Book IIL 
080 A Geographical Defer iption of 
Li Lnokim, and as triuch was confecrated to his Me- 
mory as to that of a Deity, though he died ; and every 
Man, by Covenants with Satan and other devilifh 
Pradtices, was earneftly bent in Quell of that Imrnor- 
tality which their great Mailer could not find. Time 
ftrengthened the falle Do6lrine, and increaled the Num- 
ber of its Teachers, who by their feducing Praftices, 
drawing of Lots, and other Frauds, have even to this 
Day wonderfully polfelfed the Hearts of the Populace ; 
■v^ho being milled to, and ftrengthened in that Opi- 
nion, continually fearched for that on Earth, which is 
not there to be found. 
The Chinefe alfo relate, that long after that Time, an 
Emperor named dreamed, or was informed by 
Revelation, that there was a Saint in the Weft, whofe 
Religion we ought to embrace *, and this without wreft- 
ing may be underftood to be Ipoke of Christ and his 
Do6lrine. They alfo relate, that this Emperor dif- 
patched a Perfon thither, in order to bring this Doc- 
trine to China *, but the Envoy miftaking his Way, fell 
into the SoQth Country, where he met with the Bra- 
mns^ (a Sort of Idolatrous Priefts, which worlliip the 
image of one of their Kings) and having declared the 
Reafon of his Coming, he was lo well entertained by 
thefe diabolical Engines, that they at once prefented 
him with an Image, and with theSyftem of their hellifh 
Dodlrine, both which he brought to China, and to 
which they at prefent cleave, that Idolatry being firmly 
retained, and numerous Temples every where erefted 
to that Idol, infomuch that the Number of thefe wick- 
ed Priefts is infinite. They are called Bonzi^s, and pre- 
tend to abftain from Flelh and Marrying ; but Expe- 
rience convinces “us of the contrary, and that they fa- 
crifice to their Lulls in private ; fo that now they are 
not very much reverenced even by the Chinefe themfelves, 
though they have ever fince that Time worlhipped that 
Deity, and the Images reprefenting him. 
“ Le Comte calls this Emperor Mtnti, and tells this 
Story thus : Confucius frequently laid. That the 
true holy One was to be found In the Weft ; that 
this his AlTertion was continually in the Mouths of 
“ the Learned ; and that the Emperor Minti being 
“ difturbed at thefe Reports, and excited by the Image 
of a Man coming out of the Weft, and appearing 
“ to him in his Sleep, difpatched Ambalfadors to the 
Weft, with Orders to travel that Way till they found 
“ this Saint, which Heaven had revealed to him about 
“ fixty-five Years after the Birth of our Lord : That 
‘‘ thefe Ambalfadors were forced, by the Danger of 
“ the Sea, to remain on a certain Iftand •, and that 
‘‘ they found there the Idol Fo or Foe, which had per- 
“ verted India feveral Years before with his diabolical 
“ Dodrine : That thefe Minifters caufed themfelves to 
“ be perfectly inftrufted in the Superftitions of that 
Country, and carried them back with them to the 
Emperor and his Subjedls ; and that through thofe 
“ Means, and from that Time, this impious Dodrine 
was fpread throughout the Kingdom.” 
Anciently they worfhipped the Images of feveral 
illuftrious Men, as in treating of the Province of Xanfi, 
Mention is made of a valiant and potent Hero, which 
fprung out of that Country, whom they honour and 
pray to as a Demy- God, which revives their Courage 
and excites their Magnanimity ; and the “Tartar them- 
felves, at prefent Mailers of China, Yiktmk offer up 
their devout Oraifons to it •, though indeed this is no 
Point of their Religion, Faith or Doflrine : But the 
Idolatrous Worfhip and Religion of the Bonzes is 
fpread over all Eaji-India, through the Kingdoms of 
Fegu, Laos, Siam, Cochinchina, Japan, and all over 
Tartary. 
7. Several of the moll learned Perfons amongft the 
Chinefe are Atheifts, who believe neither God nor De- 
vil, deny a future State, and in Raillery ask, who hath 
ever feen or been either in Heaven or Hell ? Or once 
came out of either of them ? And boldly tell us they 
are meer idle and brainlefs Imaginations. But the 
Image- worlhippers believe a Heaven and a Hell ; that 
the ancient, virtuous, and happy Dead are great Spi- 
rits or Souls in Heaven i that placed there as fuperlu- 
nary Princes, they tender and do good Offices to Man- 
kind *, whilft themfelves abound in Riches and Profpe- 
rity, and perpetually divert and entertain themfelves 
with the fineft Wines, and all Manner of Delicacies. 
