“The superior man accords with the course of the mean.  Though he may be all unknown, unregarded by the world, he feels no regret.  He is only the sage who is able for this.”—­Sayings of Confucius.

“There is, in a word, no bringing down of God to men in Confucianism in order to lift them up to Him.  Their moral shortcomings, when brought home to them, may produce a feeling of shame, but hardly a conviction of guilt.”—­James Legge.

    “Do not to others what you would not have them do to you.”—­The
    Silver Rule.

    “All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye
    even so to them.”—­The Golden Rule.

“In respect to revenging injury done to master or father, it is granted by the wise and virtuous (Confucius) that you and the injurer cannot live together under the canopy of heaven.”—­Legacy of Iyeyas[)u], Cap. iii, Lowder’s translation.

    “But I say unto you forgive your enemies.”—­Jesus.

    “Thou, O Lord, art our father, our redeemer, thy name is from
    everlasting.”—­Isaiah.

CHAPTER IV — THE CHINESE ETHICAL SYSTEM IN JAPAN

Confucius a Historical Character.

If the greatness of a teacher is to be determined by the number of his disciples, or to be measured by the extent and diversity of his influence, then the foremost place among all the teachers of mankind must be awarded to The Master Kung (or Confucius, as the Jesuit scholars of the seventeenth century Latinized the name).  Certainly, he of all truly historic personages is to-day, and for twenty-three centuries has been, honored by the largest number of followers.

Of the many systems of religion in the world, but few are based upon the teachings of one person.  The reputed founders of some of them are not known in history with any certainty, and of others—­as in the case of Buddhism—­have become almost as shadows among a great throng of imaginary Buddhas or other beings which have sprung from the fancies of the brain and become incorporated into the systems, although the original teachers may indeed have been historical.

Confucius is a clear and distinct historic person.  His parentage, place of birth, public life, offices, work and teaching, are well known and properly authenticated.  He used the pen freely, and not only compiled, edited and transmitted the writings of his predecessors, but composed an historical and interpretative book.  He originated nothing, however, but on the contrary disowned any purpose of introducing new ideas, or of expressing thoughts of his own not based upon or in perfect harmony with the teaching of the ancients.  He was not an original thinker.  He was a compiler, an editor, a defender and reproclaimer of the ancient religion, and an exemplar of the wisdom and writings of the Chinese fathers.  He felt that his duty