The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-01-25

from heaven heard in an articulated
manner, and sometimes in intima-
tions received from contingent cir
cumstances, or certain construction
put upon casual events that might
occur after an appeal had been made
to Bath Kol. And sometimes, in fact,
it was species of impulse resemb-
ling the suggestions and operations
of the eternal spirit that constitutes
striking popularity in the religion
of Quakers. In each of these ways
they supposed voice from heaven
was sometimes communicated. But
| the most general method was a sort
of contingency practiced sometimes
even at this day. After they had
made formal appeal to the daugh-
ter of the voice, they received the
first words that should chance to pro-
coed from the mouth of anyone whom
they met, as indicative of the thing
which they desired to know. But in
this case they must put their own
construction upon the voice in order
to understand its meaning. Thus
several Rabbis of Tiberias, anxious
to visit distinguished Rabbi named
Samuel, residing at Babylon, con-
suited Bath Kol; and as they passed
a school, they heard a boy read
from the Bible, "And Samuel died."
from which they inferred that the OBJ
ject of their curiosity was dead; and
they afterward ascertained it to be
true.
Taking the hint from these prac-
tices of the heather, many ignorant
and superstitious people among the
early Christians adopted a similar
course to look into the future, and
resolve difficulties and determine I'M
certain events. But instead of taking
a heather author they prostituted
the Bible to these purposes of sor-
Gerry. On opening the book, the first
word or sentence that met the eye
was thought to contain the key of
wisdom and to convey the voice of
God to mankind In this way many
important events were decided, both
in civil and religious affairs. The
practice commenced at very early
age of the Christian church, and has
come down in some lingering form
of stupid superstition even to the
present time. At some ages it has
been held in great repute. On the
elections of bishops this method has
sometimes been taken in order to de-
termine the future character and con-
duct of the new bishop. This prac-
tice prevailed particularly in the
western church during the feudal
ages. DIR. Prideaux gives curious
instance of this species of divination
at the election of bishop of Nor
wich in England after the Norman
conquest. The words at which the
Bible was opened for him were;
''Not this man, but Barabbas," from
which it was inferred that he was
not to continue long but would be
succeeded by thief and robber.
Accordingly he died shortly after
and another person, who bore almost
exactly the character of Barabbas,-
who had made profitable trade of
buying and selling ecclesiastical
benefces-obtained his place. At
his conservation, the words at which
the Bible opened for him, were
those which Christ spoke to Judas
when he came to betray him;
Friend, wherefore hast thou comet"
But the Able Bergier thinks that
great injustice was often done to the
purest and most worthy bishops by
the unfortunate opening to some I'M
fortunate passage of Scripture at
their conservation.
At later period the same principle
was sometimes applied by dissenting
clergymen in England and other
countries for the purpose of select
ing an appropriate text to preach
from. And the same thing has APP
peared in other forms and among
other classes of people at a much
later period.
l have dwelt at considerable
length upon this point, because it de-
velops a striking form of supersti-
ton, in which is exhibited the strong
tendency of the human mind to pry
into the future and to receive the
most frivolous circumstance as a
voice from God. 1t is true, that
circumstances may sometimes occur,
in the ordinary course of eve nts,
which seem to agree exactly with the
anterior premonitions; and these pre-
monitions are therefore received as
forerunners of the subsequent events.
But in no case can it be proved
that the correspondence is anything