Laconics of Cult - INGERSOLL LOCKWOOD

Laconics of Cult I: SUPERSTITION

By INGERSOLL LOCKWOOD Cousuellor at Law Formerly American Repre$enlative at the Court of Hanovt'r, Germany

The gods that exist are born of those that exist no longer.- Rig-

Veda.

The idea which man calls "god •· only exists in the consciousness of man himself. - BuiT»er-LJYllon.

We do not resemble him, he resembles us. -Ibid.

PUBLISHED BY THE AtrrHOR SARATOGA SPRINGS, N. Y.

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INGERSOLL LOCKWOOD Al:TIIOR AND ORIGI NATOR OF THE Cl'I.T OF THE Dl~IORT.\1. ltt: :M .\:\

(At the age of 6o)

PROE.M TuEn E is

but on e f orm of human enslavement nwr e yiJlain ous a nd more detestable than t h e cba,ins of t h e tymnt or the shackles of t he despot, and that is t h e enslavement of t he human mind under ecclesiastical t y ranny , whose cowering a nd crouching victims at the cra ck of the priestly lash arc driven f rom the cult ivation of their own intelligence, from t h e custody of their own thoughts, from the guardianship of their own sonls, and who, like whipt dogs, trembling and whining in abj ect submission at t he feet of the oppressor, lick the very hand that wields t he lash. I 'm well aware what

a thankless task it is t o attack t he established or der of things, theological, political or ethical, for in my long life I l1ave often heard Taised the old cry in differ ent form: Great is Diana of the Ephesians ! but I make no excuse or apology for my little book.

If it shaH turn a single man or woman away from the old path of Superstition, for so many centuries beaten hard and smooth by the tread of millions of poor tired human feet pressing forward in the dust of outworn ecclesiastical "props" that line the way in search of something they never can find, I will be satisfied.

I owe this dear country something for my enjoyment all these years of the priceless privilege of liberty and the pursuit of happiness, and this be my gift to my

PHOEM 1 -, II ERE is but one form

of human enslavement more

villainous and more detestable than the chains of the tyrant or the shackles of the despot, and that is the enslavement of t he human mind under ecclesiastical tyranny , whose cowering and crouching victims at the cr ack of the priestly lash arc driven from the cultiYat ion of their own intelligence, from the custody of their own thoughts, from the guardianship of their own sonls, and who, like whipt dogs, trembling and whining in a bj ect submission at the feet of the oppressor, lick the very hand t hat wields the lash. I 'm well aware what a thankless task it is to attack t he established order of things, theological, polit ical or ethical, for in my long life I have often heard r aised t he old cr y in differ ent form: Great is Diana of the Ephesians ! but I make no excuse or apology for my little book.

If it shall turn a single man or woman away from the old path of Superstition, for so many centuries beaten hard and smooth by the t read of millions of poor tired human f eet pressing forward in t he dust of outworn ecclesiastical " props " that line the way in search of something they never can find, I will be satisfied.

I owe this dear country something for my enjoyment all these years of the priceless privilege of liberty and the pursuit of happiness, and this be my gift to my

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for [ set tW <·opy t·igh l 11 pon il . i 1 1 counLt·yJncn. . .. , H•lt 111 J "lw <'~lit use 1l , tt JHI d llw c l(•t·i<"s ll 1( to a.ny IJO< Y • . ' H·,,l, ·d tcs et id ouutc grnus. can l hh's:-; 11, _ 1. ~ 1

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should hardly cxpccl,. lcL lhem. u~c 1l as n. rcmL·dy sttCCl

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torpid liver au cl henri Jl :v ('l\I'Se I L r.lt I have only one fn.Yor to nsk of nny• man or ·W()llHl.n .

• • v,rho may p1ck 1t up, and that ts: }{cad 1t through bCOt<: f • you pass judgment upon 1t.

I'm entitled to that m~tch consideration anyway. lf monarchs only had the tunc to read the petitions tremblingly handed up to them, there would be more justice done in the world.

INGERSOLL

Saratoga SpTings, N. r., May 1,1910.

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Locxvvoon.

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I JL\V..: often pictured to mys( If rh(: 1ast pr' t of imperial Ilomc, standing i11 an attit ot of .:uperb d'gnity by the side of his altar and <>aying to his Chri-fan successor, who had entered the H.ornan tcn1ple w'L fear and trembling - even though a -.quad of con,-ened soldiers was at his heels, to take possession of the pr ises: ftf oriturus, te saluto! and then adding \lith a long and deep-drawn sigh: And yet, 0 Christian bro.:.her . it will be but a change in forn1 and not in substance, for all religions are the san1c, being the off-pring of 1na:: ... brain, they cannot differ greatly. The p eople m::-..t have their lares and penates in their hon1es and t heir statues and images in the ten1plcs. they 1nust have at the hand of the priest their sign , -wonders. n1iracl\.:~ just as they look for their pancm et circen."cs at the hands of the political leader : or el ~e thou wilt lL '\. control. How were it possible to n1ake a ~ubl1nler god than our Father Jove, god of god". Ztu kudistc. me-

giate, kelainephes, aitheri naion! (Thou J ovc~ 1no~t honored, greatest of all, wrapt in thy dark nw.jesty . dweller ·in infinite space!) Canst thou i1nprove uvon our cloud-ericircled heaven, set high above the reach of ~' with its wondrous glory of light and color~ echolllg to the deafening crash of tl ovc ~ ~ t hundcr-bolt~ or

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) ll\' I Itt• bli11di"g flruo41r 'Jf h~. lightr ' r U I j c)·h led llf • (' J • ' I t f • "' . , (>Jn HJJII< ' IIIt ' f' 0 Il K hlgn , r,n V( r' J It{'~ rohs .:-<Hill •· ., .1, , b11L l.lw world (!f)TW·H f·V(•r b:.;..(., ' ofit'H 1t>l'l' ll t tit

for our rectpc.

Be kind to !IH.· b<.'lovl·d Jnt •ss<·ngPr" ( ) f r)·. r god , (} piml serYitors, the da.i11~y ~ri s, Uw '~Xqlli~;i~ J" yd"',. .. wed. boy Eros, Lhc w• nged Nf c·retJry, f,'1JJdc and Cf

fort of departed souls, thou wilt need them a1I, for _ gods nn1st be served. Turn not from our sa<--red rest;; rirgins, keepers of the altar fires. They are grea~ beloved of the people. Even the rude soldier~ bend ankiss tl1eir shadows as they pass. "'Ve do! we do!" n1uttered the warrior- of the .. quad. and then suddenly remembering their new faith~ a deep scarlet shone through the dark visages tanned by ..Uric's sun. " .Brother," continued the priest, •· thou lri-need a Queen of Heaven. I cannot too highly recommend our superb Juno, guardian of the marriage tie.

It is to her we owe our matchless Roman mother:.

I know little of thy Jewish demi-god. " .,. e do nor love the Jews in this i1nperial capital. They are the butt of our ridicule on the stage, sodden in credulity and superstition. Our great poet Horace says: Crtdai ./udU!us A pella! but I have read in the Acta Diur11a thllt your new god's birthday falls in the latter part of December. Our SaturnaZia, a favorite festival with our people, falls upon the 16th, 17th and 18th of that

rnonth, so it would be the simplest thing in the w~rld to unite the two. The people must have their religt~s pomps and parades. Our slaves, too, will not be sab · tied without this luief relaxation of their servitude.

SUPERSTITIO'\

. JJy brother , I commend to tl

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J . lJ a.do} f Jt u. r s a n c priestly vestment > ton these ti i •J 11 • • s. 0 nobl IJCI'Il ·njstratwn s of ,.,.l11ch our I r . c show!

I .Jy rr11 11 perul..ll\I 0 fits• c .• ou r Suprcm«:' J>ontiff', is so ). ·tl .1 aster· the . )croJ' • . · us Y p r oud 1 l'JI11 I . ssihlc to m cr ('asc Its beauty a 1 · t ·c·re Jlrl po· . . . ' nc magn ificence 11 )JrotJ JC'J , '"hat the world sum 1 . · 0 'f'ilkc, . non s us to sur. nd fa n •wc iJ. O ne(' a. gam I ct·y. M . ,J {JJIIl

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~alufo . f 1 · ;\s. ]lc turned r om . t lC alta r ,. a great cr·ow d o f acofcrs tr•tin-h Jrtc>s, nugurs, chonstcrs, thur1 • ' ' carers and ·the J'ke swarmed o u t and fell UJ>on their kn 1 • • ees. T h e v sacerdotc movccl nway, w1th lus head of A ll sta.tcIJ • • • • po o high in the tur, }us nght hand upliftecl, with thumb first and second fingers extended, his superb seal

and ring bearing a J ovc. .s head upon it gli:tening in the dimlight. 'f hc crowd of mini trant~ f ollowcd him forth

in dead silence.

When they had d i:-.a ppearecL the Christian priest made a sign to the soldiers to fall back , and taking out from under his gown a Innll silver vessel containing 1mter and an aspersorium, he bctiprinkled the top and sides of the altar, tnuttering prayers the while, ~nd then with many wavings of the hand, which the soldiers

watched half shamefacedly, h e sank upon his knees, the blood- tains of the la t sacrifice carcelv dry upon the

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"bite marble 11oor beneath him.

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llecipe to make a god·

Tike33t-8 per cen~m Ignorance, gg 1-S Credulity ~~1-:3 Human Ingenuity. Mix carefully and Jet

~ 'bltil fermentation ets in.

Then add quant. suf.

SCPEHST lT lO)\

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extr'tct of the )linu:ulous. nnd YH ry streng th · t nrc t o ::.·t11·t po" crs of rcs is tn nce of lo<'nl1·t \'. of \1 Pux This i ~ the recipe th<tt has bc~n in u. c frol~l th~ . bco·innin o· of time nnd it mny be J ns t ly t ermed n ~1· '~~ ~ o . l · t)Ccl~ ' Vhcn Jove WclS fi r 't set up m )USmc, s ns a dcu.\1 dco r <.:.. lt~r,, tl1~1• t is. • •.15 the absorber of many ~mnllcr g ocls ' he l)to,·~rl to be altoget her too lw.r=-h n rcmed:{ f or t he peoples . whom it "-as administ~rccl. Prometheus nndcrtook t~o. task of r eforming him. I t . wns a scYer e struggle, hu~ Prometheus succeeded ndmunbly nnd CYcntunlly t\'\nd~: Jove one of the grande t . nob]c ~t and hone tc t god· t hat t he world ha. ever ·c~n. T he srtmc thing ha.T>p ened "-ith J ahv-ch , the ,Jew1sh god. B efor e the Chri. tians could accept him. he had to be completely mntle ov-er, seYcrely disciplined, stri pt of many of his old hab-. its and p ut under bonds a s to his fut ure hchnxior . Then

he was r echristened J ehoYah. • Allah likewise, a fir t designed by l\iah omct wa not at all acceptable to t he A rabian . T he god-maker wa given very plainly to underst and t hat r adical change must be made in the character, attributes and pretensions of Allah in order to n1ak e hin1 acceptable t o the people. This was done, and to-day a hundred million human beings answer to his call for praycrs.

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As the stream cannot rise higher than its sourc~'. i.t , fol~ows Yery naturally that no god can outli\re the clvtl~­ zabon that creates him. Them . :an eXception to thts general rule and that · • -old fp.i made 811 over' " lllodernized '' '..:_,~ ...~1ng . 'I· ..._ -~ GlVJ IZation. This ,.._

s u r' r~ 1{ s·r r'r·J <>·,

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. olcl god -; lt·tvc• gone· inhJ f'\r•rnal 11irrhL of 1JC'I

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" ~'~' oncc' co n I c· lll JH>l a t y "" 1 th hnn, a.t1cl c \'<•n more pov.:cr'' '1. ,d activ<' than he was. F or in stanc·c we• m:tv 'l.Sk. (II 'II ' ' .; " . \Vh<'J'I' nr<' tlw god!-. of old, tlw god.., of rnigll y Egypt, Osiris, Apis, Orus and tbdr cre,•t,

, • whoc;c reig n the arts and scic-nces achi~Yed -.uch (1( 1 ' rc:; ults as even n ow to astound the world? ''There i:-; ibis-head ed 'rhoth , .i ackal-hcacled An ubi , the " lackey ~' of t he gods of his day as 1\fercury was of his? \'Yhere are these old, o]d gods, frmn whom -:\Ioses p1lfered his kno'\\~lcdge of mystical lore? .A.U dissolved into finer and more impalpable dust than the kings, con1mons and

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slaves who worshipped you .

0 ye gods, ;Te gods, whe~her ye sit on great white thrones resting on no more substantial foundation tl1an a summer cloud, or whether ye reign in the T arlarean vaults of dusky Hades, ye must son1e day, so1ne day, go down to your t wilight and t o y our eternal nigl1t ~ And I may ask t oo : ' Vhere is Jove, 1nagnificent J ove,

that " divine gentleman" under whose uperb r eign the

world attained to its ·dizziest heights of art, liter ature, philosophy and .mathematical science? · 0 thou glorious m~sterpiece of ·human ingenuity, thou "awful J ove,

whom young Phidias brought from no vain or hallow thought," whose head remains to-dav the very mould and pattern of all really great gods, b enignant, j u t aud &enalb~ enoogh n()t to kick against the pricks of F ate,

0 where art thou?

Faded like clouds from the skY, To share no more in our mortal strife

S 'f'f~H.

TITIO~

t,U,f·r ,,Jd gt)d h:t\'< gon(' into eternal night . god" "lw W'·n· (}fl('l '''111ft·JnjJOJ'Stl'y wit.h him. and e'en more po"l.!rftd :wd sJclivt• than he \\U.S. F or j 11 .. tance. we mn;· a.:;~: \VI ,t·r·r· an• t h(· gr,d of oltl. th god:, of mighty F' g; pt.

Osiris, i\ pis. Or us and th 'ir crew.

''hose n ign t ht> arl and ... ciencc-~ achie,·C'd "'uch I'Psnll s as e'en 110\\ to n t ound th "or ld? \\.. lwr" i~ iiJis IH adccl Thulh jnck·d h adcd ..\nuhi • the ·• lnck •y ·• ltJJd<•J'

of the· god "f hi cla_\ a :\J rcury " 1 of hi'? ' ' h n ar• lite e old. old gods, frmn ,,hom :\lot': pilft>r d hi .. kuo\\ I ,clgc of m.\ tical lor ? .\11 di olvcd into fin r ancl mol'c impnlpubl d t tl u1 tlw king-.. comtnOlh ~md . . Ia vc:-. '' ho wor . . hipp d ~ u.

0 _ye god ... , ye god... "l th r y · it on gr at whit thron :-. rc . . ting on no mor uh tantinl foundation than a ~umJw~r cloud. or "IH·th r ~ e reign in the 'T'nrtarean vault of clu--kv . llnde . .\ 'C mu t . . omc dav. . mne daY. . ::-,tl'O du" n to .vou t twilight and to ..vour <.>tcrnal ni ~ crht ~ And I may a . . k too: ,\.here· i . . .J oYe. magnificent .JoY ~ .

that ·· divine 0<l'entleman · unrler who. c U})erh rei{Tn the 0 world nttuincd to its dizzic ·t height-. of art literature. philo ~ophy and .ntathcmatical ~cience? 0 thou gloriou . . nt, terpiece of human ingenuity. thou ·· awful .J o\·c. whom young Phidia brought from no vain o.r !)hallow thought," who e head remains to-clay th~ very n1ould and pattern of all really great god-.. benignant. ju ... t ancl ~-....,.....,~. .,.. enough not to kick again ·t the pri~ of F ate,

where art thou?

Faded like clouds from the kv.

To bare no more in our mortal trife

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f'U P E R ST IT I ON

moonlight, Lhe 1·~ N uurtlllt'd her ~pednd nrc.h o f beau ty. ~tt\1r\.

• \ nd thou :-i:tyst a lso, t h a t t h ou d idst ~match • C<!l't . morhd~. Enoch an d E lijah, fr 01n t he face of th atn e earth without letting them sec death. l (nowcst th ou not. th other {)·ods hn<l done tllQ same, that t he people "Xp at ~ · ~ C!ct l tiw~c thin!rs from thc1n, t hat }-,ather Jove often slt ('< ~· · ow~'c\ hi .. power by pcrfo n ning such wonderful acts, as Witnc~s his taking of the beautiful boy Ganymede, and hi~ lifting to the stars many others who had died on earth g't)~~anlt'l' n'il in Lhc r ays o f

and admitting then1 into the thcocorp !

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Not a despot, tyrant, oppressor of the p eople or conten1ner of the rights of 1nan but clairns t o hold his throne by " divine right," to be the " anointed" of son1e god, to be entitled by special dispensation of heaven to set his l1 eel upon t he necks of h is fell<?w men.

Not a driver of slaves, robber of the toil of man or millionaire who greas~s th e axles of his chariot wheels with the marrow of human bones, that doth not "love God," is not .as regular to prayer call as any 1\Iu~sul. man that ever clove a dog ·o f a Christian with his scim-

itar and wiped the blade on his shirt to wear the crim on seal as a testimony . of his zeal in Allah's service, and doth not with a feeling of self-beatitude make punctual payment of his tithes to maintain the due and godly service of altar, chancel, choir, incense and priestly robes and . the ricM.yJWaUed temple- that doth encl~se them ail, for the g1oriti'cation ol an imaginarr bemg whom they have 8~ 5 seJiis)i purposes. Think you that this "establi Minetit WiD ever rid men's hearts

s TPJ.:HST t'l 'l<>~ .. di -.1 J'\lt.;l of c•adt ol h,. 1• 1 11 ·t!Jc•JI • '\'l'l'ccp 1 f " I I •tb jN'l po' Prty shall llol '" 1/.t ''hrtrli~ions ftll · · . . f,.!;ll/cwl\1 1 l 11 ~c>, •• 1d the curtamPd wind .

11 ''"cl nn<l l•fJIIJlC < • • 0\\ n () f II • • . t' . for those WI thm? ]\ ('\ <.• t· 1 t'1c·h, with " • r ..c:> · llt •vc.,. t 8 11

not from the fnls<.' h'Ods < j' L' 0 lcmg n_g h > •-:1tlp<·t· l't' 1 100 to the 11 ones of humnn love, humu.n sy t 1 .,

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ll)mt t.y, IHtma.n

I ass tstancc. oo <. at our stsl<·r H1. ' I' mu1u 1L • ,, • P II r > H: ( >f I·•n • 1 , , "cstahlJshment has ex1s ted wiLl 11. 1 . . we c · " H·r· lunta.." f'.

1 1lC · f th c.;, t om t the sccon d cen UI y o e common era. I t} d . 't d n t<' uc co ursc of time, I sprea to every nook ,anc1 c·orncr of

the land, p ermeated every stratum of life from the: highest to the lowest, n~ crack or crevice escaped it. It stood in the hovel, 1n the home, in the castle, 'in tbe palace. l\{an opened and closed his eyes on the crucifix.

