, 1877-09-02
VIII the Church Change Its
Name ?---'Tlat Is 4
Question.
Religious Tramps and Dead
Beats-Wandering Pro-
fessors of Holiness.
Notes from the Church at Home
and Abroad.--Pious
Smiles.
= Personal Gossip---Tte Oakland Congre-
gation-Services To-Day.


gation-Services To-Day.
TIE EGYPTIAN MESSIAH.
TIE PARALLEL BETWEEN OSIRIS AND CHRIST.
From tie Catholic Rerie4c.
The Egyptians attributed to God different
names and forms, according to the aspects and
attributes to which they wished to give promi-
ucuca, WHILE under each Of these names and
forms, God, in His inalicnable infnity, remain
ed always the same; and, as if they had aDtici-
patca our perplcxities at the sight Of these
battalions Of diyinities, they have taken exceed
In. pains to instruct us on this point. As the
Eternal, God had one name; as Creator, he had
another; as Providence or Preserver, another;
anu as Judge and RcCcemer OF souls, the name
of Osiris. In each sanctuary the ono God Of
the whole country, living in a Triad which,
without division Of substance, expressed the
phases OF his threcfold existence was Wor-
SHIPPED under q particular form aud name. lie
lal a special worship, rites. Chants, and ccrc-
punial, unknown il the ncishboring temples;
but the hy1ans and inscri iptions constantly
dwell on the fact that each temple and each
ritual was in honor of the ouly God, to whom
belong all temples, and to whom all prayers are
addressed.
The Egyptians knew that the Deity is an un-
fet:'o1nable mystery and can have no name
'.His uane,' say the texts, '"is mysterious rs
Ills bcing.'' Considered from this point of
view. lie is called The Hidden One-Atnmon,
whose image is enveloped in an impcnctrablc
veil. In His unercatcd essence God is invisible,
bat He has revealed Himself in His acts, ex-
p1essiye uf His wisdsm, power, and goodness,
and each Of these attributes presents an
accessible side, by which the mind can take
hold Of the incou,prcnensible see the invisible,
a;ld name the naineless Ono. having Ill uim-
self ali powers and every form OF greatness,
His names and forms are without number, and
the texts, as in tie Hymn to Am1non, expressly
tcaig1iatc Elm. rs the Nany-Named-thc Multi
tndc by the Names.
With the Egyptians as with the Hebrews, the
greatest o: mysteries Probably it was not
allowed! tn be written; in any case, Us in the
papyruS Harris, its uttcr'snce was forbidden
IL am lie who makes trial OF the warriors, He
whose name is known to none. His name
mtls: bv kept i'll silence OIL the borders OF tic
river; who shall utter it, lie shall be consumed
His na,ne must be silent upon earth"
It has t,een necessary to dwell at some length
on the Egyptian doctrines respecting the nature
Of God anu His relation to the world before ap-
preaching another feature of exceeding inter
est in their theology, namely, the history and
'ptiicc OF the ]sedeemcr-
This mighty Litcrator, the first hope Of whom
uuder various forms in the traditions OF all the
Peoples of distant antiquity. and among these
traditions the most ancient and the most pure
Ii certainly that oi Osiris, whose noble and pe-
ncdcunt attributes raise him above all the ul-
sinitirs of other nations represented as co:ning
to branr succor to man. The doctors OF the
Church were themselves struck with admiration
beurc this august figure, and did not hesitate
to identity the nane OF Osiris with that o1 our
Lord JESUS Christ, being convinced that the be-
lief respecting him was but an echo OF the prln-
tire revelation It would indeed be difficult to
Explain otherwise its correspondence to inc
Hcssialt;c prophecies given later to tiit CHOSEN
people. OF the a..al0rcs vi the Oslr1au teachtus
with tic accomplishment, in the litc Ut our
Lord, Of the hopes which, during long centuries,
Is kept alive in the countless generations ol
Egypt ;.
l. he who is Oua--yefrc, the Good Being par e1.
ruence; it is he who, with Tuu Tor Phtah) and
1uoth partakes Of the divine essence, aud is
called, like Anmon, 4ssbo.u-tile Lord alone.
In the papyrus 3,2.92 in the Hall OF Iombs IN
the Louvre, Is the following. passage: ''HaI to
tle-, Osiris i. the great eldest Son OF Ra'
abie time nc aoi and lord Of eternity None
knows his name; innumerablc are his names IN
the cities and the notlcs haA ~ W
thee, the one who didst rise from the
dead. lie is the lord Of life, and We live BY p hls
creations; none can live without lis WILL" The
second aspect Of tho lie Of Osiris Is his so]oufn
upon earth in human form. his death, anu pass
are into the land OF the departed. Piutarcf,
tells us that OSIRIS, lord Of time, made himself
nan aud reigned On earth. giving hts people
wise and holy laws; that lie taught them agra'
culture and reverence to the Eoos' EoIns
through Ill the country to instruct his suo1cc,s,
whose attention he won and whose manners ne
soilencd BY the penetrating charm OF his words
Rnd by music.
The priests and faithful Of Osiris could not
endure TIT attempts made by travellers aud pm.
Jne1.. J Hokt r. RA
pure aud lofty divinity to any Of their ON as. m
reputable gods, or to Tx III the depths o1 Tue
earth aud the abode Of the dead tue dwelling
place ot hin who lad mo kind OF conl1nunic.a
ton with substances subject u corruption ano
DEATH" No other god had in Egypt so many
temples and worshoers as this favorite deity o.
the country, since, besides its own local dly'ul
IT., each of the nones worshiped Osiris and ISIS
aEd thus the 'sprotcctor Of Souls" was, IRON
the Mediterranean to the cataracts, The god o
all tile Egyptians
The anniversary of the death Of Osiris va:
crcry Year observed with lamentations through
out the land until the hour Of his resurrection
winch was hailed with JOY, festivities, anu "
uHpn, this people. always SO ANXIOUS anu lu.sl
ested about the future beyond the tomb. havlne
1or the "Lord OF the life to come " the mos
deep and tender devotion For, OF al 1ns
phases Of his Worship that which occup,eo I'M
largest place and exercised the profoundest ID
huence on the religious life OF this great natlot
'sconnected with the Office OF oSu1s in IN reSar. gar
to each separate soul All the tune UNI:
real inscriptions dwell upon this. .'.s. Osa
rs was not only their savior, but tnel
1udge. ln the paintings and sculpture
and the vienettes vi the ritual. he is usual' !.
represented enthroncd in the Hail Of the diyin
Justice, where, enveloped, all but the face am
hands, in the shroud which had enfoide'1 MIN IL. !.
The tomb. aud holding in hts right hand the nsh
or pastoral staff (not unlike an episcopal crosicI)
and in the left double-thonged scouIec- IL
awaits the soul Of the departed: At his 1eet az
the divine balances wherein will be "e.snen u, t.l
heart Of the dead. At the Threshold ot the nas
Maat, the symbol OF justice and truth, reeel'e
the soul and presents it to the judge
The soul's nrst words on being brouento I'M! ~
: the presence Of its God were: am osn1
(sneh oue],'' giving his earthly name. o,,na
This assimilation OF the 1aiIhtul worshipe
with his Irvine type is one Of the most elevate
4llt touching characteristics OF tie E2ypLaa