, 1880-06-20
REVIVALISM IN INDIA.


sssH1-R CHuSpER SENS STRANGE RELIGIOUS
MOVEMENT
yan,u,t D. con1rap in the Cincinnati Co1nMtTciol
It would be worth while for q student Of psy-
choatsyy, or Of abnormal religious excitements.
to visit India Just now. The minister OF the
nrahmos, keshub Chundet Sen. seems 10 nave
had bis head somewhat turned by-or at any rate
siuce-his visit to England and the marriage OF
bis daughter to Prince He has built splendid
house In Calcutta. and atoncs for that worldil-
ness by ascetic mortidcauons. He has an"
uouuced that he Is a special agent Of Providence:
be- is not an incarnation of any deity: he is not
prophet; but he Is something different from
ether men. His recent course and preaching
have been fruitful OF discord and agftcuous-
The more educated of bis followers who have
favored the Brahmo movement as ut once pro-
test against idolatry and q rcfiued fheism, nave
become disguised and left the church. q large
number Of the lower class converts hive been
offended by the marriage Of his daughter with q
Prince, secured as it w88 bY partial surrender
Of the Minister'S proclaimed principles against
infant marriage: and they have abandoned MIN.
And this parting with the elements of rational
restraint and coolnes6 on the one hand. and OF
humility on the other. appears to have been the
means of revolutonGfng movement to which
some hnd looked for great atand beneficial changes
In India
Eeshub Chunder Sen and his followers seem to
have taken hints from the revtvalists Of the
West, and formed something like "Sairation
Army" They are replacing their lost adhercuts
with fanatics gathered in the highways and by
ways, the surviyals OF extinct e1cite1uents, and
adopting their Wild manners aud customs, their
pilg1images, shrieks, dances. and supeEstiuons,
thay arc calling the grand totality ''new dis
pensa6on-'' But from the mass Of evidence be-
fore me I should say their star Of Bethlehem
has chance Of guiding them to Dedlam. or the
places In India corresponding thereto. Sen him.
self has got so lar In that direction as accepting
sort Of worship from disciples knecling around
him ion the ground that he did not wish to stop
the flow of bhatld-thnt is, devotion OF cnthu-
sas1nl. and holding personal interviews with
Jesus, Paul, and John. One consequence Of this
outbreak Of fanaticisms is the loss Of many Of
the educated: but it has secured the rcsuita
which uauifest to Sen " new dispensadon.
That is, be has raised public curiosity; thousands
go to hear him, and by using Christian phrases
In his own sense he has reused the missionaries
and made 4 sensation. They arc denounc1pg
him on one side, while the educated thefsts de-
0txace him on the other; and the result IS that
On recent occasion rs many as heoo people
Aeat 70 hear him. The dScour8eS ne now aeHs-
as are quite valueless Tor any morna or rellg1oos
tssacbtng they are merely frantic e1acnia43ons lions
mingled
Tie Inst phases upon which this now wild
and the pilgrimage. Thcy lately organized pill
gramaz,e TO sinai" On the I'd Of February they
az bathed, put on clean clothes, and funo~c1
one @s1er ~ ~ up into lhe e;as avs
end nights, and conlmuned viii. Moses: read ing
over the Pentateuch and splritual'ztng eaea
verse: SO that IN tho last day Moses u SAID 70
$t4nt%n
whether be spoke from burning bush. or
whether he 1nuteriallzed personally, cannot Pc
pilgrims
The revelation made By Moses included
transcription oi the Ten Commandments. and n
proclamation ~ the modern Israel, in which nc
~; hls only book OF wisdom. tho only Scripture Of
ha!Faton; and promised that - the Almighty
Mall leaid Bengal at the bondage OF SUPER
saion mii an5 idoat1 into city oveffo"lns WIN
The Lord shall communicate to all bis DC,
,soees., to every Moses in the land. the moral
.a* through 1alth anu conscience. and al Ihd1a
In trust and Obedience 1, Moses. sought my
ssairauon aud that Of 1srnel; SO shall every be.
neser ID tho new dispa.aation try to prove 1oyal
na oHdicnt unto the moral law of Heaven.
-, IN essential features tie law Of ancient
4slsiei and Of modern Israel shall agree: but III
aesatf they shall differ and instead OF one Moses
mere tee shall be many imbued with his spirit ~
men law and conscience incaruate-
r., hesscd, blessed, blessed arc rhou, modern
ttss.ae, for the Lord shall deliver thee and make
eosc mighty nation"
a, This revelation" is chiefly remarkable for
ae indication It gives Of the extent to which the
a1gAn has been overinid by the Semitic accent
aaa style. 1t il without any trace of the edie
EYE though its biblical phrHsot'logy 10 oddly 1r-
.1a1afued with modern dinlecucs- Ihe ancletlt
~ .oecapturcs OF Ind;a have become the possession
~ sctiu18rs, and the Bible has bcen made py
nslush Sh conquest and missions tho mold into
saca the molten mind and emotion OF tna.
~ utIuatsy are now taking new shape Bnt 1nstca1
~ ~ taxing such shape US tho missionaries hopeq
4uFt one that would mike them supporters q
Ae Christian Church, the form Is that 'fnfcn
mnakes Jesus and the Bible into outtreaees OF
Asah1nanism, or rather Of that Potpoufn o.
resuscitated Aryan fanahcisn1s Tnich hcsnop
uas collected and is stirring. The most startling
and uncomfortable result thus far OF the new
Sothusinsu for Christ which an1mateS Ine
8tahmos Is the wgy they bold Him up as az
asocuc for, as they say, FaieagI. literally " vold
~ ~ a{tachmcnt''} They proclaim loudly all the
~. 1e1ts e which 80 represent Jesus; they owen
W W Als fast OF forty days and nights, ana HIS Is
as4taon that ecytaiQ kind OF demon only Eoes
.e .uaL by fasting and prayer: they picture Him
uncut place to lay his bend. and ordering
in iaen tc sell all they have and give It AWAY; 70
~ uT no treasures on earth: and to totsaKe
4am1E, house, land, all This kind Of thing ls
R.easeiy opposed to all the Christianity Wh1cn
tENtxnehas exported to that region. Ills also
:tt4a Ats t4al keshub Chunder Sen has not yet Tor
sans 1a1s Inc house and family, but then he has
:. ~ aaopted Jesus as his only model and goo'