vernor-general's letter, which she brought, was, we understand most satisfactory to the consul. For captain Campbell this was a rare opportunity for increasing our knowledge of the Yángtsz' kiáng. The captain speaks in the highest terms of Mr. Parkes' conduct on this mission.

ART. III. A Dissertation on the Theology of the Chinese, with a view to the elucidation of the most appropriate term for expressing the Deity in the Chinese language. By W. H. Medhurst, sen. Printed at the Mission Press [of the London Missionary Society] Shanghái, 1848. Pp. 280.

CONSIDERING the circumstances under which this little book comes before the public-written by the man who of all those living has been longest engaged in the Protestant missions to the Chinese, and designed to elucidate the most difficult subject now engaging the attention of all those who are interested in the Revision of the translation of the Bible in this language-we deem it our duty to draw to it the attention of all concerned in this question. It is especially important that every argument, bearing on the point at issue, should be brought forwards and duly considered. It will be seen in the article from the pen of Dr. Medhurst, that his views of translating the words Elohim and Theos are very different from our own; and though in the work before us, there are very few pages that we are willing to endorse still it embodies a large amount of information and we earnestly recommend its perusal. In a prefatory note Dr. Medhurst writes thus regarding it.

"The following Dissertation, as the title imports, was written with the view of elucidating the views of the Chinese on the subject of theology, in order to enable Christian writers, and translators of the Scriptures, to ascertain what would be the best term by which to express the name of God in Chinese. To set the question in a true light, it was thought necessary to refer to the classical writings, and especially those of the Confucian school; because these always have and still do, exercise the greatest influence over the mind of China; and notwithstanding the additions of foreign religions, and (in the estimation of the Literati) heretical notions, the classics must and will form the basis of thought and expression throughout China for ages to come. This method of conducting the argument has necessarily drawn attention to the identical opinions of Chinese philosophers; and

thus, independent of the discussion which called for the present Essay, much is brought forward that will no doubt be interesting to the public in general, particularly to those who are enquiring into the opinions and religious sentiments of so peculiar a people as the Chinese Having been led to explain and discuss all the passages of their classics which bear on the subject of spiritual and invisible beings, as well as those which refer to the supreme God, in their estimation, the writer has been enabled to present to view the whole body of Chinese Theology; and those who wish to acquaint themselves with the standard and orthodox religion of China, will find in these enough to gratify their curiosity and to assist them in forming a judgment. It will be seen that the Conjucian age, though addicted to pneumatolatry, or the worship of spirits, was tolerably free from idolatry, or the adoration of images; while the classical writings then published contain various references to the Supreme Being, as far as they were acquainted with him, of whose attributes and perfections a tolerably complete scheme may be drawn up, showing that the ancient Chinese were not entirely ignorant of what is called natural theology. Of course their scheme will be found defective in every thing that is peculiar to revelation; and defective as it originally was it has been still more corrupted by the admixture of superstitions through the lapse of ages; but ascribe it to what source we may, there we find the fundamentai truths of naturnal religion, fully equal to what the Grecian or Roman sages indited, and sufficient to testify that God has not left himself without a witness in this eastern world."

More than two hundred pages of the Dissertation are occupied with the discussion of Shin, the remaining ones are devoted to Sháng-tí, and Ti. On the last page we have the following conclusion:

"The word Shin, we conceive, ought to be translated spirit, or spiritual energy, and is primarily used with reference, either expressed or implied, to those who possess those energies or powers, who embody them or are the fountains of them; and it is a secondary, and elliptical use of the term, when it is regarded as including in it the possessors of those energies. Whereas Ti may and ought, in the majority of the instances adduced in the foregoing pages, to be rendered Divine Ruler, or God, without reference, either expressed or implied, to any other to whom the Divine Ruler belongs, or on whom he depends, who embodies him, or is the fountain of his power." p. 278.

Let the reader carefully analyse the two sentences which comprise this extract, and also the following, with which the discussion of the word Shin closes:

"In all the classics of the three sects, we do not meet once with the word Shin, as positively and necessarily meaning God, much less the Supreme Being; and in a vast majority of instances meaning spirit, genii or some subordinate Being. In later ages it may have been connected with idols, and by the ignorant multitude may be thought to mean something divine; but it is by no means a word that Christian writers could use with reference to the Divine Being, nor as the generic term for God. The expression.

pai Shin. worshipping the Shins, always means paying adoration to an in ferior order of spiritual beings, and should never be used by Protestant, as it now never is by Catholic writers for worshipping God. The frequent employment by classical writers of the word Shin, in the sense of spirit, would sanction its adoption by us, with the addition of holy, for the spirit of God, but not as equivalent to the word God in general.” p. 203.

Again:

In no instance among the writers of the School of Confucius, do we find the word Shin applied to the supreme God, and never so used by thein as to make it necessary for us to translate it by God, in giving the sense of the classics, according to the Commentators. The main idea is that of the expanders and contractors of nature, who, under the authority and direction of a higher power, attend to the bringing forth and nourishing of men and things, the rising and setting of heavenly bodies, the blowing of winds, the falling of rains, the rolling of thunder, and the flashing of lightning; while they are supposed to be influenced by sacrifices, and to afford protection to nations and individuals, but always subject to the will of a superior, and never are they represented as acting independently and supremely, uncontrol lably and ultimately. They are not, therefore, according to the showing of the Chinese, Gods, but subordinate spirits, agents, genii, and manes." p. 190. Again we say, let the Reader, who may be seeking to solve the pending question, carefully consider these paragraphs.