That on the contrary, the Souls of wicked and impious 
Men either go to Hell, or tranfmigrate into other Ani- 
mals, which are either better or worfe, in Proportion 
to their Merit. So that at prefent the Pagan, Mahome-^ 
tan and Chriftian Religions prevail in China. 
I ought not to omit that in Paganifm, the firft of 
thefe, the Reafon of State or Policy is the fupream and 
prevalent Deity in China, to which all Principles and 
Pradlices are adapted : And v/hatever does not fall in 
with the political Intereft is condemned as downright 
Sin, and confequently not to be tolerated. T\\q Chinefe 
are utter Enemies to Novelty, and are ftrangely fond of 
all ancient Cuftoms, folely on Account of their Anti- 
quity ; and abfolutely rejedl, or at lead are hardly pre- 
vailed with to allow any modern Ufage : This Fond- 
nefs for Antiquity prevails not only in Temporals, in 
which they dare not prefume to alter any Cufiom 
without the Emperor’s fpecial Command ; But more 
particularly in Spirituals, though it really ftiould be, 
and they themfelves were convinced it was for the better. 
Hence it is that they rejefl the Chriftian Religion, be- 
caufe in Proportion to the Antiquity of their Empire it 
is too recent, and hath too lately appeared in the World, 
as though Antiquity alone were fufficient to triumph over 
Truth, and it were a Crime to hinder the perpetuating 
of thofe ftupid Errors which could only pretend to have 
prevailed for numerous Ages. 
“ It is a fundamental Axiom in the Chinefe Policy, 
“ faith Gobien, That the Prince is primarily obliged to 
“ preferve Peace, Repofe, Plenty and Eafe •, for which 
the Subjedls fhould acknowledge their Obligations to 
“ him, and he caufe them to be inftrudled that they are 
“ indebted for all this to him. For all Attempts to 
“ keep the Subjedls within the Bounds of their Duty 
“ would be vain, without the effedual Performance of 
“ the primary Condition of Obedience : Since the Laws 
“ themfelves would be but a weak Bulwark, if oppofed 
“ to the Force of Arms : And all Inftrudlions would 
“ make but fmall Impreffions on the Minds of a Peo- 
“ pie, that are hurried on to difprove them by Want 
“ and Mifery. And he tells us elfewhere. That the true 
“ Foundation of the Authority of the CEconomical and 
“ State Government confifts, with Regard to Families, in 
“ the due Obedience and Refpedl to Parents and to 
“ Matters ; with Refpedl to Government, that the Sub- 
“ jedls be faithful to the Prince, and that he be tender 
“ of his People : A prudent Conducft, the Love of our 
“ Neighbours, Virtue and Juftice are its Effentials *, an 
“ exadt Obfervation of mutual Civilities helps to fill up 
“ the Meafure : But the favoury Laws of a good Go- 
“ vernment afford Means for compleating the whole.” 
8. There are befides feveral other Sedls of Religion in 
China ; for fome of them believe that there is a fupreme, 
eternal and omnipotent Spirit, which governs and di- 
redls all Things : This Being they acknowledge for the 
Lord of Heaven and Earth : And before Idolatry pre- 
vail’d, they worlhipped him under the Name of Chamti 
or the Lord of Heaven : But fince the Sowing of that 
profligate Seed, this Opinion obtains only amongft a 
a few, but thofe indeed are moil of them great Men : 
The Emperor himfelf is faid to efpoufe this old Senti- 
ment ; and it is not improbable, that it is owing to this, 
this he is not averfe, but rather inclined to the Chriftian 
Religion and Dodtrine, and probably would not rejedl, 
but eafily be induced to embrace it, if not reftrained 
by political Reafons, and a Fear of creating thereby 
Tumults and Infurredlions in his Empire. 
There are other's alfo who acknowledge Nature to 
be the foie Deity j underftanding thereby the Force or 
Power and natural Operation, which being the efficient 
Caufe of Motion and Reft, produces, maintains and 
preferves all Things : They look on Dame Nature as 
the Fountain of all and every particular Being : And 
that Ihe is able to appoint and to alter the Order of all 
Things : They take her to be the one Soul which uni- 
verfally informs Matter, by Virtue of which Ihe pro- 
duces 
