10 
tells us tliat the ancient Chinese divided their sacred book; 
Shuking, into five parts ; in one of which God is described 
as “ Independent, Almighty, a Being who knows all things, 
the secrets of the hearts not being hidden from Him.” (p. 134.) 
It is plain, therefore, that in China, no less than in India, 
Egypt, and Greece, the earliest forms of heathen mythology 
and philosophy were the purest. Thus we have a cumulative 
proof going on among the oldest of the known nations, that 
the nearer we draw to the fountains of primeval life, the closer 
we come to times of mental culture ; and that, so far from 
arriving at an aboriginal state of savageness, the probability 
is increased of our approaching step by step towards a state 
of primitive civilization. 
If we pass from the old world to the American continent, 
we find exactly the same state of things. Pure primitive 
monotheism underlies all its mythological creeds. Even in 
ancient Mexico, where thirteen principal and two hundred 
inferior gods were worshipped, under images of the most 
fantastic shape, and with a ritual of superstitious cruelty, 
the Spaniards found a Being recognized, named Teotl, who 
was regarded as “ invisible, incorporeal, one God, of perfection 
and purity, from whom springs life and thought.”* In Peru the 
same divine unity was worshipped under the name of Varichocha, 
“ the soul of the universe,” — whose assigned attributes were no 
less lofty than those given to the Indian Brahm, or Egyptian 
Kneph. He was called “ Supreme.” They seldom mentioned his 
name, and then with the greatest reverence ; they built him 
no temples, and offered him no sacrifices, for they worshipped 
him in their hearts, and regarded him as the unknown God.f 
In Central America and Yucatan, the same supreme deity 
existed under the name of Stunah Ku, or Hunab Ku, “ God of 
Gods” — “ the incorporeal origin of all things.” J It would 
also seem that this abstract idea of a supreme unity existed 
among the totally savage, as well as semi- civilized nations of 
America. Thus, among the Auricanians, he was called Pillan, 
a word derived from Pilli, the soul. He was termed “the 
Great Being,” “the Soul of Creation,” “the Omnipotent, 
Eternal, Infinite.” § The Californians worshipped him under 
the name of Niparaya, “the Creator and Sustainer of all 
things.” I might easily enlarge the enumeration if it were 
necessary ; but this form of my argument has been sufficiently 
maintained. I therefore now pass on to another line of 
evidence ; viz.. Language. 
* Clav. Hist. Me x., vol. ii. p. 2. f Squier, Amer. Researches. 
X McCullccli’s Researches , p. 317. § Molina, Hist. Chili , vol. ii. p. 75. 