Childhood's tiny hands told off' its heach. Cowled monks and dark-garbed nuns and sisters were here~ there and everywhere. The priest made choice of ~chool books; 110 morsel entered hunutn mouths without the sign of the cross. The tre1nbling wretch li~tencd to hi~ '\.ntence of death often for unsubstantiated acen~ntion . h neath the shadow of the bleeding Prinec of ll ne nnil~d to his beam. l{ings and princes trcrnblc<l n\ t h' mudhcma. of

Rome. From cradle to grave, tlw pri . . t. the eternal priest was in pow·cr, the guarclinn of \hought . . and consciences. He knew all, saw a ll . < xf'n~ul n})Vl'O,·ed or condemned all, and what wa. t h~ n :sult >f thi~ reign of god? Or, had I not better su.)'. t f this Ulnd nnd un

restrained riot of Super. tition? LH r) other h ~..,.!__ li . . . l 1 t 0 l fn,orcd lan

uemg 'Vlng and breathtng 111 t U to..dt.y \Vas born out of wedlock. But nl In t 111; ; ~~ has come. Super tition has (It'll 1 lpJll

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J II I he• IJ:tJIW ()f f'f)JI UJ')J I • Jt} wy tyr:u to 11p I be "i t· fi JJ,tf L

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Jt; :..t. ,. t:ry I }' c c•vc·n an i tJ f.t•ll j g()lJ l dr,h in t t nf. it; jf JOII ~o;hul :J. (·L' )d hl a. d.a , (Y and l·wnd forth a (•ry rJf terror: ·r ; in a positiou lo look upon any grea" ttu·c's forces, he wiJI shil'cr and 001 er · dog, child and savage, a11 t} r #' i.a d same plun C> of evolution. rr} c dog run I. the child io its parent, the a' age mud -- for protection, t1 e dog ith i car with its kiss of thankfub , the sava .... e · h ·, of food to appease the C\ il spirit.

In othC'r word s, the fir t O'Od that man set up was attempt to appease the wrath of nature. The progt'e5• ?

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sion was easy. In a higher grade of mental developmt:!l· when the primitive n1an rnovcd his habitation hither an thither he caine into contact with 1norc varied fornr o!

N aturc's apparent unfriendliness to him. The earth quaked beneath his feet, the avalanche lipt with thun· dcrous roar down the m~untain side, the skies emptied their stores of hailstones upon his head, the thunderbolt split the to~rering monarch of the forest, the rivers overflowed and swept his frail habitation away, the earth spouted boiling water, the voleaao pat fire,_and

the wind blast whipt the Oce&ll • lo the ..dtite fGaiP of an all-threatening rage. The" medicine-DI8D"1flll aol

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I''""" lti I ' ' '"''' '' \\toll ~ I Cllt•d, I ()1' Hill'!' \II' \' ;..;hUll I\ I I,.,., II• Jill II I Itt• 1'1111 1'1'111 ' I 1'1 I I'oocl , Rll VI' lJitlly l u ""• ,. ' Il l•' nl • llllll't' t't fi II I'd '~ II jll' I'S \ ·" ·1111 I, I " " ('()li t I ,, II ll' tim I I ll' rt I)• \ ,.,. 11111 H\ I H' <I runk hy Uw I

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, .," you nn• 111 a 1u, it'1011 1o \IIH 1P rs ~ and . , tht' d,n· ot the •·oustinrr _ n fl·sh <'I' ... 1n m 11 n n <1 \. <H 1 wa.s .. ' 'l ('!l .. jng t 0 .J nhveh. and \\ h} the 1TUtkc.s .~ot'l c•p lus . l.o . ..tr.tnL

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1 }>c1,,·c1• t o c .... ur 1 au,t \'•w·s t any , •thnt the church hul'l d of ofl crmg. \nd 1 1nrk \Hll that ,,·\• 1' \c 1>1'11111 · ·t·lVC " abjc t fenr in th pr nee of ~ntnrc's C'onvulsions 11 .. p rfcctly natural. ~ t the ubtlc anc\ ever incrcas,., cncou rugcmcnl of hi uper tition hy the " mcdi"nc-man · und hi •· su c or and a. :-.igns" was the fir t act of humnn tyranny that was destined to take on uch 'a t t r ngth nnd colo~~a1 proportions as to I

crO\H~J the ·rown d and

·cptrcd de pot quite out of t u 'nc . 1\ nd now . even in thi~ free land of ours, h ·r Lib rty ~ it enthroned in upcrb majesty and the

right of man ,u·e graven in large Jetter~ on brazen tab1 U, th • r1Lbbi prelate acerdote, clergyman, priest, par1011 and th ir thou ands of a i tants, curat~-s, dca1111111, uol

pon

Jeri elder and presbyters stand re-ady t ttempt to Joo en their hold upon t~c old cr in different words: Great IS I Great i Diana of the Ephc-

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SGPERST I1 ' IO~

J:>lU l a ftc.I' ~nil · ,JahYch is but u lnachin n"' god occa"'ion ma;v dcrnancl, and 99 . ~ wheeIe d ou t a:-. . . .. · 9• ttrn~;: . :) ()~l 0 f a tl lOU .. all (1 to coYer '"'1th . ln::; name an d l""uaJcst y ll.tt(l \n'tJ 1 th c ......-.clditional prcsbge of some membn -..rs of -uch as riarnlet called upon : ,, An ge}s th~ t Ju~ocorp · · t ~ of o,.ace ! " - son1e act of hu man n-. • a.lld m1111' er b. . . . . ~uea (!

1111 .t of hypocn t;;V, son1e Impendrng Int ent t l)j ... om~ ~ ... o do ~, t()

unflthical act; e. g . to curse an enemy- in whieh an . cas~ one commonly sees not on 1y J a h veh h 1mself but th" · ~ ~ 1eac1. jng members of the theocorp dragged out ad hoc. . . , to coYer up a pcrJ ury about to be committ ed, or s orn~ wronfTful act against a fellow man for whom the · · o . .

JU·

rant's affection or fnendslnp hath cooled, or against one w·hom he is about to deceiv'e for some selfish purpose, jn which case he caJls loudly upon J ahveh to teste a the lawyers say the righteousnc s of his intentions.

Or, it may be the drawing of J ahveh's name into play is for the purpose of ~anctify i n g some very act forbidden by the god himself, such as war, pillage, robbing or ~ronging a weaker foe.

Or, in the mout hs of the sacerdotes to curse the un· believer, non-conformer, or person indifferent to his circurnstantiaJ and ornate anathema, or to the sanctity of

his excommunication by book, bell and candle.

The old German emperor during the Franco-Ge~an war never failed to thank god upon any special occas100 when a particularly larae number of Frenchmen "ered 1. . c bichha s aJn Jn battle by the long ra11ge ltrupp guns VI been perfected by this god-fearing nation tor the •: purpose of getting even with the rothe HOMfl tarpet Napoleonic invasion of the fatherland. ,. to be

J."j

o·ical, v.d lCil Lhc sa<'Prdol f' S 't. tl . . ' s ' H·y dr) m tl : (rC ··t chtily cOillllH'Ildallon of thcit· gc d , . " _ICir ~tiJIIO~ . ( f • . ., ) ''·S (Jill nl po. ., >Jcclo·c hnn o course for value r . · , 1 tent, J ~ <:Cflvu) as safe t I r 1On

r

. Jd sure to be depended upon in any {'ffit:rgf·nn· whv 11 I not the poor Frenchmen ' have treat"'d1.1 t lnc1~.'r god shou1c . savages do th c1rs · wh en in tJ1c same way. as the Afr1ean . ~vcs them 1n. the lurch In . a pitched battle agam:, · t ]le lc' . . a 1l eig·hbonng tnbe, to Wit: be ropes around the n eck-:, of their idols and drag them through the filth and mud and mire to punish thetn for not doing their dutv and liYiJlg up to representations made by the 1nedicine., men?

Possibly the saccrdotes sometime in the near future mav be forced to say of the proclaimed attribute of omni~­ otency as the proprietors of storage warehouses do of the words "Absolutely fireproof," that they are not to be taken as a guarantee but as being " merely descTipJ

tive."

*

*

*

*

*

Alas, poor mortals, how ye did cudgel· your brains, in your attempts to make your gods worthy of the name.

Homer, in the Iliad, makes the wounded ~Iars roar like ten thousand ordinary men, so that both Greeks and Trojans flee in nameless teiTor . . When a wounded god falls he covers several lots of land. Even l\liner,'a is .built upon such a generous scale that when she puts on Pluto's helmet her head is large enough to fill the ;ast casque. Ho~er lets his gods be wounded, but. it ~8 impossible to kill them, their veins being filled with IChor and not with blood. The Jews, too, were ~lwt>~:s Possessed of the idea that a gOd must be of gignn ~c build. So we find that when Moses hid in the cleft In

I ()

SUPE RSTITI ON

t he rock a nd J ahveh walked by he c ' aboov~;l'ed " one 1utnd, so that would make him t ...' v.t.o!ll!~ . .

U thll't ~II tall. T he st atue o f t h e 0 lymp1an Jove b :Y'six f

of the wonders of the world, was th1'rt'tr Yfi:Phidias ~:< .

J-vei ~~~ from its base. T his seems to h ave been ab ll h~:int out the Ml arcl heig ht of gods. As a god J ahveh was sta.l'td Very · never to let Moses see his f a ce. In the b . car~:f111 he only showed his back, and, as he walkedU1i1tng bll.~h away f

pe f8oth 010,_-tz st~oo

t he clef t in the rock, 1\tloses was directed to b .roll\ . satisfied with a rear v1ew. '\V hen t l1e Greek g ods rnine led . mortals, they were often recognizable by the ! ond:tlh luminosity of their eyes. T elemachus, in his first . rftul view with Minerva, suspected at once that the stralll l!tnger was a god, but he could not tell which one it was. Virgil had a notion that you could t ell a goddess by her walk.

T o give an idea of sublimity to J ahveh the Jews were

wont to make use of expressions well calculated to impress the superst itious minds of the people, such as: H e maketh the clouds his chariot ; he walketh on the wings of the wind ; at his voice of t hunder the very waters flow up the mountain sides; he looketh on the earth and it trembleth; he t ou cheth t he hills and they smoke, and so on ad lib.

Father Jove wrap s the gigantic manes of Hercules in a cloud and bears him away from earth in a fourhorse chariot.

J ahveh, in translating Elijah made use of a chariot of fire and horses of fire and w~ them up to heaven ' JoTe sent his eagle a.fter the by means of a whirlwind. beautiful boy Ganym~ which matched him away ftfJIJl the very midst of his ....,,.,•• oil aaat-lda-

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Iin I h•' M1 • . • I . . ., ,, JH .tttlc! Bear: >1'1' p ll ri te 11 11 1 ly ll 10:·w lw ld ted t 0 tl .

H! star~ were 1 ntc . .

1111 . , t as Astill' P,.,·cltl• lwnl' f ll<' l.o t' H o f tltc human ntc"... , ::men

l ht' p11 n • 41 11d lov(·ly dau g ht<. ' r of Them1· . , gcxl dess , of , ~~~ 1icl' 11 ud . Ln.w, <'<>lll1Sellot·. of .Jove him self · ...\ strrea, J ,ss of' Jllt l<H'(' II C' C and pun ty, was renlo"·"'d f ,to< ll( < • • • •"' rom tl1e r.tC kc·d wo rld a nd p la ced by ,Jove amana,, o the ·t ars as \'irg<>, rr hc Vi rgin. Cadmus the inventor of letter' and Jfcrcules the slayer of mon tcrs that oppr<:s ~ ~nan were also lifted to the stars. ,.fhis :-.ysh:m of deification of rtals a s practised by J choYn.h. the reformed and tt1L'It •

1110

etherealized J ahvch, u nder a11d by d irection of his sacerdotes, has been and is the 1ncr e encourager of Sup erstition. Not ser vices to 1nankind arc h er e the movin g cause, but t he greater or lc s nlU!::\Cula r Ct11lo~ity r esulting from long-continued prayer . One of the~c instances is that Simon Stylites of the 5th century. who r en1ained

alive for twenty-six years on the top of a colun1n ex-

posed naked to the elemcnh. To de>cribe the horrid depth of Superstition to which his wor,hippcr sank in their baleful io-norance would defile t\HY. decent page.

0 A lover of his kind can only emit 1\ groan of despair.

Nor has the hand of the new worlll been li ·tle·· or idle in the art of theotecture. During the 'l'oltec and Aztec civilization of Mexico, a very e. teu,i,·c and intricate theocorp, under the guidance and nu\nagenlent of an

50 p }:;:H. TITIOX IR

t was in exi~tcnce at th(' ti 1 (. J>J ...

J(!-1 ..,, ne or "~"~'. • J 1. 11 at 111011 sh·r of cruelty Cortez, who \~ H JTJ\' Il 0 I } • \\'!h • lt1 ( • • 1 t'tkr.n to he tlw To tee messiah. n JY

0

11 s · ' . . .. . .. ' o d0 , 1 . .. '\'JJif<· skw, for Ills .... mokmg and flam nt · 111g 1 /rolrl 1JJ'> • 11 1 . ., .~. ""lS not \'i:->ihl('.

The god Taotl was ~ '\ 1) J JL 1Jh• 1 I n r • • • • < a~_ lh tlnd:ccn ass1stant go..l\IS a.n t:I 1J<'fl<I o ILj 1js LlH'ocortJ, WI lh • • I wo huncl rc·cl in fcrior dcJb~s, . under t.he command ~f llH•i r frigh tfuJ 1\Iars, I I UJhilopocht~J' compared to whom Lhc.· GYN·k go(l was a calf-eyed mfant of tend ness. Even highly civili::~.ul peoples like their gods t::~ riblc in threat and execution. But some will exclaim_

(';td nL

r

for, wiU 1 a sLnmg<• incongruity in his nature, tnan though a Jibcrty-1oving creature, yet rather than d~ his own il1inking ancl lwar himself the can•s of state clings to Lhc very yoke that his oppressor lays upon hi~ ne<·k- VVhy is it that there arc so few cries of nescio deos l In a ddition to the rea-,on ahoYe stated there· are many . others : The sacerdotrs ha vc so corrupted human nature that at the least show of indifference or contempt the priest balances anathema in his hand like Father J ove

ready to cast a bolt, an cl the parson threaten eternal damnation. Then again, man's eYer present distru t of woman's virtue comes in. :No matter to what horrid depths of Supers6tion so-called religion may descend, he calmly adds : It is good for them, women need such

a shoe on their wheels in the steep descents of life. And another reason is that any and all worship of so-called celestial beings forms a most admirable shield and cover for that most despicable of all human weaknesses, hyp. who ocnsy. And last, that terrible demon Ignorance,

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.dl :-.w.·lt slt'h dcm y lu •irt /{ dn'1HI of ntnlig·n s pit·il s.

But I lw I I'll I h is I hat aiJ do 1 the great I hi n kPrs, p hj)osoph r , · cnti!'\ts h ctY('. with n \ Cr c a·, g tion. clcnotttH't d a s ~ up<-'r titio arc any such hl' ing · a ·' god ., ng or an vwh crc else. or that there e\·er of snch " crca tors.· that - ature ho · d a gradual growth. "ublin1ely re!!Ular and

c. with never a saltum. frmn the in1pl~t ~nns endowed only with movcn1en L to the magnificen mind of man <.'rowning this unfolding of countles 1niilion o · ~-ear ...

Lord Robert Bulwer-I.~ytton ~ in the contemplation of this question of so-called celestial being;), e:xprc-.... es him_

self in these caln1 but eloquent phrases: The idea which n1an call " god ~' only exi--ts in the Qlllej·ousne of man himself. Though we -hould take of morning and fly to the uttenno-t part et we can find nothing there whic~ we e he1 ahts Y .ed "th Whether we -ca1e th o .earn WI u · down '•=\&:~• depth ' mount up into heaven or go

eo

Sl. PEH.S•i'll'Jt)N

into hell. we ar·e cqunll.' lltllthlt• In t .

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thougl ts or ·lH·un to nn, l'oi 11 t 11 1 • : 1i l'e:tch of• If. :\ay. '}>1\('C' llst•ll' 1111 .1 1lit II m· C\'Cil the qualitie.-. of t hi 11 ,,.s. 1h, \ •

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a be 111 g n c h<1. vc f ormcd m tlw 111111g·.. 1 ~::,,<I • I 1 IJI J J' I• lVI d o n ot n~scmblc lum; he rcs<·mh l,•s us. · \\' IIII I '

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I t will be urged that even Yo II ni •.,. dic•d

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>can ng 1c. n~scnptwn: .Dco crc.ril Vollttire. 'f a nswer to tlws 1 that the bmc had not vet co . t • rne o crt 1.Y escio deo.~! Yoltairc made a hold fic:rht 'Lrrain t;:: • h ' o' ··Upers itio n ( L 'infame), and he wa~ satisfi<>d with that. T

H.epubJic of France i. reaping the good effecb- oi tl . fjg}l L this vc·ry n16mcn t.

C'oulcl he ha' c kno"11 Uu Nature put the sca-::;}1C1ls on t he top~ of the .\ lp-. (and not t h e priest s, as he charged ) , he could hn' e di~d lw.ppy. llut Science was too young for that. \ "ho' ~tury was to elapse before Nature w a s to lw nll " l to cry out : T ake courage, 0 my child l'('ll . •t \... 1. 1 ' have done it all! For millions and mill~on' hcn ·c I been occupied with t his work! F1·om iutin l beginnings, step by step, until thou, :\Inn. l n ~ ·

with thy wonderful Consciousness, t:uulr t '' _,1 .

IlM' I ' >, eu cr own and ornament of my unI oldtng. t he Universe! Put aside thy gods as ~h1hh"" 1~ ,t a~

SUP gHSTITION

21

Ihe'll. , ptii'I~~'I H of'Nrkid nnd r.;awdust ' ' wl len t 1tey diseov(•r 1 ,\J ol•l wt· :dI lll'c•, c·an lav chilcl· f' flesh rl n d I 1II t 1 , r ' .

J 1 en 0 hIelf' d j 11 ll~t · ll ' n t'IJI H. I PHI' a-.,tdr the VCI'1 S 0 f t IlC " hol1' f>S . ,, I 'J'I 11 '.Y 11 1'<' I HI t t IH" eahinet"' f tl .. '' I. J,nlws ·. . . ..., o te wondcr-

·1 i tlf'' t-. JIIJ'tl .ll :.tiiHIS! h

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"*

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·:f.

111 ll w cliflicllll. a.rt of setting up a new god, l\iahomct llw ,\ rn bin" is llltclou ht.Nily facile 1n·inceps. for the dif(icult i<':'i lH· had lo cont<'nd \\·ith were appalling. So far ;~:-; sac red Lhinp;s, so cal1c·d, went, it was in his land a period of ut t.c·r in difT'c•rc·ncc. Comic poets amused themst·h·es lallll<·hing satirical verses, often of an obscene nat.ur<', ttl t.he s up<·rna.tural hcings then in vogue.

But in IIonH•r's day tl1e poets were not above this sort of business, as witness the amours of 1\llars and Yen us as sung hy J)ernodocn s in thr Odyssey, deemed by so 1nany critics as utlerly unworthy of the great barcl.

Ilad the sentintcntaJ founder of the Christian mythus been in l\Iahomc·t's place, t her e wouJcl be no Christianity to-da v. Ilowrvcr, in one r espect they r esembled each other., for they both realir,cd that setLing up n. new gotl ' a. tnoncy-makin g srhrme. s~ omc one must put was not . l d . t h' p<>ckct to JHlY the ex p pnscs of' t lw t'" · 111 o IS , . hIS 't1an t• f th 1·dc·t l\Iany well-to-<lo women mtntsP101 a 1011 o e (their · suhsbuwc. l\lahmnet took a Of . t ered unto J esus short cut he married u. rich wtclow · . . . ' . t jn 1pn•gnat<· lunts('lf '' tt h n.n odor The next step Wtl~ .o " Lt.! Y nmtl (•l', ·tl. you know how. of sanctity · - a very . l · l\(nhom<~t .-.. chost•· tltl· ('asit•st, l'l'ere are many wu.ys. 1. t t ion and the undt·rn·o .ut o' of.

Th f for Ill<'' I ll P ~ Ired to a cav~ It is claiuwd thnt Ill' hnd n•yo}\'l~,,J ascetic bardsh1P 8 •

-

~ UPEHSTIT fO N

1he schenw of n new god <>Y<'r in his mind fc>r fi.

