1850.
Term for Elohim and Theos.
187
it to mortal man. This was likewise at a time, when it is clear from their ancient works, the Chinese possessed a purer theology and more correct notions of the divine Being and character than they now do.
2. Ti as used by the Chinese, is a term which carries with it, not the idea of a simple personal name, but of power, dignity and autho- rity. It is seldom or never applied otherwise than to designate ob- jects of real or supposed greatness, natural, moral or official, or some or all of these attributes combined. Hence, when the founder or follow- ers of the system of Rationalism wished to give dignity and promi- nence to their system and the new objects of worship introduced by them, they applied this term by way of usurpation to some of those objects. This is the origin of the famous Yuh-hwáng shángtí
上帝, and also of Hiven-tien shángti 玄天上帝, both of
whom are now objects of worship. By some the first of these two Ti has been erroneously confounded with the shangti of the sa- cred books. The origin and history of Yuhhwáng shángtí is mentioned
in Vol. X., page 305 of the Repository; and notices of the other are given in Vol. XVIII. page 102.
Closely allied to the above characteristics, but in my view adding force to the suitableness of using tito designate Deity, is the fact, that it is the term used by the Chinese to convey the idea of god- like, just as they use shin for anything spirit-like. Hence it is, that those objects of religious worship, which most resemble the one great T. of ancient record and veneration are designated by the same term; hence, too, he, who according to the prevalent and venerated philosophy is the one great T'i's visible representation in tien hiá F, or this world, and is regarded as having been by this One Great one so appointed, is also designated tí, or has assumed this as his peculiar title. Whatever may be our opinion as to the inappropriateness of such ap- plication, according to Chinese philosophy there is propriety in giving to their Emperor the title of t'ien tsz' and of ti : not of shin, because he has rather too much of gross material belonging to him, but of tí a ruler of dignity and authority, and by the great autocrat so ap- pointed. True, we may feel there is much arrogance, if not some- thing more heinous in such an application. The same application was also true of dɛog, for Strabo uses, § 6. xaigap. Let the Emperor of China once feel and heartily acknowledge the power of divine truth, and such use of tí will be disallowed.
Is a term to be rejected because it has been abused in its applica- tion? Then the translators of the LXX, and the writers of the