The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-02-05
IDOL WORSHIP.


The greatest Of modern philosophers,
in his efforts TO set free the human mind,
discourses at length on idols and com
mon idol worship. He does not refer TO
the grim and horrible images of the ac-
knowledged heather. but TO the familiar
substitutes Of modern men. He tells how
the general world is given to idolatry In
their affairs Each man has not only
his household gods. but his gods for the
market. for society, for every place he
frequents, for every company he keeps,
and for every study he pursues. To use
the language OF the prophet. men are
found worshipping idols under every
green tree" The advancement Of learn
II &" and the "Novum organum" are
good wholesome reading for everyone
who values a clear head and an honest
heart. They will be found to be largely
the principles and precepts of the New
Dispensation, applied to business and the
pursuit OF knowledge.
Every man of affairs and action breads
with prejudiccs; with a head crammed
with peculiar ideas. and eyes guarded with
colored spectacles that make 1t impossi-
BILE to judge evenly or to see things as
they are. On the one hand, the aristo-
crat has his god and his weights and
measures and standards, and ideas and
pictures, and family pride and pretension,
and he says to other flesh and blood:
Stand thou there, or sit here under my
footstool;" what are you doing here?"
And on the extreme other hand, the radi-
cal. "by forms unfashioned, fresh from
natures hand" hardly knows what to
make Of his swell brother He asks him
self. What is all that?" He can't I'M
derstand him, and has to treat him as Of
a different genus. species and creation
from himsef-maybe as "a heather man
and publican" You may classify men
in this way by denominations. circles,
associations. &c. You will find each with
their alphabets. their dictionaries and
grammars. and, too. with their constella-
tons and idols-their gods made out OF
theology and logic the work Of their own
hands or heads Each lot have their gods,
that they keep in their bosom, fight for,
and faithfully serve and swear by. When
you come down to the individual. you
will find that as soon as a man begins to
think he will be for having and main
tanning something that he can call his
own-his theory. his philosophy, his fad.
something that Is TO mark him as origi-
nal, as something-his intellectual or
moral Dulcinea. To what ridiculous ex-
tremes does this mania run a mani Not
long since we had a prominent poll
tician among us. His idol was eccen-
tricity. Decked after his own ideas as a
priest Of his own theology. he would
have made a good idol for a Chinaman.
with his broad hat, his big, unseas enable
breeches. his ridiculous anatomy and his
grim visage He worshipped bundle Of
out"
But we see mild and monstrous cases of
this same moral insanity all about us.
The general world is bad off intellect
ually. and dire poverty and mental vacuity
are common around us. and there is no
sufficient provision for them. The minds
Of the masses have upper stories for rent.
empty and full Of cobwebs.
A sensation, fad, an idea, a notion
comes along. and. as in the case OF the
image Of Diana, the whole world shouts,
Great Is Diana Of the Ephesians!"
Everybody adopts the notion, talks 1t.
worships It, 1t is all the fashion and rat
ties about or shines in all the empty
heads for a season. and you must get out
of Its way or its triumphal car will crush
you.
Idol worship is the same. from the
plain heather. who worships stocks aud |
stones, to the dude. who worships his |
neckties or his cane. TO the highest phil |
osopher, who adores his theory. II Is the |
substitute OF the vile and the false for the |
dignified and the true: It is the setting ND |
OF the image for the reality; an idol in |
place Of the good and true and beautiful.
The fly upon the grass, the singing in the
ear. the clot upon the brain, the bee in
the bonnet" are in the way of true per-
ceptions and honest. natural life. The
Second Commandment forbids the setting
up OF idols in the heart. Common sense
calls Tor truths and realities. The oespsl