. 1'5 . llOL~~ 11ng. .

1'• rom l Lne age• of t , l f h l.:Jl years. rl'} 11~ \\:(• \ ' ( 1 t hi rh, eighteen years, the " mn.n of so no w!-> " 1 . tr, • )} ()f>d~ 1 oYer his idea. ( •

• Tnturally the people of Arabia didn't ta.kt· to Tl1cy ·w ere 111 · many senses a learnc: 1 the. . · new rc I1g10n.

• < Pt·(,. ple, good astronon1ers, gooc) alchen11sts, good mat!

l~-

mnticinn. . But 1\lahmnct was a fighter, and he fore('\ it down their throats at the point of the sword. Aft:r his victory, his solemn pilgrimage to l\l ecca was a master. troke. Allah was seated on his shadowy throne, and to-day counts his followers by the millions. In forminO' his theocorp, too, ~1ahomet displayed the highest orde~ of theotectic talent. In a land where it only rains everv year or so, with Yast stretches of parched sandy de ert ·. what more delightful than a promi:sc that in the next world there should be fountain~ and green trees galore? and further, in a land much giYcn to concupiscence and lechery, what n1ore entrancing outlook than a heaven peopled with a race of wo1nen celestially beautiful, ever young, wholesome, tender and loving, with eyes soft, lustrous and deeply dark, awaiting the arrival of the

faithful?

One is most forcibly reminded of the reply of King Agrippa to the ex-Pharisee pleading before him. After telling him that his ravings were those of a mad man,

the king, with a keen irony, cried ~ut: Almost (ital. mine) thou persuadest tne to be a Christian!

But after all, it remained for an American, one · · I theo,Joseph Smith, to set up one of the most ortgma corps eve r known to the civilized world, and it has

SUPERSTITION

nstonishing . su ccess ~vhcn on e. ~akes into conthttt this vmbtgc of Supcrsbt.1on wn.s brewed, .

•idcJI·ttlOil)J ttled and sold at enormous pnccs to ve-ry Y

:1 re:d1:

Jistil~e~·,t ~1 cople right here within the very limits of

.11 tcl]loCl r ~ tlblic.

. . 1 d Without any exaggerat1on 1t 1as ma e otl l' F ~ldcrness and the solitary place to b e glad for .. the Wld the desert to reJ. 01• ce an d 11 ) ossom u.s t h e rose." theJll 1.ttlll ·~ heirs and assigns h ave li tcrally '' blue p en. SJ111 d, 1J::.ehovah, and under the guidance and control cJlle board of m~magcrs, consts · t',mg o f o ld f' ath cr A c_l am, of 8 ~Iahomct, f.miLh, Brigham l... oung and other Jesus, . , . ts " with Adam n.s prcstdcn t, ht1ve set up a Celes... s~un""lanufacturing ' Company for Lhc manuf:1.ctul'C of 1

tJ8.11 ;.1if possible at n

r ate connncnsurnte with the pro-

souIs'

duction on earth of bodies to receive them.

'I'hesc are M homu11culi according to the recipe of Cclsus, but the real thing, such, no doubt, as were in the olden time manufactured in the hc~ncnly workshops of J ahveb himself. Later J c. us is to share his power with these "saints," and there is to be a temporal kingdon1 cstabli heel somewhere here on earth. The very latest excur-

sion of the human i1nagination into the bright fields of Theotectics ha · re. ultcd in the cstah1is1nncnt of a very ftouri }ling }T tcm of hagiopathy, comn1on1y known as l'hri~tian Science, which is con1pacted one ha1 f penny worth of Science and an intolerable deal of Superstition.

For renturie, upon centuries there has been a. syste1n of healing based upon the really scientific fact that many of the ills which flesh i heir to have no rea1 exi::,t-

:;· but are the result of morbid nervous conditions, are readily, nay, at times, aln1o t tniracu1ou \y,

•111•1,cl "' •• sho,·l...," •• ~llg'g't'!-;( ion " n1· pntyc t· n •• I • . • • . .

• .( ( Ohl ' Ptn 1,.d Ln m1pl1cd l111lh 111 lite :-;o cnllt•d lwrtlt•t·. ' ·~tur·tlh lht• founclt•r or founders of' t.his f .

' .

• • • I\ I ' I w ll$l' lor lh~· Old Tt•!-;l~ullcn L. for tlw ,J cw:-; \I 11 "'cl · ' nt 1(·r I I 1~ rult• nf ,l:dneh, Wt'l'C \t•ry Lond of· n good Pllt'rc • 1 ...

J I g ()I' It dt-..~t' elf lut tcr herns. ::-lo 1 n.r n.s • n weh wn~ con . . . . rc,·ncd Hlt'S<.' sc.•tcnttsh~ stmplr rcdtH.·cd hun t.o n mere 'tl t ' .

• ls l'nc tion. The most filmy nnd cobwebby summer · .

C1Ottfl \\Tung ~ut nnd hung up to .dry m the sun, would b~ more existent than the god of these new Christinlls

1

j'

.

, and

yet wjth the cournge of 1gnornnce they say that god is love.

Sow, Joyc being a phnse of consciousness (the onl ab~o1utcJy rcn1 thing, all else being mere postulate), ;.

0 better snid, n state of sympathetic attraction betwee~ two consciousnesses, to apply to it the term "god," n·hich can neYer be m01·e than a mystic paraph, is wilfully to substitute a theory for a condition- the infallible symptom of the presence of bacillus sacerdotalis.

LoYe we know and we can almost say amo, e1·go sum.

It is prontable to us even from a selfish standpoint; but god- outside of the lord's prayer so called, ha never been known to give a crust to a beggar or a spoonful of milk to a kitten, not that n1any, Yery many spoonfuls of milk have not been given to kittens in god' nan1e.

Poor, sin1ple-mindert, unsuspecting goodman of the bouse of humanity, he never suspect the trick that i everlastingly being played upon him by the sacerdotc.

In the nan1e of the prophet. Figs! But it is hardly fair for these "scientists " to attribute their miraculous

SUPlt: R ST I' rt oN

t o t he school o f' h cl\l"1 · n g ltli ., d , · jn 1111cd w. tc follo wer s''-11( " l Hl' l rj ll·nc·\ j.,n il 1 I r.

J1 l 5 1 01 1 11 ... r ' " 'J'cst::uncn t," wh en t h ou · 'lh iu II 'Y • ··~u~ ·' l~ c san<l..,,, <) f' y .. '' . b t' II J r }lcaJJllg y su ggcs ton Was . ('fll'!i luI' I tl (Ill} · · Pl'ad · '''' II HiC'd \,y 11 11d · sjcian ...:E·s cula plus in the PlY snncLlllH c I' . . ~~ d, vi,u t~I idlLurus. I-I e actually cn rcd Llll' jil l >r Ill" \, lrtJd•· h~. vP " ·tires

<

I , .,

.. '•tbsent treatment, m er ely d irec L'Ill g 'W'" Ill lt r,, I . tI "'' 'Y entreated lnm to ·" t ake t he case" , H· <•tll\li' H ·Y 1\ud. t o cn.n I . crn a serpent , tha t b e1ng quite suffitctcn . L Y. lu.<·k wit\, tl1 Eddy or one of h er p riestesses mi )'l . ' ·~list a.x \1 r . · l g lt cltsn11 s8 ·nO' suppliant w1t 1 a copy of " S .

SJ.. fu lff,.r1 o . .

C1encc . l

with directions to " r ead it."

H<·a.llh,"

U.H<

It is not . 1 at all t o be . supposed lh a t J esu'5 gave l . self up w1t 1 any p articular satisfaction t tl u~. . ] 1 . . o le pracbce £ healing s1c < p cop e;• but 1t 1s one of tl1c f ew wa·y .

0 in whiCh a g od can g 1ve, to the minds of tl1e common · eople, who arc always the first to int"l'" ~ '-'• t th em~c. . , ve P in a brand-new diYinity, assurance of his· no cr dl leal. l Nilly-willy he n1ust play the physician, and that. too. without hire, for the common people arc alway~ fruO'nl • .:> in paying for mere advice. But these cure. soon becorne a valuable asset in the possession of any p:od or hnHgod who is determined to leave a record hf'hind him.

and Jesus made the n1ost of it. W hen tlll' donhh'r" t' r m1 the opposition camp began to quiz hi111 . \w ,imp\~- ,,,id 11 to them: You go and tell John what ym1 h:m· "~' "m\ heard, how the blind see, the lan1c walk. I.h,• l \q •)•'~'' Ul" ll' cleansed, t he deaf hear an d t 11e d ca d <.\ re "''~ l"''( • ' p .

• , ,.t 1, wr t bed · · tl11· tlw \H'"t \h C' ec children of humanity' 15 · tl • tht· ca do for you? Hundreds of ~fen '.::, \wf, '"' ll", ),i0 1 10 old 1 11 0 llcr ·lH'I 'u

er gods had given you a n1t1 C l

>

~

SOl' ElfS'I /'J 11 J

tivc as.s unl.JI C(· of UH·iJ· divinity t 1J1. L, Ceres wilh l1<•r ug ,·i<'rdfaJn , j~ ,,'.l l.VIinerva wi ll1 her wi,;dtH 11 , ,J llll'> ,.. •

1\1crcm·y with l1is c·tmJnH•J t·t, Vt 1 ihc l\fuscs wi tl1 t1H ir a..rfs.

Arc yc, cl1ildn·n of 1Jum:tnity, to ) first by one god :wcl tllf•Jl by : notJ ct-: of saccrdotcs Jivi ng upon you, n d you will pay fo1· it, o1· wjth :.t ('Ut from their n.ltars in contempt~ I · r day must be ncar a t hand when .} wrath and drive out Sup<>r tition fr as you h ave dti\'Cn out t_yram13 1Juman slavery from your fair land. spangled with the star~ of Libert) w b;y-· your fathers to cover nny other " enlightened people, in who c mind ... and ing ignorance or baleful Supcr ...tition . .}10

a lodg ment.

*

*

*

In all god-systems, from thf' Ycry ('rtrr :- , their evolution, ther e is a strongly mark\:--rl construct a theocorp, so as to makl' ilh '~' ticable, for surely it would be a mo. t. umf. ceeding for a god to run about (' t'<'UI n~ orders, doing his own errands, 1ightinR U} unloosing the winds, forging hi own thun••·....•••..:.i conducting souls to their Ia t abiding-pi" Egyptian and Babylonian theocorp ltl~'tl t • at times of the most fantastic form Arr '~t b' the Jell tho always took good eaft toP

'

SU P J •: i! ,,~' l ' l ' I I(>

,., wnl :unong

H11 TH 1 itu

,.Itt' t:•.ll l nol •JOIIS o (' \\ ll. lgt •d . .P' ''J'It. ' 1,r,, :t tl 1 1 ht'jr 111~ . 'I. '1'1 ' ' ' HIIl t' l•fi f Kil r~

t .

IC ~~ gJ't•;d I

•nptn' l ) .

1 J J

. rr,,,l U 11 't. y ''tll"f dt I lkth

If" fill" . }till er~, n.tH • H l VPIJ JH'oc·<· I <.! t t.lu ir l Y !":' • I'( t•cl ft (' I t' l ~~ no he I' lf•J· ' rrHtk<· ,,, 1 a lti tl\C•Jll ' ~l.nd t here • ~ fH'(H>f .-, J()(.

I <! ( ·rite Genesis t hu.n li}>Oll ch·iv' tl utl ~TrJ ·'' Jlot '\ 1 •ug Ad:lm . u d •'dell· Jahvc 1, lon g bc•fon• he· . .

•tn<l E ve 1 1t.

IIIH\ 11 (

of l

U.< quar((l H > htce " chcrubun " at the U.ts t c f } H•rn i:, Inade to P Jl • d > t 1e ga 1 . ·ano·e a ua mmg swo r , apparent] , rcen and :ttl o . .

I Y a rcvolv' , ,\ll this IS seem1ng y an exaggerated . . lnJ one. .

Ad b . pr ecaution to tak , crainst poor a m; u t 1t must be b . . ·e ,lo h' fi orne m mmd th he "as between t nty- ve and forty feet . h . at h' , m etght " .But t l1e serap 1m, a nother form of mnged . ·crea. ture, were 11exap t erous. W1th one pair h e _ f or there were never any creatures of the female se'·.),. a11owed .m the Jewish theocorp- covered his face ' witl1 the second pair he covered his feet and with the third he pedormed 1

•

•

aviation.

Later the Jewish theocorp was enrich ed with a simpier form of winged beings d enominated in t he Septuagint aggeloi, messengers. Father Jove had hR-d his messengers ( Dios aggeloi), and the Greek translators ap-

propriated the term, just as they took hundreds of others which afterwards became famous, c. g., eccle iastic, baptize, Christ, episcopal, dogma, euchari t, presbyter, etc. Unlike many of the winged <'rco.turcs of

tlle 01ymp1an · theocorp, sue · h as tl1c I.osy boy-o·od Eros n . . 'th h' b b · · p 1 c ,.,ith her fihm W1 IS a y wino-s the exqu1s1te syc 1 , . . : f b ' • b t'111 ted l)ltllOllS, ans, the dainty Iris with her r an1 ow- · · d hth\l'Ul, . and the " lackey of the gods," with pctasns t\111 • f the Poised '11 ,, tl 1c ao·o·c Ol 0 on a " heaven-kissing 111 , bb

~t:PE RSTITIO:'\

_,.; _ ·ere 111 ale beings of great t I10 ]oo·' '~ s t~::n 0 ·.:h 11t.d ~dcncecl in the catch-as-cat l ~ll, ' Tt'\' 1· •1.:; C' c\ ' _} ::t:tture. • d . 1 ano·cl, who. after a long st -c~~,l\ rlJlll b •111 .11 o fr I ltCO • ' . t J o}Ul the s 1.,• ·'4~r.

1 t,,.ecn J ..11 ont of J om . ~::~ ~. tle ob ·- t 1ng eer ,,.·

thre'' J~tc 1- nd t housand:o: of angel- round b tt. thousnn< ~ n . .

T] a. Otlt nessed l 1 trd their vmccs.

1cre were e :ull 1Cl angel the throll ~ . ·tdV at a sign from J ahvch to . ~ d tructwn. 1 Cc • f f 1 WJpe of e lc from the nee o t 1e earth t · ·t or n pcop · Ike ~t ci ! ._ lc .:;er o·od=- these angels had lurn· F ther Jove :s . o lnous tt d often appeared to mor~1.ls, and in ' 'isi faces. an . . . ]' , c1 . o· from. ancl a~ccn< mg to hea. ons were seen d escc11 111 b , , • • • ' Ven. t the children of upcr~hbon are obli .

But now tl 1<1 gee1 I! d h'o-her location than the bank of mist a .1 to un a lo • IUJ e ·c the earth\, . . u rfnce. 1 t would natura1h b or so a bo' J e ridiculous to expect angels to come n.s often as formerly

.

·'

their ,·isits being now •• . . hort mH1 f ar between," and likely to cea e nltogethe.r a-. education and enlightenment de tr oY the poisonous mia~mata that have drifted . ., over our land f rom the l\Ieditcrranean stew-pan of ignorance and Super. tition.

As has been the ca. c in all cc:le~tial r egions o called.

inhabited by whole god~, half gods, angels winged and unwinged, and monsters compacted of half human, half beast, or whole beasts such as John the seer describes. having se-ren head and ten horns with a tail strong ' . enough to knock one-third of the stars out of their settings and tumble then1 down to earth, rebellions brenk

out. John' wl1o appears to be well posted, says that. there was " war 111 · heaven,'' a chief of angels named lk. chaclle a· 1.

• and hi a mg u. angelic cohorts again t atan _." angels S t 1 · tb eJl"'' · ' a an >e1ug wor ted and cast out into e

:·>! I I ' I •\ I (."'iI I' I I I' I ( ) N ~~)

'

·tit'~' IHIIIII ' cl ~ l ttdc· lc•IIM 11 1' 11 (' II ' I ., II I 1111 ,,., In I \11 1 • I <''"•l:1i11 1111gtds 1111d ltow ht· 1,,, 11 I II .w,.,.,, ·h :1111 II . 'c ,,., .. will, I ,h'' ,,. l'ludn~. IIIII tow lltt 'l Hll lllt• lll'c·ltH,It r I .

11,! 1111"' • , I · • 1-!:' MIC·Iuu 1 ,,r:· • 111 ~.: "tlh H11 nn 111 t't•l,du>ll to II "l

ll·''

1 11

\(tl'1"'

d•:-P

·w

Jocly c,f

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tl tt.:•\IS• , ill • his

willt )t'u.lltcr J • ovc·, h·lls Jtt f 1 wns s!trrl'd up :llltong Lhc clivini1i<"' 11 . . •1 cUl • ·~· OW ho'' ' Jo,·c was in hts wntl h bent lli>on dcstr<>y' tl '. thCI' 111g ll! ~'<1 race of mortals. As the great Greek dramatist ,,ho1c't . :Every one that ha.s new-acquired power is st . ttS I · . • · · Cin. P1 1 the Chnsbans sought to destroy the O'ods f' " 1 tet1 • b o by taking over the Jcwtsh mythology en bl '. )IHI'

Greece

and

half crihes, strong thrir s brenk thllt

CC>llll'St

.

oc,

roceedcd to make some very cons1derablc changes theY P . tl component parts of the thcocorp. The cherubim Ill lC • seraphim d1d not appeal to them. A beino- with ~d . b three pairs of wmgs was not very lovely to look upon.

It had too much the a ppcarance of a gigantic insect.

The first radical change in the theocorp was to do something that very naturally would prove to be positil'ely abhorrent to the J cwish monotheistic idea, to wit, not only admitting the son and a mysterious being visible only to human eyes in the shape of a white dove into the thcocorp, but introducing a woman (the mother ) as Queen of Reaven, and filling the sacred

precincts with swarms of female angels. Of course, as intimated by Jesus, there was not as in Olympian mythology any cohabitation between the male and female angels. No one seems to know how they increased or _.here the great numbers of baby angels came from, "ho constitute in the skilful manipulation of the saccr-

dotes

• f 10118

' evangelists a~d preachers of all denomma

SU p g HS'I' l '1, I 0 N .. " t and jrl'csistihlc means to ~:tn f I hl' n I Crl <'lld •11 one 0 l"'1. ds of t he young uut into the }m·.

• l' t be 111111 , ISr>no turnrllh f' SnJJcn;tition. 0 sha m e! 0 burning ~h Lu res o f ?

1l.fllr 1 p:ts . . . t must it go on orever . . 'rill Jt, can I ' . ·* * * * :Hl

'I'

*

*

.

h of the human soul was . slow. The fi r,t The grmvt an set up were only satisfied when th . n·oc1s tl1at n1' eJr ~]ta rs were wet wiLh human blood, the wanner the nlore · us · To please the god of the Aztecs the vict1•m effi cacw was Jajd close to the altar so that his heart could b~ placed, still pal~itatin~, .thereupon. Siva, the third person of the 1-Imdu trm1ty, exaeted human sacrifices by crushing under wheels of juggernaut. Both Father J.ove and J ahveh were not a Yerse to human sacrifice .

Both mythologies show that Jews and Greeks had welldefined notions of its efficacy. At the last moment Diana relented and saved the life of Iphigenia when the knife was at her fair throat. J ahveh, too, r elented a~ Abraham had already piled the wood of the burnt offering upon his son ; but the glib 1nanner in which he directed Abraham to take his only son, whom he love<~. and .offer him for a burnt offering, speaks for itself.

