gj, CHINA. 



Fo-/jf, as derived from the patriarchs, amongft whom that illuf- 

 trious character may nearly be ranked. The firft who reached 

 Cbma brought with them the rehgioa of Noab. They acknow- 

 kdged one great and fupreme Being, and profefTed to hve ac- 

 cording to his laws engraven on their hearts. They juftly made 

 that Being the model of perfedlion, poffeiTed of omnipotence, 

 omnifcience, providence, goodnefs, juftice, and mercy. They 

 admit the doctrine of grace, for they fay that the mod wicked 

 man, if he makes nfe of the afliftance offered to him by Tyen^ or 

 the Supreme Being, may attain the highell virtues. They hold 

 alfo an expiation of fins by their awn facrifices ; but confefs 

 that no external adoration will be accepted unlefs it is attended 

 with inward fentiments, and comes directly from the heart. I- 

 cannot, in my contracted plan, give all the detail of their reli- 

 gion, or the proofs of its origin from the patriarchs. I will only 

 fay, that, like them, they had their Fentateuch. 'YYi^vc fi've vo- 

 lumes correfpondent with the Mojaical hiftory are efteemed by 

 them the fource of all fcience and morality. 



CoNFucjus. The great reformer of the religion of China was Confucius^ 



cotemporary w\\}i\Fytbagofas-i and born 551 years before Chrift; 

 he purged it from all corruptions, and brought it to the perfecSlion 

 we have defcribed ; it ftill continues the religion of the emperor 

 and of the good and learned throughout his vaft dominions. 



Sect of About fix hundred years before the Chriftian cera, arofe the 



Taut-se. 



fedl: of I'aut-fe, founded by Lau-kyun, who confined the felicity 

 of this life to voluptuoufnefs ; and taught that the fjul died 

 with the body ; yet at the fame time admitted the exiftence of a 

 Divine Being, which makes fome people believe, that his doc- 

 8 trine 



