The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1904-06-29
"NIVERSAL IN RELIGION"
A Fright Sunday Sermon By Rev. c. L.
Palmer.
Every System Of Religion Has Some conceb'
tl0n OF God.

tCnDIdIlN uSFOuTst l. ne OnltPT
sal in Religion"
Tylor, in Primitive Culture, says: "H,
who only knows one religion can no mor'
understand that religion, than he who onl,
understands one language can master tha'
language BY which he means, that one
cannot adequately appreciate any systen
OF faith and practice without some knowl
edge OF the history, doctrines and customs
of systems other than his own any more
than one can master his native tongue
without any knowledge of its cognates
1t is undeniable that a study of the various
systems disc.oses a religious substratum
and phenomena, of which no intelligent
student Is willing TO be deprived
The population OF the world is estimated
al !, l,392 900 900. Of this number 100, 900, ,O0t
are pagan or heathen, which represents the
very lowest grade OF humanity. There are
supposed to be 10000 900 Brahmans. The
nonnnai and professed followers of Buddab
and Coniucius are estimated at 100000 900
Mohammedans number more than 200, 900,
900. Christians. including Roman Cath
Ole, Greek Church and Protestant, ate
computed at 400.0O0,O00. The whole o.
Eastern Asia is occupied by the Buddhsts
India by the Brahmans, Africa, Austrdla
and the South Sea Islands by the pagan
tribes. Parts of Europe, Asia and Africa
by the Mohammedans, the largest part Of
Europe and America by Christians
itE NpustINdlNt HlhSSlHCdllODS OF the re
lisions OF the world were such as these
true anu fa'se religions, natural and super.
natural, pagan and revealed spiritua, ald
superstltious. Such Classification is not
only confusing to the student of compare.
tive religions, bur is unjust, for ever,
system contains some truth. A better
classification is !. Tribal. 2. Ethnic
3. Catholic. The tribal includes all sys
tens which have no ritual, priesthood
creed, sacred writings, architecture OF
music. The ethnic religions are conin d
TO one nation; such, for example was the
religion OF Egypt, which for thousand
years was limited to its national borders
The system of Assyria was confined to
Assyrla the religion of Greece was con.
fined to the Hellenic race; that of Rome
T. the Romans; OF Confucius to China
Brahmanism is confined to India and the
faith OF the Eddas was limited to the
Scandinavian or Teutonic races. The
Cathohc systems, in spirit and method
know no limit in either time ot ter
ritory. They aspire to conquer the
word. Such were Noses Xoroaster, Bud
dab, Mohammed and Jesus. Ethnic relig.
ions We're evolved out OF their own life
Catholic systems were formulated, intro.
duced and promulgated by an inspired
prophet.
IL is not my purpose to trace the origin
OF religion, the evolution or development
or to compare the merits OF each, but to
very briefly direct attention to certain
forms or doctrines common to all.
Such conception is either just or unjust
true OF false, right or wrong, though nc
faith, even among the most degraded, is en-
trey destitute of some truth concerning
God. Christianity is the one system which
has an adequate disclosure of the attri
butes OF Jehovah. because Jesus became in
carnate the reveal the Father. ''He that
hath seen Me hath seen the Father" And
even Christianity cannot condense in
single definition a comprehensive descrip
tion OF the Supreme Being, for the idea is
not simple but complex. The lowest con
ception OF Tod is known as animsm. which
is belief in spiritual powers as opposed tc
materlalsm. 1t Is the unformulated no
ton oil the most undeveloped tribes, and
has no place in the Christian system ex
cept as clarified and perfected in angel
ology and demonology. Poiytheism is
found principally in the ethnic systems
In Egypt the divine elements were seen
dwelling in nature. The Greek deities
were not presentations, but persons, di
vine men and women. In the Vedc
Hymns of India the forces of nature are
spiritualized into objects of reverence and
love. The most marked form of pautheism
appears in the Hindu religion, which is
in its extreme development, that the uni
verse is God, and God is the universe
SHTlStldH sCltnCt SdNOFs IL. L lie doc
triue OF the divine imminence may be so
forced a. to eliminate the personality OF
God. Ditheism is belief in two hostile
powers which was a tenet of Icroastrian.
ism. Triads appear in the ethnic and Cath.
olic systems. The Christian doctrine of the
trinity Il necessary and natural concep.
ti0n of God, and becomes clear if it is
understood to represent Him as one in ca
sence but three in form. Monotheism A.
principally. characteristic of the Catholic
systems, though traces are found in the
pagan and ethnic. Deeply imbedded in
every heart is the convit .ion of an AL.
mighty personality, and that such person.
ality is back of all forms and images, and
that the latter becomes efiicacious because
OF the power OF God.
All possible theories about the origin OF
the universe are reducibe to four
That 1t had no beginning, but haj always
existed either in its present or another
form. While the eternity of matter has
been advocated by some it has never be
come popular belief, and it does rot ap
peal TO modern Science. But among the
primitive tribes we presume, many think
OF the handiwork of God without com
mencement and elimination. 2. That il
came by a process OF evolution. This the
ory had been modified in recent wears by
Biblical scholars and philosophical think
ers, with the result of a most hearty ac
cepLance on the part of some thorough
studenas and devoted scientists. 3. An
other view is that it came by a process
OF emanation. The difference between evo
luton and emanation seems to be. that the
former is growth up to and including q
certain completeness, while the latter be
gan with the dark abyss of infinite being
and by means of q series of emanations OF
fallings away from this inconceivable frs,
essence, gradually reached an intelligent
Creator and an intelligent creation" Thi,
theory Is Oriental in its origin, appearing
first In the cosmogony OF the Hindus. A
Conservative Christian scholars are di
vided on this doctrine. Some hold that
God created, that is, actually made,
brought into existence, the material out
OF which all things were formed. Others
hold that He simply cut, carved and fash
ioned the universe out OF pre-exist ting ma
terial. 1t is difficult to say Just what form
Is acceptable to the majority of Christian
scholars. Evolution as we now understand
it is certainly accepted by men whose sin
cerlty we cannot question and whose schol.
srship commands universal admiration.
There is spirit in man and the inspira
tion OF the Almighty giveth it understand.
ing The lowest and most ignorant pagan.
and the most intelligent Christian is born
in possession OF it. The practice Of the
human family from the very first confirms
the statement, that 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 they OBJ
tain what they ask for, or because the act
Ii blessing in itself. The Sioux Indians
pray-"Spirits OF the dead have mercy on
u.s." The Zulus of Africa pray to their
a1cestOrs-"PeOple of our house peo,Se of