and practice in China point to
a simple monotheism. There was a Divine Ruler of the universe, abiding
on high, beyond the ken of man. This Power was not regarded as the
Creator of the human race, but as a Supreme Being to whom wickedness was
abhorrent and virtuous conduct a source of joy, and who dealt out
rewards and punishments with unerring justice, claiming neither love nor
reverence from mankind. If a man did his duty towards his neighbour, he
might pass his whole time on earth oblivious of the fact that such a
Power was in existence; unless perchance he wished to obtain some good
or attain some end, in which case he might seek to propitiate Him by
sacrifice and prayer. There was no Devil to tempt man astray, and to
rejoice in his fall; neither was there any belief that righteous
behaviour in this world would lead at death to absorption in the Deity.
To God, understood in this sense, the people gave the name _Tien_, which
in the colloquial language was used of the sky; and when, in the first
stages of the written character, it became necessary to express the idea
of _Tien_, they did not attempt any vague picture of the heavens, but
set down the rude outline of a man. Perhaps about this period the title
_Shang Ti_, or Supreme Ruler, came into vogue as synonymous with _Tien_.
But although the two terms were synonyms, and both may be equally
rendered by "God," there is nevertheless an important distinction to be
observed, much as though _Tien_ and _Shang Ti_ were two Persons in one
substance. _Tien_ is far more an abstract Being, while _Shang Ti_
partakes rather of the nature of a personal God, whose anthropomorphic
nature is much more strongly accentuated. _Shang Ti_ is described as
walking and talking, as enjoying the flavour of sacrifices, as pleased
with music and dancing in his honour, and even as taking sides in
warfare; whereas _Tien_ holds aloof, wrapped in an impenetrable majesty,
an _ignotum pro mirifico_. So much for religion in primeval days,
gathered scrap by scrap from many sources; for nothing like a history of
religion is to be found in Chinese literature.

Gradually to this monotheistic conception was added a worship of the
sun, moon and constellations, of the five planets, and of such
noticeable individual stars as (e.g.) Canopus, which is now looked upon
as the home of the God of Longevity. Earth, too--Mother Earth--came in
for her share of worship, indicated especially by the God of the Soil,
and