The daily morning journal and courier., 1899-09-21
A RELIGION OF LOVE.
The New Cult of Modern Gnostics and
 Their Curious Ceremonial.

generation to generation, those to whom these traditions were intrusted being the Perfecti and the Perfectae, and at all ages these people have suffered ana even died for their creed The present patriarch of this band calls himself Synesius, which is, however, the pseudo nyme of a well known French poet.
 In white hall about thirty persons were present-on the one side the men in black dress suits and wide white sashes, and on the other side the women with black robes and white sashes' GA 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 ye thirst for true love; God is love.' 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 semitis,
 Inclinayi cor meum
 Ad tuum eloquium.'
 co light of all fitness, it shines upon my path l have inclined my heart to- thy word.")
 Suddenly the curtain parted and the altar became visible in pure White ana gold and in a 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 lady of rare beauty the Superior Dea- coness' elevating her hand over choir of young women, who were all dressed in the tunica and the peplon of the an cients 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 steeped 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 bishop embraced the young women of the chorus as the per feet ones, the believers as brethren and sisters.
 Then there followed aft5r this com munion of souls the so called 'creed, which was repeated by the deaconess with a great deal of enthusiasm It's leading parts are these:
 q believe in a God of the Universe. the one Father whose thought, namely, the holy Eunoia, an agency equally as eternal as Himself, has produced the hierarchy of the holy cons.
 T believe that the last of the holy cons, Sophia (Wisdom), has been filled with love to the Father, attempted to force her way up to Him, but by the weight of this effort was hurled into the lower regions.
 q 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 clements and is the creator of the heavens and of all existing things.
 q 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 l into this world in the person of Jesus, and that both gave to Him through ln- spiration the doctrines of the Gospel and that they did not again desert linn till the moment of His sufferings. CT believe in the deliVerance of the entire world in love and through love- After the repetition of this creed the 1 deaconess withdrew and the Patrlarch bestowed his blessings in these words ''Perfecti and Perfectae, and ye Hylics l G e., those who have not yet attained 1 the complete inner wisdom of this secD may the holy cons be with you!' | After these prelmnaries the mass proper began, which in most particulars | is an imitation of that found in the Roman Catholic service. In connection with it portions of the Gospel of St John were repeated in Greek. While the elements were being consecrated the choir of young women under the dlrec7 tion of the deaconess conducted some sacred dances between the curtain and | the altar the purpose of the various motions being to symbolic certain ideas of the religion of Valentinus, i Then followed mystic prayers and poems and the communion was cele- 1 brated with both clements and the kiss 1 of peace was bestowed by the communi- cants After some further ceremonies | of this kind the words 1te; missa est (Cio; the services are over) are said, and eosteric portion begins, to which no outsiders admitted Paris Matin. AM TNcJDENT IN THEI SPANISH