Record of the Reconstruction of the Ching-Chen-Si

A-wu-lo-han (Abraham), the patriarch who founded Israel ( ) the religion of the joyful inheritance conferred by the Great One, was the nineteenth descendant from Pan-ku ( ), or A-tan ( Adam).

From the beginning of the world the patriarchs have handed down the precept that we must not make images and similitudes, and that we must not worship ghosts (Shen-gui,  ) for neither can images and similitudes protect, nor the ghosts afford us aid. The patriarch thinking upon Heaven(God), the pure and ethereal Being who dwells on high, the Most honourable and without compare, that Divine Providence, who, without speaking, causes the four seasons to revolve, and the myriad of things to grow; and looking at the budding of spring, the growth of summer, the in­ gathering of harvest, and the storing of winter, at the objects that fly, dive, move and vegetate, whether they flourish or decay, bloom or droop, all so easy and natural in their productions and transformations, intheir assump­ tions of form and colour, was suddenly roused to reflec­ tion, and understood this deep mystery; he then sincerely sought after the correct instruction, and adoringly praised the true Heaven (God); with his whole heart he served, and with his undivided attention reverenced Him; by this means he set up the foundation of religion, and caused it to be hand­ ed down to the present day. This happened according to our enquiry, in the 146th. year of the Chow ( ), state [it is unclear if this text is intended to be bold or is merely bold because it was added later] (Chow state of the days of Shun, B.C.2254). From him the doctrines were handed down to the great teacher and legis­ lator Moses ( ), who according to our computation lived about the 613th. year of the same state. This man was was intelligent from his birth, pure and disinterested, endowed with benevolence and righteousness, virtue and wisdom all complete; he sought and obtained the sacred writings on the top of Sinai mountain ( ),where he fasted forty days and nights, repressing his carnal desires, refraining even from sleep, and spending his time in sincere devotion. His piety moved the heart of heaven (God), and the sacred writings, amounting to fifty-three sections, were thus obtained. Their con­ tents are deep and mysterious, their promises calculated to influence men's good feelings, and their threatenings to repress their corrupt imaginations.

The doctrines were again handed down to the time of the reformer of religion and wise instructor Ezra ( ), whose descent was reckoned from the founder of our religion, and whose teaching contained the right clue to his instruc­ tions, viz., the duty of honouring Heaven (God) by appro­ priate worship; so that he could be considered capable of unfolding the mysteries of the religion of our forefathers. But religion must consist in the purity and truth of Divine worship. Purity refers to the Pure One, who is without mixture; truth to the correct One, who is without corrup­ tion; worship consists in reverence, and in bowing down to the ground. Men in their daily avocations must not for a single moment forget Heaven, but at the hours of four in the morning, mid-day, and six in the evening, should thrice perform their adorations, which is the true principle of the religion of Heaven. The form observed by the virtuous men of antiquity was, first to bathe and change their clothes, taking care at the same time to purit ^[inline]f^y their hearts and correct their senses, after which they reverently approach­ ed before Eternal Reason and the Sacred Writings. Eternal Reason is Reason is without form or figure, like the Eternal Reason of Heaven, exalted on high. We will here endeavour to set forth the general course of Divine worship in order. First, the worshipper bending his body, does reverence to Eternal Reason, by which means he recognizes Eternal Reason as pre­ sent in such bending of the body; the standing upright in the midst, without declining, he does obeisance to Eternal Reason, by which means he recognises Eternal Reason as stand­ ing in the midst; in stillness, maintaining his spirit, and silently praising, he venerates Eternal Reason, showing that he incessantly remembers Heaven; in motion, examining him­ self, and lifting up his voice, he honours Eternal Reason, showing that he unfailingly remembers Heaven. This is the way in which our religion teaches us to look towards in­ visible space and perform our adorations.

