The record-union., 1899-11-08
A RELIGION OF LOVE.
Modern Gnostics and Their Curious
Ceremonial

The adherents of the new religion
| of love, are really modern gnostics, fol-
lowing especially the system OF Valen-
tinus who claims that the secret rites
have been quietly handed down from
generation to generation, those to
whom these traditions were intrusted
being the Perfect and the Perfectae,
and at all ages these people have SUI
rered and even died for their creed. Inc
present patriarch of this band calls
himself Synesius, which is, however,
the pseudonym of a we'll known French
poet.
In white hall about thirty persons
were present-on the one side the men
in black dress suits and the wide white
sashes, and on the other side the women
with black robes and white sashes. A
black curtain separated the main hall
from the niche in which the altar stood
On this curtain, in blue silk letters,
were found the words. Come hither all
we who thirst for true love; God is
Lowell" The services are conducted in
accordance with printed ritual, which
begins with a chant modelled after the
chorus song of the ancient tragedy with
the words:
Lucerna Pleromatis
Lucet mel semitlS.
1nclinavi cor meum
Ad tuum eloquium.
20 light of all fullness, it shines upon my
PATH I have inclined my heart to thy
word.)
Suddenly the curtain parted and the
altar became visible in pure white and
gold and in q wealth of light The
patriarch celebrated the mass. He was
dressed partly in Oriental costume, and
at his side, as assistants, were two
bishops with the stola and the cross
of ST. Anthony. Behind them stood a
lady of rare beauty, the Superior
Deaconess,' elevating her hand over a
choir of young women, who were all
dressed in the tunica and the peplon
Of the ancients. The full light falling
upon their white garments. bare arms
and placid faces made them look like
statues. The patriarch blessed those
assembled and then stepped toward
the deaconess with the words: "Accipe
osculum pacis" c'Receive the kiss of
Peace'), when they embraced and
kissed each other. after which the
bishops embraced the young women of
the chorus as the perfect ones, the be-
levers, as brethren and sisters.
Then there followed after this COM
munion of souls the so-called creed
which was repeated by the deaconess
with great deal of enthusiasm. It's
leading parts are these:
II believe in God of the universe,
the one Father, whose thought, name
ly, the holy Eunoia, an agency equally
as eternal as Himself. has produced
the hierarchy of the holy cons.
II believe that the last of the holy
cons, Sophia (Wisdom), has been filled
with love to the Father, attempted
with power to force. her way up to
Him, but by weight of this effort was
hurled into the lower regions.
Il believe that out of this desire was
born Sophia Achamoth, who brought
into existence the imperfect demiourg
(creator) of this world, the one who
brought order into the elements and
is the creator of the heavens and of
all existing things.
II believe that the con Christ, the;
fruit of the holy pleroma, after he had
restored again the disharmony caused.
by the desire Of the Sophia, descended
into this world in the person OF Jeslls,
and that both gave1to him Through tn
spiration the doctEanes Of the Gospel,