But m the case of J ephthah, J ahveh stood fh·ro, just !l~ a god should do, and let his nostrils inhale the odor of this virgin's blood. In fact Jahveh seemed to tak~ pleasure in these bloody deeds for he raised no }tan

tl ' b' verY . ay le hewing to pieces of Agag before IS j f ace nor t f front 0 tl ' save Uriah when he fell in the ore dt" lc 1lottest b ttl . ts also Ji 1 · a c. The ancient Druid pries 'ck no g lted thcit· l . tr• doubt goc 8 With human sacrifices- a ,, .,ert to st

1

earned in the Orient.

These "sacrifices

1 11'11.11 •' l ' l ' l ' lt) N

t~l I'' 1''' 11 t 11 , ~1t II ,, . ·H II y d I II I . ll···'tll ltiiH Itt tl I" 11114 " " }' I I Ill \,1.,,," llllf' \I IIll Ill! Ill) ' " ' I Ill' ' I II I ' ' I I " 1111 I IIIII• I II tHan b•·ing '"' II ·~ I II ti'hl' " K luul, , h 1d1 t\\ \ II""' t • I 1•d Itt JYi Y gnrl I " Ill) I I) I II' II ,,1 IJ,, ,,J.J, ," '""" lllld II II . ,•• f,,ul , Ill I '"' • • \1' lltrlfcr war h' . t , ,,, fl lll,d '" ' ' ' ll 11 ~r·k 1 , 11 j 11 r,. 1 gs 1s 11111 1111 ''" ,..!, Of or· Lalc1· U . tln~J~ ,!1 lh• ~~~1111 IHn:-1 look lht• })I f' lc 0 I"' I

, 1111 11

I

I

•

'

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.

1

. fi.C<• tlw human 1 ,., ' '"'' II••' I :IIIP!d ltdllll s w<·n· spt · l ll 11 11 . . lU>H c f or Fa.tlwr

I 11

' " ' ' ,I til\ ,.h_ '"'" llu· On•cinn ancl R 1 , oman augurs 111 11 l.t•d I Ill'' ' '''"I~"' ' 1 I""''' <'herl<s ·ts the 1'11 Y pret CJH1cd ~~~ "'"!'''''' 11 ,,, ~·nl •· nti H, \\lui<' .Tahvch's priests stood

, ' 0' 1

I

•

•

"·' 111 ,,., . \\ 1"''."'' ' h, ~ "ou~d dt~i~n lo accept the offering II\ Itt , 1h I, ,,.J\1 11 H 11 hn II f J'on 1 lm; arsenal to signify his plt•ll "" '''· \nl\.

"'"'I I hc •l't• 1\l't'

11 0 11101'(' left-over dainty hits for

tlw !'''''"''; h11l IIJP lnlt.n feels that his very existence lt 1 ~N iu llw d• 'i ''~''''' of f'nYor that he can excite in the lt,.11 rt .. 111' l l11· pt' nH I rnll' worshippers. And so the old ,,,ll·ld "11 g·~ 1111 ~ llw poor wretch of a Ilindoo sweating nl till' "ltt•t•l of' lti ~o~ pmying machi ne, the l\lussulman pt·u~ll'll ling· l tiuH.c• lf' nl lit<• <'all of the muezzin, the nmmliling• n11cl nu' io11s Ho•nnn iHt 1-ihifting the wooden balls uf hi"' I 11SHI',\' \\ il h lt·c·tnhling fingers, and the calm and pllu~icl Pt•oll'l'l lnnl l111lf km•cl ing and with but partially ''H\'t'l't•d fnt 1' lt'lling- hiH god what n. "miserable ~inner" 1

1

lu~ iR

whic~h lu• doP~Il 't. believe himself, and begging ltun lo ~tnvt~ hi.v Hotd wlmh•vt•r he may do with the others. l'l·nv•~•· i~>~ I hP ofl'sp1·ing of' sacrifice to the gods, t\nd lnutuln "t ·lfltMIlllt'MH 11'. 4 1b; . mother, ntHl Ull . 't S t Ullll . .t bcO'i\ t S t> ll))~l'Htjf ' ' tun Wtth ignoru.nec for the mother.

1.. t man hut think for n moment what vile and des-

,r.;U p g.RS'T I T I ON

·;~

Jd [>ltt h is god to, were h<? \ . I1(' \\' Oll • • a. )lt· ... hie u:;C'" , . artlcetJS 1n munler n.n 1 l() 11 P''. , ,.t !Jnlt .

• >nlY( l . c n~.. b) f. . . jtuus wR.r, opp1·csston and .1 !)!\\. ~"It,' . . •tJh• llliJ1l.J1111 . . . .

Plllt,, jn;ti J<>ll • • • • ,. lJly v dh.l.l no us dccc1 t, t r cn.ch". gt!; :. . uth•n 1....~. .

"1Y co' cr ll1 u . , tc and zealous stand-by m the 1 a1111 .

. , . col1eag t s alt h f' very so-called holy war. Fo g · 1 furY o e r lls t ter ttn( ~ . t nee to a power, which is so ob . · C) for assiS a Vtotts] ~tPP1Y .. tion and which we have under the b Y f oUl' oW11 Cl c.;t .

SU tl~ o . d minatory prompting of the sacerd mudancc an d 1 ot~s o d ,, per human," an at t 1e command of th dubbc su d d ese silversmiths must stan rea y at a sig latter- day . . n at nt to shout: Great IS Diana of the Ephes1· any mo mc . ansi . 'llogJ'cal so ridiculous, so plainly a part of a m · IS so 1 ' • ere scheme to preser ve intact certain fees, p erquisites and emoluments, that one wonders how self-resp ecting and rational human beings can still be held down to these

c!Jic:lll~l) '

app eals to a deity.

Of course, we may c:xpect anything from the human mind when it has been for centu ries soaked, steeped, sodden in t he stewpan of S uper stition and debauched by promises of a certain and sure entry after death into

a pays de Cocagne.

But in the name of enlightened humanity- as free

from the oppressor's gyves as we are from the binding effect of hoary precedent -let us spread it upon the record that we do not belong to such a class of huroall beings.

We have gone far enough as it is. What has been the result of these " prayers," these appeals to this" sup~ human power" for help? What could it be but a stet\· t ·· kl · of our nc e of hypocrisy, soaking into the very tissue

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ph t I•'• "' '•'I, d II lid 1 ,\1 • . '"'"I P th•' .,1 h•'' ,,I llw dil 1'\1 \1111\ \\, \1 \

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l\ 11'' III ltv ht\ , I 'I' ltll'l't•d I I l I In I 11\lr PI·,, I ' • ''11111'1II . ti I'll\ 111

1111 I hin~ 1'" n,, 1 1 •I' ="' ,. ' l' .· I . ,. IHs\ ist- 11 Ill' lh,. ''II I \ •.\ll ..; \\ :\~\.

• \ gt\':\ 1\\ hi s' \\lltlt•' •I ll'\11 ' liS cln • lt•t· , 'h·~·· ,. t,,r th~.·n'- 'ro \I '' npt·<l illt . s lht· ,ll . \\' (\l.•ht111 t\lt~l'l\ jutdl,•,•t:-o. hl l h..: glnrittn· l ,, dlln~ll\ . ,. " l • ' h >\.! tOU\ ul 0 ttl li•''t\ltY. ll) lhc 1\\Cl'<.'il~· \\ ll\~H\ of 1 \It· ·1: • ' l l . ~s ) oLLinu· \ >tit· ll\\" 1 :-f f\'"P''l't. W(.: c. o . apo \V of O\t.t . ngt~c fol· lllCm 5 on

I , th •nt. t\,,ul llwnt nnd

o,,"

111 n:ttl :1 nd lC so { :ttlcd us, we Wot1ll l. . 1 < 1old ere I his ~-><r l . . tl':l th Ius nose <'tnd cry him " 1Ylllnour kn\tckll:s:.

• 6 f .. JH.:lf " ~uH1 •• impostor." rand'' and

But wh:1t must we do now at the b'dd'

dole in order to savc the credit 0 ; t~~sg ,~f th~ s:tccrbcin" ::- ·· who has so tricked us ' led us ou andomn1potcnt then ub doncd us to the contun1ely of a world ' 0111Y too read an-· • '• of ca fell ow creature? ' l t ouloat over the nusfortuncs .

Either we Inust take the entue blame upon 0\liSC . 1VCSno matter how sacr ed our cause to us - or cry out tlu.tt he is punishing us f or our sins or the sins of our fathers

and we did not deserve his help! ' Or, we must save his credit by bowing our heads at the sign of the sacerdote and murmur humbly and contritely : His way s are p ast findin g out; the wi dom of this world is foolishness with god ; though l\c sltl.Y me yet will I trust him · whom he lovcth, he chastcnclh:

'

d' t

the battle is not to the strong; it is not in rnan to ucc his steps; all nations b efore him are as nothing; thou tenderest unto every ma n a ccording to his . work. of the utt et.

There could not be a better illustratiOn

~{ • ~

p F HSTIT 10

uplil ling of 11 "'I .

• c •' {utihf.' ·~ r 1,, 1.n 1s it . thnn 111 our· ( hd \\ ' 1 lrt~lllllf• I• I r • I" \\:t!'- 1IJ 1• ~out Is, t IC,\ \\('J'I.' fi l .' (;r·tt" I • 11 ' 1 t II J ... J( l: I . g ll I " 1, hod l t•n lt• I ll'll' Oil(.'. 1 f .., 11 11ll1 ~ ' J'ht•d ,. · :\IH 1 · • • ~\ t 1 • . • (>tl c•f ,~ irgd !- , lachnma rtt· tluJJ' • • L':\ p rc-..s 1 ll 111 f touclunp..

-..Jicntion it wns lwn•. The f . ' t fitt 111 o· ap}' • Hlr w mo:, t~ll· Hl dclu n·ed ,T a ln·<·h::; nltnt·... "ith tl .o 0

f t lutl

••

L

(1\ n.iunll

{ the ::;ou 1 <u ~ .

I{ tr l' n , t tnar:-.,. .,1.1lll their dl'l' }l drnwn :-otghs r-'"nt\,.. l < l C'(] I' t ere.., "' .

1 · 1 . tk . the sbuncd-g nss \\ IIH m\ s nt his t • •1 n 11 st upon . . · l!lll]ll · . . tt the sunshmc and roiltng (lown in d.

-..huftlllP, Ol . . . , tops Of ·:-.ll PP1ICH a 1..1 c 1ous enough I o mm c n ~lolod, ·r . fon I ' e < ...

• he,. . t . well haYe addressed them to the mud · \ · Illig11 ns I( 01 or ·can saYao·c.

Poor sweet souls. thcv• didn't k·no"' 0 an ~ \fTI c amJ p l ·obablv • J don't know now that go<L follow <'\nd n ev~r

when the t,·• rant le:t d •. 'and that they can't help liberty • has the cannon of the longe~t range.

0 my countrymen, why not be hone t? If ye could but once free your souls from the gricYou~ burden of these Superstitions, ye wou1d stand up refre ·hed and strengthened like men who have shed the blight of some bad disorder and again walk forth in the health and

sweetness of purged bodies and dcnr skins. l.Vould not it be a thousand tin1es better to addres' your prayers to those who <'Hn hear the1n and be mon'\l by them, to those we love, to those whon1 we honor and respect, to those who can lift us up and strcngthrn us with their thoughts and influences, to those who ean turn us away from the hurtful and towards the healthy, to those who will prompt us to good actions and lead us to live for some one else than sel:t'P

The " Lord's Prayer," so called, i obviouslY

,; r I' I. If ' I 1' 1 11, I ,, II l

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tl y Jllll

lJy ll

ltj{IIII J

II

''thlll\1 I ' 1~~~r ,,,;""' ''''"' ''I''"' •, lt~r'r1 YJng:.,,,, . '' allo~,u-~.J :tnd 11 1 ''' I 1d ,,,., ''I'','' II,, J,, 11 , lrH t f g stucl nr1t I

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rruml(

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I•''" till' "'''"d ,, ,,,jJ. It ~ IJI( • .1\lftJI 1 htlll\ 1 ' I'JU)d 111;t J ' ' l'n nil 11 r•lt u t'IJJtdit j,,. \t t I{! god ,, 11· , Jllllnstn f o • il :1 lnW~'t' ,t·:dr · tlwn thr I , r~n·cnc 1 011 111'' . ' og H, whc, 1,. 1t • l 1. II crld., Oil t lw f 11l11t' r• 1HHI h··u 1hi' " 111 ,.., . ,.,., rt(HJ(; J' tJr th<; nsa 1 .. I ,,•:ld IIH no I Ill t c, I' JJJ pb tioll " I,sed t.

• ,.., 1t Loc :uJdrc . ch'lllon thal luwn h; tHII p.l.ow m· ru ·tl hut not ltl ·' .

J r {14 1, , ~ocfdlccl " oll1111pot<rd, god. And thr• praycr s hould tl • · • I 1 hnvr l' 11 drcl : And of thy power and of thy kin,dom I

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k,• us t.hc glory."

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~ * The more ignorant and (]C~'Tad( d the human mind i~. the more it eric:, after the mirac1J lo h, anc1 from the setting up of the first rude altar, unhewn and :,hapelc' ·: the gods have been unceasingly occupied, under the 0 direction of the sacerdotes, either in comfortinO' or de troying their worshippers, destroying them by fire. flood, pestilence, famine and the play of thunderbolt-:.: or comforting them by an almost perpetual show of l~ctty miracles in the daily walks of life. :Jlan vaicl for them, and the sacerdotes were forced to keep up the supply. All r eligions being " made on earth;' you may imagine how silly and ridiculous most of the c mimd~, 11 were, especially in the J ewish n1ythology · I f nrt ' ."' tonder-working, J ahveh was rar ely so grand and pte· ~rcaque as F ather J ovc, that is, with ,·cry f cw c"reptions th .

1 . tl . . sun to stcnul . ' e one betng J oshun's or( erwg lc • still wh"l . f tl1 cncll1Y ~ but &:h• t • . ., IS •1 e he continued the sla ug hter o f c intclho·en 0 tn:iracle has no beauty in the eyes an c.-

'*

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nd ·tltllll'l -.aid .• or child ,'' who knows lha • I . .t I t' t ,\.(!r ' ) l b, ·uTl''lt'< Ill 1 ~ n·Yo ll 1011 for tl e tiH' (':l rt l o l , • . ~ l . , lc• tho,J. . . t h 1)art of a ::-ccotH , 1L 'HJtdcl tum} 1 . '·' pd-nn 11 ttlll > c Jntc, the ... un. . m·lll· l

Il

the "atcrs of the R ed Sea and m·tk.

1 r-' tng :t I) .,, u· rno· . _ . th for the .l cw s to cross oYer to the opposite 1 t Ir ~ p.l . . s lore ·tYc been rather n takmg miracle had it not h~ ~u 1d ll ' owcd Jn~ one of the Yile. t and shabbiest tricks y· . f 0 ll • ' IZ. allowing the Egyptians to get half-way across and the~ turning the water· back upon them. ..A god should alway bear in mind that he is expected to be above Lmnan wcaknc ... :, and human passions.

I n thi · re pcct .Jaltveh falls far below Father J ove. ~h he .~ay him~clf he is a '( jealous god," and he might have added, cruel, revengeful and bloody-minded; in fact, a tribal god in eYery sense of the word, ever ready to play ;o,omc trick or stratagem upon the cncmie of the twc·Jve b·ibc~ under his special guidance, and quite satisfic·d to hang in the fo r m of a cloud over the tent c·oJttaining suc·h mystic pat·aphernalia as nomadic tribes c·ould ('Onj ure up. L et us fondly hope that the day i:; uot far di!;tan t n·hen some master mind will, by the JigJJtuing of hi:; intdlcet, dissolve all " clouds" of

perstition tJmt lm11g over our civilization just as Homan gNJf•ral l'ntcred the so-called "holy of holies u.ud liftNJ tlu.: veil to show the world that there uothing b(·hind it. .Jahvch had not even one last d{•J'!'oJt. l{·ft, to hurl nt him, although he had, once st t.~nu·, fot· s.t. JrH·J·p touch of the ark by a profane ~;t.riC'kN• the rnan dead ' And Huch somc day must be the fate of all '

.

f ]Jolies," <; (•L 11 P by Hw 8 1H't•l'drJh· t I 0 ·ld in -, (•rVJ' t IJC j e . 'J ' he .J r·wi sh , I't) HJfd Itl'· IJHIHH.t.n

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·(fht well staggPr our nd I IHJ'• -llH·lt.Y Uw.t .

• . ..-J.n -:;.

S•Jch ':! t l10 bears dcstroymg fort y hn, c~j 1 'Jdrr·n fr ~ s ' s}H· .f l' 1 >r :t bit (Jf HH•n• misch1c ; sene m g c o wn fir( upon h· . f' . .

IS fJN'JJ C m· a trivial compla1nt; slaughtermg . . fif!J. thous·ancJ t}· 11•ecr, con~ and ten people for lookm g Into the ark.: '5 ,.."'nc)'111g (Jfll~ 0 f' IllS t . . terrible angels 111 the night to •sla~~ a hund rN J f' ou rscnr<: ~' c and fi.ve thousan~l As~yrians, so that when th(·y arosc.: llllo

early 111 the monung, behold, they were all dead corpses .

The three men dcliYer ed f rom the fierv furnace D an iel " ' saved in the den of lions, Jonah kep t saf ely three days and three nights in the belly of a great fish, and Balaam' s ass conversing in excellent I-febrew with hi:; master, thesf> are but a few of the many )luncl:u'lusen t ales that made the butt of ridicule in the days the J ewish Inytholoo·y . o. of Grecian and Roman . upremacy in literature, art and refinement. And think. too, that a low-statured, misshapen, unletter ed Jew, in the yery. shadow of t~e im. f GI·eek art lnmself fresh f rmn a mortaI mast erp1eces o ' . 'tl tile spirit of the crucified J csus, . d. . f a br1cate IntervieW WI 1 . . t's notice to mYcnt tales ut . . hImself ready at a n1otuen . . ~ 110 ld have had the auda('dy to miraculous ex.penencc!j, 8 u ll' . Jrc ~cn t an:hid .8 of the wor c s I charge these great foun CI l'tcrnn· n10clcb in 1 phv anc I · . t ecture, sculpture, P1u 1080 J • • . ., 1 . " . . ll)crstitJous .

I e"Very genre with belllg" :st 't' was a sweet anc · erst i IOll Superstition? Thetr su~ ~ scmi-barbarou~ nt1 wtth t 1le f k' crJ \' .

1O'Vely wisdom con1pn.I ec 1 aureoln ° lllr.- • 1 to set t lC ternpts of a nomadic pcop c . t :bnl cl'od. f the•r I I o 0

tnajesty about the hcnd

S tJ p t•~ H S' J' 1'I' I 0 :~

., Ill<' hc:ntly, f'nlgr a. rH·c·, fHH·sy, e . . .

I]' . xq,,lsjL

' 1'1 cotnp<tll

·I' 1 w<•nll h of nna.gc·ry, ( <· JC·tow; r·x, lot! tt .

• ~ cl.rnl,l pn t to:-;. . t k·tl h 111 us•c of noiTiencla.bJrc· in 1 r· • h_>vntWil uu 0 < • ' • • • ' < f·~el·i\ of c • • f surrottndlllgs, In<;x haustJhl( rr.

J ·thk colonng o . . . .

Hn<: of · . .., cc u1en tal d•vcrs Jty and soulful <·xl )}1\ .;;JCH1 g1,1 . , , lf>rtq t. · . ·I t ·tiry fcn.thery, f1lmy, gossarn(•J' f ane: t wn .

H s of 1t g 1 ' ( • ' ~nnv • 11 cr ns well as the sohd, deep suhstrat mor t a1 " ... c..

I:)' • • \lJn 't r ,.,isdom and JUstice of the Greek mytholo cq u1 } ~ • · • • . gy.

