Part 34 (1/2)

Upon the cross They nailed his body, Where he shed his precious blood To save all mankind.

Three days after his death He rose from the dead, And during forty days He discoursed on heavenly things.

When he was about to ascend, He commanded his disciples To communicate his gospel And proclaim his revealed will.

Those who believe will be saved And ascend to heaven; But those who do not believe Will be the first to be condemned.

Throughout the whole world There is only one G.o.d, The Great Lord and Ruler Without a second.

The Chinese in early ages Were regarded by G.o.d; Together with the foreign states They walked in one way.

From the time of Pwan-koo,[88]

Down to the three dynasties,[89]

They honoured G.o.d, As history records.

T'hang of the Shang dynasty,[90]

And Wan of the Chow,[91]

Honoured G.o.d With the intensest feeling.

The inscription on T'hang's bathing-tub Inculcated daily renovation of mind; And G.o.d commanded him To a.s.sume the government of the empire.

Wan was very respectful And intelligently served G.o.d; So that the people who submitted to him Were two out of every three.

When Tsin obtained the empire[92]

He was infatuated with the genii, And the nation has been deluded by the devil For the last two thousand years.

Suen and Woo of the Han dynasty[93]

Both followed this bad example, So that the mad rebellion increased In imitation of Tsin's misrule.

When Woo arrived at old age, He repented of his folly, And lamented that from his youth up He had always followed the wrong road.

Ming of the Han dynasty[94]

Welcomed the inst.i.tutions of Buddha, And set up temples and monasteries To the great injury of the country.

But Hw.a.n.g of the Sung dynasty Was still more mad and infatuated, For he changed the name of Shang-te (G.o.d) Into that of Yuh-hw.a.n.g (the pearly emperor).[95]

But the Great G.o.d Is the supreme Lord Over all the world, The Great Father in heaven.

His name is most honourable, To be handed down through distant ages; Who was this Hwuy, That he dared to alter it?

It was meet that this same Hwuy Should be taken by the Tartars, And together with his son Perish in the northern desert.

From Hwuy of the Sung dynasty Up to the present day, For these seven hundred years Men have sunk deeper and deeper in error.

With the doctrine of G.o.d They have not been acquainted, While the king of Hades Has deluded them to the utmost.