China and the West

Jones, William. On the philosophy of the Asiaticks [ID D27059].
"Our divine religion, the truth of which (if any history be true) is abundantly proved by historical evidence, has no need of such aids as many are willing to give it, by asserting, that the wisest men of this world were ignorant of the two great maxims, that we must act in respect of others as we should wish them to act in respect of ourselves, and that, instead of returning evil for evil, we should confer benefits, even on those who injure us : but the first rule is implied in a speech of Lysias, and expressed in distinct phrases by Thales and Pittacus ; and I have even seen it, word for word, in the original of Confucius, which I carefully compared with the Latin translation. It has been usual with zealous men to ridicule and abuse all those who dare on this point to quote the Chinese philosopher ; but, instead of supporting their cause they would shake it, if it could be shaken, by their uncandid asperity ; for they ought to remember, that one great end of revelation, as it is most expressly declared, was not to instruct the wise and few, but the many and unenlightened."