鐔津文集 12.28

12.28

原天下之善者存乎聖人之道。又天下之理者存乎聖人之才。有其才而不有其道。教不及化也。有其道而不有其才。化不及教也。堯舜得聖人之道者也。禹湯文武周公得聖人之才者也。兼斯二者得於聖人孔子仲尼者也。故曰。夫子賢於堯舜遠矣。仲尼歿百餘年而有孟軻氏作。雖不及仲尼而啟乎仲尼者也。孟軻歿而有荀卿子作。荀卿歿而楊子雲繼之。荀與楊贊乎仲尼者也。教專而道不一。孟氏為次焉。去仲尼千餘年而生於陳隋之間。號文中子者。初以十二策探時主志。視不可與為。乃卷而懷之。歸于汾北大振其教。雷一動而四海尋其聲。來者三千之徒。肖乎仲尼者也。時天下失道。諸侯卿大夫不能修之。獨文中子動率以禮務正人拯物。嘗曰。天下有道聖人藏焉。天下無道聖人章焉。返一無迹庸非藏乎。因二以濟能無章乎。昔二帝三王之政正而未記。諸侯五伯之政失而未辨。仲尼文之為六經備教化於後世也。後兩漢有天下。雜用王霸治。至其政之正者幾希矣。魏三國抵南北朝。紛紛乎而人道失極（或作極字）往者不可追來者猶可規。先王之道膴膴將明夷於地。文中子憂後世無法。且曰。千載已下有治仲尼之業者。吾不得而讓矣。固採漢魏與六代之政。文之為續經。廣教化於後世也。非有聖人之道聖人之才而孰能與於此乎。文中之於仲尼。猶日而月之也。唐興得其弟子輩發文中之經以治天下。天下遂至乎正。禮樂制度炳然。四百年比隆於三代。噫仲尼之往也幾百年。其教禍於秦。弟子之行其教而仕者。不過為列國陪臣。文中子之弟子為天子相將。其教也播及于今。何其盛哉。高示遠邁之如此也。天其以仲尼之德假乎文中子耶。吾不得而知之。讀王氏世家。愛文中之所得。大矣哉。故碑云　六經後兮。治道不精。大倫龐兮。權橘興行。文中作兮。頹波澄清。六經續兮。天下化成。孔子如日兮。文中兩明。彌萬世兮。莫之與京。

To trace the origin of goodness under heaven: it resides in the Dao of the sages. Further, the ordering of the world resides in the talent of the sages. If one has the talent but lacks the Dao, teaching will not reach transformation; if one has the Dao but lacks the talent, transformation will not reach teaching. Yao and Shun were those who attained the Dao of the sages; Yu, Tang, Wen, Wu, and the Duke of Zhou were those who attained the talent of the sages. Combining both of these was attained in the sage Confucius, Zhongni; therefore it is said: 'The Master is far worthier than Yao and Shun.' Over a hundred years after Zhongni's death, Meng Ke arose; though he did not equal Zhongni, he enlightened people to Zhongni. After Meng Ke's death, Xun Qingzi arose; after Xun Qing's death, Yang Ziyun succeeded him; Xun and Yang assisted Zhongni. Their teachings were specialized, but their Dao was not unified; Master Meng was next to him. Over a thousand years after Zhongni, born between the Chen and Sui dynasties, was the one styled Wenzhongzi. At first he explored the ruler's intent with twelve strategies; seeing that nothing could be done, he rolled them up and kept them in his bosom, returning to the north of the Fen River to vigorously revive his teachings. With a single strike of thunder, the four seas sought his sound; those who came numbered three thousand disciples, resembling Zhongni. At that time, the realm had lost the Dao; the feudatories, ministers, and grandees could not cultivate it. Only Wenzhongzi acted invariably in accordance with propriety, dedicated to rectifying people and saving creatures. He once said: 'When the realm possesses the Dao, the sage remains hidden; when the realm lacks the Dao, the sage becomes manifest.' Returning to the One without a trace: is this not hiding? Relying on the dual to effect salvation: can this not be manifest? Formerly, the governance of the Two Emperors and Three Kings was correct, but was not recorded; the governance of the feudatories and Five Hegemons was flawed, but was not distinguished. Zhongni formulated them into the Six Classics to provide instruction and transformation for later generations. Afterward, the Two Han dynasties possessed the realm, mixing kingly and hegemonic governance; as for what was correct in their governance, it was exceedingly rare. From the Three Kingdoms of Wei down to the Northern and Southern Dynasties, all was in confusion and human morality was lost to the utmost. What has passed cannot be retrieved, but what is to come can still be rectified. The Dao of the former kings was rich and fertile, but was about to suffer injury and darkening in the earth. Wenzhongzi grieved that later generations would have no model, and moreover said: 'A thousand years hence, should anyone master the enterprise of Zhongni, I cannot yield to them.' He indeed gathered the governance of the Han, Wei, and Six Dynasties, formulating them into the Continued Classics, to broaden instruction and transformation for later generations. Without the Dao of the sages and the talent of the sages, who could partake in this? Wenzhongzi's relation to Zhongni is like the moon to the sun. When the Tang arose, they obtained his disciples, who unfolded Wenzhongzi's classics to govern the realm; the realm thereupon attained rectitude, its rites, music, and institutions illustrious, rivaling the glory of the Three Dynasties for four hundred years! Alas! When Zhongni passed away, several hundred years later his teaching suffered calamity under the Qin, and those of his disciples who practiced his teaching and took office were merely ministers to feudal states; but Wenzhongzi's disciples became chief councilors and generals to the Son of Heaven, and his teachings have spread down to the present—how magnificent! His lofty manifestation and far-reaching transcendence were like this. Did Heaven perhaps lend the virtue of Zhongni to Wenzhongzi? I cannot know. Reading the genealogical house of the Wang clan, I admire what Wenzhongzi attained—how great it was! Therefore the stele inscription says: / After the Six Classics, / The Dao of governance was not refined. / The great human relationships fell into disorder; / Expediency and cunning flourished. / Wenzhong arose, / And the collapsing waves were made clear. / The Six Classics were continued, / And the realm was transformed and perfected. / Confucius was like the sun; / Wenzhong added his light. / Extending through myriad generations, / Nothing can compare with him.