0f with the J cwish, would be hke naming In the same breath the sweet, fragrant, delicious herbs of the garden and <

l . wn' H 1l''

1

the s-kweed of the n1oor. And yet, this magnificent world of ours, in a motnent of despair, having shed it ancient gods and standing naked of supernatural protection (to its in1agined shame), put off its majestic toga that had held the barbarous world in awe and donned a Jewish gaberdine, gri1ny with the grease and gurry of a thousand years of Superstition! 0, wonder not, enlightened sons of Freedom, at this strange and shameful act that man, fretted and pheesed by bonze, rabbi, fakir, muezzin, priest, parson, presbyter, sacerdote and medicine-man, doth not cry out as he should: 0! a plague on all your gods! but yields him up to the new scheme of purgation and salvation without a murmur. Then again, politics throws him from his orbit, and he in his utter weariness lays hold of the skirts of the first poltroon who has a vision for the sake of -votes.

Christianity, the tnoment it loaded itself with the d~ grading S upcrst'tbons · . of the Jewish mythology, a g rtevous load for tnan to carry. There was no f 0f of dcsp f · 0 Is m, no flagrant violation of the rights no outragcous suppression of the bounding force 0f

SCPER .... TITIO.·

· - ec- . no nrercil , ,] augh ter of 39 - con radic-,. ihe foul Super . . t·Ibon . tho . .e who 0f l . deer~ oi death at the t· k t u. . myth- • 00 <t e or bv · d# rc. hat could not be fully ju . . ffi 1 · peme forte .

1 CC h \" the r J ,·eh or h_l .... ucc .. or ,Jehovah. . ru mg. .

4

.. {t po·~n d

the Common I~aw .an l 1 made woman the ·rtu ] . la' t .. . c off 1ter. hu band . : who min·) o 1 com her labor · to htlhng or lu elf1 h en ·1ovment ' •1 : 1ca\,e tl1e mark: f t i la I u p on her huck . pr ovided he crH1 not :')erwu-.ly · · j ur · her : th ru. t ltcr head in to the wit chc:, · bridle ~r bind her to th · duck ing tool. They brought these viiI ·nou ampl~ of .] C\\ ish law into our fair a nd free h nd, and it i lc s thrm fifty years ago that woma n waJ far fre d frmn the domination of her hu ·band a' to h · abl(· to ex cut · a cont n H·t. or upon being be-aten bj him to cause hi arre t n:-. fo r an a~sault ~ and it j to the t ·nch ings of that mi:-.:-.ha pcn little .Jewish energu w n Sau l l h" I " o nu" 1 is I o- day regard cd ns n mor n!

11 rUl d inl< llectua l "'' a kling, unfi t to govern h er self, prone t. , ,.il Join g, not ,.11 titkd to the custody of the very chil1 1 dn·n HIw ,._,,.,·s, ,.,.,.,,..,I<·d '" 11 ,. 1·i 111 imtl not a Jury of h er 1 • I . J>t>t·cssors. And when peradventure, fH'f ' I'H I HI t 0 f 1 ' I 0 , ' , I f' . ' >}H'O\'H.l, linked to a man who w1lh ,Jdaovuh R no' 0 ~L} . . llersclf' under sacerc1ota1 I . Itt' s l\C fJll(1s ~ · . , Stn.te ' provcH to IJc.' n Hl ' • and of manv . . · 't >f the 1~ mpuc ~ · du~rN', wat htn t lw }lull s' . 1 t . c('ordcd the citizens of l . red 1'1 ,.,. 1 s n . oth(!rH, cll·niccl t 10St' s ill tl pursuit of happiness," t ' ~~ rht•rl \' ntH , •lC tl our ptu>la" 1 •. . ·lf frotn her worse lan t f J'l'C hl 1 :-ol • t0 a ohlitrt•tl in on l t•r 0 • dt•(·cit, and p erJury "' t to t rn.tu1• al dut.i ll~ to a·t•sot' t'n:u·t ('(1 n t sa('crdotal1 b'l C.Icr.mg. t lw !oihll \1 t t' · 1u~t and asctvwustn~N\ t .

1. . t·n· :oooll1 111 .

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h , I\ IIIII n f'l I ' I ' , Ja I1\ <,I1' s, owtt I u·s1.rl 1 l , . ' "'< n11 · , . but the ott<' nf l.c' r Ins own h<·at·t .

1\lt'l'tlliS \\ 1\ <. :-;, ' IS tit . , .. 11·\ thsheba, who, harlot. Lhal. s iH' was in 11 t r :H ll1 It l (~~ ' II \fr~ , l c·Hlo·ht Dnsid's lecherous eyP by ktting hitn ' Sr·r 1\,H • ~ ho" ,crY bcnntiful she wns Lo look u pon irz, JlUri.~ rwt tc r.

•

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u rnlibus·. EYcry one knows th e vil c talc how he murdered her husbitnd and how the " fnncra.l ha.kcd meat-; ilid coldly furnish forth the marriage tables," and how ~he became the mother of Solomon, who holds th~ world's r ecord as the most married and most " mistressed" of the human kind.

As to Rahab the harlot, it is agrc·ed by most of the commentators that she was the " Rachab," one of the forebears of David, and the conc]usion is inevitable that J ahYeh must have " foreordained " that his ichor and this harlot's blood should run in one and the same channel some fine day. The stories of Dinah surrendering herself to Shechem, of Reuben's defilement of his father's bed and of the unspeakable conduct of Zimri and Cozbi and their revolting murder by Phinehas at the command of Jahveh so that he might appease his own wrath and stop the plague, are all too vile to be related here. The javelin stroke of Phinehas should be described ns a master (and mistress) stroke.

. •t 1 As to the story of the Levite and his concubme, ~ccms to me so incredibly a.nd damnably foul Plld fien~ 18~1 that the wonder is that any tribe of savages. woU Wish to spread it upon the recor.d &f their e; plotts, alone the chosen people of Jah-veh, ene of the four

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s I I ,I I ( ) N I

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•Uw rll .1. ' H Un·ee ht in.rJ' ~ .1dl Ills :-; 11< <( :-;sol ' l•a llll' l' ,Jo ve· u.r I All L o ' H u.n.

1,.hO' • tel' I~

/'lll' 01 1s in thc •olc•c• li <'H 1 • • , •, •. • '

Lo the ,JcwisJ1 h , .~ . . , CU.J " I S E sther wttS sonked (or HI ' mon Lhs in Ut (• 0 1·1 f ,, I10 • • o myrrh and' . siX months 111 cer la tn "xwect odor"'"' " t o fit 11er for ro• • bed of that lecherous and unJ·• ust lno nst er Allasue• II1C rus, who put away a chast e wife to make room for her.

It is a very pretty story in the sequel; but the moral • , , c 0 11 c hn.rlol cku. r • • 1 11

is not fragrant, nor is it even sweetened by the blood of the seventy-five thousand foes slain by the J ews.

But the fact of the matter is that under the rule of Jahveh the " woman that was very beautiful to look upon" seemed to possess a dynamic for ce of character very much akin to t he courtesans of Athens, the demimondaines of Paris or the geishas of Japan. They pushed their offspring with a keen and re1narkable energy, and these children of love were ~ear to t!1eir fathers. Look at David, fasting and lying all n1ght upon the earth in prayer, refusing rise o~· cat bread, while l Trin.h's wife's first child by him was Sick. e new reO'ime under the transt:1 • • • V\r)len we con1e t o tl) fi d the scarlet wmnan sh1l In eYlformcd J n.hvch we 11ho was a ·" s1nnc1 • • " who bathed <Icncc, the wonu1n w fl : 0 • tears and of whon1 ' J esus ' f cct Wl'tl 1 11er fast-d ow Int=~ h" she was entitled to ' .

• that '' as ·she love tlntuc he sa1d , wonutn of Sanutna and . n cs!i . lc t he greater f orgtvc · · ' . 1 "Neither do I condemn he sate , the woman to w110n1 ·ttn:ttic ~ but tnorals should ·c ntH1 <112 thee.." ry poctl 1cnouenwnt. Nntnrc never 1 for n c ne er be acrificc< }l1 n got1 of nu1.n's creation presun1e hy ~]10u ,r sentimental, she strikes no forgi · . neve ·

:o

t.n dn oP

,...turc ~~

CPER:T JTIO · u

in thcotectics

the otl

ler three b in" ,Rh· hi" .. uccc .. or. I•athcr Jo,·e, and Allah. e> to the Jewish ho-.ali. IS . I:~ ther . c one ha rlo t dear • • 1 1t ll ' .. oaked for six months in the 01·1 f ' 0 • o" . . myrrh and ix- ont h ... 1n certain '' sweet odor~ ., t o fi t 11er for t r .. · 111 the bed of tha t lecherous and unJ· ust 111 0 n:s~ter ..\ Imsuea chaste wi fe to m·c11\·e 1•oom f or 11er. t tl" • ~ho put awav ~ It j .. a very pretty story in t he sequ el ~ but t he moral i' 110 t fragrant, nor is it even ~weetened by t he blood of the -evenly-five thousand foes slain by the ,Jew .

But the fact of the matter is that under the rule of ,Tah,·eh the " woman that was very beautiful to look upon " seemed to p ossess a dynamic force of character rery much akin to the courtesans of Athens, the demimondaines of P aris or the geisha of J apnn . They pu. hcd their offspring with a keen and remarkable energy, and these children of love were dear t o their fathers. Look at David, fasting and lying all night upon the earth in prayer, r efusing rise o~· eat b read. while Uriah's wife's first child by hun was Sick. n} t t] e new reO'imc under the trans' 1en we con1e o 1 b • • • the scarlet womnn sbll 111 cn ' J a llVCh we fi n·hd was a " stnncr' . , who btttlu.'<l formcd clcncc ' the won1an w 0 . . f t-flowing tcn.rs, n.nd of· w1wm ,Jesus' feet w1th bet as d ·I " she was L'ntitlt•tl to h . " she love nlUC l, • e sa1d that as. . . . the woman of Sn.ntarin and the great er f orgtvcncss , . " t•i t her do I cotHl emn l 1olll he sau 1' l . e woman to w lllt ·ttic • but morals shouh th t" u.rH1 ' 1I I ' ' thee." Very poe 1c dcnolll'llll'nt. Nn.tnrc H L'Yf•r .. { tl 1110

.,

:o

a of nul.n 's ere at .ton prcsunw never be sacr1·ncccl for O'Od n .

I 1 'k forgives, wh Y r;hould. n11 pV('I' sL•nt mwn bt , s w st n ' L' S no turc 1s to do so? N a.

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- · nr · C nd I "il] · r proof o i:} e ru h

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hat

oe ~ 1 hrone tha ro,-... hJ . . aod b~ 1 .

• .J ftYin too great a tas · pon ·m or b,- ununoning hi~ tf:! do a thing re to "njure the credit of hi~ prie-thoO:. !~ather Jov·e·s priests were ,-ery careful in this re P~t. they always made hi oracles capable of a ··yea ·· or "nay" interpretation . It i the onlv -.. afe way . .Jehovah, the softened and etherealized J aln·eh. wa, no soon er ~eated upon hi-.. throne than t ht..: ~acerdotes . while bidding him not to let loo ... e fire or thunderbolt~ upon the earth, not to wipe out a great city through the agency of one or more of hi~ angel~ of destruction. not to sn1ite the :;coffers with di.-ca:-;c or pestilence. none of a ll these, but nevertheless committed the 1nost woeful error of calling upon him to de ·cend to enrth himself, in any form he might choo e to nsstune, and through the agency of a daughter of Eve to incarnate himself. ,Jahvch, not a great lover of won1en 'tis true. had nc·vcr in his wildest manifestations of affection

by the fact t

d

for his people ever dreamed of doing such a thing.

Only }•,ather ,Jove had .dared to wa~ on earth for that pu rposc. It was an awlul risk, and could the sacerdotes ha. V(' foreseen how the miracle ould live to rankle in rninds " sicklied o'er with the pal oaat of thought," tJ 1cy n(·V(· J· would have sanctioned it; Day, 11ever would hu vc• gi vcn it u. rnomen~'• terioua thought.

IIud Uw rww god only been better advi ed, 1le would have 11 t )cust imitated ather Jo e and !Dade his descent

S U J> J·.. ftST f'J' J(JX

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4-5

so . tl on cart11, lll . a orm . . p oetic ' " oO fll..}.:itCTlOU... :,0 lJ P . g· to chaste nnagma bon s that U1 . . .' a urJn ., . . ' mcarnabon mi"ht

}lflve been 1ather susp ect c c1 than assert d . o " 'i · . .. · 1 " . e ' mtght haYc "Cll fl.Jl l IS Sr\1 ,C ' () )' ~l n H It J. S r• ) ::tHO(!( . }".. or a :; one 'IJ Hljght. a1rnost f.: ay.

But nfJ, he came fr om 1lb .. t 1n-oneroom m the . . clouds a.s a tall, hand"(Jtnr-, ·so t o spcak·, god }Jke fl.gUlC, one of the most ch.zzl;ra , d Impo,:,mg · · " ' • an 0 members of the thcocorp, not hcan ed, tru~, but male. masculine, muscular, manly, he gradualh· c~lothcd him: self in visibility, a n d his raiment assum;d the crlow of phosphorescent light as falls: he stoocl in the presence of a clark-eyed and full-tre.;,scd maiden es-

twili~ht

poused to a just man -

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H ad I continued: it " ere n eedful that my p en be dipt in ink of crimson hue that the glow of shame should redden this page, for here was an act that smote the white and velvety check of female Chastity a stinging blow, which still echoes in the cars of self-respecting ifomanhood. Here was a deed that spat upon the of mankind ~tnd outraged human reason and it to scorn, - a deed that set the horns of

upon a pure man's brow ; and as ?ab~icl

his wide-extending wings th ere came np~lmg the sides of sky-piercing Olympus the nbald

. G 1· at Pun was not ~.nu~r of the assen1hled goc1s, f <>I e" . . . yet. a , the blood of that day's v!Ctnn sbll . y l. blc floor about "Ull~en m the grooves of the w ute mar t 1· were that V altar of Father Jove, the ho1Y cs a s

.SLT p 1': HST IT IO l\ 10

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. . s~ ilHr t ill' Fo li llll flnd h .

1 1uoment < I o.

1 I-.l.l'i~ .. 1·11 00 • t he 1r shnc ows .

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Lh c people Wt• t· , 1 1 " "-ll~ •\ ns

t 1cy

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1 '1 . , 1\tl ' I · t l , Gnnymcd c, w t t 1 aug 'ltng eyes a the ~ we«' )O.) . nc1 t·o~ .. s w·tshin a· the wmc cups of the gods in fincrc rs . " <h c o .

Wn.h,Y 0 t ed front the rock at the str oke of P c r tlwt p ou gn.~lts' t o dance before tl 1100 f ' and the Graces had begun d d l(! . of oo-ods and men. The ec was done, and tl1cr~ kmg foliage of t he tree of Snpcrst' ami'd tllc dark ' , 1t·ton' I 11 ,g'

,l

• ]

g rafted upon Ignorance, hung t~e largest and fairest fruit jt had ever borne, red and npe to r ottenness, and )fankind reached up and plucked and ate till the quabns of satiety checked them, and, as they ate, they spat t he seeds out upon the rich black soil beneath their feet.

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I f the J e\-vish mythology were but illumed with the rush light of common mor ality , it Inight, in spite of ; Ls fllth and obscenity, enjoy to a greater ~egree the respect of human reason, but almost from cover to cover, wjth here and there an except ion, it is fairly r ncrusted with theft , f r au d, deceit and chicanery, and ,Jnhveh is himself the chief est sinn er of them all. Could a ny more cowardly and dishonest a ct b e conceived of than t he manner in which h e cau sed the walls of J ericho to tu mble down flat, and t h en instr ucted h is people to walk in and d estroy ma n a nd woma n , y oung and old,

IJII l to take good care to put all the silver and gold into tlH· trcnsu ry of the house of the Lord? Now it may

b{~ Hccn where t he world learned the gentle art of indiscriminate slaughter and pillage in war times. And when t.he kings of the Amorites gathered against thero, ,fahvch said unto Joshua, Fear them not, and then

47

t ones f rom h ''II I tlttlt't.' of l he enemy than tl I. caven, and I ll lC c llldrcn It tIn' s" o rd. of I srac1 , •\\ " It I 1 to cnsl do"n noTcnt t)till'l'l't l'« • 'j

.. . l

l'.tn n god cult i' al l' bravery . . · ~ •tlllong hJ:; p coJ)le I' Y lliuo· them not to fcnr outside t' '. tl' :-. · na IOns, that he has l :\rrallg'l'd llnng:-\ thnt one of his 1 11 ] :-l , .

• men s 1a c 1ase a 1 11 1 tJioli'H H~ ? . ( ~ n gocl nnpron~ the morals of a people bY to ~te·tl · . pcrnut t tng • a woman .

• her fatl (" 1er' s Images an d

thl'Il cover Lhcm \nth her s1,irts and add the crime of det't'l t and fa lsl'l10ocl to theft? Can a god increase the hnne,ty of his people hy informing them that they may ' t:ll the flc ·h of nn animal that hns died upon their hands to the strange!'~ hui not to thei r own people?

Can n god ex p ect to correct the morals of his people by such a code a s l he one J alweh engraved on a stone tablet furn i. hed him hy )Jose:? 'Vhere arc there any cornnw.ndments on that tablet against harlotry, concubinage~ critninal assault, seduct ion, polygamy, usury, human sla yery, pillage and slaughter in war, even of •

women and children? ( 'an anv god think it unnecessary to , punish such . l an ... d a bcsba unspeakable crime as Amnon. s? Can any . . . l t th good morals of h1s p eople w11l god IInag•nc t 1a c d · r d by reading such obscene escripbe the better conscl~ c f the chapters of Ezekiel?

t • d Ill SOIUC 0 • t Ions as con a1ne niscient god would not be

om Can it be poss1'ble that an h il effects destined in future oft e ev perfectly well aware h a command as: Thou shalt from sue h ]. . . centuries to fl ow . ? To think t at t us maJ csb c

not suffer a witch to Irvc ·. .

of the superb system of ossession .

P should, even under the guidance

World already 10 Roman jurisprudence

.SUPERSTI'l' fON

dirC'ction of a sLrongly organi %ed sacct'(l . one of theo<'y ) l)!l.vl! d t ermitted a petty go se up m P . .. lflcrlt and physically ~a·bcst co~ners of the earth's surfally 50 to infect it w1th the rn.btcs of Superstition as t ace, · I1uman beino-s 0 slaY one hundred t 1lOliS<UH l mnoccnt . o ' lll<:n , women and of ten tunes, cI 11'1 <Ircn, at such a con ll ...J

a u

1Inand I The world will never know the exact numbers that · . d . .

