Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1904-06-30
is addressed as the Divine Monarch. In

gifts" They baptized children with this
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
a capacity to be inspired, which makes it
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,
inspiration. Poets have been inspired to
write poetry. Scientists have been in.
spred 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 Nedas and Iend Avesta are considered
inspired by their cult. The Mohammedans
believe the Koran is inspired of God and
therefore infalliblc, and Christians make
the same contentious for the Scriptures.
There is low and crude form of nspira.
ton among the unuevelopci 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 shriekc and
self.lacerations of the Corybtantes were
considered forms OF inspiration. In the
Hindu religion it appears in the Ioga,
that is one who seeks God by Withdrawing
from the things OF sense. Painful posi-
tons are assumed. contortlons 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.
untary pro .hecy, and the priests of Baal
cat 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 mmemorial the human race
has had some animation 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 Esguimaux
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-
sia, 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 bod; returns to dust, the spirit goes
to God, Who gave it. The North Amer.
one remaining with the body, the other
departing during sleep. 1t has been
claimed by some that Buddhism is an ex-
ceptlon, but it is not. The teaching of
Buddhs SIN is to annihlate by the destruc-
ton of desire. 1t is not claimed that this
Is successful, but that the spirit becomes
lncarnate in one form or another until it
rests in Nirvana. The tranSmigraton of
souls was taught by the religion of Egypt,
hence they cmbalmed their dead. 1t is
found IN Brahmanlsm, among the Greek
phIosoph Empedocles and
Plato by the Neo-Platonists, Jewish
Cahbala, Arab philosophers. by origin and
other church fathers. Also by the Gnos-
tics, Manicheans, Druids and in more re.
cent times by Fourier Christianity be.
hevcs in eternal life, and that Jesus be.
came flesh. not only to disclose God, but
to bring HE and immortality to light.
Man Is a moral being, because he has a
moral nature. He has moral sentiment,
moral ideas and a moral power. The
moral sentiment is the sense of rig ht and
wrong, which produces a feeling of duty
aud obligation. Moral IDEAS consist III the
belief that certain acts are right, others
wrong. Moral power Is the ability to do
the right and not the wrong. Feeling,
thought and will cannot be eimin-
mated from any moral test, Even
the childlike races have some conception
oI r.,ht aud wrong, though often very
much below the Christian standard;
enough however, to be c.assed among
those who are not without God. But
few, if any, have been discovered without
enough moral ability to say yes to the
right and no to the wrong. Ii Is not de-
med that the moral standard Is different
in each system, and that what may be
right in one may be wrong in another
The temples of India and China encourage
vices which are too low to mention. The
underlying principle OF l'rahmanism is to
crafty every desire. The test OF Chris
tianlty is the type OF lie it produces The
liberal, consistent devoted business man,
father, brother, son, the position of
mother, sister, daughter. the Christian
home, school, hospital and the National
flag. They are the result OF the code of
ethics the Bible. One has only to read
any OF the standard works on the life of
the nations in order to be convinced that
Christianity is capable of producing the
ideal life. That while every system con.
tains some truth, Christianity is the truth.
The religious world is passing through
great change. To Just what we are Com-
ing no one is confident, though the lndi.
cations are that Christianity is destined
to encircle the { lobe.
l. Christianity Is the one system that
Is making civilization. We lament the in.
difference and apathy on the part of Chris
tians, but it is not to be compared with
the lethargy of heathensm.
.. Christianity is destined to spread,
because it has the Bible, church, Sabbath,
and has produced type of civilization
that satisfies the enlightened mind and
renewed heart.
3. All the aggressive systems have the
inspiration Of an inspired prophet. We
have the greatest of them all. Christ IS
seeking lnc nations, nd they are seeking
him.
4. Christianity not only contains all
the truth of all other systems, but much
not possessed by others.
Be not ANXIOUS about tomorrow. Do to-
days duty, fight to.day's temptation and
do not weaken and distrust yourself by