where the prescribed offerings are made, and ceremonies performed. Another ceremony, called Ying-chun-"The Welcoming of Spring," is observed every year on the first day of spring. The officers go out through the east gate of the city, and find clay images of a ploughman and his ox, which have been previously made for the occasion. After witnessing a theatrical play in the temple of the God of Agriculture, which is designed to exhort the people to be industrious in agricultural pursuits, the two clay images are brought back into the city, when idolatrous worship is paid to them. On the following day they are broken in pieces in the hall devoted to the god of the passing year, which is found in Tauist temples. The fragments of these images are highly prized, and eagerly sought by the people, who carry them to their homes as a pledge of good luck for the season. The design of this ceremony seems to be to inculcate veneration for the ox and respect for husbandry. Homage paid to Deified Heroes may properly be regarded as belonging to the national idolatry of China, as all these deities are prominent men in Chinese history, and have been deified by the express authority of the Emperor. The most of these gods are of comparatively recent origin. The births of but few date back farther than the Sung dynasty, which assumed the. government of the empire A.D. 976. The title or office of a god is derived from the reigning sovereign. The conferring of these titles sometimes originates in the wish of the Emperor to hold up as an example one who has distinguished himself by his loyalty or efficiency in the civil or military service, and sometimes in the gratitude of the people, who introduce to the Emperor those who have won their hearts by favors, and purchase for them divine titles. When a community can not afford sufficient money to secure the public appointment and recognition of their favorite idol, they sometimes erect their temple and enshrine their god without this recognition. The different offices or degrees of divine honor conferred by the Emperor are no less than seven, exclusive of official titles of the living, which are sometimes retained after death as divine titles by those who are deified. The two lowest titles have now fallen into disuse, as it would be considered disrespectful to place a god at the foot of the list. Sometimes persons are deified by the Emperor while still living. The honors of the dead are also often increased, on account of some imagined interference or protection, and they are advanced to a higher grade in the scale of deified dignitaries. The most of those deified by the Emperor of his own accord are persons who have lost their lives in his service, and are thus held up as examples for imitation. It is a striking fact that, of all the gods, only the deities of the highest class attain to the title of ti, which belongs to the Emperor, who seems to regard it as an act of condescension to share this title with them, and adds to his own title the character hwang, meaning greatest. Books which give the names and histories of the gods only present the most prominent of them, while by far the greater portion is not noticed. In the Shin Sien Tung Kien, or "Complete Mirror of Gods and Genii," compiled about two hundred years ago, an account of Jesus our Saviour, as a god of the West, is given, in connection with the histories of many of the gods of the Chinese Empire. It presents a succinct and truthful narrative of his birth, life, sufferings, and death, followed by statements respecting the deification and worship of the Virgin Mary; thus giving clear evidence of its Roman Catholic origin. Our indignation at seeing the name of our Saviour in such a connection is only abated by the consideration that it was done in ignorance; indeed, most | Chinese would consider it a singular privilege and honor that a foreign name should be thus associated. Of the gods which are known and worshiped throughout the whole empire there are comparatively very few. The highest rank and honors are awarded to Confucius. He was formerly enrolled among the deities of the empire with the title POPULAR GODS OF CHINA. 145 hwang, or king; but an Emperor of the Ming dynasty, thinking it an indignity that Confucius should only rank as equal in divine honors to other gods and to himself, determined that none of the ordinary titles should be applied to him, but that the whole nation should express their special veneration and indebtedness to him by calling him Ta Ching Che Shing Sien S-"The Great, Perfect, Most Holy Teacher." Yuh Hwang Ta Ti, chief of all the gods, has temples erected to him exclusively, and his image occupies a prominent place in the Tauist temples. The people seldom pay homage to him, however, and when they do, it is rather in the form of adoration than petition, as he is regarded as too far removed in dignity from mortals to take any immediate cognizance of individual wants. The God of War is everywhere worshiped, and has temples erected to him throughout the empire. During the present civil war in China the Emperor has heaped new honors upon him, professedly, on account of alleged deliverances, but no doubt principally to inspire confidence in the fortunes of his dynasty. The God of Wealth, though inferior to many of the other gods in rank, is no doubt the one most regarded. He has not only large temples erected solely in honor of him, but every shop contains a small image of him in a little shrine, before which incense is continually burned. Other gods of general notoriety might be mentioned, but the above may be considered as the most noted, and most extensively worshiped. The histories of the gods great and small which are made up of frivolous and often incredible statements, would fill volumes. A condensed account of one of these histories may be of interest, as a specimen of the whole. The popular story respecting Tsai-shin Pu-sah-"The God of Wealth," is as follows: He was originally a tax-gatherer, and once called upon a family who professed their inability to pay their tax, and determined to stay with them till he obtained it. Before retiring to rest, he was surprised to hear G under his window the following address of an old hen to her young brood: "My master has a guest in his house, and has determined to kill me to-morrow to furnish his table. What will become of you, my dear little nestlings, weak in body, and inexperienced in the ways of the world? I must certainly give you my parting advice, as you will soon be left without any one to watch over you. Above, you must be careful that the hawk does not pounce upon you; below, that men do not tread upon you. You must not eat too much—you thus will avoid disease; born in the same nest, you must not quarrel." The tax-gatherer, struck with this address, discoursed to himself upon it thus: "If a short-lived and insignificant fowl exhibits so much understanding, and makes such plans for the future, what is the dignity of man, and how should he provide for his future wants ?" Influenced by such thoughts, he determined immediately to renounce the world, and set out at once to find a place of retirement, in order to lead the life of a recluse and cultivate virtue. With this resolution he proceeded on his way, and was met by a tiger, but so far from being terrified, he rushed forward, laid his hand upon his mane, leaped upon his back, and rode him away to his retreat. After attaining to the perfection of virtue he became a god. Such is the common popular tradition respecting the god most worshiped in China. The less noted gods, which have only a local fame, are almost innumerable. They are officers who, by their impartial administration of justice and by acts of benevolence, have endeared themselves to the hearts of the people, or private citizens who are revered on account of their virtues. Some are known in but one place, and worshiped in but one temple; others are known and worshiped in several temples in the same vicinity. Some, though their fame may be confined to one place, receive there honors hardly second to those of any other god. Every section and country has its local god and local temple, with which the people of each place are identified, and in which they feel a peculiar interest. These |