The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1894-12-28
PARSEE RELIGION.
Or. Talmage, in His Fourth Series
of "Round the World" Sermons,
Tells of the Disciples of Zoroaster. or Tho
Fire Worshipers-They Have a Cate
chIsm That VIII Stand the
Christian Test.

his subject line Ire NOrSnlperS.
the text selected being Matthew ii. L:
There came wise men from the east to
Jerusalem"
These wise men were the Parsees. or
the so-called fire worshipers, and l
found their descendants in India last
October. Their heathenism is more
tolerable than any of the other false
religions and has more alleviations.
and while in this 'round-theworld Sc
ries l have already shown you the
worst forms of heathenism, to-day 1
show you the least offensive.
The prophet of the Parsees was 10
roaster of Persia. He was poet and
philosopher and reformer as well as re-
ligionist. His disciples thrived at first
in Persia, but under Mohammedan per-
secution they retreated to India. where
met them, and in addition to what L
saw Of them at their headquarters in
Bombay. India, had two weeks of as
sociation with one of the most learned
and genial of their people on shipboard
from Bombay to Brindisi.
The Bible of the Parsees, or fire wor-
shippers. as they are inaccuratelv call
ed. is the Zend- Avesta, a collection of
the strangest books that ever came into
nv hands. There were originally 81
volumes. but Alexander the Great. in
a drunken fit, set fire to palace which
contained some of them. and they went
into ashes and forgetfulness. But there
are more of their sacred volumes left
than most people would have patience
to read. There are many things in the
religion of the Parsees that suggest
Christianity, and some of its doctrines
are in accord with our own religion.
Zoroaster, who lived about 1.4O0 years
before Christ. was good man, suffered
persecution for his faith and was assas-
sinated while worshiping at an altar.
He announced the theory. ''He is best
who is pure of heart" and that there
are two great spirits in the world.
Ormuzd, the good spirit. and Ahriman.
the bad spirit, and that all who do
right are under the influence of Or
muzd, and all who do wrong are un-
der Ahriman; that the Parsee must be
born on the ground floor of the house
and must be buried from the ground
floor; that the dying man must have
prayers said over him and sacred
Juice given him to drink: that the good
at their decease go into eternal light
and the bad into eternal darkness: that
having passed out of this life. the soul
fingers near the corpse three days in a
paradisaic state, enjoying more than
all the nations of earth put together
could enjoy or in pandemoniac state.
suffering more than all the nations put
| together could possibly suffer. but at
the end of three days departing for its
final destiny, and that there will be a
resurrection of the body. They are
more careful than any other people
| about thei. ablutions, and they wash
and wash and wash They pay great
attention to physical health. and it is
rare thing to see sick Parsee. They
do not smoke tobacco. for they con-
slider that misuse of fire.
At the close of mortal life the soul
appears at the bridge Chinvat, where
an angel presides and questions the
soul about the thoughts and words and
deeds of its earthly state. Nothing,
faith than the theory that the dead
body is impure. A devil is supposed to
| take possession of the dead body. All
who touch it are unclean, and hence
| the strange style of obsequies. But
here l must give three or four ques-
| tions and answers from one of the Par
see catechisms:
Question-Who is the most fortunate
man in the world?
Answer-He who is the most inno-
cent.
Q.-Who is the most innocent man in
! the world?
Ale who walks in the path of God
and shuns that of the devil.
(Which is the path of God and
which that of the devil?
A.-Virtue is the path of God and
vice that of the devil.
Q.-What constitutes virtue and what
vice?
A.-Good thoughts, good words and
good deeds constitute virtue, and evil
thoughts, evil words and evil deeds
constitute vice.
Q.-What constitute good thoughts
good words and good deeds and evil
thoughts, evil words and evil deeds?
A.-Honesty. charity and truthful
ness constitute the former. and dishon
esty, want of charity and falsehood
constitute the latter.
And now the better to show yor
these Parsees 1 tell you of two thing:
l saw within short time in Bombay
India. 1t was an afternoon of con
trast.
We started for Malabar hill. OF
which the wealthy classes have then
embowered homes and the Parsee'
their strange temple of the dead. A!
we rode along the waters edge the sur
was descending the sky, and discipl,
of ZorOaster, n Parsee. was in lowly
posture and with reverential gaZ'
looking into the sky. He would have
been said to have been worshiping tht
sun, as all Parsees are said to wor
ship the fire. But the intelligent Par
see does not worship the fire
He looks upon the sun as the EN-
blem of the warmth and light of th'
Creator Looking at blaze of light
whether on hearth. on mountain heigh
or in the sky, he can more easily bring
to mind the glory of God-at least 81
the Parsees tell me. Indeed they ar,
the pleasantest heather / have met
They treat their wives as equals, whil
the Hindoos and Buddhists treat then
as cattle. although the cattle and sheel
and swine are better off than most o
the women of India.
This Parsee on the roadside on on
way to Malabar hill was the only on
of that religion / had ever seen en-
gagged in worship. Who knows bu