Retiring three paces, the worshipper gets suddenly to the rear, to show this reverence for the Eternal Reason who is behind him; advancing five steps, he looks on before, to show his reverence for the Eternal Reason, who is in front of his person; he bows towards the left, reverencing Eternal Reason, whereby he admires the Eternal Reason who is on his left; he bows towards the right, revencing Eternal Rea­ son, whereby he adores the Eternal Reason who is on his right; looking up, he reverences Eternal Reason, to shew that he considers Eternal Reason as above him; looking down, he reverences Eternal Reason, to shew that he considers Eternal Reason as close to him; at the close, he worships Eternal Reason, manifesting reverence in this act of adoration. But to venerate Heaven and to neglect ancestors, is to fail in the services which are their due. In the spring and autumn, therefore, men sacrifice to their ancestors, to shew that they serve the dead as they do the living, and pay pay the same respect to the departed, that they do to those who survive. The offer sheep and oxen, and present the fruits of the season, to shew that they do not neglect the honour due to ancestors, when they are gone from us. During the course of every month we fast and abstain four times, which constitutes the door by which religion is entered, and the basis on which goodness is accumulated. It is called an entrance because we practise one act of goodness today and another tomorrow; thus having commenced the merit of abstinence, we add to our store, avoiding the practice of every vice, and reverently performing every virtue. Every seventh day we observe a holy rest, which when terminated begins anew; as it is said in the Book of Diagrams, "The good man in the practice of virtue, apprehends lest the time should prove too short". At each of the four seasons we lay ourselves under a seven days’ restraint, in remem­ brance of the trials endured by our ancestors; by which means we venerate our predecessors and reward our pro­ genitors; we also abstain entirely from food during a whole day, when we reverently pray to Heaven, repent of our former faults, and practice anew the duties of each day. The Book of Diagrams also says, "When the wind and thunder prevail, the good man thinks of what virtues he shall practice, and if he has any errors he reforms them". Thus our religious system has been handed down, and communicated from one to another. It came originally from India ( ), those who introduced it in obedience to the Divine command were seventy clans, viz., those of Yen Li Ngai Kao Muh Chao Kin Chow Chang Shih Hwang Nie Tso Pah and others. These brought as tribute some western cloth. The Emperor of the Sung Dynasty (Heaou-tsung or Lung-hing 1163.) said, "Since they have come to our to our Central Land, and reverently observe the customs of their ancestors, let them hand down their doctrines at Pien-liang (Kai-feng)" In the first year of Lung-hing, of the Sung Dynasty, in the 20th year of the 65th Cycle (A.D. 1166 ?) Lie Ching and Wu ^[inline]-^ssi-ta superintended this religion, and Yen Tu-la ( ) built the synagogue. In the reign of Chin-yuen ( ) of the Yuen dynasty, or the 16th year of the 67th Cycle (A.D. 1280).wu-ssi-ta rebuilt the ancient temple of Truth and Purity, which was situated in the Tu Shih tzi street, on the south-east side; on each side the area of the temple extended 350 feet. When the first Emperor of the Ming dynasty (1390) establish­ ed his throne and pacified his empire, all those who came under the civilizing influence of our country were present­ ed with ground, on which they might dwell quietly, and profess their religion without molestation, in order to manifest a feeling of sympathizing benevolence, which views all alike. But as this temple required someone to look after its concerns, there were appointed for that purpose Li-cheng, Li-shih, Yen-ping-tu, Ngai-ging, Chou-an, Li-kang, and others, who were themselves upright and intelligent men, and able to admonish others, having attained the title of Man-la (Mullah) . So that up to this time, the sacred vestments, ceremonies and music, are all maintained according to the prescribed pattern, and every word and action is conformed to the ancient rule; every man there­ fore keeps the laws, and knows how to reverence Heaven, and respect the patriarchs, being faithful to the prince, and filial to parents, all in consequence of the efforts of these teachers. Yen-cheng, who was skilled in medicine, in the 19th. year of Yung-lo (A.D. 1417), received the imperial commands communicated through Chow-fu-ting-wang ( ( ) ( ), to present incense in the temple of Truth and purity, which was then repaired; about the same time also there was received the imperial tablet of the Ming dynasty, to be erected in the temple. In the 21st. year of Yung-lo (1422), the above-named officer reported that he had executed some trust reposed in him; whereupon the Emperor changed his surname to Chao, and conferred upon him an embroidered garment, and a title of dignity, elevat­ ing him to be a magistrate in Chekiang Province.

