The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1882-10-01

We have received from Buddhist In tho
interior OF India printed circular, which Is
entitled "a Few Words to Churchgocrs."
The writer, who asks that his circular shall be
placed where it will do most good" argues
that Intelligent sincere, and earnest people
ought not to take part in what he calls 1.-THE
hollow solcmnities of Church which is a
sham" Each of them should rather do his
part coward the reconstruction of q Church
that shall bel reality and that, he says can
not be done so long as prctcncc OF believing
in the old Christian theology is kept up.
People go to church, he says, because they
associate the practice with responsibility of
habits and rcputc, and because they think it
sets good example; and they imagine that
II does no harm To profess to believe doc
trincs :" set down in the prayer book however
intrinsically absurd" But he Is satisfied
that they are all wrong. Churchgoing does
can intinitudc Of harm" according to this
Buddhist, for the following reasons:
cit keeps up barrier between and divine knowl.
edge viz the Church in all its forms Catholic Protes
tat Prcsby terrain The theory Of any Church is that its
clergy instruct the people in knowledge OF divine things.
But modern clergy know nothing Of these them
selves and can give no instruction about them what
educated believes that clergyman nearer Con
In he thinks himself nearer to correct concep
tons OF ne things hazy though these may lie to him.
and II he talks to clergyman about religion he does So
with retcence and forbearancc as he would to child,
humorng his amabe weakness
He would have intelligent people stay at
home and devote themselves to finding out
about spiritual and divine things from GER
tain books he names, instead Of "squander
ing their natural religious impulses on
churchgoing." Thus they will help to build
up the better Church and the living religion
capable of satisfying not only the common
run OF society, but the heart of the poet as
well, and the brain OF the philosopher" So
they will get Church worth going to, one
of which he draws this picture:
Imagine what glorious privilege going to church
would be II the Church were n reality; II the
clergy were really men with higher faculties
| FOR the investigation OF divine truth than
their ongregatons II going to church for all
men with a religious impulse n spiritual education,
Just attending lectures AT the Royal Society may
he physical education; II we had full assurance that
the clergy actually knew, of their personal hnowl-
| edge, that world OF Which we should hear them
preach and the exact destinies to which our lives, as
lived at given moment would conduct US II perse.
vered with their comprehension Of that science 50
UNNECESSARILY higher than any physical science which
has to do with the growth and origin OF the soul were
by worldly standards-and the cleveres Of their flock
But what does this Buddhist propose to
substitute for the old Christian theology? II
is nothing less than Spiritualism. witchcraft,
mumbo- jumboism, which he calls the "Mys-
terics OF Occultism." Tho priests Of his new
Church are to be the "high adopts in the art
of employing those inner spiritual faculties
which convey absolute knowledge OF truth
Quired by the deceptive medium OF the senses
and the outer faculties OF the mind" One OF
the books, for instance, which he recommends
for perusal is Nine. BLAvATsKY's " Isis
Unveiled"
And that is the sort Of mush with which
our Buddhist friend expects to build up q
Church in opposition to Christianity! The
best place. he wishes us to find for his circular
is among tho crazy religionists OF the lunatiC
asylum, or perhaps among the black victim:
OF Voodoo supcrstitions at the South. They
might be attracted to his mumbo-jumbt
Church. 1t certainly is not among the intel
ligcnt people he assumes to address. Hi
circular is very fifty published under thu
auspices Of the Thcosophical Society,"" fol
the IIicrophant at the head of that society II
doing his best to make himself an adept il
the black art upon which this Buddhis
, would found his Church.
, Does he flatter himself that men are goini
to reject the claims OF the Bible to inspiration
, and of the Church to spiritual authority T.
accept those Of pretended wizards who pro
fess to be familiar with the mysteries of al
: occult philosophy" which they write abou
| in a manner purposely obscure 2" His oil
) Buddhism is worth great deal more tha
the trash with which his philosophical
/ teachers have been stufling him.