The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1894-12-28
FIRE WORSHIPERS.
REV. Or. TALMAGE INVESTIGATES
THE PARSeE RELIGION.

r"r'se Marri"se-zoroastssr and Christ.
BROOKLYN. Dec, 2S.-Rev. DR.. Tai,
mage, continuing his series of round
lhe world sermons through the press
chose today for his subject 1.-THE Fire
Worshipers, the text selected being
Matthew ii, 1. 'There came wise mon
from the east to Jerusalem.
These wise men were the Parsees or
the so called fire worshipers, and
found their descendants in India last
October, Their heathenism Is moro toll
cradle than any Of the other false reli-
gions and has more alleviations, and
while In this round the world se-
ries ! have already shown you tho worst
forms of heathenism today l show you
the least offensive.
The prophet of the Parsees was 10
rooster of Persia. He was poet and
philosopher and reformer as we'll as
religionist, His disciples thrived at
first in Persia, but under Mohammedan
persecution they reiterated to India,
where l met them, and in addition to
what saw of them at their headquar-
tiers in Bombay, India, had two weeks
of association with one of the most
learned and genial Of their people on
shipboard from Bombay to Brindisi
! Parsee Religion.
The Bible of the Parsees, or fire wor.
shippers, as they are inaccurately call
ed, is the Zend Avesta, a collection of
the strangest books that ever came into
my 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, 400 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
mud, and all who do wrong are I'M
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 60 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
paradisaio state, enjoying more than
all the nations Of earth put together
could enjoy or In pandemoniao 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
resurrection of the body. They are more
careful than any other people about
their additions, and they wash and
wash and wash. They pay great atten-
ton to physical health, and it is rare
thing to see sick Parsee. They do not
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, however,
is more intense in the Parsee 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 must give three
or four questions and answers from one
of the Parsee catechisms:
Parsee Catechism.
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 I
thoughts, evil words and evil deeds? 9
A. --Honesty, charity and truthful 8
less constitute the former, and dishon-
'sty, want of charity and falsehood con-
titute the latter. t
And now the better to show you these a
oarsees l tell you of two things I saw '
within short time in Bombay India '
t was an afternoon of contrast. !
We started for Malabar hill. on {
which the wealthy classes have their a
uncovered homes and the Parsees their '
TRANCE temple Of the dead. As we rode =
long the waters edge the sun was de. u
sending the sky, and disciple of 10. 0
caster, Parsee. was in lowly posture v
nd with reverential gaze looking into II
lie sky. He would have been said to 0
ave been worshiping the sun, as all q
'arsees are said to worship the fire. But G
ne Intelligent Parsee does not worship g
ne fire. He looks upon the sun as the P
'blem OF the warmth and light of the !,
'reator. Looking at a blaze of light, 1
Fhother on hearth, on mountain height v
r in the sky, he can more easily bring Il
. mind the glory of God-at least so .
nc Parsees tell me. Indeed they are the u
'ieasantest heather have met. They "
rHat their wives as equals, while the a.
.indoos and Buddhists treat them as ST
attie, although the cattle aid sheen Y