Evening star., 1935-12-15

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duction Of craven images. This, DR..
Torrance holds, must have been a
development after the Chi'angs left
Asia Minor, because they have no such
images.
THE Chi'angs still have their sacred
= groves on the mountain tops. The
use of a sacred white stone is a lead
ing feature of their worship. 1t is
set up both in the groves and on the
roofs of their houses. This, he holds,
is a direct survival of the memorial
and covenant stones of the Hebrews.
The symbol of the rock, DR.. Tor
rance points out, is prominent in both
the Old and New Testaments.
There is some evidence that the re-
ligion of ancient Israel also was a
"cult of whiteness." This survives in
modern Christian worship. White re-
mains the symbol Of purity and res
direction. Christ is always portrayed
in white robes. Churches commonly
are painted white or built of white
stone. It was the common color of
graveStones. In medieval times white
doves were released from church
porches at Easter to symbolic the
resurrection. The Chi'angs have a
curiously similar practice.
But, DR.. Torrance finds, the most
remarkable parallel to the religious
practice Of ancient Egypt is the doc
trine of the Sin-bearer-an animal
which must be sacrificed before a
suppliant can approach the altar.
Animal sacrifice is fairly common
throughout the world, but not in the
curious form observed both by the
Chi'angs and by the Israelites. The
ceremony, DR.. Torrance holds, clears
up some obscure passages in Genesis
as when Jacob offered sacrifices on
the mountain and he and his breth-
rem tarried all night there. He ad-
mitS, however, that various Tibetan
practices may have crept into the
religious rituals of the Chi'ang tribes
men during the thousands of years
they have been separated from their
41OA44C404lAs 4A1C PO441b 10 l4AdI IlOhA1C1C
else. except in the western countries
where it derives directly from the
Scriptures, is there such an aboriginal
monotheiSm. Moreover, he maintains,
an intelligent Chi'ang who reads the
Book of Revelation has no need of
anyone to interpret it for him. All
the SMILES used, some of them so
| puzzling to western readers and the
cause of bitter theological wars.
might have been drawn directly from
the religion practiced in these noun
tain Businesses for thousands of years.
There are three occasions of public
worship a year, the chief of which
is the Je-dsu festival-the beginning
of a three-day Sabbath which might
be compared to the Christmas hoh-
days. The public worship takes place
in sacred grove. and each village
or set of villages has one of its own
In all ritual a priest invariably Off
ciates. An ordinary individual dare
not take upon himself the honor Of
presenting the blood of sacrifice. The
priest must superintend the cere.
mony. The Office is handed dowr
from father to son and one genera
ton initiates another.
IN THE sacred grove is an altal
of unhewn stones picked from the
mountainSide. Any shaping of the
stones would be considered equivalent
to making a craven image" Behind
the altar grows the sacred tree. It
Is worthy of conjecture that this
instead of the practices of the Druids
may be the origin of the Christmas
tree. Between the tree and the altar
shines the pure white stone. The
same arrangement is preserved year
after year. Thus DR.. Torrance de-
scribes the festival in which the sins
of the community are formally trans
ferred to The Lamb" after which
the animal is tremendously sacri-
feed:
Elders or leaders Of good repute are
appointed In turns to see to all the
necessary arrangements. 1t falls to
them to select the ram, or he-goat.
This is done 10 days ahead Of time.
It must be perfect in every part
body, legs and horns. 1t must be
white. If wholly white animal can
not be found q white cock is offered
to atone for any spot or imperfection
in color. 1t is led home the day be-
fore and washed. To augment its
cleaning it is next bathed in incense.
which is of cypress twigs. Then it is
tethered in clean place until wanted.
"a new rope is used to lead it to
the altar. The rope also has to pass
through the sanctifying fumes of the
incense. A special honor rests on the
person chosen to lead the victim to
the grove. He Is always some one
reckoned worthy among his brethren.
| It falls to him to slay the sacrifice,
and he receives an extra portion Of the
divided meat.
Three days beforehand the wor-
shippers cleanse their bodies, wash
their clothes and make themselves
ready. No pungent herbs such a
onions or garlic may be eaten, mol
anything regarded as unelean. Eye