Page:Tseng Kuo Fan and the Taiping Rebellion.djvu/125

Rh and evening and at meal time prayers were offered. On the seventh day of the week the people were aroused from their beds to offer midnight prayers, and towards noon a general service was held, together with another of the same kind in the evening.

These services as described by Lindley ("Lin Li"), who was several times an eyewitness, began by chanting the doxology, which in the earlier version was very similar to that used in Protestant churches today. After the religion became more erratic, this was expanded to include ascriptions of praise to the various wangs, and, at least from 1853 to 1856, placed the Eastern king, Yang, in the place of the Holy Ghost. It read as follows:

Praise the Supreme Ruler, who is the Holy Heavenly Father, the one only true God.

Praise the Heavenly Elder Brother, the Saviour of the world, who laid down his life for men.

Praise the Eastern King, the Holy Divine Breath [Holy Ghost], who atones for faults and saves men.

Praise the Western King, the rain-teacher, an high-as-heaven upright man.

Praise the Northern King, the thunder-teacher, an high-as-heaven benevolent man.

Praise the Southern King, the cloud-teacher, an high-as-heaven honorable man.

Praise the Assistant King, the lightning-teacher, an high-as-heaven righteous man.

This was followed by the hymn:

How different are the true doctrines from the doctrines of the world.

They save the souls of men, and lead to the enjoyment of endless bliss:

The wise receive them with exultation as the source of their happiness,