RKV. F. STORES TURNER, 13. A., ON MENCIUS. 



263 



conduct which brings advantages ; he did not try to discovei 

 rules of conduct by calculation of consequences. He recognised 

 divine causation in the human sense of moral law, adducing the 

 book of history which says, "Heaven having produced the 

 inferior people, appointed for them rulers and teachers, saying, 

 •'Let these be God's helpers.'" He himself encouraged the 

 penitent to worship, saying, " Though a man may be wicked, yet 

 if he adjust his thoughts, fast, and bathe, he may sacrifice to 

 God."* And again, " Misery and happiness in all cases are 

 brought about by ourselves ; the Book of Odes says, ' Be always 

 studious to be in harmony with the ordinances, so you will get 

 for yourself much happiness,' "t and again, " When Heaven sends 

 calamities, it may be possible to escape ; when we bring calamities 

 upon ourselves, it is impossible any longer to live."J These 

 frequent references to God and to Heaven as the Supreme Euler 

 of the world seem to me to justify the assertion that the teachings 

 of Confucius and Mencius are the outcome of a genuinely religious 

 belief. Perhaps the reflection which Mencius makes, after 

 noticing the humble origin of men who afterwards rose to 

 sovereignty and to high offices, is not the least instance of this, 

 " AVhen Heaven is about to confer a great office on any man, it 

 first exercises his mind with suffering, and his sinews and bones 

 with toil. It exposes his body to hunger, and subjects him to 

 poverty. It confounds his enterprises. By these experiences 

 it stimulates his mind, hardens his nature, and supplies his 

 deficiencies." § 



I said at first that we have no description of Mencius's 

 personality, except what we can gather from his teaching. But 

 after examination of this we do learn something of him. He 

 w^as a man of tact, a good reasoner, and not lacking in courage. 

 When he wished to persuade a king or duke to good government, 

 he began by pointing out some quality in the man which would 

 respond to his appeal. King Wei asked him, " Can such a man 

 as I am become a benevolent ruler ? " " Yes," said Mencius. 

 " How do you know that ? " asked the King. " I heard a story 

 about you," said Mencius. " You saw a man leading an ox past 

 your hall and inquired, ' Where is the ox going ? ' The man 

 replied, 'We are going to consecrate a bell with its blood.' 

 You pitied it, because it looked like an innocent person going 

 to execution. ' Let it go,' you said. The man answered, 

 ' Shall we omit the consecration of the bell ? ' You said, ' Take 

 a sheep instead.' " From this incident Mencius convinced the 



^ p. 206. 



t p. 74. 



I p. 75. 



p. 323. 

 S 



