62 JOURNAL AND PROCEEDINGS. 



The first of these tendencies resulted, in a remote age of Chinese 

 civilization, in that form of worship .known as ancestral idolatry. 

 Acting at first as a tendency to elevate the parental relationship, and 

 establish filial piety as the highest duty, the spiritual conception 

 soon found itself overtaken by this child of morality ; for looking 

 upon the father and the mother of the family as types of the great 

 father and mother of the universe, they soon carried filial piety into 

 the sphere of religious belief, where it became established as ances- 

 tral worship, which is simply piety extended beyond the grave. A 

 further explanation of this custom lies in their conception of the 

 human soul. This is supposed to possess a threefold division, one 

 of which at death enters Hades, one the grave, and the third of 

 which lingers about the ancestral home. The last two of these must 

 be provided for by the descendants, and if neglected are wont to 

 punish their unfilial offspring. The offerings of the living, to be 

 acceptable, must be presented by a male descendant; and, with the 

 exception of food, since they are for the spirits of an invisible world, 

 must be rendered invisible by burning. 



To enter into a long description of the minute particulars of 

 ancestral worship would be beyond the scope of the present paper. 

 A few thoughts as to its general effect must suffice. While ancestral 

 vi^orship may seem, in its first conception, to have rested on a 

 foundation of love^ there can be no doubt that fear is now the 

 motive power. To make the dead dependent on the living for their 

 happiness, and to endow them with power to inflict punishment 

 when neglected, is to chain hopelessly the living present to a dead 

 past. Two duties are ever present to the devout Chinaman, to pro- 

 vide for the comfort of his ancestors, and to leave behind him a line 

 of male descendants who shall perform a like duty for him. Such a 

 system must tend to root a people perpetually to their existing en- 

 vironment. All progress will be considered a dangerous innovation, 

 and a colonizing spirit the most sacnligious impiety. No wonder 

 that such a people should be remarkable for the absence of a critical 

 and scientific spirit, 



But while we note the defects of the system, its advantages 

 should not be overlooked. It renders sacred and secure, internally, 

 the home and the nation. As the Emperor must reign in order to 

 perform the requisite rites for securing the favor of Heaven and 



