or any of those infallible devices formerly adopted in this country against witches and ghosts. The Chinese have commonly a firm belief in, and consequently a great dread of, the wandering spirits of persons who have come to an unfortunate end, and which they denominate kuei. When Europeans first arrived in the country, their red or yellow hair, and high noses, were strongly opposed to the fair ideal of Chinese comeliness. Mothers and nurses pointed them out as ogres and devils to their children; and hence the present term for any Europeans, fán-kuei,

foreign ghost, spirit, or devil,' with some allusion, perhaps, to their wandering so far from their homes."

When the pious bishop Heber heard of an officer having found a dying Brahmin exposed by the side of the Ganges, in conformity with the religion of the Hindoos, that he might expire within reach of its sacred waters, and when he was told that this Brahmin lost his caste, because he received food at the hands of that officer, whereby his life was saved, he exclaimed, “If I am permitted to rescue one such miserable creature from this wretched superstition, I shall think myself repaid for all I sacrifice." These are memorable words, and worthy the adoption of every one who reads of the superstitions of the Chinese, that manymillioned and perishing people.

Having thus described the three absorbing sects of China, it may not prove uninteresting to take a brief view of the progress of Nestorianism, Popery, Protestantism, Mohammedanism, and other religions which have been from time to time introduced into that country.

Section IV.-Other Religions.

NESTORIANISM.

The Jesuits relate that, in the year 1265, some Roman Catholic missionaries discovered at one of the principal cities of the province of Shen-sy, an inscription in Syriac letters, which recorded the first introduction of Christianity into China in the year 635, by certain Nestorian bishops, who had been driven eastward by persecutions in the Roman provinces. These refugees, and their descendants, seem to have exerted themselves in promulgating the truths of the gospel; and Marco Polo relates, that they so far succeeded, as to be allowed to build two churches in a city on the banks of the Yang-tse-keang, where a Nestorian, named MarSachis, was appointed to the government of the city for three years. The influence, however, which Nestorianism had upon the Chinese must have been very slight; for all traces of it are soon lost in the pages of history.

POPERY.

The first mission for the conversion of the Chinese to the Roman Catholic faith, was sent out by Pope Innocent iv., in 1246; but the first successful promoter of it was John de Corvino, who was despatched to Asia by Pope Nicholas IV., in 1288. John de Corvino was allowed to settle at Pekin, where he built a church, and is said to have baptized many thousands of converts, as well as to have instructed numbers of children in the Latin language, and the tenets of Romanism. At his death, however, the establishment which

he founded seems to have sunk into insignificance, if not wholly to have ceased. It remained for the Portuguese Jesuits to establish a permanent footing in China. And this they did through the zealous labours of Francis Xavier and Ricci. The latter especially, notwithstanding fierce opposition, finally established himself at Pekin; where, by his adroit and pliant conduct -for he was a Jesuit in the true sense of the word—as well as by his great talents, he became the object of admiration. At his death, in 1610, thirty churches existed in the province of Keangnan alone; and, after that event, kindred spirits pursued the work with equal vigour and cunning. Even mandarins embraced the tenets of Popery. Since that period the Jesuits have undergone various vicissitudes. They were tolerated by some emperors, while others raised against them a fierce persecution. The period of their greatest success was during the reign of the first emperor of the Ta-tsing dynasty, when there were few large cities in which some of their establishments were not found. At that time, also, other orders flocked over to China; but when that emperor died, a general persecution commenced. They revived again, however, under the rule of Kanghe, who perceiving that he could learn much from these foreigners, took them under the wing of his protection. But dissensions rose among the different orders, which proved a stronger drawback upon their missions than all former persecutions. It raised up for them two powerful opponents in the persons of Kang-he's successors; the former of whom abolished the order of Jesuits, and the latter of whom did everything in his power to

extirpate Romanism. The present monarch, who succeeded these bitter foes to the Roman Catholic religion, has uniformly shown more forbearance till recently, when he issued a furious edict, commanding all" native Christians," on pain of death, to renounce their faith. Notwithstanding, it does not appear that any measures for putting the edict into execution have been taken. The foreign priests have been dismissed from the interior; but the "native Christians are left to worship in their private churches; for they are not permitted to worship openly, except at Macao and Pekin.

Of the Chinese Roman Catholics it has been said, that they retain much of their native character. This is no matter for wonder; for setting aside the fact, that the Jesuits, observing them wedded to antiquated custom, permitted them to retain many of their superstitions and idolatries, the religion they taught was little better calculated to improve the heart. They took away from them some of their clay-gilt gods, but they substituted for them little images and relics of saints. Hence the heart, the seat of all virtuous and pious action, remained unaffected. And thus will it remain, till touched by the Holy Spirit, through the preaching of the pure and unadulterated gospel.

PROTESTANTISM.

There have been peculiar difficulties in the way of Protestant missions in China. A broad seal has been set upon the interior, so that the heralds of the gospel could not have entered had they been sent. This is proved by the previous account of the progress of Popery in China: it was

only by art and cunning that it was introduced, and by sinful temporizing that it became established. And even after the Romanists had thus worked their way into the good graces of the Chinese, the Jesuits were finally expelled the country in disgrace.

Protestants, however, have not altogether slumbered in this good cause. Some, notwithstanding they have seen a lion in the way, have zealously braved the danger. The first of these was Dr. Morrison, who translated the Scriptures, and compiled a dictionary of the Chinese language, thereby laying a broad foundation for future operations. He was afterwards joined by Dr. Milne, who was compelled, through the jealousy of the Portuguese, to remove from the coasts of China to Malacca. This, coupled with the fact, that the friendly intercourse with Europeans is jealously watched by the Chinese government, in order to its prevention, precluded the free course of the word of life. And yet a few Chinese embraced the gospel, and were ready to venture all for the name of Christ. Yielding to the influences of the Holy Spirit, they forsook their pagan altars, and bowed down before the cross of the Redeemer. Forsaking their "lying vanities," they built their hopes on the Rock of Ages, and they testified their sincerity by pointing out that Saviour to others whom they had found so precious to their own souls.

A primary object of the missionaries has been to enlighten the nation by means of religious tracts and books. A series of such were published at Batavia and Malacca, and widely circulated in every part of the empire, as well as in