222 GOD'S CHINESE SON with a lengthy text in Chinese that argues the Christian doctrine with great force and yet denies that God can have material nature,Hong alters it with care before releasing it as a Taiping sacred text.Hong makes both deletions and additions.He deletes the statement"God is immaterial and invisible,"adding instead the sentence"He can be seen only by those who ascend to Heaven."Hong also cuts a longer passage that runs as follows: "God is without form,sound,scent or taste;we can neither observe His form,nor hear His voice,nor feel nor perceive Him by any bodily organs." And Hong substitutes for this and other lengthy passages of similar import remarks designed to humanize the God whom he has seen,such as the homely metaphor "When the house leaks God can observe it."Thus purged and amplified,the text is published as a Taiping sacred work in 1854.23 Simpler on the surface,but perhaps deeper in theological implications, is the formal declaration by Hong that henceforth Yang Xiuqing shall bear a new title in addition to those he already possesses.Because of the solace the East King has brought him by his frankness and fearless hon- csty,says Hong,Yang shall be called the“Comforter'”and the“Wind of the Holy Spirit,"the phrase that the Taiping use to translate the "Holy Ghost,"or third person of the Trinity.By conferring this title,says Hong, he consciously echoes the words used by Jesus,who "addressed his disci- ples,saying 'At some future day the Comforter will come into the world.'"Hong is here referring to the fourteenth chapter of John's Gos- pel,which-though not yet published by the Taiping-has been in his possession for several years in Gutzlaffs Chinese translation.According to John,at the end of the Last Supper,Jesus tells his anxious disciples,"I will pray to the Father,and he shall give you another Comforter,that he may abide with you for ever."Jesus also says,"The Comforter,which is the Holy Ghost,whom the Father will send in my name,he shall teach you all things,and bring all things to your remembrance,whatsoever I have said unto you"(John 14:16 and 26). The phrase "Holy Ghost,"so central in the Christian idea of the Trin- ity,is muted in this early Chinese translation.But there is no denying that when Hong says to Yang that"the Comforter and the Wind of the Holy Spirit spoken of by our Heavenly Elder Brother is none other than your- self,"he has ventured into new and difficult terrain,especially since Hong knows well the passage in John's first epistle,where it is written,"For there are three that bear record in heaven,the Father,the Word,and the Holy Ghost:and these three are one."24 That Yang,through deliberate manipulation of Hong,is here moving222 GoD’ s CHINEsE S0N with a lcngthy tcxt in Chincsc that argucs thc Christian doctrinc 、vith grcat forcc and yct dcnics that God can havc rnatcrial naturc,Hong altcrs it、vith carc bc%rc rclcasing it as a Taiping sacrcd tcxt.Hong rnakcs both dclctions and additions.Hc dclctcs thc statcmcnt“ God is iln1natcrial and invisiblc,’’adding instcad thc scntcncc‘ ‘Hc can bc sccn only by thosc l。 vho asccnd to Hcavcn。 ”Hong also cuts a longcr passagc that runs as foll° 、vs∶ ‘‘()od is、 vithout forΠ1,sound,sccnt or tastc;、Vc can ncithcr° bscrvc⒈Ⅱs torm,nor hcar His voicc,nor fccl nor pcrccivc Hirn by any bodily organs,” And Hong substitutcs for this and othcr lcngthy passagcs ofsirnⅡ ar import rcmarks dcsigncd to humanizc thc God、vhom hc has sccn,suCh as thc homcly mctaphor “、、厂hcn thc housc lcaks God can obscrvc it。 ” Thus ;搏 梦 ⒛ dmu翮 丿k暾 、 puu、 kd灬 aT⒋∮ng mσd啷 kh Sirnplcr on thc surfacc,but pcrhaps dccpcr in thcological imphcations, is thc formal dcclaration by Hong that hcnccforth Yang》 【iuqing shaⅡ bcar a nc、 v titlc in addition to thosc hc alrcady posscsscs。 BCCausc of thc solacc thc East lκ1ing has brought hirn by his frankncss and fcarlcss hon冖 csty,says Hong,Yang shaⅡ bc caⅡ cd thc“ColllFortcr” and thc‘ ‘ll/ind。f thc Holy Spirit,” thc phrasc that thc'Γaiping usc to translatc thc‘ ‘Holy Ghost,” °r third pcrson ofthc∶ Γrinity.By confcrring this tidc,says Hong, hc consci° usly cchocs thc、 v° rds uscd by JCsus,who‘‘addrcsscd his disci~ plcs, saying ‘At s° mc ft】 turc day thc Comfortcr 、vⅡ l comc into thc world,’ ”Hong is hcrc rcfcⅡ ing to thc%urtccnth chaptcr of John’ sG°s~ pcl, 、vhich__though not yct pubhshcd by thc Taiping— _has bccn in his posscssion for scvcral ycars in Gutzlaf「 s Chincsc translati° n.丿 to John,at thc cnd ofthc Last Suppcr,Jcsus tClls his Onxious disciplcs,“ `ccordingI 、vⅡ l pray to thc Fathcr,and hc shall givc you anothcr CoIllfortcr,that hc may abidc witll you%r cvcr.” JCsus also stays,“ Thc Comforrcr,which is thc Holy Ghost,whom thc Fathcr wⅡ I scnd in my namc,hc shall tcach you all things,and bring aⅡ things to your rcmcmbrancc,、 vhatsocVcr I havc said unt° you” (John14∶ 16and26) Thc phrasc“ Holy Ghost,” s° ccntral in thc Christian idca of thc'Γ rin￾ity,is rnutcd in this carly Chincsc translation,But thcrc is no dcnying that whcn Hong says to Yang that“ thc Co∏1fortcr and thc、 、厂ind ofthc Holy Spirit spokcn of by our Hcavcnly Eldcr Bf° thcr is nonc Othcr than your~ scl∴ ”hc has vcnturcd into nc、 v and di±^scult tcrrain,cspcciaⅡ y sincc Hong kn° ws wdl thc passagc in John’ s nrst cpistlc,whcrc it is writtcn,“ For thcrc arc thrcc that bcar rccofd in hcavcn,thc Fathcr,thc Word,and thc Holy CJhost∶ and thcsc thrcc arc Onc,’ ’24 That Yang,through dchbcratc lη anipulation° fI△ ong,is hcfc moving