Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1893-01-01

thaunaturges. being often themselves
members OF religious orders. founded
shriues. where the miracles which they
had themselves performed duriug their
lives were multiplied after their death
IL Is certainly noteworthy that the DEITY
himself Is Not suPplcHted at religious
shrines, but his prophets or his disci-
pies In almost every case Il Is some
simple mortal who has earned his cam
onization by performing miracles during
his life II Is also curious to learn TINT
certain to these thaumaturgcs were af-
ilicted with the very mal0dies which
they were so shortly to cure ST. Nrnn-
els dAssise and St. Theresa. whose
shrines are both In the irst.rank Of those
renowned for miracles OF healing. were
themselves uudeniably hysterical,
The way In which the shrine is formed
IS OF little account; but Il " extremely
interesting 70 study the shrine itself
with view to arriving at a definition Of
the word miracle" And this denni-
ton becomes striking when one learns
that all these shrines resemble each
other and are cast IN the same mold
They have been the same from the
most remote periods Of history up to our
own day copying one another, so to
speak. That is to say that through all
the, ages, among the most diverse civili-
cations, In the midst OF religions APP
parentlv most iissinilar. the conditions
OF the miracle of healing have remain-
ed the same; It's laws Of evolution inn
mutable.
For instance, let us examine the As
clepeion at Athens, direct descend
Compare IL Asclepeion d'Athenes
d'upres de Recentes Discoveries" par
Paul Girard, Paris, 1881, G. Chorin edi-
ton.
ant Of the shrines Of ancient Egypt, since
the healing god Of the Asclepeiou shows
the very linenments Of Scraps. the thau-
maturge Of the phnraohs At the bot
tom OF the shrine stands the miracle
working statue; among the servltors of
the temple are the doctor-prests who are
charged with noting and aiding the cures
that Is to say the medical board which
the shrincs Of today never fail % main
tain " they are Of sufficient importance.
Again, we End beneath the porticoos
Of the Asclepcion q very curious class Of
pcrsOns-namcly the iutcrcessors. whose
business Is TO approach the healing god
Ia various towns aud implOre his pro.
lection for their clients VIGOROUSLY.
All through Potion there exists a class
OF old women, whose ordinary business
II rs to 50 IN Ike manner and intercedc
nt the miraculous tomb OF ST Rndigundo
bnr those who, although believers In
faith healing, either win not or cannot
50 themselves
We may leave these Intermediates
and consider simply the supplants. who
come In person. From every dome of
Greece those who believe Ia the faith
cure jurncyed 10 the shrine to obtain
relief for their ills. tOn' their arrival
they placed rich presents on the altar OF
the god. aud plunged into the hcnlina
spring which dubbed up before the TEN.
pie Aesculupius.
by Leus,' eXclnims tho worthy wo.
man 10 whom Clarion the servnnt, In
Aristphane's comedy. tells the allegori
cal adventures of Plontos, ITS queen
kind Of Kindness TO dip an old man into
cold watcrw Centuries have passed
but the secret stream flows on still
After these prclminaries the suppl
ants are admitted 10 pass the night