清代民間秘密宗教盛行於底層社會．即使不斷遭受官方打壓仍能頑強地生存、 擴展，其背後的經濟基礎頗值得注意。由於秘密宗教不似佛道等正統宗教較具長年累積的教 產以及穩定財源，其資金的來源多半仰賴教徒的獻納錢文。其教首或師傅藉由一套消災祈福 、追求來生富貴的理論，並提供許多符合平民百姓需求的社會功能，進而吸引教徒拜師人教 。日後他們即透過各種途徑與名目向教徒收取錢文，諸如入教敬師、傳授教法、做會上供、 舉行儀式、製做符咒、為人治病下協辦喪事等方式增加教派的財源。此外，他們尚以製造劫 數、救濟貧人、善用神蹟、編造寶卷等途徑強化教徒納錢的意願。從教徒的角度來說，其納 錢動機是希冀透過拜師入教、納錢敬師、參與教派活動的方式，可以擺脫現世生活的窮困， 享受美好的未來，或是圖謀教內職務從中獲得利益。由於教徒的虔心獻納，使得教派資金得 以不斷累積，其每年錢數多寡視教派規模大小而定，少則數兩至數十銀兩，多者數千至數萬 銀兩，不但教首的生活得以改善，教派活動亦得以維持。總之，秘密教派就在其教首、教徒 各有所需的情形下，激發其積極傳教、虔心信教的動力，遂造就教派發展的空間，遠非官方 勢力所能抑止。

　　　　　The development of folk secret religious sects flourished in Ch'ing period. The sects were widely prevalent among the lower strata society, even thought the government depressed them constantly The popularity and the flourishing of the sects, I argue, were closely related to economic factors The economic condition of the sects was inferior to Buddhism and Taoism, because the latter were possessed of religious property and steady income The income of the sects depended on the donation of believers. The leaders of the sects advanced religious theories inclusive of avoiding calamity and pursuing future happiness, and provided a lot of social function to attract popular people to join the sects The leaders utilized some ways and items to receive money from believers, such as respecting for teachers, teaching doctrine, holding rituals, making incantation, curing the disease of patients, assisting funeral In addition they still made other ways to increase the income of the sects Believers joined the sects for two reasons First, they yearned for promises of future wealth to shake off their present poverty. Second, they wished to attained religious positions to recruit new believers in order to increase their own income By the donations of pious believers, the funds accumulated constantly, and the amount of only year was from some to thousands silver Liang (兩), depending on the scale of the sects The income of the sects was not only to improve the living of the leaders, but also to maintain the activities of the sects Therefore, I argue that the economic advantages to leading or joining sects were what attracted so many from the lower strata of society to participate in secret sects so enthusiastically. As a consequence, it was difficult for the government authorities to prohibit the spread of such sects.