In the 10th. year of Cheng-tung (1465), Li-yung and some others rebuilt the three rooms in front of the synago­ gue. It appears that in the 5th. year of Tien-shun (13490^[inline])^, the Yellow River had inundated the synagogue, but the foun­ dations were still preserved; whereupon Ngai-ging and others petitioned to be allowed to restore it to its original form, and through the chief magistrate of the Prefecture, received an order from the Treasurer of the Honan Province, granting that it might be done in conformity with the old form of the temple of Truth and Purity that had existed in the time of Chih-yuan (1290-; whereupon "Li-yun provided the funds, and the whole was made quite new.

During the reign of Cheng-hwa (1470) Kao-chien provided the funds for repairing the three rooms at the back of the synagogue. He also deposited therein three volumes of the Sacred Writings. Such is the history of the front and back rooms of the synagogue. During the reign of Tien-shun (1440), Shih-pin, Kao-chien and Chang-hsuen, had brought from the professors of this religion at Ningpo, one volume of the Sacred Writings; while Chao Ying-cheng, of Ningpo, sent another volume of the Divine Word, which was presented to the synagogue at Pien-liang, or Kaifeng Foo. His younger brother Ying also provided funds, and in the second year of Hung-chih Hung-Chih (1488) strengthened the foundations of the synago­ gue. Ying with myself Chung, entrusted to Chao-tsun the setting up of the present tablet; Yen-tu-la had already fixed the foundation of the building, and commenced to work; to­ wards the compe^[inline]l^etion of which, all the families contributed; and thus provided the sacred implements and furniture con­ nected with the cells for depositing the sacred writings, causing the whole synagogue to be painted and ornamented, and put into a complete repair. For I conceive that the three religions of China have each their respective temples, and severally honour to founders of their faith; among the li­ terati there is the temple of Great Perfection (Ta-cheng), dedicated to Confucius; among the Buddhists there is the temple of the Sacred Countenance (Sheng-yung), dedicated to Buddha (Ni-mu ); and among the Taoists there is the temple of Yi-hwang. (Jewel Emperor). So also in the True and Pure religion there is the temple of the inheritance of Israel (Yi-si-lo-yie erected to the honour of August Heaven (Hwang-tien).

Although our religion agrees in many respects with the religion of the literati, from which it differs in a slight degree, yet the main design of it is nothing more than rever­ ence for Heaven, and veneration for ancestors, fidelity to the prince, and obedience to parents, just that which is in­ culcated in the five human relations, five constant vir­ tues, with the three principal connections of life. It is to be observed however that people merely know that in the temple of 'Truth and Purity ceremonies are performed, where we reverence Heaven, and worship towards no visible object; but they do not know that the great origin of Eternal Reason comes from Heaven, and that what has been handed down from of old to the present day, must not be falsified. Although  Although, our religion enjoins worship thus earnestly, we do not render it merely with the view of securing hap­ piness to ourselves, but seeing that we have received the favours of the prince, and enjoyed the em^o^luments conferred by him, we carry to the utmost our sincerity in worship with the view of manifesting fidelity to our prince, and grati­ tude to our country. Thus we pray that the Emperor’s rule may be extended to myriads of years, and that the imperial dynasty may be firmly established; as long as heaven and earth endure, may there be favourable winds and seasonable showers, with mutual enjoyment of tran­ quility.

We have engraven these our ideas on the imperishable marble, that they may be handed down to the latest genera­ tion.

Composed by a promoted literary graduate of the Kaifeng Prefecture named Chin-chung; inscribed by a literary gra­ duate of purchased rank, of the Ksianh-fu district, named Tsao-tso; and engraven by a literary graduate of purchased rank of Kaifeng Prefecture, named Fu-ju. Erected on a for­ tunate day in the middle of summer in the 2nd. year of Hung-chih (1489), in the 46th year of the 70th cycle, by a disciple of the religion of Truth and Purity.