Morning appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1877-1906, 1877-11-18
SUNDAY READING.

Francisco, copy of little book whose con-
sideration is especially timely in this depart
ment of the MORNING APPEAL. The Sun
Worshipers of Asia is the title of this work.
Its author is Mr.. Charles D. POston. The
print before us is a reproduction of London
edition By the Introduction we are informed
that @ The materials for the preparation OF
the following Lecture were collected during
an official visit to India, China, Japan, etc.,
accredited by the Government of the United
States" The Sun Worshipers of Asia are
the Parsees, the followers of the ancient To-
rooster, the teacher of the religion of the Magi.
AS to who Zoroaster was, what he did and
when he lived, Mr.. Poston, after many re-
searches says SIN any event, without con-
testing the uncertain chronological calculations
which have been handed down to US through
many changes, we must admit that Zoroaster
lived at very remote period, and that he was
the founder of pure and sublime religion
based upon the eternal principles of right and
wrong, good and evil, light and darkness, and
that he was far in advance of any teacher of
which human annals have preserved a record.
AS indicative of the close resemblance of the
Parsee religion to that of the founders OF
Christianity We have recourse to the following:
''The Parsees also believe in the coming of
the Messiah prophet, a son of Zoroaster, to
be begotten in supernatural way, who Is to
proclaim an additional revelation of the will of
God, which will perfect human nature, and
produce a new era of perfect happiness IN the
world" Read this most impressive sentence:
s'Their wandering traders carried the per
fumes of the East to embalm the Egyptian
kings before Abraham visited the pyramids
but they were not seduced by the idolatries of
the Egyptians, and turned from the worship
of Isis and Osiris to PROSTATE themselves be-
fore the embodiment of all goodness-the
source of light, of life, of happiness" The
expression ''before Abraham visited the Pyra
mids" startles one who is accustomed to re-
gard the Hebrew Patriarch as being among
the first creations of the Deity. The Parsees
are regarded as the Wise men of the East who
came to Bethlehem to visit the child Jesus
The following sentence from Matt. IL, verse
II is quoted: F'And when they" 0he Parsees) |
''came into the house, they saw the young
child with Mary his mother, and fell down
and worshiped him; and when they had open
ed their treasures, they presented unto him |
gifts, gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. |
We are informed in brief sketch of the wan
behring's and prosecutions OF the Sun Worship
ers that ''since the conquest of India by the
RrItIS 1ar1f hay haan est
the most faithful, the most intelligent, and
the most entorprising subjects of the Indian
Empire. Their principal residence now is the
city of Bombay, where they number at least
one hundred thousand souls. We are in
formed concerning the antiquity of sun wor-
ship that cit mocks history" and Mr.. Poston
says: " 1t flourished in Japan at the remotest
period of Japanese tradition, and to-day red
sun upon white shield is the national banner
of the Japanese empire. The city of Baal, or
Baal- bee, is the grandest ruin which the sun
worshipers have left upon the earth. The
are so great that Oriental nations
will not believe that they were erected by hu-
man hands, but attribute them to the genii,
who they believe were coerced to the Titanic
labor by the talismanic seal of King Solomon
An eminent writer says: If all the ruins of
ancient Rome were gathered together in one
group, they would not equal in extent the
ruins of Baal-bec." The sacred fire of the 7
Parsees, drawn from the sun by Zoroaster, .
has been preserved with care during all their :
1t is always kept burning in n
their temples. Here is highly interesting i
extract: GO The armament was mapped and r
catalogue of over one thousand stars was made q
before the Christian era. The Parsees claim I
he ancient order of Freemasonry, with all its I
ceremonies, hieroglyphics, and chro- 8
lology, as an ofshoot from the religion of the :,
Magi. They have several fourishing Masonic i
Lodges in Bombay, and are received in fell f
owship by the Masonic Lodges in England G.
md France Their religion teaches them be- n
levoence as the first principle, and no people h
practice it with more iberality. A beggar 4
mong the Parsees is unknown, and would be .;
scandal to the society. In the city of Bonn -
ay alone they have thirty two different CHART -
BILE institutions. The sagacity, activity, and h;
enterprise of the Parcees are pro- 81
erbial in the East, and their credit as mer-
hants is almost unlimited. They frequently
ontrol the opium product of India, which ne