Page:Ningpo to Shanghai.djvu/84

70   The writer goes on to state, that because men aspire after longevity, and pant for good fortune, that therefore they are thus prone to believe lies. Thus errors creep in, and get possession of men's minds, and though God successively produces wise and holy men, to convey the truth to others, they will not lend an ear. Hence men, he says, are be wildered and ignorant of God, they are also stouthearted and do not fear him. If their descendants wish to get some knowledge of the truth, they do not know where to obtain it. Then follow some beautiful and correct statements regarding God, which we are tempted to exhibit in a condensed form. "Taking a general view of the world, we find that men though numerous are all created and supported by God; for every article of food and clothing they must depend on God, who is the universal Father of all mankind. Life and death, happiness and misery are all determined by him. When I look up to heaven, I perceive that the sun and moon, stars and planets, the thunder and rain, wind and clouds, are all the wondrous effects of his mighty power: when I survey the earth, I perceive that the hills and fountains, rivers and lakes, birds and beasts, plants and fishes, are all the marvellous productions of his mighty energies:" for this every man and women throughout the world, ought every morning to worship and every evening to adore him.

The writer then meets an objection, that though God is to be acknowledged as the sovereign of all, yet he must have various ministers to aid him in protecting mankind. To which he answers, that should such exist, they must all be appointed by God: but who ever heard of his appointing the idols which men are in the habit of worshipping? The writer concludes that God did, at the creation, appoint angels‡ to do his will; and if so, there is no need of idols, who are mere monstrosities, invested by mortals, in defiance of his authority. The author then takes up the same ground which a Christian missionary would assume in arguing image-worship in the ten commandments. According to the Old Testament, he says, God in former ages descended on Mount Sinai, and gave forth the ten commandments, written in his own hand on tables of stone; and with an audible voice commanded Moses, saying, 'I am the Lord God: thou shalt not set up the image of any thing in heaven or earth to bow down to it and worship it;' now your setting up images and worshipping them is a direct violation of the Divine command.§ He further argues, that since God has forbidden the worship of images, these could not be employed in assisting him in protecting mankind: and if God could make the world without their aid, he could surely preserve the world in existence without any assistance. The writer then states, in a way peculiarly Chinese, that God has made the ground on which we stand, and the food we eat; he also gives us sun and rain; deprived of his aid, we could not live a single moment; why then should we pray to idols?     ‡ 神使  天使   § 西奈  西乃  繕 