鐔津文集 5.18

5.18

人道信為之端也。人無信雖道何以教乎。道推信所以行也。信導道所以達也。君子務道。是故謹於信也。君之信存乎政也。父之信存乎親也。師友之信存乎法也。政惑則民無所信也。親欺則子無所信也。法失則宦學無所信也。故善為政者正號令而其民不敢違也。善為親者正恩愛而其子不敢疑也。善為法者正學行而其徒不敢不敬也。君子正信也。小人苟信也。正信故久行而不違其道也。苟信故久與而必失其義也。小人不信天命也。君子不信不義也。不信天命故妄求而多過也。不信不義故無妄而自裕也。然則正小人之信。莫若發乎君子之道也。奉君子之信。莫若免乎小人之過也。甚乎後世之無信也。然非人之無信也。其所以為信者不足信故也。表達路者堠書也。表人民者教令也。堠書惑則達路者所以迷南北也。教令失則人民者所以欺上下也。湯武者有教而天下稟也。有誓而天下從也。是亦其所表端也。為後世者出令而自惑。行事而自欺。說道而自反。若是則是示無信于其民也。于其子也于其徒也其為無信不亦宜乎。恐世失誠。堯舜所以謹信也。恐世失信。湯武所以誥誓也。恐世失誥誓。春秋所以謹盟約也。恐世失盟約。諸侯所以交質子也。然盟愈謹而渝愈數。質愈重而亂愈甚。故曰諸侯苟信而非信。三王推信而招信。五帝懷信而大信。大信故不令而人自化也。推信故有令而人自從也。無信故雖令而人不敬也。不令者其化誠也。有令者其教正也。雖令者其政亂也。武王伐紂八百諸侯不期而會于孟津。武王以大義信于天下。而天下不忍不從也。唐太宗肆當刑之人以期。而其人應期皆至。太宗以大刑信於天下。而天下不敢不服也。可信而不信不智也。不可信而信不祥也。信可信信誠也。信不可信信佞也。信佞危之也。信誠安之也。君子之信安危之所繫。可不慎乎。君子信人之言。而不揣人之情也。小人揣人之情。而不信人之言也。

In the human way, trustworthiness is the beginning. If a person lacks trustworthiness, even if there is a way, how could it be taught? When the way extends trustworthiness, it is practiced; when trustworthiness guides the way, it reaches fulfillment. The gentleman attends to the way, and therefore is scrupulous about trustworthiness. A ruler's trustworthiness resides in government; a father's trustworthiness resides in affection; a teacher or friend's trustworthiness resides in law and model. If government is confused, the people have nothing to trust. If parents deceive, their children have nothing to trust. If law and standards fail, scholars and officials have nothing to trust. Therefore, those skilled in governing make commands and ordinances upright, so that their people dare not disobey. Those skilled in parental affection make love and kindness upright, so that their children dare not doubt. Those skilled in law and standards make learning and conduct upright, so that their disciples dare not be disrespectful. The gentleman possesses upright trustworthiness; the petty man possesses improper trustworthiness. Because the gentleman has upright trustworthiness, he acts long without violating his way. Because the petty man has improper trustworthiness, he associates long and inevitably loses what is right. The petty man does not believe in the Mandate of Heaven; the gentleman does not trust unrighteousness. Because he does not believe in the Mandate of Heaven, the petty man seeks blindly and errs greatly; because he does not trust unrighteousness, the gentleman has no delusions and remains naturally self-possessed. If so, to rectify the trust of the petty man, nothing surpasses setting forth the way of the gentleman; to uphold the trust of the gentleman, nothing surpasses avoiding the faults of the petty man. How extreme is the untrustworthiness of later ages! Yet it is not that the people lack trustworthiness; rather, it is that what they are asked to trust is unworthy of trust. What marks a thoroughfare is the post marker; what marks the people is instruction and ordinance. If post markers are misleading, those on thoroughfares lose their way north and south; if instructions and ordinances fail, the people deceive superiors and inferiors. Tang and Wu gave instructions, and the world received them; they took oaths, and the world followed them—this was because what they displayed was upright. Men of later ages issue commands yet are confused themselves; they act and deceive themselves; they speak of the way and contradict themselves. If this is how it is, they show untrustworthiness to their people, to their children, and to their disciples; is it not fitting that there should be no trust? Fearing that the world would lose sincerity, Yao and Shun were scrupulous about trustworthiness; fearing that the world would lose trustworthiness, Tang and Wu used proclamations and oaths; fearing that the world would lose proclamations and oaths, the Spring and Autumn period was scrupulous about covenants; fearing that the world would lose covenants, the feudal lords exchanged hostage sons. Yet the more scrupulous the covenants, the more frequent the betrayals; the weightier the hostages, the more severe the chaos. Thus it is said: the feudal lords had improper trust, which is not true trust; the Three Kings extended trustworthiness and summoned trust; the Five Thearchs embraced trustworthiness and attained great trust. Because of great trust, without commands the people transformed of themselves; because of extended trust, when there were commands the people followed of themselves; because of no trust, even with commands the people were disrespectful. Where there were no commands, transformation was sincere; where there were commands, instruction was upright; where commands were ignored, government was in chaos. When King Wu marched on Zhou, eight hundred feudal lords assembled at the Ford of Meng without prior agreement; King Wu was trusted throughout the world for his great righteousness, and the world could not bear not to follow him. Emperor Taizong of Tang released condemned criminals on a promise, and when the appointed time arrived, they all came; Taizong was trusted throughout the world for his great justice, and the world dared not disobey. To trust what is untrustworthy is an ill omen; to distrust what is trustworthy is unwisdom. To trust the trustworthy is to trust sincerity; to trust the untrustworthy is to trust flattery. Trusting flattery endangers; trusting sincerity secures. The trustworthiness of the gentleman is that upon which safety and danger depend; can one not be prudent? The gentleman trusts another's words and does not pry into their hidden motives; the petty man pries into hidden motives and does not trust another's words.