W$ CHINA. 



ing favourable ; and their worship consists more in thanksgiving that 

 In prayer. 



The temples of Fo abound with more images than are found in 

 most Christian churches ; some of which, as one of the missionaries 

 3has observed, exhibit so strong a likeness to those in churches of the 

 Homaniaith, that a Chinese conveyed into one of the latter, might 

 imagine the votaries he saw were adoring the deities of his own 

 country. On the altar of a Chinese temple, behind a screen, is fre- 

 quently a representation which might answer for that of the virgin 

 Mary, in the person of Shinmoo, or the sacred njother, sitting in an 

 alcove with a child in her arms ; and rays proceeding from a circle, 

 which are called a glory, round her head, with tapers burning con- 

 stantly before her. The resemblance of the worship of the Chinese 

 to the forms of the catholic church, in some other particulars, has 

 been, indeed, thought so striking, that some of the missionaries have 

 conjectured that the Chinese had formerly received a glimpse of 

 Christianity from the Nestorians, by the way of Tartary; others, 

 that St. Thomas the apostle had been among them : but the missionary 

 Premare could account for it no otherwise than by supposing it to 

 have been a trick of the devil to mortify the Jesuits. 



There are other images, however, in these temples, which bear a 

 greater analogy to the ancient than to the present worship of the Ro* 

 mans A figure representing a female, appears to be something simi- 

 lar to Lucina ; and is particularly addressed by unmarried wome» 

 wanting husbands, and married women wanting children. The doc- 

 trine of Fo, admitting of a subordinate deity particularly propitiou? 

 to every wish which can be formed in the human mind, could scarcely 

 fail to spread among those classes of the people who are not satisfied, 

 with their prospects as resulting from the natural causes of events. 

 Its progress is not obstructed by any measures of the government of 

 the country, which does not interfere with mere opinions. It prohi- 

 bits no belief which is not supposed to affect the tranquillity of so- 

 ciety. 



The temples of Peking are not very sumptuous. The religion of 

 the emperor is new in China, and its worship is performed with most 

 magnificence in Tartary. The mandarins, the men of letters, from 

 whom are selected the magistrates who govern the empire, and pos- 

 sess the upper ranks of life, venerate rather than adore Confucius, 

 and meet to honour and celebrate his memory in halls of a simple 

 but neat construction. The numerous and lower classes of the peo- 

 ple are less able than inclined to contribute much towards the erec- 

 tion of large and costly edifices for public worship. Their religious 

 attention is much engaged besides with their household gods. Every 

 house has its altar and its deities. The books of their mithology con- 

 tain representations of those who preside over their persons and pro- 

 perties, as well as over exterior objects likely to affect them. Few 

 of the Chinese, however, carry the objects to be obtained by their 

 devotion beyond the benefits of this life. Yet the religion of Fo 

 professes the doctrine of the transmigration of souls, and promises 

 happiness to the people on conditions which were, no doubt, originally 

 intended to consist in the performance of moral duties; but, in lieu 

 of which, are too frequently substituted those of contributions to- 

 wards the erection or repair of temples, the maintenance of priests, 

 and a strict attention to particular observances. The neglect of these 

 is announced as punishable by the souls of the defaulters passing into 



