Horae Sinicae: Translations from the Popular Literature of the Chinese/Extract from the Ho-Kiang
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EXTRACT
FROM
HO-KIANG.
A Paraphrase of the Sun-yu.
"The emperor sacrifices to heaven and earth; governors of states to the gods of the country; superior officers to the five household gods; and the people sacrifice to their ancestors."
From this passage it appears, that, whatever ideas of worship are entertained in the rite of sacrificing to the heavens and earth, the gods of the country, and the household gods; the same kind of religious honour is paid by the common people of China, to their ancestors.