Were sJmn, often two to three thousan 111 a stnglc co . . m:rn~ ntty, under most appnl1rng torture. Why did not thi~ ·'jealous " god, so anxious :thYays to keep all other gods out of hi:; domain, hurl one of his thunderbolts or even a huge ::;tone, as he hud done before wll"n ' ~ as~ :sisting his people in battle, :straig-ht at the head of the witch of Endor, at that famous seance, and get, himself', the credit of haviug J-..i11 cd at least one witch? And to think that our fat hers brought ovc•r to this fai r land of F r eedom and the right :s of nmn this hellish Supert itian, and that nineteen innocent beings, men and wo1nen, met their death as it Yictims before our fathers'

eyes wer e opened and they rca]ir.ed that thei r minds wer e under t he pell of inbcritt,c1 clc:Iusions which for tl1e nonce had t r ansformed t hem in to monsters of cruelty! But before the end ca1ne to this sudden and tempestuous stonn of Superstition, freedom's air was polluted by the terrible spectacle of one execution by peine forte et dure, the life of a brother man crushed . body by superposed we1g . hts ·I Oh, s1ow1y out of his think of the unspeakable horror of it! Giles Cory wasd

1118 .

name, and a shaft ol the blackest marble shoul .. . grave to be an etemal reminder to the cttJzens Inark h1s li , of our Republic of the abysmal depths towbib c reg

otl

Su p ( r t"l"c

0 ur b Jo,

d ); by the di a p P<.::.t , ~ cringing, mut b · ;.:;.. hado" y throne : by a snow-\\ hit.e onf·

Recl1r istening .J world any, sa\"£: a full strength. T e dropt ~ .Jahveh no _ ing meat laid upon up the war upon Lhe 2'0<h H owe,·er! as I ha¥e !5"",._.,...._,... increa ed by the addi-:

tneocorp

a.--

r_ y

ew member-.

and thin2 alw·1~- ... n _ . . n -ura h· called

b~· great swa~;;: o: fe e abhorrent to J aliYeh. T' ese c for an enlarged sacerdocy. for · mu .. - a ''ay .. be borne

in mind that the two a ay .. ba ance each oth -godridden, priest-ridden - and -he poor. i!!flonun wretch has more prayer'- :o mum e and more tax to. pa~· to lr-.his sou1 1n . a ..a 1,-a J e co di·lt.on • I t wa-. m other ~ .." 0rds, t he satne old ~uper ,. . in t>ret t. r .. -. . .on ... 0 ttl,-• clld . . .r • . d h to -. flh,f,· th 1 ,... ~ ~..rments, w1th altar' !!au Y enou... ·f t · i t.ft .... d ulon· o ' .amt: reant with a "litter oi candl n ,. . . •t l'Cl in IJaa. ~ h th en:r \H ne . . -.t the ' past anytlung tlle world a th . .hndowy p:\xi-. lllatter of ten1ples reared to pi ..

Oil ..1._~ ~ shadowy thron -. . - to rtlt on b_~ t conhnU .. ~.,.. in spite of it all, Laz~ru . . t thri1· t'ld ~~ d0 cr· nrc ll t • ..,.. ID&rble doorsteps, and the '"" ' l l'l ,l·r;lplll ~ d the bon::- z • The window open an

~

SlJ Pglt ., ,

~ ll '('

.

iou:-o ~lll)(' l"stllion ·.

TO \" IH ('Hp I . . n. )I~ of si11 1..

HJ 0 ur helovl'd land 1l<1.:-l he \.lllrr • by the disnppcara en Pllrgcd f h' . n.nd not until nee of tl o tJlJs ·f l . cringin o·, munlbl" lc last k . . aw u crnnC' h l Ing Worshil) ncelmg, . hivcrin:P" had owy t \roues sh ll Per of sha 1 . ' ou c that b < c owy gocls on by a snow-wh1tc onn"'· lack column bc rcu 1acco1 C"l

*

>f:•

*

:!•.

L

Rcchristenjng J ahvcl J . . * * 1 e1lovah h world nn y, save ns a. dilut d . .as not helped the c poison 1s 1 h f full strcn oo'th. Trun~ tlle blood css arm ul than 'fi t J 1 1 1 Y sacn ccs haYe been drop , a 1vc 1 no onger enJ· oys tl . . . le sweet odors of roastmg meat la1d upon h1s altars' nor docs J chova11 k·ccp up the war upon the gods of Egypt . . However, as I have shown, the theocorp was largely increased by the addition of three new member and by great swanns of f emalc angels - a thin b0' n.hva •v · abhorrent to J ahveh. These changes naturn.l1y called for an enlarged sacerdocy, for it must ftlwn.ys be borne in mind that the two always balance each other - god· ridden, priest-ridden - and t he poor, ignorant wretch has more prayers to mumble and more tax to. pay to It was m other . soul in a salvable con d"t' keep his 1 1on. .' . . ..

1 1 d m pretbc1 Words, the sa1ne old Supcrshbons, on Y c ~ h t a·h to sabsfv t c mo~ · garments, with altars gaudy cnoub d ·l . , ·of stnined em.£ reant with a glitter 0 f can d1 cs an bo on~ritncsscd in llass, past anyth1ng · 1 "ld hath e,·cr t 1c wor ,.} adowY gods the 1 asc t1lC ~ 1 ~ Jnatter of temples reared to P c G

04

.t\tir shadowy thrones. tinncs to rot 011 1\Lll,ut; in spite of it all, Lazarus con n.rc nt tlwi r nhl ~~

b

d the dogs

. . · 1pcd

1't.f1..- ~r le doorsteps, an the bones nrc ~< H ~-- The window opens and

S L.: P L I' 'f J'f J 0

!iO (}fT f lw

new

plat£

for U

11 ~

J,;~

l~t()t''Jrj> \•.nV·h o Jl, (t;r

is unchained, :1,rJd h" " w~tlb th

pt

wiu'd.H • rnr. day } c rn:ty g( u.s d id thr ( ~ reat Pomp(·y wl uJ J ( dr( that tlwJ·c is nothing, a.h o)ut£ ly o I' ,_,

~' J WtJuld h:t\'c been cxpccfng too m c to o0 • for :d>nndoiJincnt of the o)d • upcr tition hy t e f dQ tJf thr· new religion. '\rhaf ·n tl blood l1' Sr>t a drop of his hut fr gh.:d it Prophets arc \irtua11y compact d of . p r r · T hey must bless with uplifted I and U y .. t cur by hook . f cJI and candle. ,J u of -•azar 'h had ~v;0 defects that ntu t ever I ak prophet dan"erou.... he was sen timcntal and up r tif ou : the fir...,t avcd h" . . li f e Jong enough to make a car er: the atter rendered him powerless to lift man up a t n thou ..andth pan of a u inc·h socially and ethically. . a'e my -.oul: ~a\·e rny body fir... t. ,John wa' brutally honc-.t and was cut

short, as lwn c~t men alwa ,. will be while Super tition

.

retgns.

Look at the almost childi~h t rick of the tribute money: Go thou to the sea, and cast an hook and take up the fish that first cometh up and when thou hast opcrwd his mouth thou shalt find a piece of money, that take and give unto them lor me and thee.

Upon reading these wordi, Huulanity' lips are P~e to twist into the rictus of a smile; but the smile dieS nncl the groan escaves.

But there is eveutf**"' and absolute cr'~llll [lJIIJ!~Be:c ~

• CPE RSTITIO~ ade it the very l c~ ' ·t of. lu. j rerou gener a tio . k , go< l !)1~ ~ . .r b . n sec clh after a . l m 0 e g rYcn t 0 1't t ~ ' ' Jut the 8i o f ..~J .Jna ; hor .as Jonas w·as. th t '(!C da·vo , 't e ". ale·s belly so sl ·11 th . ~ . la e ~(J'l .J0 f a

in the 1 t . * and *thr(.""e nights .. l ear of the ear * -.:. :•~

* dreamed a drealn. It was to cl1ut ,;.,uperL -~ f tue llepuhlic, or at least so to dilute j-, g(){Jd tinle it might lose its hellish power, B ;. it was too oon even to begin dreanring. uch ha:, happened since those days, and there a" :; a streak of light in the Orient of Truth

"'

J,J Ii ghtenJnent.

'J hi Jtepuhlic \Va- ne,·er intended to have eYen the hJ:tncc of any religiou:, bias. It was to be a purely u: Jar gcn•ernJnent in the full sense of the term. ~Iany ,f o r fathers were dei::,ts, some agnostics and some out

and out rnaterialists . .Jefferson, in the D eclaration of Independence, nu1.ke8 J, appeal to "Nature and Nature's god," cvitlcntly meaning these words to be an implied protest against mixing up the rights of :Man with any form of revealed religion called. The Framers di3 not allow the ,~·onl 110 ~ god " to appear in the Constitution. Ex necesstl" I<"

at crept in on the margin in the A.Government D. . ·lf put 1't~c Early in the last century our k " g as nluc11 1\Iohntnon record as being, strictly spea ul ' tl ,,, 1·itino·:-; of tnh.J_ k 111 " over lC n ··~n as Christian.

In loo g .

111111 · of the \V 01 twn by ashington, I found. but one. cnI .unagt"nc' was likt' natne of Jesus. llts theocotp, n

S l J J1 1<: H S' f ' I ' l ' I 0 N

hilllsC'lf :ttl :dl~ lt·adiott of fl'ig·icl ptll'ii,Y. he wns once caughl pt'aying. J I' ~o, lti ~-; must lunc be<-11 V<'l'.Y Jo·w.

Instindin~ ly an ('llligbl('IH.'cl mind lw.l('s s,,f,c· r~l'L·

I-Ic feels as a tcmpcrann•· rnau d ocs ;..unong d . It lf)TJ k · J lltJ (•tt roystcrers.

There was an early movement in New England kill the Supcrstihon of the " virgin birth" hy t~~ propagation of unitarianism and transcendentalism. c During my school days in Connecticut I have no recollection of ever having seen any church steeples or cro ·ses; nor do I remember that there was any notice taken of Christmas or Easter. We boys had a counting-out rhy1ne, one line of which ran thus : Harum-scarum, virgin-marum.

There being little or no sacerdotal influence or surveillance, hundreds of Romanists coming to this country, especially Irishmen, dropt their religion with their 0's in to the ocean on the way over.

Superstition sits lightly upon the shoulders of the enlightened man, and a single word will bring him to his senses. But now all is changed. Superstition, feeling itself in danger, has fallen back and t.hrown up the trenches of " privilege," " constitutional rights," " freedom of worship."

Threats of anathema are hurled at the indi1ferent, and live curses flash about the • 80 charhead of the backslider. With that defiant air, be act eristic of Superstition, the sacerdote now wears t conscarlet badge of royalty or the purple of the noble, h f erred by a tnple-crowned · ce to w 0111 . monarch, a11egtan

SU p 1-: H•S'I, l ,1 f(

they do not abjure l1 • p on lakir 1(., J to the Hcpublt c. 'rl 1( , trl()]'p t b the 'JaU of , Nor arc t hey the 0111 I~'- :; Hl~lle to U cJ • .

J .; ph PSJ '.t.J 16 l shouting: Great is' ])'tctn a 1 rl h' wr o : r1 t he morning air of · fi · . c P roteo a .

In <1c· 11ty . reatly disturbed , lth ' .-ts fhey te g ' ct ougli l f · .I can be "unfaithful, to , ..u to (!C l · a god \rhose ve · T\ I1c d en1cs. They in sist ' · upon your havincr of a. go d , althou oa h he be a~ , f'·aJnt . a an Jdc...oa . o of ' It .

•1sn t so n1uch you r soul tl1 a t tllCY wan- to 1t IS the confession that yo u 11a\.e one ~ t.o . .. a,·e. u• ~ should want to save it . They are like the f7 n1en who n1ake a wry face when they ~ee a man co:sober in their midst.

To sum up then, in spite of our common schools. acade1nies and colleges, in spite of our thousand.5 o i liberal publications, in spite of our libraries o:f scienci:fic books, in spite of our lectures on the evolution of t:he universe, in spite of the spread of free thought and the manifest weakening of many of the old theories. yet Superstition still exhales a certain " odor of sanctity.·· and thousands of sensible 1nen and wmnen ~it ~undaY

d. -

after Su,nday and listen with grave faces to the reading of fabulous doings and n1onstrous tales that q u·pa''

the . imaginative fertility of the Arabian Xight.s. Ou r children, fresh from their school books, from wlnch the~·15 have learned that the earth-ball, like the gyroscope.. supported in space by the incakubblc swiftness. ~f ,t~

revolutions and that stopt for the thou•and-nnlhonth .

1 ] f' 11 yet there stands the Pa r o a second 1t won c t]a ' f nt·tstic storY o f the t f r~ 1 aowned priest drawling out

e a

c ·

•

,I

sr I'I ·~ H S' I 'I' I ' J() N

I

lly .Jn,

ot lh,. child, knr,wing f' ·r, 1 Ill II. . .

1 physitJitJg'.')! lh11L p11l1td fl r:s h 1~ u.s. clc u d as thr· l 'r>tt 11 spol in Iris nppJt .. IIIIJ s t s lf~ ancl lt~l<·n t.o the· bt}p of L : Y.IJ I'IJS: or·. lta\'lll g IPI.ll'llNI to lw; dc•ltght frcm, hi ' "t 11 ,··d Phi Io~OJ)b v how f o c r eate• a rai 11 how n 1t 1.... t. •

P'

'·

.

'

U:tl'l'iot·:

.

·.

.

.

'

"'" grvQ

1ngcnu 1ty hy whic·h th~ ,f(\ \\ i·dr I rilm.J god .J n.Jn·ch is gi\·cn the credit of hav1ug first. for a spC'cific reason set thjs bow in the clouds; or, knowing from his astronomy that the beautiful summer clouds are but thin water mist tinged by tht' sunlight and floating over his head but a mi1e or so high, must he, to the wicked enslavement of his understanding, be forced to listen to the common Superstition of every tribe of savages, that here resides god surrounded by swarms of winged creatures, ready, upon the least justincation, to hurl a thunderbolt upon the earth, when the poor child knows, too, from his physics, . that lightning can only be generated at certain seasons and under certain conditions, and so on ad infinitum et ad nauseam.

C':t 1•

f0

1Jw I IH t of saccrdoi a]

B'u t alas, this f oul and degrading Superstition is legalized by the State, and priest and parson are protected in its dissemination.

1\fust it go on then forever?

I believe not, nay; I'm sure not. There are unmi t akable signs of a coming revulsion of awakened nnd outraged reason against these old Superstitions which have 'been for so many centuries kept alive and ~x­

ploited by the agency of priesthoods and sacerdoctes for the acquiretnent of power and pay. .

But we 1nay hasten the coming of this to Humantty,

Hr ''JIJ· • "•s·r·I 'f If)

I0 ,. ; (} "H (.v (. t I I ) uI(' 1111 I HI (• k I' I I ,, I '''r 'I I • 5 .) , ,,. y llfH>r1 IJ Ir It . IIItJcgJl'() f JrJJnd l} 1 ('II II ' l I(! rJ(•S t 1 ' J'rlH', we· JJSJ.vr tJtJ r·ifl} t l l~c·ner fJf tn: • owal of r, ' . v, n·sr . l tn. { ,. j JW :lJicJ ~ JJ(·C·r, f f!f (( ( • JJ I. to the ( o . . fJtJrt ~:tw , ] Jpcn fi.S!')flllll ,,.jre>" pro I c·C'I Jt>n to I l,j ... '-' . flJ ( s and the L· 1. n ' >:1Uperft' awcoth rcfllC'l l y]N;s.

W (• Jna.y by . ,., I .Jon, hut we n.. p,

7

·

•

•

WISe and

,.

c

1c not

{ig·hf. a.g:.unst tlw; :.t.gf· f·c,r· ,Yet lawful COJ1duct 1Sf'fTa ted r Let lliC' t·nnnwrate '-'r f ncntal dcbauchmcnt '' H rlf- (J tl . ever in mind that thct·e ~· ... , t . le ffil.·thods·, and bear . ,., ..l crnhle fo. · silent d1sappro vaL ICe m cold, calm,

1st. A ssume towards S ..

• upersbbon on occasions, when not by your k' any and all . 1 . . see mg you mav be b1 oug 1t Jnto Its prcscnce the tt't d . · 'fi d ' a 1 u e of s1lent and d1gn1 c con tempt. Enter no chur c1l OJ. meetma-house . where these Superstitions are recited or publicly prov

claimed. ~nd.

Attend no public meeting at least until after the invocation of any Jewish, Christian or other god is con1plet ed, and take no pa1t in any public ceremony where these shadowy beings on their shadowy thrones are called upon to "bless," as it is termed, the undertaking, which man has conceived and only man can

carry to completion.

3d Show yourselves, 0 men and women of free and . . . d u on all occas1ons proud of your enlightened mtn s, P J . d C'hristinn S f 1t ions of cwts1l an .

• conte1npt for the u~ers dec est scorn nt the cry mythologies and snule with p ' . 'tl15 of E phesus. . of the latter-day stlvcr snu · ·hbor 's fccl mgs f icnd's or nclg .

18 4th. N ever outrage a . r SOJ)crstitions. It • } 1' f In t1l CSC .._ • 1born 11 by attackin g h1 s JC •e. f t cmpcratncnt or · 11 1·tb.l.nce, o often a nuttter o f 111 c

•

.)(i

love of the monstrous nnd mira<

(

yoursdf he attackt, strikr· h~tck v, ·

dwell upon the long ages of menta humnn mind has sufJ"crPd under tJ dote ~ pour out your ahhorrcnc£ oft of man·., ~'piritua] degrad;J tion ~tnd monger. not.

5th. H cfuse to touch with hand or of so-called holy writ, or to lift your hand or to call upon the name of any god. 'I he H cpublic will protect you jn o doing.

6th. Ask and striYe for the abolition of all oa- ~ appeals to gods to k eep your tc timony free from perjury and to punish you in the world to co1 e 'f , wear falsely. · 7th. Organize societie for the '· upp rt -....:em o~ -'uperstition," even though only two or three member..

agree to giYe some thought and labor in the good cause, particularly in organizing kindred sorietie~ oft'. hand and orally, wherever a member may find him"t'li or herself in company congenial to the work.

8th. Whenever an opportunity offers, mlvocntl' amendments to the fundamental law prohibiting pre. idents and governors from official recognition of any cYcnt or events in Jewish or Christian mythology, or the suspension of the sittings of any Congres , Lcgi-

lnturc, Court or public body in deference to, or bono; of, any such event, and forbidding the enactment 0 any statute for the punishment of so-called blasphemy, • hway by god anY nnd the use of any public street or h1g religious procession or parade in 'honor of any '

~t pt..·

l'..o

n~. _ fl'}' '

•0\ ·_('J"od or pcr"'on of ,{cnll := t , n ny- t heo(• !Jurch proper -:· 1 rom hx·lt. r ~ k . ' • Inn. orp, or in \'\.<'Hsittn• ~Jt]l. ::,pea . . wnte and '\n·· t'"l .

I l. • ' ~It n b.' i . (t','l -:t t 1c OUllar~:eou-..1 . .

•1- 111 • • llllt·onstit n t"Pllhlt<· •.1nc 1 p rt\nlc (;oycrnment Ill uppointiun· u tt>nnl ll<'l iou t' • · · t-~ :-o-<'nll" 1 ° mtr rcecn·mg or hohlmn· nny fl' . u ('hnplnins' , Ol..Ill • b • () lt'lH 1 . I 111 incli,·tdunl. dekga t ion • cl a . . s. l>nth· <'l'c·nnt·s<' will 1 a.ny . · 0 1• c>tl · ,\j,c rcpre... cnbngn 11 .r,. 'O·l'n ) II ••cl . · . r.ot·pnrntc , . ter1l' 1J!l'lO . • 'f' ' hilnbng any CX<'cutiH~ ofliccr r .~ u:-; nllh nnd pro . t • ~altona] 01. St bclllg prc~cn nt. or in • nte, from nnv w·tv k rxi,tencc of. nrn· fun('tt' · .' · ac ·nowlcdging the . . on 1lll\lflO' fc. . . "or,]up of nny god. rrod . ~ >l Its ob.Jed the • • r;, ot ~upernaltn· I I ; . mg the parbculur v . . tem of tl n >cmg except• • ... lCO 1orr\· to wl · ·} 1 I incbndunlh· belon" ~. lH 1c may .

•

o·

The ancient and C\""J" • . to the aboli... - rr. dlC]y o1lJCchon tiOn . . of a ....y . tem of o- 0 c]..... no mn tt er 1ww cnu ..,}y super,tJhatb or }ughly produdi,•c of hypocrisy it m:ty he, i the qucr_,. : ' ' clJ. what do you propose to put into it ~lnce? ~Ian i~. so they n.ffi r m. naturally religiouR, or, 1f you will. ~nperstitious; take away his god or gods and he will run riot in crime and wrong-doing.

