Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1895-01-04
FIRE WORSHIPERS.
REV. DR.. TALMAGE INVESTIGATES
THE PARSEE RELIGION.


BROOKLYN, Dec. 23.-Rev. Or. Tai
mage continuing his series Of round
the world sermons through the press,
chose today for his subject "The Fire
Worshipers, the text selected being
Matthew ii, 1, There came wise men
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 more tol-
erable than any Of the other false reli-
gions and has more alleviations, and
while in this round the world Sc
ries have already shown you the worst
forms of heathenism today show you
the least offensive.
The prophet of the Parsees was To-
roaster of Persia. He was poet and
philosopher and reformer as well as
religionist. His disciples thrived at
first in Persia, but under Mohammedan
persecution they retreated to India,
where l met them, and in addition to
what saw of them at their headquar-
ters 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
nv hands There were originally 2l
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 CT the Parsees that suggest
Christianity, and some Of its doctrines
are in accord with our own religion.
Zoroaster, who lived about !, 400 years
before Christ, was a 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 a 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 a
paradisaio 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
resurrection Of the body. They are more
careful than any other people about
their ablutions, and they wash and
wash and wash. They pay great atten-
tion to physical health, and it is a rare
thing TO see a sick Parsee. They do not
smoke tobacco, for they consider 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, 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 world2
Answer. He who is the most limo
cent
Q.-Who is the most innocent mar
in the world?
Ale who walks in the path o.
God and shuns that Of the devil.
(Which is the path Of God an(
which that of the devil?
A.-Virtue is the path Of God ant
, vice that Of the devil
O.-What constitutes virtue anC
what vice?
A.-Good thoughts, good words ant
good deeds constitute virtue, and eyl
thoughts, evil words and evil deed
constitute vice.
Q.-What constitute good thoughts
good words and good deeds and evi
> thoughts, evil words and evil deeds?
a A.-Honesty, charity and truthful
ness constitute the former, and dishon
esty, want Of charity and falsehood con
D stitute the latter.
q And now the better to show you thes
Parsees l tell you Of two things say
, within short time in Bombay, India
g It was an afternoon Of contrast.
4 We started for Malabar hill, o
which the wealthy classes have thei
=" embowered homes and the Parsees thel
t strange temple Of the dead. AS we rod
along the waters edge the sun was dc
scending the sky, and disciple OF zC
e roaster, a Parsee, was in lcwly postur
T and with reverential gaze looking int
, the sky. He would have been said
> have been worshiping the sun, as a
q Parsees are said to worship the fire. Br
!, the intelligent Parsee does not worshi
n. the fire. He looks upon the sun as tt
emblem of the warmth and light OF tt
II Creator. Looking at blaze Of ligh
b whether on hearth, on mountain heigi
,t or in the sky, he can more easily brin
to mind the glory Of God-at least
the Parsees tell me. Indeed they are Il
rs pleasantest heather have met Tht
70 Ireat their wives as equals, while u
Bindoos and Buddhists treat them
10 sattle, although the cattle and shet
and swine are better of than most
"a the women Of India.
ts This Parsee on the roadside on o.
way to Malabar hill was the only Of
of that religion had ever seen engag
81 I'm worship. Who knows but that J