The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1904-07-22

in possession OF it, The practice nf fhe
human family from the very first confirms
che statement chat the spirit of man
goeth upward" All believe in a spirit
world and that access is had to it through
prayer. Men pray either because thev OBJ
tain what they ask for, or because the act
is a blessing in itself. The Sioax Indians
pray-"Spirts of the dead have mercy on
us" The Zulus OF Africa pray to their
ancestors" People of our house peone of
our house; cattle People of our house,
good luck and health A Delaware In.
dian prayed thus--"O Great Spirit above!
have mercy on my children and my wife.
Let them not mourn for me. Let me sue.
eeed in this enterprise, say my enemy, re-
turn in safety to my family and friends,
that we may rejoice together. Have pity
on me and protect my life" The negro
on the gold coast prayed-"God give me
to-day rice and vans, give ne slaves, riches
and wealth. Let me be brisk and swift.
The Karens of Burmah pray to the harvest
goddess thus" Grandmother thou guard
est my field look out sharp for thieves.
If they come bind them with this rope"
Such are few forms used by the childlike
races; the ethnic systems disclose a higher
and more enlightened concer. ion of invo-
cation. The Vedic hymns are filed with
adoring homage-Of which God now, of
which of the immortals, shall we invoke
the amiable name? Let us invoke the ami
able name of Aditi. Agni, the god of fire,
is addressed as the Divine Monarch. Tn
China the worship of ancestors is con-
stantly practiced On an Assyrian tablet
are found these words: MAY [ never feel
the anger and wrath Of God" The ancient
MeXicans addressed God, "The God by
whom we live, Thou omnipresent, Who
knoweth all out thoughts, and giveth all
IL l.. l. L.
formula, LET these holy drops wash away
the sin that it received before the founda-
ton of the world, so that the child may be
new born" In the Catholic religions we
discover an element less conspicuous than
in the others. 1t is pardon for past sins,
reconciliation with God and growth in
grace. 1t would be interesting to trace
under this division the practice OF sacrifice,
hymnology and other forms that enter into
worship, but we pass on.
Inspiration implies that man must have
q capacity to be inspired, which makes it
a human faculty and therefore common
to all. Inspiration in its largest sense is
the sight of inward truth, truth which is
seen within the mind. A thought will
come while one is walking, conversing,
reading or meditating. 1t is a kind of
inspiration. Poets have been inspired to
write poetry. Scientists have been in
spired to formulate the sciences, musicians
to compose music, Columbus to discover,
Newton and Edison to both discover and
invent. Inspiration differs in quantity
and quality religious being the highest.
The Vedas and Zend Avesta are considered
inspired by their cult. The Mohammedans
believe the Koran is Inspired of God and
therefore infallible, and Christians make
the same contentious for the Scriptures.
There is low and crude form of inspira-
ton among the undeveloped races, which
is not committed to writing. The Samoieds
of Siberia have OWNERS who work them
selves into a frenzy before delivering ora
Giles. The notion OF inspiration appeared
in the insanity of the Pythian priestess
and the Greek OWNERS who fell into
frances. In the religion of Greece it APP
peared as an alien element. The wild
dances of the Bacchantes, the shriek5 and
self-acerations of the Corybtantes were
considered forms of inspiration. In the
Hindu religion 1T appears in the Yoga,
that is one who seeks God by withdrawing
from the things of sense. Painful posi-
tion.i are assumed, contortions of tho limbs,
suppression of breath and other incred-
ible notifications. The Greenlander has
his prophets, who abandon the converse Of
men and remain in fixed intensity Of
thought until they hear and see the spirits.
Balaam was compelled to utter an inVol
untary pro ,hecy, and the priests of Baal
cut themselves with lances. Sometimes in
our own country, at protracted meetings,
men have the Jerks" The Shakers dance,
the Mohammedans whirl. These seem alb
surd to us, but they disclose this, that all
mankind would ascertain the will of God.
From time immemorial the human race
has had some intimation of an endless
life. The most degraded savages and the
most enlightened philosophers share the
conviction that death does not end all.
The Hottentot and the FIJI Islander agree
with Plato and Aristotle. The EsquimauX
in the Arctic circle, the native of Siberia,
the Australians, the Patagonians believe
that the grave is the cradle of another
life. All the religions of antiquity believe
in Immortality, Egypt, China, India, Per-
STA, Greece, Rome, Mexico, Peru. the Tar.
tar tribes of Central Asia, the negroes of
Central and Western Africa and the isl
ands of the Pacific, all contend that while
the body returns to dust, the spirit goes
to God, Who gave it. The North Amer
lean Indian believes in duplicate souls,
one remaining with the body, the other
departing during sleep. II has been
claimed by some that Buddhism is an ex-
ception, but it is not. The teaching of
Buddhism is to annihilate by the destruc-
ton OF desire. 1t is not claimed that this
is successful, but that the spirit becomes
incarnate in one form or another until it
rests in Niwana. The TRANSPORTATION of
souls was taught by the religion of Egypt,
hence they embalmed their dead. 1t is
found in Brahmanism, among the Greek
Observation-Disclosures, Empedocles and
Plato. BY the Neo-Plato1ists, jewish
Cabbala, Arab philosophers. by origin and
other church fathers. Also by the Ghos-
tics, Manicheans Druids and in more re-
cent times by Fourier Christianity be-
l.ves in eternal life, and that Jesus be-
came, flesh not only to disclose God, but
to bring life and immortality to light.
Man is a moral being, because he has a
moral nature. He has moral sentiment,