, 1873-03-30


cou1d conceive. They wore lower OF nature than
nun himself in some particulars, and wero guilty |
Of acts that you yourself would reprove.' |
their rnythcal nv history, according to tho notions
OF the common ignorant mass-not looking be-
hind those acts which were purely typical, often !
simply allcgorical, to the ideas which they rep
resented and OF which they wero incarnatlons.
satisfied The spiritual needs OF those august and
refined souls who still chino like planets in the
sky OF thought. Do you suppose that Plato AND anu
EPictctus, that zeno and Socrates, th1t
cd minds, accepted these low formulas Of
Divinity? As we'll might SUPPOSE that the low
supcrstitions OF tho Christian Church, in which |
tho vulgar believe. represent the h:gheat pmlos-
ophy of the best thinkera Yet Tor long cchtu~
RIGS of superstition the Church has beon accept
ed by you just ns it stands, with its saints anu
their miracles, and it's singular rites aud core
monies. Nor iias any effort been made to cleanse
The bark Of st. Peter Of the barnaclos ana inb-
bit;l which cucumber. and deflle it. heliglous
faith ensuy degcnerntcs into superstition IN the
common mind And why has the superstition
boen nccoptcd? Simply because it Is 10 deeply
ingrained into the belief OF the unthinklnG mass,
that thcro might be danger. Of destroying all
faith bv destroying the follies and accidents
which had become imbcddod i'll it. Not only for
this; by means Of these verv superstltlons, men
nlay be led and governed aud leaders Wlu not
surrender or overthrow means OF power. 1et
they could in -ncicnt days to purify and rehno
tho popular faith, and sought even to elevate
their notions OF tho gods by cducating their
scnso If tho beautiful, and BY presenting to
them images of the gods unstained by low pas
| sionB and glorious III their FORMS
| "Dut surely your idea Of Jupiter or Zeus, l
| answered, u was most unworthy when compared
with that which we entertain Of the infinite God,
| the source of all created things, tho sole and
supreme Creator. The Hebrews certainly at-
| tained far lofter conception i'll their Jehovah
| thnn you i'll your Jupiter"
,Wlat n,attc1s names ?" he replied; "Zcus,
Jehovah, God, are all more names, and tue lacas
they represented were only dif!crenccd by tho
! tempcraments aud character OF tho various peo-
| pIes WHO wo9Hhiped them"
'But tho jehovah of the Jous was not merely
the hesl rulos OF many 6oaa, but single uni
ye.4al God. ono and infinite"
"No! think not. Tho Jehovah of tho Jews
underwent many changes nnd Developments
with the growtl. of tue Hebrew people; and In
mnny of their writings ho is represented as .
passionate, yindictlyc, and even unreasonabie
and unjust od. whose passions we're modified
by human arguments. And, 30 far from being
universal God Of sll ho was specially the God Of
the Hebrews, mud il so constantly represented IN
their Scriptures. Ho comes down upon earth
and inte7feres personally in tho loags Of men,
cnd talks with them, and discusses questions
with them. and sometimes oven takes their nd
vice In process OF time This notion is modified,
and assumes 4 noblcr type but he is never tho
Universal Fa: II, nor the God whose essence is
loyo-ncyer, that il, until tho coming Of Christ,
who first cnnnciated the l:tca that God ls love
rejoicing over the eavins Of man. far and above
all human PASSIONS ''engoa'ice Is mlne' was the
original idea Of Jehovah nId lie WAS feared and
woTehiped by the Jews as their peculiar God,
whose chosen pooplo they. were: As for his
unit3, whatever may have been tho popular st1-
re7'i:itions OF the Greeks end Romans, GOD IS
roecg,zcd by the greatest and purcst minds as
one and inaivisibc, the Father of ali Tho com
m:nds all, who creates all, who is invisible aud
on',ipotent. Do yen not remember ., me ne 1Eas
tautius, $. Theopililus Antiochonus, and s. jus
tirus, where 1t II sa1d that leus was ore oelng
alone, sclf-creating, 1rom whon. aIl tnh,se Ia
ato made who benohH al In n'0fsdls 1eho1d I"s
And Euripidcs eyca.ms, niese rs me iou5o, 49,
Tic fabric reared BY man that conia contain = TUG
immensely OF Goo aAe' 'uos 1nat t;'c sLue uuu
needs no sa:rltlces on MS L!tas. h:1a noo1iae1c:'
ALSO IN hlnli1af Ihee: tvTa''l ~, ~ Il11
versatility OF God Ahd lneoc'1us III llls ius 4t7;
echoes tito Eame sentiment: The same cast OF
thought, the Same iol1E ;uea u uou, s
iB fon,,d among :ho ancieE. Romans. Aucan
e5clnims i'll his ~ pnarsalla:'
.1un{tcr ,st ouod cu,nauo .ides, quo cumquo mo-
veris."
yalarius Scrnuus makes him the one universal
onnipotcn. God, the Father and Mother OF us
n}l:-
uJno;ter o-pninoteus. recun, rcru1nauo s1eumque,
rro7cuife- se,:ctrirq,c dc1n. Geaa unas c: onncs
c,- amy st,tcmcnt bo larger aud moro inclusive
thn, tLis: Such indeed was tito true phito-
sonaic i.,ca Of Jupiter. as entertained by the
bert 5oit'' s,d r1c most exalted in aucient DAYS.
von ye' ,nust 90 to the highest sources to learn
r;,at ~" IIas tha ii"1,cst noti1ns Of Deity are
a.,r "s.as NV nv rooon]o and NOT crono among tho
en.onE ans psoEo, to,a sr1 n,xths THEN aeain.
r9na, c11ar errrenions Of our relation to an
Mlnt noS ~ u;it.rn.1 an;rif nj CoI ara To he
x.41 49,, 49, ~ Fn;cIotna snd Seneca? sGod ia
found lEan ~. nesv,"a Co., g 49,. rs;th -on Sanecn
near so' Is s"crnd snirt dwcIIs within US, the
I
oDEersel anT - ,,n " 1,oad ,na,, without 1ol
our goc9, iaI.e IT, ~ ~ ROW corner It is noss
Az anu Sa.n .,rn,, ~, INTO hr.~a, Rise. therefore.
ole 70 sltss III ;nto ashion worthy Of God
anu 'o.,a ~ 1At ia no atlyantaco that con-
a;onca Eau is amt ,n w;thin rs. Wo lie orcn to
oa an an 5hai a ae' w Do % you wish to FENDER
noa' ~ a,'a fi'.u ea,n nrlpi3ons2 lie vrtnous one
rne sin c;,a smc nos5ares for hours from the
WITH, m';fncs 40 Of these men Can YOU. thon think
HAT n, oar nut.oas of God and du:y were 10 low
! ..I e.aaI ~ ~ ,a1,nsod3 ~
h'u I,t 10 aftcr ali tbronrh this there is belief
a1aer n,' iu;,,itn u Ha!u nyonta Ben be-