The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1880-04-01
CHANGED aND UNC aANGED CON.
DITIONS OF RELIGIOUS
SOCIETY.

CHANGED AND CNC HANGED con-
DITIONS OF RELIGIOUS
SOCIETY.
A few Sundays sgn We we're telliur.
of the conditions into which churches
have driited, and the evil effect that
fashion has exercis ID in rela,ien to the
religion of Christ. Strange compsu-
sons may be made between the cus.cm.
of Christian and of Pagan peoples,
and the differences between them ia
their manner Of conducting the out
ward eyidences ofrrligion are a fruit
fu, source Of study. sni Il conclu,I0us
not altogether favorable y some of
those creeds pretending - represent
the true church OF Chrs,. The faith
Of Zproas;eE, established over twelve
hundred years before the b;r,h Of
Cari,t. carries with II. among othls
charming features, tbe'eviience oi per
feet uriiy among Pir=tes 10 hsbits,
cus.oma and manners. The PArsee of
teree thousand years ego was precisely
the same ss the Parsee Of to-day ia 81
things pertaining t. religion, soe1a'
customs, and outward spyea--
aneas. II his religion there
exists the same forms and cefe-
monies aad Appearance IN sncialiu
couse, thessme customs, and the same
perfect defeTeuce to supsriora tina. was
established thirty centurics sgo. J.
outward appearances, there are tie
same STYLES OF dress and The same mar
ners al intercourse that were eslab-
lished when the doctrines contained in
the Avesta were promulgated, when il
was declared to Parsees that man must
be simple in the sight Of God. B1idh-
ism, the origin OF which goes 6wsy
back into the dim recesses of the deep,
almost forgotten past, peIvlded Nort,.-
en- sud Eastern ASA long before Chus,
taught regeneration at Jerusalem and
Rome. l. teaches endurance, patience,
submission and abstinence, a general
love Of al beings, humanity and mild
ness, respect for supeIiors and s per-
feet devotion to every Law OF nature.
Buddhism hss known no charge. T.
is in THE sge the same religion, in all
respects, that 1t was many thnusauis
of years ago, and the habits Of Celes-
tla!s Eow are the same which perVaded
Eastern society when the last great
Buddha grew into an Asiatic divinity.
The Vinaya, taught q cicipIine for tie
priests of Buddhism, which has know
NO change for countless centuries; to-
day they wear the same habits and cat
the same frugal mesls at the ssme SIM
pie boards, and practice the general
simplicity distinguishing tie priest
hood OF 2G00 years before the Chris
tian era began. "Ionor Jour own
faith an do not slander that of oiheran
is Buddhist maxim that is universally
observed by. all good deciples of
Buddha, and without chickering's, aud
without strife, and with the forms OF
religion perpeiuated, this faith hss
grown until the natural barriers he
tween the nations Of Asia have almost
broken down under its influences. Nc
hammedanism, or, properlyspesking, the
-4i---- --eo.,,, = .7;,4;-,os;,-a
features that marks these Beliefs of I'!!!'
ganlsm. the mosques and the muez.
z,us are now as they were when the
great Ali founded the faith,in which it
is declared :kat Mohammed is the only
truo prophet Of God. There are 20
changes, na isms. no dlssensions as to
the trueAfepTeeentatives Of Islam.
MChsmmedans are true, devoted sal
unchanglng. No tAwdry garb covers
the muezz;n; no cushioned and VEL
yeted seats give place for the lich aad
the mighty within the mosques, bns
all enter alike in humility aud prayer
the Sultan and the Pasha, the rich spd
the poor, the Bedouin and the trades
man, sll alike to worship God and his
prophet. Christ csme among men
with more simplicity than all these.
He sprung from the humblest parent
age, and the straw amid the msnger,
instead OF a downy and dsmssked
couch, amid palace walls, was the
birth place Of the Son of God. He
grew up to be 8 simple man in his man
ners and his customs. and those whom
he chose to assist IN inauguFaling q
regeneration OF the world were from
the hnmblest walks in life, practicirg
the most primitive simplicity Christ
did not fonnd himself palace Ike
that of the CessTs, nor surround him
self with the glitter and pomp OF 81
age in which he lived, and hence il is
tina; the Jews reject him. Tho Ne1
Testament was left as the embodiment
of all the excellent teachings Of Christ.
10 1t there is taught the came sinplic-
ity that distinguished the Savior, and
the same simple articles Of faith that
were laid down by him. Truly, if
there be virtue in following him, there
should have been perpetusted the same
distinctiYe moral and social character
isiics OF Christ and bis disciples. The
Catholic Church has succeeded more
than others, arising out of differences
in the faith OF Christ, in adopting snd
maintaining semolance Of worship
characteristic of what was taught.
Il has permitted no social distinction
10 church worship, and TIE king and
the peasant alike bow down together
at the same shrine. and humble item
selves in the dust before the same al
tar. The priests wear humble vest
menss, and the nuns aud sisters Iecog-.l
nize submission in the sighs of God
aud OF man. Not so with too may Of
the other churches. Many Ct them
have rejected all evidences Of symplic-
ity, and ministers aud church members
too often make. the sacred tabernacle
the place for pronouncIng sensational
and fashionable speeches, and for dis |
playing the lates. ''ssyies.' These IN