Page:Brinkley - China - Volume 3.djvu/71

animations which alone open the portals to an official career, and any youth hoping to see his name on the list of honour-winning candidates is careful to peruse the thousands of commentaries which the Shih-king has inspired.

Concerning the religious information furnished by these two books, the Shu-king and the Shih-king, the translator of the Chinese classics says:

In both of these books many things are predicted of Heaven, Ti and Shang-ti, that are true only of the true God. He is the ruler of men and all this lower world. Men in general, the mass of the people, are his peculiar care. He appointed grain to be the chief nourishment of all. He watches especially over the conduct of kings, whom he has exalted to their high position for the good of the people. While they reverence Him and fulfil their duties in His fear, and with reference to His will, taking His ways as their pattern, He maintains them, smells the sweet savour of their offerings, and blesses them and their people with abundance and general prosperity. When they become impious and negligent of their duties, He punishes them, takes away the throne from them and appoints others in their place. His appointments come from His fore-knowledge and fore-ordination. Sometimes he appears to array himself in terrors and the course of His providence is altered. The evil in the State is ascribed to him. Heaven is called unpitying. But this is His strange work, in judgment, and to call men to repentance. He hates no one, and it is not He who really causes the evil time: that is a consequence of forsaking the old and right ways of government. In giving birth to the multitudes of the people, He gives them a good nature, but few are able to keep it and hold out good to the end.