The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1899-05-15
TRUTH The Value
Mist Of Centuries Readily
Lifted From Before It.
ZoroaStsr the Prophet of Works"-Study Of
Comparative Religions What
Viii Survive.

Zorcaster, the Prophet CT Works"
was Rev. w. VI. Kincaids subject at
the Central Union Church last evening,
this being the third sermon of his Sc
ries, The Prophets of the Worlds
Great Religions His text was John
Xix That was the true light. which
lighted every man that came into he
world"
About the middle of the seventeenth
century an old manuscript was found
in Bombay From there it was brought
TO England and placed in the library at
Oxford. Commercial men familiar with
India declared it was fragment of the
Persian Bible. 1t was a sealed book TO
the world. Not even the original pos
SCISSORS knew the language in which it
was written, and for years it re-
manned literary curiosity.
One day young man happened upon
a few duplicate sheets of the book.
He became imbued with desire to I'M
lock the secrets of the book. He en-
listed secretly in a regiment going to
India. Later France learned his mis-
sion and aided him. He penetrated
the heart of India He Overcame the
suspicious of the priesthood, who have
been stigmatized as Fire Worshippers.
He returned after many years alb
sence with $50 valuable manuscripts
which he was able to read. He visited
Oxford and published translation OF
the book which had remained mys-
terry for so long. The subtitle of his
translation was, The Works of Zorro
aster" But the skeptics denied his
work. He was declared an lmpOstor.
However, he continued his labors till
dead 1t is truly said of him that he
was hero who did much to hasten
the revival of learning. In later years
his work was recognized.
Max Muller, the great linguist and
authority on comparative religions,
gave to the world still more about the
Persian Bible which is a code of laws
and morals older than our Hebrew
Scriptures and surpassed in age only
by the Vedas of India.
Persia is large name in human
history Cyrus the Great founded the
empire The Hebrew Scriptures ire
influenced by Persian lore. The Par
see in different guises was in power
five centuries preceding and seven cen
turtles following the birth Of Christ
The conquests of Alexander turned
back the wave of religious thought
He set back a noble civilization and
hindered the worlds liberty.
Zoroaster, OF all the great prophets,
| is seen the most dimly. But back of
all tradition and the mists of antiquity
must have stood a grand old hero.
| Even his name is lost. The word 70
| rooster means chief priest. The date
| of his birth is set anywhere between
| 1000 and 5000 years before Christ. 1t
| is safe to judge him by the shadow he
| cast. He was great reformer and
great Protestant. The Brahmin sought
| the dreamy life of meditation. On the
| contrary, Zoroaster glorified industry.
There is a great similarity between
the utterances OF this prophet of works
| and the words that dropped from the
| lips of the Christ. The old Bible came
| near passing away from the thought Of
| the world. 1t was mutilated by fire and
| tality. Like all Bibles, it is an accu-
mutation. In it all duty is made to
| rinan in IN devOutneSS
Forms may change and dogmas die,
but Truth and Love go on forever. In
the studies of comparative religions
one may not fail to detect the presence
OF the Holy Spirit in the utterances OF
all the prophets Of the worlds great
| religions