New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1894-04-18
have dole likewise. Another fact re-
corded in Mosaic Scripture throws some
light or this point There is recorded IN

light OF this point There is recorded IN
Genesis an account of angels that per-
formed good Offices Now If they re-
cognized good angels, therein there is
taught, at least by implication, the exist
ence of bad ones; and have already
given that other Mosaic account where
sacrifices to such bad angels or devils are
prohibited
According to your correspondent.
Mithea was changed into Michael. But
the Hebrews words, Mi-ka-e1, (who is
like God, are pure Hebrew, and not, as
he implies, corruption of the Iranian
word. Mithra- Mfthra, in the Iranian
tongue. meant Light. The smallest &C..
quaintanee with philology, would keep
your correspondent from understanding
Michael as corruption of Mithra. Tn
like Mithra. In the meaning of the name,
Michael also differs essentially in the be-
ing signifed for whereas Mithra meant
God of the first order, the Light of the
Universe, Michael, On the contrary was
Gods creature, powerful indeed yet ever
subordinate. Mithra was never consid-
cred as soldisr; Michael was aIwavs
the warrior of God. Mithra created
worlds and Illuminated them; No such
acts were ever attributed to Michael bv
the Jewish writer's. Moreover the idea
of soidiery was not adopted from the
Pers1ans. Turn to Genesis: aAnd he
placed cherubim with flaming swords
before the gates Of Paradise Here is
the military idea on the first page of the
Bible; and the book in which it il writ
ten was composed more than one thou
sand years before the Jew1sI, Exile
Moses wrote those words along with the
other texts which have so far quoted.
Yet IN the face of the historical data
your spondentsbrazenly asserts that
Moses and the Jews received their ideas
of angels and devils from the Persians.
How Far the Persian theology Influenced
Hebrew belief is admirably summed up
by the eminent German critic, Schang,
IN his Apologize des Christenthums: can
zuerkennen ist allerdings, das diese Leh-
re (the Persian) in der nachexilischeu
Llteratur cine weitere AusbiIdung und
klarere DarsteIlung erhalten hat. Die
Characteristek ist s1cherer, der Uuter-
schied ist bestimmter; Gut und Boes,
Gott und Welt, die Sehoepfung Gottes
| und das Werk des Teufels werder einan-
Ger nit vollem Bewustsein gegenueber-
| gestellt. Damit duerfte aber auch der
Haupteinfluss bezeichnet sein. welehen
| die iranische Dogmatik auf das Juden-
thum ausgeuebt hat. Er bestand bIoss
| IN der Anregung zu de1 bewuzten k1aren
Ausbildung dessen, was vom Anfane an
ais Grundzug, des alttestamentIichen
Glaubens gait
The Hebrews, according to this critic,
gained clearer and more explicit idea
OF their own native religious doctrines
from contact with the Persian, but moth
ing more. And this opinion is confirmed
not alone by a consideration of their re-
lgious tenets previous to the captivity
as we have seen In the Mosaic writings,
but also by the peculiar religious char
acte1 of the Hebrews themselves
| character which forbade any triff1ng with
their creed If one fact above all Others
Is clear In history it is the steadfastness,
| the tenacity, the conservatism DISPLAYED
| oy the Jews In matters of religion They
| would have nothing to do with the gods
or devils OF other peoples; otherwise
they would have returned from Egypt
and Persia as polytheists- By the Egyp-
tlans they were robbed of everything
and were treated as beasts of burden: vet
losing country, freedom, property, they
still remained monotheists- still eIung to
jehovah ana those ideas, of good and
evil angels, which they brought into
Egypt. The same thing happened IN
Assyria, the Baby ylonian conquerer took
everything, changed every thing but their
religious creed Did not the Jews stone
Stephen, cruelty Christ behead John
Baptistfor their religious innovations2
Have they not suffered exile and perse-
cutlon for nineteen hundred years among
pagan and christian, yet how much of
their creed has been changeda Step in
to Jewish synagogue at New Tim or
St. Paul and you Will hear the same Law
read which Moses received ON Sinai. the
same sad songs that broke from pIaintive
hearts by the waters of Babylon more
II Il ~