THE primitive theology of this kingdom is supposed, by a number of learned men, to agree in its essential parts with the doctrine of the chosen people, before Moses, by the command of God himself, had consigned the explanation of it to the sacred records. The king, or canonical books of the Chinese, every where inculcate the belief of a supreme Being, the author and preserver of all things; the principle of every thing that exists, and the father of all living; he is eternal, immoveable and independent; his power knows no bounds; his sight equally comprehends the past, present, and the future; penetratingeven intothe inmost recesses of the heart. Heaven and earth are under his government; all events, all revolutions, are the consequences of his will; he is pure, holy, and impartial; wickedness offends his sight; but he

beholds with an eye of complacency the virtuous actions. of men. Severe, yet just, he punishes vice in a striking manner, even on the throne; and often precipitates from thence the guilty, to place upon it the man who walks after his own heart, whom he hath raised from obscurity. Good, merciful, and full of pity, he relents on the repentance of the wicked; public calamities, and the irregularities of the seasons, are only salutary warnings, which his fatherly goodness gives to men, to induce them to reform and amend.

Some historians have also found in the Chinese religion evident symptoms of the knowledge of the Trinity, as believed among christians.†

The present religion of this kingdom is pagan; but it is said there are almost as many sects as persons among them. For as soon as a Chinese ex

pects the least advantage from it, he is, without any consideration, to-day of one religion, to-morrow of another, or of all together. However, beside the worship of the grand lama, there are three principal sects.

1. The followers of Laokium, who lived five hundred years before Christ, and taught that God was corporeal. They pay divine honours to the philosopher Laokium; and give the same worship, not only to many emperors who have been ranked with the gods, but also to certain spirits, under the name of zamte, who preside over every element. Their morality con sists in calming the passions, and disengaging themselves from every thing which tends to disquiet the soul, to live free from care, to forget the past, and not be apprehensive for the future. To remove the unavoidable fear of death, they pretend Laokium discovered an elixir which confers immortality. They call this sect that of the magicians, because the learned of it addict themselves to magic, and are believed to have the secret of making men immortal.

2. The most predominant sect is that of Foe, who flourished a thousand years before

our Saviour, and who became a god at the age of thirty years. This religion was transmitted from India to China sixty-five years after the birth of Christ. A large number of altars, temples, or pagods, are reared to this deity, some of which are magnificent to the highest degree; and a number of bonzes, or priests, consecrated to his service. He is represented shining in light, with his hands hid under his robes, to shew that he does all things invisible. The doctors of this sect teach a double law ; the one external, the other internal. According to the external law, they say, all the good are recompensed, and the wicked punished, in places destined for each. They enjoin all works of mercy; and forbid cheating, impurity, wine, lying, and murder; and even the taking of life from any creature whatever. For they believe that the souls of their ancestors transmigrate into irrational creatures; either into such as they liked best or resembled most in their behaviour, for which reason they never kill any such animals; but, while they live, feed them well, and when they die bury them with splendor.* They lay great stress upon acts of charity, and in build

tion, gratitude, and love of him; to assert his divine providence over all his creatures; and to represent him as a being of such infinite knowledge, that even our most secret thoughts are not hidden from him; and of such boundless goodness and justice, that he can let no virtue go unrewarded, or vice unpunished.*

The Chinese honour their dead ancestors, burn perfumes before their images, bow before their pictures, and invoke them as capable of bestowing all temporal blessings.+

The founders of the Roman Catholic church in China were three Italian jesuits, who were sent into that empire by the superiors of their order toward the end of the sixteenth century. One of these three, named Ricci, a man of uncommon abilities, continued his mission many years after the other two were recalled, and established a great reputation. He rendered himself agreeable to all ranks, and kept up a good understanding with the bonzes, from whom he acquired a knowledge of the Chinese manners, dispositions, and learning. In some

measure he reconciled the ancient religion of the country to the first principles of theology, and blended the maxims of Confucius with the doctrines of Jesus Christ. He signified to the people that he was only come to renew and reform the abrogated religion of their ancestors; and that his moral system was no other than that of their great philosopher Confucius. This secured to him many followers; but rigid adherents to the peculiar doctrines of popery inveighed against his moderation. At length, in the year 1630, the Dominicans and Franciscans arrived in China, who, being averse to the temporizing plan of conversion hitherto pursued, boldly censured the conduct of the christian converts. This produced a warm dispute between the different orders, which brought on an appeal to the supreme judge of Rome; and a decree was made by Pope Innocent the tenth, in 1648, enjoining the jesuits to insist on a more rigid renunciation of idolatrous superstitions from the converts to christianity. Notwithstanding this decree, the

altercations between the different parties continued many years, and retarded the progress of christianity in the Chinese empire.*

The Russians have a church at Pekin, where they worship according to the greek form. Even students. of that nation are permitted to reside in the capital, for the purpose of acquiring the Chinese language and literature.

At Kai-song-fou, the capital of Honan, is a synagogue of jews, who have been settled many centuries in China. They still retain some of the ceremonies of the old testament; in particular they practise circumcision, and observe the seventh day; the feast of unleavened bread, and of the paschal lamb. They make no fires, nor dress any provisions on their sabbaths; and whenever they read the bible in their synagogue, they cover their faces with a transparent veil, in memory of Moses, who

descended from the mountain with his face covered; they also abstain from blood: yet they pay the same honours to Confucius as the Chinese literati. There were once many jewish families in China, but they are now greatly reduced.† There are also many mahometans in this kingdom, who have been settled upwards of six hundred years in several provinces, where they have mosques; and as they do not study to make proselytes, nor give any cause of jealousy to the state, government never molests them.

An American traveller gives the following account of one mode of the Chinese worship: "In the houses which are consecrated to their idol Joss, there is an image of a fat laughing old man at the upper end of the room, sitting in a chair, before whom is erected a small altar, whereon tapers and sandal work are constantly kept burning. As soon as the