This leaves no room for doubt that in calling human nature good, Mencius simply meant that man is a moral being, that his moral and virtuous actions are natural to him not an acquired varnish. The teaching of Mencius, therefore, regarding human nature, so far as it goes, is the same as the teaching of the Christian Scriptures. The Bible says that man was made in the image of God and Mencius maintains, as shown in the ode just quoted, that man has a heaven-derived moral nature. Paul says, "I delight in the law of God after the inner man;" " and Mencius quoting an ancient ode says, "Hence all love this excellent virtue." The parallelism is very close both in sentiment and language. But Mencius in limiting man's nature to his moral and rational faculties was doing violence to the term, giving a defective view and leaving this important doctrine open to attack.

Man Sinful.-Man's nature may be good, but man himself is not good. Paul quoting from the Psalms says, "There is none righteous, no not one." Confucius lamenting the degeneracy of mankind said, (35) "A good man I have never had the luck to see; could I see one possessed of constancy, that would satisfy me." And again, (36) "I have not seen a person who loved virtue or one who hated what was not virtuous." Still more decidedly, (37) "I have never seen a person who loved virtue as he loved beauty." This statement Confucius repeated on a subsequent oocasion with an added sigh. Paul speaks of those whose God is their belly † who mind earthly things. Confucius says, there are those who (38) "filled with food, think of nothing else all day long." Mencius speaks (39) of" men who live only to eat," or in Paul's word "men serve their bellies." Passages of this kind might be multiplied. But the Four Books contain no such terribly graphic picture of human depravity as is given in the first chapter of the Epistle to the Romans. While the ignorance and perversity of men are bewailed, their sinfulness is but faintly apprehended and but feebly expressed. In a passage in the Sixth Book Mencius makes error to be mere want of thought!

The Confucian scholars of the Sung dynasty felt the difficulty of thus limiting the word nature, and tried to remedy the defect. They made a two-fold division. Nature in the sense in which Mencius used the word, they called the moral and rational nature; and they invented the term

the animal and material nature, to cover the lower side of man's being. The moral and rational nature is alike in all men, and is always good. But the animal and material nature of men often differs widely. Moral evil springs from the defects of this lower nature and its action on the higher. This reminds us forcibly of Paul's words: "I delight in the law of God after the inner man : but I see another law in my members, &c.

(1)上天之載無聲無臭 (2) 天命之謂性

(3)天以陰陽五行化生萬物

(4) 天降下民 (5) 天生蒸民

(6)莫非命

()天降下民作之君作之師惟日其助上帝 將行也與命也道之將廢也命也

二三子何患於喪乎天下之無道也久矣天將以夫子爲木鐸

() 死生有命富貴在天 (9) 天生德於予桓魋其如予何

(1) 行或使之止或尼之行靠人所能也吾之不遇魯侯天也臧氏之子焉能使予不遇哉

(3)莫我知也夫○○知我者其天乎 (4)十目所視十手

THE INTRODUCTION OF MAHOMETANISM INTO CHINA.

BY REV. GEO. W. CLARKE.

(Concluded from page 271.)

IN N the reign of the Emperor Shang-Üien, A. D. 674, An Lu Shan, raised a rebellion in Shen Si; the Chinese troops were not able to subdue him; the Emperor consulted with the Mahometan Minister, to ask for three thousand soldiers to be sent from Mecca, to assist in suppressing the rebellion. When the Caliph received the letter, he knew that it was from one of Wan Ko Sï's descendants, and sent without delay the troops requested. When they arrived at Si Ngan, the Chinese braves were well nigh defeated. The Mahometan soldiers, without delay attacked the rebels, and scattered them. An Lu Shan fled to Honan, and the Mahometans pursued him with great success; after a time the rebellion was crushed and peace restored. Upon their return to Si Ngan, the Emperor was greatly pleased with their brilliant victory, and he ordered an officer to build several Mosques, and a sufficient number of houses adjoining them for the soldiers. His Majesty ordered a Commission, to enquire and report the officers and men who had distinguished themselves by acts of bravery, for reward and distinction; and perpetual offices to their descendants if they would agree to remain in China. The Mahometans agreed to these offers. The Emperor, knowing that they were unmarried men, promised to give them wives. An official was entrusted with the mission to select virtuous and intelligent women, and in due time they were found in the province of Kiang Si, escorted to Si Ngan Fu, and given in marriage. The Mahometan soldiers acquired a great reputation for daring bravery and use of arms, and proved themselves valuable to the Government; at various periods, their services were required in different provinces. After the army was disbanded, many preferred to remain, and from these two reasons, is the cause of the Mahometans being scattered throughout the Empire.

