earliest Assyrians , ancl others—were monotheists , ancl not as it is so often erroneously reiterated , polytheists and iclolators . The powers of nature and the spirits of ancestors indeed received reverence in some degree , but they were esteemed as subordinate to ancl distinct from the Great Ruler of All . "Thereis no hint , "