This is a terrible charge to make again t Humanity and a fal~c <'lS the existence of hell it elf. ..\11 gods are alike be they Egyptian. Hindoo. Babylonian, Jcwj h, Grecuu1, Christian, ) loh<unmedan or )formon . mere masks for ~Ian to plav hi~ fantasti c trick· of cruelty, . . · d .. ·011 behind. Good extortion, an opprc~~~ duplicity, • d' )lake man rc. p cd 110 IDeo, JU t and true. need go · · ··th the J..:_ u clo awn)" \\1 IIIIIISelf and at one fell woop yo too·t'tlll'r ,,.'' 1"'-h the 1 ]) n.__,•t f ]~ heaven an£1 1lC • C" ""~1 :y 0 go( ' .

h I J I l •, ft ' I I

• o·cJ( f Ol'

!ell II n

1

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•

t,f' II I I .'/

r<'h pro pt·t·l y I t•o 111 1,, 1 1

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Ill I I 1 '''

chll , . ' " '' •<)lh· ~ p('ll k, \\ t il, tttlll ;, g1 IodJ

.tinsl. tiH' O l• d l llg11CJI I·1 Jy 1I II ('I) I I j )

tlg f 'oV'Cl'J1 lllt'l1t (1

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II ppo itJI j ll ll' •

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t) t tJJfr

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·ccciv-ing or holdlltr ' , , M~" "" Y I Iff'I I IIJ) I ·ndiv1dunJ, dek gn lloll f'lt H"n, 1Jl ) t 1y l ,jsc repr escn t Ill g a ll y .., 0 {"d 1 1 11 't' ..

I ( J I g I) hibi Il1 g n.n Y CXl'Clt ll V(' oHic·c•t·' N.·J t' 0 ' bc ~ng present a l , ~n· j 11 :t.uy ,.,ay c~1 stence of, a ny function 1IIH'Jilg · . ftJ worslnp of a~1 y god, gods or supe,·nat . ing. t~e parbcular sys tem uf tl wologj' to in(h v1dually belong .

I

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'

1

11

*'

The ancient and eYer -ready obj ection - tion of a syst e1n of gods, no matter 1 ow r , , stitious or h ighly producti'c of hypoc:- ..:. ·the query: "\V ell, what do ;rou propc"-1.. to · place ? l\l an is, so they affirm, natur~liiy N ·· .:. .

if you will, su perstitious ; tn.ke n.wny hi:: _ · and he will r u n r iot in crime and wronp:-doi1 ;.

This is a terrible charge to make ~,g-:1:.,$. and as false as the existence of hell :h\. · r • are alike be they Eo·yptian, !lindon. r:\l ~ '"' . ,, '

tl

ish, Grecian, Christian,

'l . l\lohammcd:~n (t"' , '\~\~ •. . f

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masks for ~Ian t o play lu~ an n:-~ ~< l ,· \ 1 0 }lprcssHlll ~, HH extortion, anc •• ~t ·l , u\,m duplicity, • 1 tl 0 O'()dS. ' , I \I men, Just and t rue, n ecc rtl<' ~'" ,n " t t tt' himself and a t one fell swoop yoo 11 ,,th''' " th th ·

·tnd Jwll , 1 1 necessity of g ods, ea vcn '

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Hut I :J.<'C'L pt U ,.J :1. f, n~c., :md in rt y n£:xt ~dion , , t f m·th o. • ~~ ( It, of co 1r c in rnerc· t ()utlin£; and1 mo t hrif·f, a rn t be· ch :t r ere offhand ktich of u gr·c:1.t dJ u c~ and I approad th task, he a sure:cl. mod e tl y :.tnd rc \ crl n :1, r o with l o off in kneclin~ posture and :1 J -co\ red h ad, but upri~ht and confiden~ a6 a man who ~an fort} aft r a :,tonn, to lift up th pro~;tratcd trees in } · n ighbor' orchard. to plant new ,mes and to clear a\\ a' the ruins and ruhhi h that the winds and rain ha\ e \\ ept in upon hi:s land: and abm·e all, to tear up by t) e roots, all bu hes and ,;ne.s that hnvc been t ]Jere o long a to lead hjm to imagine they w c l 'C really a ncce ..,ary part of t he whole. ,

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He thou tolt'rant for thine opponen t's sake.

He tlwu temper a te for thy body's sake: He thou obedient for thy parents' sake,

Be thou studious for thy mind's sake, Be thou provident for thy home's sake, Be thou brave for thy Coontry's sake, Be thou mereiful for thy 'beast's sake, Be thou patient for thiue euemy's sake, Be thou lrise for th_y children's sake, Be thou ~.·f'r th;r Wife~ sake, Be thou d~fiiie ~ cnm sake.

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'f~\J{E nutn out of the worll<. nne1 .m a 8h • . . uld be notlnng lef t b ut b t ort bme there ,o cas and st bbl o-ods that have for so m e I o any ages :mlu b'1c; and all tl . . la ted subshtntial 1nansions of the CVCI. S1nftm d the inclouds would ride out of cx'st g an unstable . . . .

