THE FIRST CHINESE BIBLE.--BEING OF PO, AN IESU, CHOSEN BY GOD FOR THE CHILDREN OF JAFFETH
.1. THESE are the generations of the line of Light from the time of Zarathustra:
2. Shu sa, Gwan, Loo, Sam, Dhi Jo, Wee, Him, Gow, See, Wing, He Wen, Tse Kong, Lam Ne, Moo Yow Tine, Luts, Hime, Mai Se, Hong, Ghee, Wan Ghee, Tse Loo, succeeding one another.
3. All the foregoing were seers and prophets of God (Light), having the Voice from their youth up, and were each in turn a shield and guardian unto the chosen of God (Faithists).
4. God (Light) said: With Tse Loo, behold, the Voice was lost. But I called aloud on the face of the earth, and my Light spread abroad.
5. And there came a woman of Che Song, named Ha-se, an I'hin, through whom the Voice was regained.
6. Ha-se had seven sons and seven daughters, all of whom heard the Voice, and saw the Light.
7. And God divided the fourteen sons and daughters, one from another, and sent them in different ways.
8. These, then, are the tribes than sprung of them: King, Si, Gwe, Loo, Hi-Gah, Hi-se-Gua, Yo, Ha Fung, Ne, Hi Lam, Se'ing, Yuth, Lo, Jon, Ying'e and Ho Lun Gow.
9. From the line of Ha Fung sprang Enam-jo and Ze'zoo (half I'hin). From Ying'e sprang No'e and Yu Laim; also Yu'tse and He-ah. And God commanded the He-ahns to dwell toward the south, and they so dwelt.
10. From the line of King descended the We Yah-ho; and they lived toward the north and made fellowship with the Foe-Sim, who were I'huans by blood, and also followers of the Zarathustrian law under the name Sa Sin, having rab'bahs whom they called bah, the same as to this day.
11. From the tribes of Foe-Sim sprang Han; and from We Yah-Ho sprang Hi and Te-Wing'e; both of which tribes had the Light and the Voice.
12. And all the north regions of Jaffeth dwelt in peace and happiness.
13. And God looked upon them and blessed them in all things.
14. Nevertheless, it came to pass that the tribes of Han forgot the commandments of God; and Le Han, a mighty chieftain, rose up amongst them, and re-established the Osirian doctrines; that corporeal knowledge should stand higher than the Ormazdian law.
15. Han usurped the central throne of Jaffeth, calling himself HAN, KING OF THE SUN. And so Han gave himself up to getting knowledge, and to enforcing knowledge upon the people.
16. Han issued the following decree: Han, King of the Sun! Behold, there is one sun and his satellites. There shall be but one kingdom, with satellites.
17. Behold me, I am the sun king! I will put away all other doctrines and learning. Let all the world bow down to me!
18. Han was asked: Shall a man not worship the Unseen? He answered: Better is it to worship a stone, which thou canst see.
19. Han said: Worship not in words, but in works; worship not in prayer, but in doing righteously. What is prayer but crying to one's own weakness?
20. If there be an Unseen Light, He will do His own way. What is the use of praying to Him? Rites and ceremonies to Him are the expression of folly. Rites and ceremonies to our forefathers are excusable. If their souls continue to exist, the rites and ceremonies may give them good pleasure.
21. So, Han abolished the worship of Jehovih (Light) and His God and Lords.
22. God looked down from his holy hill in heaven, and he said: It is well; let Han have dominion. Behold, Han enraptureth the multitude with his new doctrines, remembering not that these doctrines were tried thousands of years before.
23. God prophesied through his prophet Ze-wing'e, saying: Hear me, O Han, and all ye people of the whole world. I prophesy by the Voice and Light (God and Jehovih); I know my words are true words; By words the p. 314b soul is bent; by not praying to the Unseen, the Unseen will be forgotten. By the abolition of rites and ceremonies to the Gods, the Gods will be forgotten. Man will rise up in self-conceit against his Creator, saying: Behold me; I am the highest of all things; my judgment is the greatest of all wisdom. And the tribes of men will aspire to establish opinions as fundamental doctrines. War and destruction will come upon the nations!
24. Han would not heed the prophecy of God. Han established what was called THE FIRST HAN DYNASTY, and it overspread the land of Jaffeth from centre to circumference.
25. And there came of the laws of Han great persecution against the Faithists, the worshippers of Jehovih (Light).
26. Han said: Try them by the food they eat; and whoso refuseth to eat fish or flesh shall suffer death. Neither shall any man nor woman have favor in the courts, who holdeth sacred the life of a cow, or a horse, or a dog, or any other animal on the face of the earth, or in the waters, or in the air above the earth.
27. So, the Faithists, the followers of the Zarathustrian law, were outlawed, and were tortured and put to death on every hand. And it had come true as prophesied by Ze-wing'e.
28. God said: Behold, they have not only forgotten the Creator, and denied His Person in words, but in behavior also. For they no longer hold sacred anything He created alive, even man.