It is observed by the celebrated Mons. de Montesquieu, that "the religion of Confucius denies the immortality of the "soul, and the sect of Zeno did not believe it.-La religion "de Confucius nie l'immortalité de l'ame, et la secte de Zenon "ne la croyoit pas."* I have already considered the sentiments of the sect of Zeno on this head. As to the famous Chinese philosopher Confucius and his disciples, who, like the Stoics, have always professed to make morals their chief study, it appears by the best accounts which are given of them, that they do not acknowledge the immortality of the soul and a state of future retributions. Father Navarette, who was a long time in China, and well acquainted with their books, affirms, that Confucius knew nothing of the rewards and punishments of another life.+ He also observes concerning the second great Chinese philosopher, Meng Zu, who lived one hundred years after Confucius, and to whom the Chinese erect temples, holding him in great veneration next to Confucius, that he has admirable moral sentences; but in his books there is not the least appearance of his having the knowledge of God, of the immortality of the soul, and the rewards and punishments of a future life: and he would have mentioned this in his writings, if he had found any such thing in the doctrine of Confucius, which he diligently learned and studied. The same author observes, that the Chinese often speak of heaven's rewarding the virtuous and punishing the wicked; but that most certain it is, that they speak not of what is in the other life, but in this. They look upon rewards and punishments to be the natural and necessary attendants of virtue and vice, which accompany them as the shadow does the body.§ F. Longobardi, in the treatise I have cited before says, it is the general opinion of the Chinese, that he

* L'Esprit des Loix, vol. II. liv. 24. chap. 19. p. 166. edit. Edinb. See his Account of the Empire of China, in the first volume of Churchill's Collection of Travels and Voyages, p. 113.

+ Ibid. p. 139.

§ Ibid. p. 137, 138.

who does well, shall be naturally and of necessity rewarded, and he that does ill, punished; as he is warmed that draws near the fire, and he grows cold that is in the snow.* The same father shows, both from their classical books of greatest authority, and from the unanimous profession of the most learned mandarins, that the doctrine of future rewards and punishments is not received or acknowledged by the learned sect. Speaking of himself and other missionaries that were with him, he says, "We asked Doctor King Lun Ju, a man"darin of the court of rites, whether, according to the sect "of the learned, there was any reward or punishment in the "other life? He laughed at the question; and then an"swered, that it could not be denied that there were virtues "and vices in this world; but that all ended with death, when "the man in whom were these things, expired: and there"fore, there was no need of providing for the next life, but "only for this." F. Longobardi produces several other testimonies to the same purpose, which I need not particularly mention, and declares, that he had often conversed with their most learned mandarins in several parts of China, during the time he resided there, and found that they all agreed unanimously in this.+ He also mentions a conversation he had

* See Navarette's Account of the Empire of China, in the first volume of Churchill's Collection of Voyages and Travels, p. 185.

† Ibid. p. 197, 198. I shall, on this occason mention, what a mandarin said to F. Math. Riccio, when he discoursed with him about the Christian faith and eternal life. After having treated what the father had said concerning a future state as nothing but talk and vain words, which the wind driveth away, the mandarin plainly declared, that he looked for no higher happiness than what ariseth from things present and visible. "What "we see (said he) is the advantage of governing and commanding others. Gold, ❝ silver, wives, and concubines, as also a numerous train, goods, feastings, di" versions, and all sorts of happiness, honour and glory, are the consequences of being a mandarin. This is the happiness we covet, and which we enjoy in our great and mighty empire; and not the happiness you talk of, which is as un "profitable as it is invisible, and impossible to obtain." And in this he seems to

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have spoke the sense of the mandarins in general. These notions of theirs have a very bad influence on their moral conduct. As they look upon the enjoyVOL. II. K k

with Dr. Michael, a learned Chinese Christian, who himself was of the sect of the learned, and perfectly well acquainted with their tenets, and was one of those who were willing, as far as possible, to interpret them so as to bring them to a conformity with the Christian doctrine. Being asked by the father, "Whether after death there be any rewards or punish"ments for good or wicked men, according to the doctrine "of the learned sect? He answered, they make no mention "of any such things. Here he sighed, and complained of "the professors of that sect, for not teaching the things of an"other life: which, said he, is the cause that the multitude " is not encouraged to practise virtue in earnest. And he "commended the sect of Foe, for preaching up heaven and "hell."

Confucius being asked by one of his disciples, What angels or spirits are, answered, That they are air. And this is the notion that the Chinese have of the soul. They look upon it to be a material thing, though highly rarified: and that when the soul is separated from the body, both of them lose the individual being they had before, and nothing remains but the substance of heaven and earth which had before concurred to the composition of man, and which, as general causes, ever continue in their substantial being, and are only changed in their accidental forms.†

ment of this present world, its riches, honours, and pleasures, to be the highest and only happiness, they stick at no methods, how unfair or unjust soever, to obtain them. It is agreed by all, even by those that are most prejudiced in favour of the Chinese, that though the learned mandarins speak highly of virtue, and profess to make the doctrine of morals, and the good order of the state in general, and the happiness of each particular person their whole study, there is a great and general corruption among them, and little regard is had to justice and honesty, but every thing is carried by the force of money at their tribunals. See among others, Gemelli Carreri's Account of China, in his Voyage round the World, Part IV. book ii. chap. 4. p. 310. and ibid. chap. vii. p. 328, 330. in Churchill's Collection of Travels, &c. vol. IV. ·

* Navarette's Account of the Empire of China, in the first vol. of Churchill's Collection of Travels and Voyages, p. 199.

Ibid. p. 195.

This may suffice concerning the opinions of the learned sect in China, with respect to the immortality of the soul, and a future state of retributions. The reader may also consult to the same purpose a tract of a Chinese philosopher, in Du Halde's collection of Chinese pieces, in the third volume of his History of China.

CHAP. IV.

Concerning the philosophers who professed to believe and teach the immortality of the soul. Of these Pythagoras is generally esteemed one of the most eminent. His doctrine on this head shown to be not well consistent with a state of future rewards and punishments. Socrates believed the immortality of the soul and a future state, and argued for it. In this he was followed by Plato. The doctrine of Cicero with regard to the immortality of the soul considered. As also that of Plutarch.

Ir sufficiently appears, from what was observed in the former chapter, what confusion there was among the Heathen philosophers, with regard to the doctrine of the immortality of the soul, and a future state; that great numbers of them absolutely denied it; and others treated it as a mere uncertainty, and did not teach it as a doctrine of their schools.

But then it must be acknowledged, that there were other celebrated philosophers whose professed tenet it was that the soul is immortal. This is said to have been the doctrine of the Persian Magi, and the Indian Gymnosophists.* But what I shall particularly consider, is the doctrine of those among the Greek philosophers, who held the immortality of the soul. Of these, the most eminent were the Pythagoreans and Platonists. Let us therefore enquire into their sentiments on this head, and whether they were likely to lead the people into right notions concerning it, and which might be of real service to the cause of religion and virtue.

The Pythagoreans were generally reckoned among the most strenuous asserters of the immortality of the soul: but in asserting it they went upon a wrong principle. Pythagoras, as was observed before,+ taught that the soul was a part of the divinity or universal soul, which was every where diffused; and in this, as Cicero assures us, he was followed by

* Concerning the Indian Gymnosophists, and the wrong use they and others made of this doctrine, see what is said above, p. 169, 170. of this volume. + See here above, vol. I. chap. xii.