REV. ARTHUR ELWIN, ON CONFDCIANISM. 



49 



head, but I do not know its height, and the earth under my 

 feet, but I do not know its thickness. In serving Confucius, 

 I am like a thirsty man, who goes with his pitcher to the river 

 and there drinks his fill, without knowing the river's depth." 



And so the Most Holy Ancient Teacher, as his disciples 

 loved to call him, passed away unhonoured, and almost 

 unknown. little did the few followers, who mourned around 

 his grave, realize that the one of whom they were taking leave, 

 would in after ages number his followers by millions, and that 

 his writings and sayings would be more attended to and 

 obeyed, than perhaps the writings of any man who has ever 

 lived. 



But we must pass on now to consider his writings and 

 teaching. 



" What Confucius teaches is true ; what is contrary to his 

 teaching is false ; what he does not teach is unnecessary." 

 This was the creed of the Confucian scholar twenty-five 

 centuries ago, and it is the creed of the Confucian scholar 

 to-day. We may well ask, therefore, what did Confucius 

 teach ? 



In the Confucian system everything centred in the family. 

 The same virtues are required in the head of the family as in 

 the ruler of the kingdom. The same respectful reverence 

 should be paid by the children to the father, as is due from 

 the subjects to the sovereign. " Heaven and earth existing," 

 says the Book of Changes, "all things exist; all things existing, 

 then male and female exist ; male and female existing, then 

 the relation of husband and wife exists ; from the existence of 

 husband and wife, follows the relation of father and son ; 

 father and son existing, then prince and minister exist ; prince- 

 arid minister existing, then upper and lower classes ; upper and 

 low r er classes existing, decorum and propriety are interchanged." 

 " Let the household be rightly ordered, and the people of the 

 state may be taught." All the teaching of Confucius tended 

 to exalt the man, he did not think much of the women. " A 

 woman," he said, "is subject toman and is unable to stand 

 alone, and therefore, when young, depends on her father and 

 brothers, when married, on her husband, and after his death, 

 on her sons. She must not presume to follow her own 

 judgment." 



It is difficult for anyone, who has not lived in China, to 

 realize the difference between the reception given to a son, and 

 that given to a daughter. No one welcomes the advent of a 

 little girl ; there are no congratulations, no presents ; friends 