After being told, as above, that Ti may and ought to be rendered Divine Ruler or God, what will the reader think, when, on examination, he finds that, "in the majority of instances adduced" in his Diɛsertation, Dr. Medhurst has not employed either the one or the other of the two terms! In the great majority of instances, if we mistake not, he has rendered it Ruler, which we believe to be the true meaning of the word, as it is used in the Chinese classics.

To one point more, before closing this short notice, we desire to draw the attention of our Readers, who may take up the Dissertation. Let them, as they read, carefully note the great variety of renderings which are given to the word Shin, and likewise mark all the attributes predicated of the Shin when spoken of as a class of Beings. For, be it remembered, the great question now is reduced to this one point-what is the name by which the Chinese call their gods? Is it Shin or is it T? Determine this, and the whole cou

troversy is at an end

ART. IV. A brief Notice soliciting subscriptions for the purpose of preventing the desecration of printed papers. Translated for the Repository.

FROM the first chronicling of events by means of the knotted rope and afterwards, we find that every age has furnished a series of literary productions. Ever since the fruits of the earth rained down from heaven there has been an unbroken succession of authors and publications.

When the Eastern Orbed Sceptre had given to the world the art of delineating and writing, the profound dissertations of the divine philosophers were then all completed and published: and when also the use of ink and the pencil had been communicated from the Westeru Garden, the luxuriant blossoms of heaven and earth were then universally diffused. The purple observatories and azure port-folios appeared illustrated with numerous embellishments and sparkling with the radiant lustre of the Ox and Bear. The venerable tomes corroded by the jasper-colored vermin and the scarlet moth, all stored with the sentences of the wise and good, have descended luminously to posterity, graced with the ornaments of style and writing, till, in the lapse of time, how magnificent and splendid has the list become!

But we have also had handed down with these the sententious aphorisin, together with the more extended and discursive dissertation, as superb and precious as the Cubic Orbed Sceptre. These elegant specimens of literary composition are highly esteemed in the forest of scholars. With them a thousand pieces of gold is the estimate put upon a single character. Still it is difficult to elevate the vulgar usages to the level of a common sentiment. For it appears

to be the custom among the people generally, it may be, either to stick these papers upon the walls of their houses or to paste them over their windows, thus covering up inanimate objects with the chapters of a living language! Or perhaps they make use of them to lay over jars or as a covering for pots, thus subjecting the classic page to base insult and disgrace. Or it may be they are employed for dusting and wiping away filth. Or perhaps the clerks in the offices of the magistrates carelessly strew them' about the apartments. Or it may be the urchins in the schools twist them up into wads, and then set about treading Co ander their feet in the school-room. Or perhips they mix them up in the mud and sink them into the earth. Of perhaps clipping off bits of paper, they let them fly in the wind, so that

they are scattered about at random in ditches and mud-puddles, thus being exposed to all sorts of insult and abuse. Such indeed is a most faithful and accurate delineation of the facts as they exist.

Now his excellency Lí, chief commissioner of justice, has devoted his entire yearly salary in order to lead the way in the good undertaking. He has instituted a depository with the name of the Literary Surges. This he intends to have made a place of general deposite, for the collection of old worn-out books and other papers, on which the characters of the language have been printed. The edifice is situated near the Hioh-há: Hall. In the first place, an open porch will be constructed, where all papers illustrated with the symbols of the written language, will be respectfully deposited. Then, when papers printed with the tadpole character shall have been rescued from the tracks of the horses, all of this description will be consigned to the great furnace. But papers covered with the seal character having been taken from the hen-roosts will be carried far away and cast out upon the isle of the cormorant.

All men then, who are of the same opinion, ought to exhibit a respectful deference to the wishes of our high magistrate. Therefore turning back again towards the shore from which they have wandered, let them hasten to admonish and constrain each other, and repent of their former delinquencies. Let them combine the dissevered patches that they may finish the fur jacket. Let them rejoice in contributing their property to complete so desirable an object.

The papers that fall upon the arena at the public examination, are not afterwards to be applied to another purpose, having once been used for transcribing. Old and decayed volumes are not to be used as tinder for lighting the fire; neither are they to be converted into labels tor pencil stocks, or for packages of paper, or for shoe bindings, or for boot-legs,-a perversion which should make one blush with shame-nor should they be employed in labelling musketoe torches, incense pouches, or paper lanterns and things of this sort.

Obscene writings, and all mean and trivial compositions, are to be excluded from the list of papers which are considered worthy of being collected. Lottery tickets and all papers of this sort are to be rejected.

When the eyes behold then let the mind be awakened to consideration. In future considering the rewards that will be paid to those who collect and forward such papers, that they may be burned and changed again into their original elements, how will it be possible that men should esteem lightly the rescuing of these papers from the billows of destruction?