The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1885-03-13
Relic WOrShiD.

In the lonely forest depths we note
from afar the summit of some huge
domo of solid brickwork, and on a
nearer approach find that it is sur
rounded by some wonderfully carved
stone pillars and stairs, and every
thing to prove how unsparingly
human labor has been lavished upon
it, and then we learn that all this
honor 10 bestowed on the collar bone,
or some other portion of a Buddhist
saint. But as to the reputed tooth of
Buddha himself, its history, and the
wars which have been fought for the
honor of its custody would fill
volume Even at the present day the
worship of the tooth is strikingly
picturesque scene, with surroundings
of priceless, quaint ecclesiastical
jewels, and other temple properties,
yellowrobed priests, gorgeously at
tired Cingales mobiles, richly caparison-
ed elephants. aud graceful pilgrims,
male and female, approaching in
crowds, each bearing an Offering of
fragrant flowers carried high above
the head, to be laid in alteration be-
fore the Holy Tooth. Gifts of more
permanent value are not lacking,
though the offering of costly jewels is
less frequent than of yore. Far away
to the north, among the mountains of
Thibet, Buddhist relic worship takes
another form. On the death of good
Lama, whose sanctity may allow
reason to believe that he has attained
to the Buddha-hood, or some approach
20 that exalted perfection, his body is
burned by his priestlv brethren and
the ashes being mingled with clay, are
worked up into balls, and then form |
ed into sacred medallions, which are |
preserved in the temples with reverent
care. All this seems natural enough |
when we regard it as part of the system
of false creed. But when we recol-
lect how strangely similar to this is
the practice of two great branches of
the Christian Church--the Greek and
the Latin--we can not fail to perceive.
that here is something which we are
Wholly at loss to reconcile with the
simple teaching of Christianity as in
culcated by Its founder. When we
think of the hydra-headed martys
whose heads, hair, limbs, fingers,
even toe-nails, are treasured as price
ess relics in so many different church
's-of the miracles supposed to have
been wrought by them of the toll
ome pilgrimages undertaken by the
levout to enable them to worship and
present their offerings before the
brine SO richly endowed, and to claim
he intercession of the dead and
vhen we know that all this is going
n around us at the present day we
eel that in no sense can ancestor !
yorship be said to have died out Z
mong us. Looking back to the days 2
f Constantine, we learn that the u
eneration of relics was carried to such t
pitch that it was solemnly decreed
| council that all affairs beneath s
'hich none were found should be S
as a church without u
,lics could not be consecrated. And j.
yen in the present day the church of T
one requires that some holy tooth, 4
air, or nail, shall, on the consecra- tt
on of every new church, be carried ?
solemn procession by the priests to "
q altar, and therein, in a duly pre- h
lred niche, shall be deposited by
g bishop, (who stands mitreless to 81
ceive that precious reliquary, and al
40 may possibly hope that his own h,
mes may some day receive similar p
nor.) Having duly offered incense, "
aneints the covering stone with hi
ly oil. and so seals the relic tomb, th
lille solemn anthems rise and pray ha
are daly said Quarterly Reuiee. sh