1850.
Defense of an Essay, &c.
591
To prove that the shin are the gods of the Chinese, we show that the class of beings so called have been worshiped from the earliest aunals of the Empire to the present time; that the highest being known to them, viz., Tien heaven, and Ti earth (worshiped at the solstices in the highest sacrifice, called kián); the beings who preside over the five elements (the immediate producers of all things, styled the Five Rulers); those who preside over the land and grain; the go- vernor of the seas; the dispenser of wealth; the bestower of longevity; the tutelary guardian of their cities; the patrons of every kind of their handicraftsmen; in short, every invisible being, who is invoked by them in times of either joy or sorrow, is included in and worshiped under this general name Shin.
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We show that in explaining the phrase Shangti, the title of their chief deity, they make him neither more nor less than the chief of their shin. “Shángti, the Supreme Ruler, is the Shin of heaven." "Sháng- ti is the most honorable of the shin.” Expansive Heaven, the Su- preme Ruler (Shángtí) is the most honorable of the hundred shin," i. c. of all the shin. "They used the Yen-sz' to sacrifice to Expan- sive Heaven, the Supreme Ruler (Shangtí); this offering did not be- long to any other shin." The chief of the shin is thus described:- "The greatest of the celestial Shin is called Expansive Heaven, the Supreme Ruler (Shangti). He (this chief shin) is also called the celestial, august, great Ruler; also the GREAT ONE, or Unity, “Tui yih 大一 The Great ONE 太 is the most honorable of the Shin of heaven." "The Shin of heaven (tien shin F) is most honorable, and (a Being) with whom none can be compared."
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We show that from the time of Shun, there has been an officer ap- pointed to superintend the rites and ceremonies used at the worship of this class of beings; that of the ceremonies thus used in the na- tional worship, we are told, "the principal object of these ceremonies is to serve the shin;" and that "in regulating their ceremonies, those which were used in the service of the shin were considered most im- portant," thereby excluding all idea of the existence of a class of beings who are above this class called shin, and who being worshiped with higher ceremonies, are therefore to be considered the gods of the Chinese. In the Shú King, we find the phrase “shin and men,” just as we meet with the phrase "gods and men" in the Greek poets.
These facts appear to me amply sufficient to sustain my position that Shin is the general name of the Chinese gods-the absolute ap- pellative name for god in the Chinese language, and to show that this word answers to the word :05 in the Homeric and Hesiodic poems.