ls the term God is never used except in connection with the
word "King," where it always has the sense of "by the grace of God,"
and once where the suzerain is spoken of as "the Son of God," or, as we
usually phrase it, "the Son of Heaven."

How to bring rain.--In the famous Commentary by Tso-ch'iu Ming on the
_Spring and Autumn_, which imparts a human interest to the bald entries
set against each year of these annals, there are several allusions to
the Supreme Being. For instance, at a time of great drought the Duke of
Lu wished, in accordance with custom, to burn a witch and a person in
the last stage of consumption; the latter being sometimes exposed in the
sun so as to excite the compassion of God, who would then cause rain
to fall. A Minister vigorously protested against this superstition,
pointing out that the proper way to meet a drought would be to reduce
the quantity of food consumed, and to practise rigid economy in all
things. "What have these creatures to do with the matter?" he asked. "If
God had wished to put them to death, He had better not have given
them life. If they can really produce drought, to burn them will only
increase the calamity." The Duke accordingly desisted; and although
there was a famine, it is said to have been less severe than usual.

In B.C. 523 there was a comet. A Minister said, "This broom-star sweeps
away the old, and brings in the new. The doings of God are constantly
attended by such appearances."

Under B.C. 532 we have the record of a stone speaking. The Marquis of
Lu enquired of his chief musician if this was a fact, and received the
following answer: "Stones cannot speak. Perhaps this one was possessed
by a spirit. If not, the people must have heard wrong. And yet it
is said that when things are done out of season, and discontents and
complaints are stirring among the people, then speechless things do
speak."

Human Sacrifices.--Human sacrifices appear to have been not altogether
unknown. The _Commentary_ tells us that in B.C. 637, in consequence of
a failure to appear and enter into a covenant, the Viscount of Tseng was
immolated by the people of the Chu State, to appease the wild tribes
of the east. The Minister of War protested: "In ancient times the six
domestic animals were not offered promiscuously in sacrifice; and for
small matters, the regular sacrificial animals were not used. How then
should we dare to offer up a man? Sacrifices are performed for the
benefit o