Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1883-02-06

year, then caused the egg to divide itself
aud from Its two divisions he made the
heavens above and the earth beneath"
"In mans passage to another world,
neither his father, his mother, nor his wife,
nor his son will remain in his company. His
virtue alone adheres to him. Single, Is
each man born, single he dies, single re-
ceives his rewards for good, and single
his punishment for evil deeds"
The Hindoos worshipped plurality Of
Gods; Brahma the creator; Vischnu the
preserver, and ~ they discovered terror
In the world; storms, whirlwinds, fire,
earthquakes, disease aud death, therefore
silva, the destroyer, was introduced into
their creed.
This ancient doctrine Of triad Is not
dissimilar TO the Christian belief In Trim
lily. The former consisted In Brahma,
veschma and silva; the latter, Father,
Son aud Holy Ghost. Therefore 1t Is as.
sumed by skeptics and freethinkers. that
some Of the tenets Of pagan nations were
handed down to the present era and incor-
porated into the Christian religion. Wero
this even so, it would not impair the es-
sential truths Of the gospel, but the simil.
srity Of the gospel but the similarity be-
tween the two systems seemed to indicate
that wise Deity approved the former,
suited to the capacity Of superstitious
people, as an introduction to the most per-
feet religion the world ever knew, insti-
tuted by the Saviour OF Mankind.
The primitive religion as inculcated by
their sacred books In point of moral dut-
les will compare fsvorably with Chris
tianity. The present religion OF the
Hindoos Is different from that Of the
'vcdas." Idolstry is now almost uni
versal. The most horrible images carv-
ed In stone, standing in the temples
figures OF men with heads OF animals
coarsely painted on the walls, with I'M
couth monsters unlike anything in nature,
are the objects Of Hindoo worship.
Self torture is quite prevalent mode Of
worship. The benighted devotes suspend
themselves on hooks aud are whirled
around the swinging tree several times to
appease the wrath OF their vindictive God,
silva. The women consider the river
Ganges sacred, and often battle in its
waters as q devotional ceremony. 1t 10
said Hindoo women never drown their
children in the Gauges as formerly related,
but have the same maternal affections as
mothers among Christian nations. Near
ly every month OF the year has some par
tcular mode Of worship assigned TO II.
Thus in July, is performed the ceremony
OF the car OF Juggernaut. II Is In the
form Of q pyramid sometimes fifty feet
high and is found in every part OF India
II Is drawn by hundreds OF men, acting
under the pagan delusion that each one
who pulls at the rope will certainly go to
heaven when he dies. Multitudes strive
to seize the rope, and In the excitement,
sometimes fall under the wheels and are
crushed. Many OF the rich people have
idols In their houses for daily worship
aud pay priest, who comes every morn
ing to wake up, dress, and Offer them food.
The Hindoos believe In 3 system Of sacra-
mental salvation In the hands OF 8 sacred
order, who have controlled the religious
world, from the earliest ages OF antiquity
down TO the present day.
Brahmanism places the essence OF relig-
ion and the saving duty OF man In sacri-
fees, while the Christian theory OF the
present day, recognizes individual saliva
ton, based upon obedience to God, and
love 10 our fellow men.
1t Is an irrevocable law, inscribed by
the finger OF the Most High, that virtue
shall be rewarded, and that sin shall not
go unpublished, hence, whether Jew,
Christian, Mohsmmedan or pagan, he who
according to his knowledge and ability,
does the most good to his fellow men, will
receive the greatest reward; while, on
the other hand, he who Expresses the hire
ling, the widow and the fatherless, or
takes from the mouth Of the poor the
bread he has earned, will meet just ret
ribution. LAYMAN.