The author of this book has done well by giving us an account of Wan Ko Si's labors in and for China; he says:

Wan Ko Si returned three times to Arabia, (the dates of his journeys are not given). The first time, was for an Arabic Dictionary for the use of his students. The second voyage, was for the KoRo-Ni, i.e. Koran, for his disciples to study and chant, for he said,

"I cannot always continue with you." Mahomet gave him what was written, and promised to forward other portions when ready; and he returned without delay. The prophet appointed the place of his death; he took a bow and arrow and shot towards the East, in the twinkling of an eye it disappeared. Mahomet said, “Where you find that arrow, there is the place of your decease." Wan Ko, took a ship to Canton, he had a quick voyage, upon his arrival, he found the arrow in a wall on the North side of the Liu-Hwa-Ch'iao (bridge)!! He knew that according to Mahomet's prediction, that this was the place for his grave. He had the spot enclosed as a garden. The cause of Wan Ko's, third journey, was a dream, in which he saw a tall man, who said, "The sage is about to leave the world, you must haste to Arabia, if you wish to see him before his death." This alarmed him, he made necessary preparations and left the next day. A short time before he reached Mi-Ti-Na, i.e. Medina, Mahomet died.

was

A note by the Author:-When Mahomet was forty years old, he became a Sage, (A), this was in the sixth year of the Emperor Wu Teh, (A. D. 624). In his forty-fifth year, which corresponds to the second year of Chen Kwan, (A. D. 629), his religion. entered China. He died in his sixty-third year, which the twentieth year of the Emperor Chen Kwan, (A. D. 647). (The Author is wrong, in comparison of his dates. Mahomet was born about the year (A. D. 570), his fortieth year would be in A. D. 610, or the fifth year of the Emperor Ta Yie,, of the Dynasty. The entrance of his religion into China five years later would be the tenth year of the Emperor Ta Yie. Mahomet, died about noon of Monday the 8th June, 632, in his sixty-third year; this corresponds to the fifth year of the Emperor Chen Kwan.) Wan Ko wept aloud among his brethren saying, "I have come many thousand of miles without delay, alas! too late for a parting word." Upon the day of burial, he removed the lid of the coffin, to take his farewell look at Mahomet, and wept much. He enquired if the Prophet had left any request for him. He was told that Mahomet desired him to establish the religion in China, and had left for him a complete copy of the Koran. The Koroni, is bound in 36 books, containing 114 chapters, and 6666 verses. Wan Ko returned to Canton, delivered the Koran to his disciples, and commanded them to preserve it for ever. Within a short time after his return he died, and was buried by his students within the grounds of the Mosque. They erected a tomb like those used in Arabia, with a table before it, for the purposes of sacrificing and worship.

The Mahometans petitioned the Emperor to be permitted to build a Mosque to his memory; the request was granted, the Li Pai Sï built, and called Hwai Sheng Si. (A Mosque of this name still remains in Canton.) His Majesty also gave them some land inside the Long-Men-Ts'en-Ch'en (city). A tablet was erected on the ground, with the inscription, . During the lapse of centuries the tablet has been destroyed and the exact spot is now difficult to ascertain. Inside the grounds of the Mosque, was a pagoda one hundred aud sixty feet high; upon the spire was a gold fowl vane. Within the Pagoda, were rooms reached by a spiral staircase, these rooms were used for the purpose of morning and evening worship. Every seven days a large flag was hoisted, which could be seen a long distance; by this sign the people knew that it was worship day. This Mosque was situated to the North West of the Pi-Shan, formerly a busy jetty, the present name is Wu-Shien-Kwan. Once Mahomet sent forty men with a complete copy of the Koran to Si Ngan, for the use of the students; the bearers wishing to visit Wan Ko, returned via Canton. When they were within sight of the Mosque, it was time for evening worship, they knelt, and were so absorbed in devotion, that neither sight nor sound could distract them. A robber came to them whilst thus engaged and spoke to them; they took not the slightest notice of him; this vexed him, so he murdered the whole party and stole their goods. After a time some members of his band arrived, and he explained how he secured the property; they vehemently cursed him for murdering such resolute and benevolent men, whose hearts were like iron, and said, "You deserve to die." The robber repented saying, "To have killed such men, was neither brave nor righteous, there is no forgiveness for this crime, I will take my own life." The grave of the forty men and the robber was made near the Mosque.

Wan Ko Si's grave was much dilapidated. In A. D. 1341, Generalissimo Tsen Kia Lu, a native of Chen-Nan Cheo, Yün-nan, and other Mahometan notables, repaired Wan Ko Sï's grave and from this period there was a revival of Mahometanism.