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Show t B fIR . 21 "‘, """'""T""_""""‘"""""""‘""‘"N"* A General Defcription o CHAP. VII :f Of/éq}erdlSECTS CHINA:Con[ern flgPHILOSOPHY W ORSHIP i 3 i AR T t thefe People have from t beginning worlhipped th higheft and ope God-head or with another and mo l the Kin e common name,' t Heswesn an appears they were of op nion, that Heaven an Earth wer worfhipped the foul th reof for the higheft D ity Deity, they dewiated in o the worfhip of fevera Spirits, t and fuchas command ove the four quarte { e World the Antient Chinefes wer ion wont to fay, that Men ou ht to hearken to the inbre light of the underfianding ave recejyed from Heaven to the Supream Dcity, an But the Spirits which wajt ¢ po of their Books that they in an id ever broach fuch licen ious Do&rines to the {upp of Vice, as were invented r y the Romans, Grecians, or the Egyptians, who in th committing of all manne of Filthinefs, did implor the afliftance of their de bauched Gods Ri W L ( i [£ C the Earth : Hence it 1nfpired, and o the befide this Suprea wit, of Hills, Rivers o Bed ! e il A ge It did likewife appear by th yearly Books, ‘which comp ".ons of 4000. years , tha fadi the Chinefes have perform feveral brave Works fo the fervice of thejr Countre , and the Publjc Good The fame js al{o to b {een by the Books of the A tient and wifeft Philofophe s, which were all in bein before the laft Invafion of t e Tartars 5 but then i the eneral Conflagration o the Countrey were moft o them Burnt, wherein wer writ good and wholfom Dodrines, for the Inftru& on of youthin the way of Vertue and Goodnefs Thefe Books mentjon onl three Se@s to have been n vogue in the World ; fo of other Se&s there i not he leaft mention made firft is the Se& of th Learned : The fecond is calle Sciequia : And the third Lancu "The firft of thef three is followed by all the C inefes, and the ad Jacent Peo le, which ufe the Chinefe Chara&ers, as the Ifland rs of _'flpmz, Corea, and Cou ching : this Se&, whic 15 that of the Learned, is taug t to,and followed by none t only thofe and th Chinefes them('elves,and 1s t e Antienteft of a]] the Se@s hat were ever heard of i China : Out of this, abou which a VETy great numbe ooks are writ, generally are chofen perfons fit fo the Government of the Empi e ; and therefore it i honoured and efteemed a ove all others Do&rine of this Se& 1s not taugh all at once, but they fuckiti by degrees when they learn t The firft Founder of this Sect was Co v of Chinefe Philofophers who isto this day honoure by allthe Learned, with th le of the The mif Wife. He wasyasthe Jeluite emedo relates in his Hiftory, n of a good Nif ture, very much enclined to Ve tue, Prudent, Subtle, and Lover of hi Countrey ; and whofe Wiriting arc.had to thjs day in great Hon ur, being th ground-work of a1] the Lear ing at this time ip ufe amon ft them : What concerns his\;VritingS, hich are contained in four larg Books, we hav already made mention W i P i"" Q‘ b CAR w3 N S -- Vuie Ssum i '& ,;s.;:;':‘.".:fl_ - _‘.__Lw__ e F .all the Heathen Se@s whic , are come to the knowledg of the fein Emope we have notread of any w en into fewey Errours thep ever fince the firft Ages;f he Chinefes rin their Books we read th Smmi 1DO an |