The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1885-03-07
Relic Worship,

From the Quarterly ReviewI
In the lonely forest depths we note
from afar the summit of some huge
dome 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 hui
man labor has been lavished upon it.:
and then We learn that all this honor
IS 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 vol
umel Even at the present daV the
worship OF the tooth is a strikinglv
picturesque scene, with surroundings Of
priceless, quaint ecclesiastical Jewels,
and other temple properties, yellow
rObed priests, gorgeously attired Gin
gales mobiles, richly caparisOned ele-
plants, and peaceful pilgrims, male
and female, approaching in crowds,
each bearing an Offering OF fragrant
flowers carried high above the head,
to be laid in alteration before the Holy
Tooth. Gifts OF more permanent val
ne are not lacking, though the offer
ing 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 q good Lama,
whose sanctity may allow reason to
believe that he has attained to the
Budda-hOOd, or some approach to
that exalted perfection, his body is
burned by his priestly brethren; and
the ashes being mingled with clay, are
worked up into balls. and then form
ed into sacred medalions, which are
preserved III the temples with reverent
care. All this seems natural enough
when we regardit as part of hesystem
OF a false creed. But when we recol-
leCt how strangely similar to this is
the practice OF two great branches of
the Christian ChWch-the Greek and
the Latin-We cannot fail to perceive
that here Is something which we are
wholly at a loss to reconcile with the
simple teaching OF Christianity as in
culcated by its Founder. When we
think OF the hydra-headed martyrs
whose heads, hair, limbs, fingers, even
tOe-nallS, are treasured as priceless
relics in so many different churches
OF the miracles supposed to have been
wrought by them-Of the tOilsOme pill
glImages undertaken by the devOut to
enable them to worship and present
their offerings before the shrine so
richly endowed, and to claim the in
tercessiOn OF the dead; and when we
know that all this is going on arOud
us at the present day we feel that in
no sense can ancestor worship be SAID
to have died out among us. Looking
back to the days OF Constantine, we
learn that the VeneratiOn OF relics was
carried to such a pitch that 1t was
sOlemnly decreed IN council that all al
tars beneatn which none We're found
should be demolished. as a church
without relies could not be consecrat-
ed. And even i'll the present day the
Church OF Rome requires that some
holy tooth, hair, or nail, shall, on the
conservation of every new church, be
carried in solemn procession by the
priests to the altar, and therein, in a
duly prepared niche, shall be deposit
ed by the bishop, (whO stands mitre-
less to receive that precious reliquary,
and who may possibly hope that his
own bones may some day receive sim
liar honor) Having duly offered in
cense, he anOints the covering stone
with holy oil, and so seals the relic
tomb, while solemn anthems rise and
PRAYERS are duly said.