L encc on his 1 t b l

~~~y the sJmJle JS mapt. tl1erc would be no assuch reat 1. death

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'

•

. pass out of exJstence hke the struggle ; they would of ra1nbow hue burst soap-bubble . . , · bY the breeze of the rrusclnevous boy s blowil1oo- · What would b e lef t of them would not be more substantial than the fabric of the forgotten dream the morning after.

But not so with the world itself, for take man out of it and its most luscious and fairest-cheeked fruits· would r evert to their poisonous and acrid originals ; the lovely hundred-petaled rose would shrink to a button; y

•

•

the green and velvety meadow would forget its quiet beauty; the faithful dog, beautiful in eye and limb, would go back to the rocKy kennel of wolf and jackal; the lithe-limbed horse, the soft-eyed heifer, the irisnecked pigeon, the thick-fleeced sheep ~··ould fade awny to the rude types fronl which man hftcd them. The nOble rains would shrink to infinitesimal s,zc, the ~uc-

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culent vegetables dwindle to

fil

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OF '1 I l l""· '('II f'. cr · IT ~ '• l) I ~ I O H.TA L lll .. ~ l .AN 1

'f' '\ 1a ; rnan ou • t. of the worll < ,,me1 .m a sl .

Jlcl hC! noU11ng h•f t hut }) , t · lort bme there ,rot Cfb and sh l \ 1 . ,. , ds that ha vc for so , • . " >c ' and all 10 I I"10 cln J ages m } \ .

II 1J tanlial mans ions of the ~ . . 1 .' • ' " ntc<l the inst 6 .

'CI smf tm 0' n d 1 Jouds would r<dc out of c . . . .

• st cncc on hJs 1n t unstable b the suntlc ts map t . tl . · as rcath. . ' . lCl c would be no such de tl1

-:~y

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hke . struggle; they would pass out 0 f c:nstcncc .· . athe .u.p-bub . hle o f rmnbow , .h ue hurst · bY. thc b recze of the 50 nusclncvous boy s blmnn 0o-. 'Yhat \Hm . ld b e lef t of them would not be more substantial than th e f ab n· c of the forgotten dream the morning after.

But not so with the world itself, fo1· take man out of it and its n1ost luscious and fairest -cheeked fruit . would revert to their poisonous and acrid originals; the

lovely hundred-petaled rose would shrink to a button;

the green and velvety meadow would forget its quiet beauty; the faithful dog, beautiful in eye and limb, would go back to the rocky k~nnel of wolf and jnckal; the lithe-limbed horse, the soft-eyed heifer, the irisnecked pigeon, the thick-fleeced sheep would fnde ":'·ny to the rude types from which man .thenl. rhe nOble grains would shrink to infinitesnnnl "zc,, the .~nc. dl t fibrou!o\ knobs, the ln~c lous culent vegetables dw1n e o ·

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Jll ( J(• ft, ft)b it of .

1 ,..., ' JJ ' , IN fl u· lltu nsw 11 • t · · tn 1 If •t H7 Juun'>rf 'tl 't .

Hnrg-111' C'OJJ s c·itHI S IIf'SH ~OI If l iJ · t . , } J I rrtrcl. . ' ·l per •~ts · 1 (t I11p;ltc•J' a11d lt ig-l~t•r (' 1 ' 11· rn~ . . xoc s gt, c1own to thei,· b T I, '

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llr gltl' IIH·i t· lPtuplt·s f :d l fc J'l. tl . ,, ·~ tad · ' ll!l: t<:Ir :lltar , L hc•JI' s:t C' reel \\ J'i I j Hgs on Iabl"ls of }J• c.J d crurnbi .. .I£! I• <lr ene cJa,.

I I (J ()' IC'{' l (l l 1 ' I t '\ J 1 M c H 11 ps, )ll .l,fan the Immortal I-I k 1 tl , uman now no ( en 1. lurncd fron1 one J>ath he tr d ·1 . ca :.. anothe-r. pyramJC s arc but mde- tones in hi cour c }•'. ·. · . . . · . . 'er r1 10 '"' 111 power arul (hgrut} the human mind bur ~~ f :;, rom the du·ysal1s of one ac:re to 1 read it:; w 1"11 rr · • h o o... m anot er ~'l'is IH:~ ~ l~at js. immo~·tul, for 'ti he that is the uprem~ est rnanlfe. lntron of 1\rature· eternal deYelopment of •

•

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lower fonlls into higher·. J'or ages upon age ~ he himself has Lecn 1'inu•, the god~ the mere sun-dial-.: he hirnself the glorious dawn, all the '; go:-tpe} ...., but the nlcr<' crow of the chanticleer; but the lying dial can no longer keep up the deception that it measure off it ' own 1nateriaJ, nor the silly cock persuade the world

t-hnt the dawn comes at its call.

•

•

•

•

•

•

Thi " ure and 6rm-set earth" is but trembling conquagmire and un table sand compared to humanh but . t we ave sc1ou nes . The earth may be there or no ' . bsO' • ness ts a the proof of our senses; but our conscious

<' U I .'I' OF ,,I II t ~ I )utt·ly• t'ttnl. ''""' ' II II• I)J I

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. 11 1' ~~ A 1 jo 80 IIIIIIII 'IIKIII'IIhi .) ldm._ ,.,V IIl'l'Oln l' , •I. nut· Iii .• 'I 11 f '"' ""''" , IIIII 1 w te ll t ' Oll l}llll' t•d \ () •d I(• ol h,. 1. I'lll '('l'k ,.,

I o f' I hi li ·' •nn'I,. I' IHn.) h(• "'lid 0 I' o N,llu,.,. Il lld said 1 , • S I(' n I 1• I lw .

1 ot Kl'1'1l'" I" I"' I <Ill .ol ,, }H' \'I()() rn·l11·I I \\llh .. IfII II ''" I hunh·l Worlds IIIH \ I . . ' 1 ('Ill ('()II . . n<>< I'll li I'(• " : . 'top ll'otn 11 . g t PgniH>JI (' thl' Il l':\ l'llll. l l 11'11' Ol'hil and I , 'o 'lll.myc· · lt\inpomt.l•l\ 0 gt•\ \} .H' finclill«"l' of •' ' • • OllSCIO\lSI\('SS sl11 11 p1u on • ,. , . ' nc V<•1'• ( f lJ ,.

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Jt IS 11 'l'(lll'SS h'"1'e f ot· me' l ll'blln clay. l . in• nll ng;c•:-. l h~ gt't•nt tl.ll1h01'< \· o 'well 1 . Hpon lhc· l'ltt'l llutl 1

hgn Io rs II pI' n•lo cnded ' I' u "'"J>hcrs •nd in <c • II n<i Iloll L nr . ' sh g h lt•s I lo c1 p Ill' prom ,t. ,.

C()U l'<e w>lhoul 1he 'fi . .

I m~ 11om tmyt\ . 1' h " nn•csl1":l I ion ns k nown to an'l undcrst · ung 1>kc n l scient mt there wns something .m1murta 1 .mhcrcnt · ooc in )Jtl us ' 1 turc o man.

• Their conclu ~ ioll~ \\.Cl.C lJUt 0'\lCSSCSlC hut n.a-

t mom "t t uuc. i< :thsolu tel y c·augh t up bv the I . ' ·t 1 .

• potcnbHumn.n nlHl lifted for •'\11 insbnt to a ·1.ug11er mmot

~

nhty of t hought.

•

But we arc no longer dependent upon these 11 they were; we have now the " guesses. •• g 1onou . ab olute t ru th a · obtnincd ,,fter long, patient and actual study of Na tu rc her ·elf. From her Yery first crude experiment in mode · of motion, there has been a steady Progression t oward· higher forms until the Immortal B:uman crowns the sublime edifice of uprearing, and o wonderfullY c01nples: and highly cYolved has b.eome the humnn thnt it is no longer bound by the ord" f , , t ·e but rises in its eten1al m a rJ 1aws o .!." a u1 ' . t Petaistence to a -clf-es:istence, to an entity qu,fte 'lid f u . sel -recorcf'reed from all the conditions o n1a del' d ret., - t.l' u·100Cf en owe \ ~ ~~M:U-preserYincr1::) , self-contro '

~ature's

mi~d

ap~Il.

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OF

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r·o~pc·d and pro<; peC't, lltcrnory, will, ('011:-;cicntsnhis. rJ'hi -.

;~ Ia fine (leur of Nature'!; growing, nncl its pt•J'ftltnc ·

IS fo, c, pity, sympathy, kindness, a nd that even halanc·(!

we ca/1 j usticc.

True, thi, "eternally persisten t" is but a highlyevolved force of Natur e, and it is wrapt for a t ime in the cerement of lightly solvable and disintegrating matfer; but tl1at brief space of time is but its "Wanderjahre," its apprenticeship during which it may, if it

strive, take on new beauty, new grace, new aspirations, in its ascent to a still higher plane of existence.

All human love lies but in remembrance, and if this " Soul " can carry that with it when its eart hly envelope bursts and sets it free, then all is well!

As an eloquent English writer has put it : So long as we can be certain that our actions and t houg hts in this life will help to determine our conditions and our relations to those we love, in the next, we can afford to smile at death.

Tbc scientific fact of t he eternal persistence of consciousness is the simple concept that lies at the base of tl1e New Cult . I t is as free from all Superstition as the p ure air of the garden is f rom the miasmata of the

swamp. It will not, can not shock the 1nost sensitive mind that bristles in anger and disgust at the mere mention of schemes of" salvation " through the agency of gods, ang els, etc., and, while it is natural, it is highly p oetic in that the soul is not turned loose in some immeasurable corner of space where the millions of mil. l1ons of dep arted souls have congregated; but like the subtle currents caught up by those antervruz only to

J.i\1.:\IOHTAL II U.i\IA~

crJL'I' OF TilE

•

63

tlJC'Y are attun('cl in pcrfP-ct harmony th I • • , e m'1 1 J Junwn wdl be atb·actccl to those he 1o 1 or111 • • YC<. on 10 • , fpr who111 l]C IS expected and whom he lonrr.. t 0 S .r o 11 1 11 ' ~(.' \\·i lll, and th i!j thought will buoy him up throu rrh 1lift' and influence him powerfully so to live as 110 t ~ 0 r, spot or !:'tain the immortal part of him. · 11111 1

/JJl' 1

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*

*

*

*

'l'hc sent imcntal injunction to "love thy neighbor as

thyself" has piled up more hypocrisy in this world than can well be measured.

Love js not the creature of an outside will, nor is it, like beauty, " its ovtn excuse for being ." It may seem capricious or illogical, but its foundations are firm-set if we but knew it.

Besides, it is a non-circulating medium, and poor coin wherewith to pay a debt to a neighbor. It may flatter the g iver's vanity and he may think that he ha parted with something; but it wn ~ only a sop to elfi ·hness. The N ew Cult's bed-rock principle i ·

HELP OXE .ANO'I'Il.EH Sympathy for, and interest in , arc the vcr.v parents of affection for a f ellow being. It is waste of time and money to preach a gospel lo those who arc already p ersuaded. Thi is the '• vl'ry t'<.'~tasy ~· of st'lfishncss. the apotheosis of self. J csns ln id down t lll' p:·itwi~)h' that it is "lawful for any Olll' to <lo whnt he "til wtth his own." '!'his most yiciou~ principle hns put tlw world where it is to-day.

To this the New Cult says: I \), n thousnnd tinws no! We cannot <lraw l\ hn'nth "itlund l'~lhhing ~lll\\l' crust witlwnt tn:lking· one of air; W<' cnn no t gnnw n

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l11 I 111~ N,·w Cult, tJ' l o11r·.

II c•l p 'HI' ' anof ht r t 1--:i.

,(.no r.tv<:ns to fc~·d \;. an,.

• : Yo r help m(; and I wiii Ill' Ip yo11 :111d jf you :J.r' ~t a ( l or too in finn to help. \H' nilllu•lp you :tny ·a· _~() tat you will notb~ t'HII,·d upon lo <'at ler; b a god.. You mav do , "' ., ;,() in on J,.,. I o have 60Jnt tr.~ par· for a needy neighbor. 'l'hc• saccrdot~; exaggc.~a.t.~ an sorrow as the qu:tck dt)('~ tiJ<.: iuflammatio ~ t a he may seem to effect n gn•:t lcr cure. 'l'hc man who doc-,n!t re,--pect 'mse]f ref,rard- his soul ns tt burden to carry wi ho -'- receivin" any waae for 0 ., 0 his labor. Feeding the oul on uperstition i. like hir-

ing a child to be good by gift of sweets. The only excuse for thinking of one,elf is to think how you may make yourself more u eful to your fellow creature~.

I Iclping one another beget-S intere,-t, intere~t sympathy,

sympathy love.

*

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•

•

•

•

,,

l'he New Cult I call " Cult of the Immortal Human, and it i · based upon the now scientifically proven fact } .. g every t 1at man is the crowning work of ature, gallllD . . . . . bt 10 . to his own

. bafing nature and its demands, that the old fable of his gel" once been a god and now some sort of a" fallen an year m power of mtelligence and m 1g

CULT OF THg ]

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,,cn·kcn Inca.lcu]alJ]c h· .111 v~fJ\ ~ (' ht1' . ,lJ t 0 1hr• ., ),J tirp:tlcd. lOOt ancl brallcl •·tcr:Hlcl sl I l \. .

1, :111 d II lOU fl b .

• ..... ,nth the god:-; and lh .

IHt all ('cl"st" 1 !! 011 (OC'orps in} I. . . ht r(' t\C blcn snppo ·ed to exist .

Ht Hbng lhl'nJ tl l • • • • 111 pn s t \a I1' ·c}Jt ahYc m certain modi£!" l f c.. ages nncl nrP now lid orms b . I wN·c and arc the creations f l . .

Y t lC snccrdntcs . o lis mm . f ' the present s:ystem of gods · tl 'gma ton, nnd that . lS 1C most h f world has e\cr seen in that , · arm ul that the ' man 4;) reason , I .10 t 11'

lnn·e in their unfolding outr th ctl1( c Jgencc un c power of th dote to k eep up the dcce tion c sneer. £ P ' and the con~cqucncc 1~ that Ill tens o thousands of case . . . . s man, f or polwv' nll· or fron1 a morb1d d1sposition to •sU ff er. .c1UC1cnt · ··wronn·. .

0 inherited from his forebears rather t} a ·t 1 f' 1 c n s rugg e or • • • • their abolition, continues to bow down before o·ods he does not believe in and to listen to the recital of fables from ancient mythologies which in his heart he despise .

T he X ew Cult has no gods, no heavens, no hells, no purgatories, no angels double-winged or scxtnvlewinged, no churches, no altars, no priests in embroidered copes, no ministers in gowns, no par::;om; in bln.cl, coats, no bible, no prayer-book, no dogma~. It appeals to man's r eason and not to hi::; Supcrslition, to his sclfrespect for shadowy gods on shado" ~· respect and no t to . and t1It . . Be thine o~cn pncst, t hrones. It says t o hun ·

within thee thine only god. . l k, the tu\1\\l' of 1 11 The follower s of the New cu,,tp\~'1 ·l,.~tsc'' nnd h~ or1 . t " or ~v< l ~ . , "Humanist s," " Cu tJs 8 . f ·~nlpnnions under the

Immortal Human

0

ganized into corporate bodtcs < . Circle of - -:' ·tnl Unnuln · title of " Cult of the I mn101f Gunr<1.wn~,, 011e-hn.lf "mncn,

with a prescribed number on~half men.

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• Deer . .J., .•t t ' ' H I 1 ~, I I Jcal.CU o t ' Jllllo lt.'IIH' Ill o f Ll I . . te rnmortal JJuman. ll11ll nl L 1 r,.jJI wilJ be .. . n prnn:tn1y resen ed Ht• I 1\' S!'t'\'tc·, f \ l • • . ' ' ~ o f nmoJubon n.nd for th tllllltlllfy I Jou sP will br:

J t I I ' .. f' . e ore r I ' ''''ll gso lhcso<'Jch·: butthc cat ']]be < WI lllO\ b}e • ' I I 1111 II (I Ilia r at HII \' tintc bn lJ -.cd for 0 • I d. . · · \;. ... c1a an m- _

'"' ','',ltd <'lll l' t'btinmcnb by the Companion-. (lf the Circe.

I hP lower p a rt of the Hou t: will be d.i-~ 'ded . . , • I liltO

I ""P'''t-i P arlor, Circle Store-room. Bath .... Offirv~. etc.

J', •npl<·s· Parlor will erYc as R eading R oom. lnb Hooru , and Supper Room. ( •j r'('Jc Store-Room, a place for storage of all clothing.

flll'rtit.urc, dried grains, canned foods, etc., tlult may I•t ('0IJIC the property of the Circle by gift or otherwi~t·. f,, r· an.1e to or free distribution among needy CompnniorJA by the Store-keeper under direction of guardians.

P~rsonal cleanliness being one of the obligation, of I liP Cult, the baths will be, under proper re triction ·. r(~r the use of Companions without them in their homes.

1

completely equipt H\Jmanity House will have und('r Jts direction a garden, coal and wood yard laundry,

cULT O F

T ll E

l l\ 11\I O H.'L' f\ 1

11

of health u n der ehu t·c,•, . · tJ :Yt !\ N Wt t rctl tl d b < o 1 ph y . . !Jt. etc. Nee y Companions llllls L . ' . 1-i l<' t~tn , ki i<'IH· tt 1

·I<·' • f J'ropertles ~ the <

th e I louse hcf . lt:nd<·t· H<• t·v,c·<·J.i . , t l r,o,, ot e Ol' a f L

: ·tance. Every dep artm ent m ·L l (' I' Y<•c·c·ivinrr ~:;1::-i llS )(.' S<•lf ,., 11 ; ttlaries, as su ch , will be p aid t , · -~H IJ>J HH·Ling. ~o s . o <tny one. 'f hc areat and underly 1n o· I)r· . o o lUCip1c of tht· ( ' I . to reach t h e Soul throu 15 o-h its L ' u L wtl] • mor a1 en vc1opc be It · rorsc than folly to attempt to lift · . 1~ ' d . 't 11 up a 1nunan bcmg ulontllY an sp in u a y while he is .ill f ed 'l] 1 1 '11 l d b . , 1 c ac , 1 }lou~cd, wea {ene y u~telnperance, wasted by disease, or discouraged and elnbitter ed by some r eal or 1magmc · · d wrong suffered at the hands of his fellow men.

The first t hing t o do is to convince him that you arc interested jn his welf a r e. T he purpose of the N cw Cult is t o a pply the energy and money for so many ages wast ed in t h e adoration of the shadowy gods on their shadowy thrones to the mental, physical and spiritual bettermen t of I-In1nanity.

Each Circle stands by itself and gives its entire service to its own conununity . This is the only way t o achieve any r eal and substantial success in any depart -

ment of human endeavor. . . } . of Christianity to convert the The visionary sc 1em e . t . t love out so tlun ~ls o whole world has hammere d 1 8 . . f every thinking man.

0 make it the jibe and sneer. • f tl N ew Cult arc : . . principles o 1e f Some of the 1ead 1ng · c\·cr v walk o . 0 f tl1 sexes Ill J

1. Absolute equality

e

life.

I 'cc with adults.

I cqu·l vot I . M.mors above 14 to Jave cd ' 3 PI • rfe to be cncourng . . am 1 . bligatory.

4. Physical clcanbncss o

()8

CULT OF THE L\L\IORTAL fiUl\IA:K !5. \' cgctarinn ism n.ch·ocatcc1.

6. Public Schools honored by a L"urel Day. 7. Pa.Lriotir-;m: a lofty Yirtue in the CuJt. R. <'hi!d,·cn's Chorus at weekly servic~. Special p t for Children. es s 9. One great object: To bring the well-to-do and the poor together so that they may learn to help one another.

10. I.ifting up, purifying and ennobling the Immortal Soul of IInmani ty.

11. I.avations: or making clean the body to engenrler sclf-rcspcc:t, foy it is a principle of the New Cult that the first step to moral cleanliness is bodily cleanliness.

1~. The w·orcl usecl hy one member in addressing another is " Companion," male or female. ri'he New Cult regards us as " Companions " on the same journey, sonw with fuller knapsacks than the others, but those with the leaner knapsacks having Yery possibly ~uller hearts and stronger muscles. Companions are we any-

way. ~lARiillD DAYS IN THE CALENDAR OF THE

NEW CULT l\lay 1. Grand Memorial Fest and Sprea~ (Fr~it, bread and water) to celebrate the breaking a" ay from the bonds of Superstition. T alk-fest after 1neal. ~Iay SO. Pilgrimage to the Graves.

June 15. Laurel-day: Crowning of best scholars m public schools.

CULT OF THE ' lllY ·

T

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• 'o1cmn

1.)f:\10RT

AL lP\..L,JA'\ ''

'Cr\·1•CC Ill} .

.Right-. of :\Ian. lonor of L't 0!) l )<.'t-ty t 1. Little 'I t} nnd Ill<· • 0 • .o\ 0 lCl' • I . chddrcn \\ ho hel P t o rc· )as 1n hon or of. tJ 1 fnmily.

Sepl. 1. :i\J ot het· · and F· "r tte w •·ldt•r

\llrru~

..tther . n prepared b v the ( I '11 ay. }'est ~ l ' , t \V t•k f' ~ t ( ren. \11< Spr<'ad r,,l"' ··.. molem , O ofCUlP·• ]'" ··t t of t1le snow-cnpL F•'.. ( ] ·r c1 green 111 .' und 1· · .

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an I T'~.'- l •

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'" t l'iight of. the \ ' 1..• ,I ,hauk-fc t .,. , lC • c ' a1 m<.l 1 J nr l','i<'a r>c f 10m . ( mon ' r l II 1 ]•.., er.) . 'undn} : . , ·,. f · · ongs and l'horuscs etc 1 1" o · \elmo "t" ' · 1!1\'CJ') 1 l \ • p I .

Ill 1011. ' ~ • POf> P 1rlor M ' 1' K f D -

n \ rs "

~f jcJ.} ar ••June- ~0. P ro~J> ct un I J> t '1" 1 .. ( "c rospcct c:-,t of tbC' Butterflies (for •' JC -!")unm• r .. oul • J)n \.

J' · ihc Children). · ~!'lobu SO. . ol IIIII ( 'olllem platinn of the Higher Life.

O\ cJuher.

Hepol't I>uy of H umanity Ilou. c in all its 1

d<-part men t .

One sid<." of the . cw 'u1t i Intcrc~t in and Devotion lo I .ocnl Go' ~r·n m n t hy the l'c'O plc >tnd not by political rnanng<'r • 'l'h t.cac hi ng of the N cw C'u It will be to th~ dl't•cl t h:~ t Local ~··If-gm·crnmcnt j, ab>olutcly Rl't' nry to th. j>Ur,uit of happine"' by the hunu.n T

rae.

~ I .• 1 of th<' ~~ ew Cult will be a• Tri,mgle, • r uu . c. L • • Hu_ '• ft ,j, ,,. () r \\ hich 'ItaI] 'I and I he II 01 cb . ,.. ri "hl. ~ chuol- Jlou,c. at the ba e:

(

'l'h on th t II nat II ()llS( , () II ' ;

0

.

70

CULT

or Tfil·...

f .L • l"(JRT " AL

H''-:L

'rowu IIalL• that •;,.. ..

"1,, _ - 1:.. .LIGH • ' ..n.

C'.\L (~O\"f;H.KMJ7'·T - · .... · "].,he comt on t ( 'u] t wi]] be a butterfly \\ i h flat c . , ded typical of the voul.

Such. briefly outlined, i the u of ' I VVhi1cpointing'·o .IIu man. u a l.

11 g I r p I an o r J t never for a moment forget 1 c it port Parthly apprentice hip. B autifu d :d d thoughts can enhance th b ul) of t n1an. Int r t ·n t1 c incJi, "d I f r rt

touch hi oul when all el e fail : but it must be an i ntel1 ig n , un ·dfe ted · t r :-;} mpath). The '' ( 1 in th i j ourneJ througl the rich 1· doe n •t chung r 11f or ip: t ro d · ... often tccp and hard Jet u h Ip one another along. If I Ji Ill]>, let rnc lean on . our houlder: if your food giv~ Oll t fall hack on Inine. rH help you in the cold. you help rlle in the heat. If I faint, hurry to the brook for cool wnter; if your shoes wear through, take my extra pair. If I die, bury me; it will leave so much more for you. It never was mine in reality, but I will call it o

in order to Forw wny.

71J to accept it.

! w~a almost at the end any-

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l' ll g t ' \ \ :r OF Till<.. L\1:\I RT. L lll \ L\ "'{

' t'hl'~l.' pnt'\H . . r \wrt.' t'or l h ' s~ 1 su~h they mn.- be called.

Y

•.

. t h , ) t · c . pnrpost.' o t' ..,,,..0\nnohow if:htl~-

. ~h ~ t '- 1101..' H.' l i\lH'Y. i ' tUl'ltntl '"''-l to '" e

-

ew Culon '"et.•nly tl . t . i.rht thl' waY tm ·.. t l,t they. "rc but a feeble !!low • \,\lt s a n cnbrelv new ath \fa\} . other hands will add oil t 0 tl 1e- 1n.mp pand .nwk . - up · - e \\1 k.~ liowevc r, of one thin oo· be ·l.''' ~ ....-~..l eu. :1 t. 1ev are nt: :--t of purpose and good of intent. · •,.., ""

H~

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-

l~ G ERSOLL L O" K WOOD .

f.\THER' S PARTI~G ADYICE Tl HI- 51~ I n heart's b est soil, this parting cotmse: , 0 w.

And gauge my loYe in that I let thee go: Who hath not bent the bow, know not it' f"nce.

Go forth, my son, and t est thine own re~ otucl'.

This life's a place wher e eYeryone houltl W('rk Lest some do double stent for those wlt~.""~ ~hirk. o one should empty a purse he hnth th)t tl.llt·d or use a shelter that he could not build.

End well tl1e day that thou hast wdl bt•gnn.

Then only, mayst thou count thy t;~ k wdl don~.

Weigh well thy words and bet ter, still tked<..;;et.·lh· {rnitfnl 11.011 thy d or words have wings but d ee ~ c Deceive no man, e'en in a j est uueouth. or jest may easy wear the t t hof -. ~ .trut:': t h n1h, n t 0 e sood to those who're good tt .

gt~rb

PO~t:l\fS ' OF TfJ Ji,' 1 ~llVTORTAL ITUMA~

r s' o fL f:n·. J·ic·h<'.1 Ull:tn LIte gtfL .. lhal's sc• 11L •Ood :\('ll OilH' Wh. 'I} 1 S<' J{' Jnl • er<'<; L indHH•cl • I) ('~(')'\'(' l I ' · · Hlt. s nn ulntc·d graLH11dc·.

B(' n·cJl ll e . t ]' n ' .JUS an<1 fi rm. Avoi cl all sll'i f<· ,(~:<'<'pt to save thine honor or thy lif<·. ' ,~;n danger bids thee strikt", will~holcl tl1y blo\\', ten knot thy sinews and spare nol Ut\: I'<H·.

B c man} .Jv , op en, l >r a v c, b u t l'1o'11t 1y nHt k c.

N l o . ~ 0 quarre thine for exhibition's sake; 1 .or generosity display for looks, Llkc scanty scholarship walled in by hooks.

Be tole1·ant and secretive in things .

Wher:in disclosure needless suJI''ring briugs.

Desp1se no man whose eyes with evil gleam For men are often better thnn they seem .

Turn oft thine eyes and reYcrclltly. scan \Vhere Freedom graYed thr sac red Rights of :\fan, And wear those lines around. thy hcnrt entwin ed So despot 's rule stay hateful to .thy mind.

Though prizing woman's lo,·c, shun sudden flame That oft begins in bliss and ends in shame.

Sleep on t hy fancied wrongs, for sleep's a toll To ope the door of health and make thee whole.

W cep if thou wilt to moisten new r esohe But know 'tis sunshine tnakes the earth r eYolrc.

Eat as thou earn' st with appetite unwooed By spiced drink or highly-seasoned food.

Wine, though it surely be the old man's crutcl1.

Is th' young one's stilts; 'twere better not to touch.

Love thou the night, best fitted 'tis for thought.

And waste it not in pleasure dearly bought.

Gaze on that faithful star that marks the north When unto serious things thou goest forth.

Loathe Superstition, boy, in all its shapes, For every heaven has a hell that gapes And every god sets scores of demons np T tempt us with some passion-sweetened cup, turn our thoughts fJ"om righteousness awny (

0;

pOE:\IS OF THE .

I~L\IORT ~~, I h:ll lns priests 111 a'_ turn tl AL HC~I -~-' ... v I'' clt'<"P n 11 > unrencc h~ld t lem back f 'I'<> l:t? a P:Y'"t' upon the h he hand inclin o~ pay. <)ur Countn·'s soil's t uman mind c. .l oo pur .

For ~:11HI a 1c.'< monk 0 r t on ure.d a thou 1......... + read p n·r l 110 ll no h eed to ' .tston . · c· priest t u tr~d .. · Foul scum of Su})<' r t'It .Ion. · Stern1 o:r drea m · 0 f}'cncl no person's llt uu ( r11 ts bs ' t'adh. t ream

-

\r hcrc human k11 ccs ....... fl · ut hold aloof · • · dl e excd · Sci f s :t polhl'osis! wh o c clam' neath ziided roo £.

Vihrat C!'i :wei clies U]>o n tl1c h. rous "d .pra,·er · So fare t h 'f' wPll'• •and .l1l thy qmpl a Jr. ~~ nr uol the· I mmortul H · . Ca:-,urc ' que t Thus !'ihalt t hon bring uz_nan m thy brca t. , I 1 me. m the I I' 1 I f 1£' ~0\1 J g:n l tlllStaincd b . tg JCr ...ifc .,. l tI ) mortal trif . ow. o ty ~lothcr "ho d Otl \ 'HUt . ahcH"C e. 'f o s t sW<'cl eal U}>On thi rmg(' 0 f loH•!

ShlJ·- \1 )JO ITIO~: On. .. .r •• T .. OF D F.,\ TH T HE Ih M \ ~· ... , • H1'1)1 '\ TO Tllf• 'l'I"R'" " "Jwt' s d uth to llll. Child of th' Immortal Light.

To whose bright. glorion day there com.~ no niaht?

The g:_tth red str nglh of age quickening we Impart the ecret of tcrnity.

I need no help to tread the higher way.

1 count the . t:1rs and me:1 ure worlds' decay. gods go down- that dim and shadowy raceset up others in their \·acant place. more than unlin-ht dreads the gath'ring cloud e l death's name. he"t spoken e'er so lond. teuder flower that at hi touch doth die llheds its fraurant soul without " sigh. ~ . h 1'1 11t . n 0u speed . . . lashing ickle slay wtt g DI slav tl1e dropping of the seed: • ••ntitil.o,n' brood. the dreaded . strokeclnef; relief.

15 h d are empty 3n

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71·

POF \I S

OF

T II F,

1 :\ l :\J Oil'I'AL

II

~IA

Tit' Tmmorhl 1 [ .

D ot) l . , \llllllll~ Henson s soun•t• nrul <~lruun 1 \11 n lu ''11), ....: . . .!i drt 'IL III. 1 I. •'ll)lt'l'Sllllt)JI • '

* * * * 'I' lwn let not * ·· .. ~ ( 1 Ul·1 110 1' Sa('rfllllt'IIL lS,llll , . nto mv • }Jc·lc"'f • l ll 1 COliC I1 .Ill I lltSlt• lH' St'lll -' or mutterin g · l>I.·l l'S l , nor w 1lllllllg · • ' pray('r T parsou's To ca.ll winged creatures from tlw t·mpty au·. ".:'\or Superstition summoni n g ht•J' o·ocl T b To mar my joyful sh('dd in g of the C'locl. "'\ot e'en an obolus fo r Ch:u·on 's tol l ! ~f y other and immortal self, my sou l , Smile thou at death, him of ll;e joy less mien.

And go thy way, set f ree, sustained , serene. :\Iy loYed ones watched wlwrt'\Tl' I did roam, :\Iine be the wanderer's joy at coming home.

TH E RE I S A K IXGDO:\I \YHOSE ~ A~I E IS LOYE I There is a Kingdom and its na me is L oYe 1n a land that's eYer ncar, And a soul d wells thert' of n.. maiden fair Whom I hold mos t p assi n g dear .

II

That Kingdom is filled with n wonder ful light.

Yet not from its palact• or tlu·onc, But only from glow of thnt beautiful soul That dwells in that Kingdom alone.

III For she is that Kingdom whose name is LoYr .

That Kingdom her elf alone, 41J\nd some fair day with love for a crown 1 n come to that empty throne.

f" ( J J,

f f_

I J J

J J ~ fOi ~I'AL ·

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HC)L\.~

15

:If' :) ( ) ' I /f; J A j~ L . R.. LL .fO I-II'' G f:vJ,.,.t' .JwJ''"': J ODS ., l··-1· , n gr, ,,,.h I h ' K , gJ ,,f a It J a.t l mi.r,ht . om cr owned M ,_, r ' ~ht to ~~rtf , r,o .,.,;; Ocon.secrate ~ J "' ' ' -~· • o dov• 11 · 1 tiT Jf)},..1 :d; :1. ..t J:t J :~kJ-·1 -'·· ::.u v.J scent thIn tnigl1t ~ J ,(, ' t ,' tlrt 1 of tl ,- 1Wrllan brain e r uth.

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Yo :rr rt •g~r

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Lo • I nt·~nu.1 uncloak : ed ·our. ··l"·· . u. v·_n 0\ ertur ned. ~

, ~rw , ,t.r pt, ,OJ J 'J,"'', r ' Jt. ;;. , f, r !a.l fJff rtug, H okin . tlIe d ust. .

• g 1n :~. man1·t \. /u ' Jrkt, J , Jun :n d if-f , J.:ru

J J~tt. tl r :J. v, t

r ~ n d c rtains b~t to find ~ o ' or tr;.u · ,. f , ·r·v • J,oor w.rct cl1 am I .. }Jrofit c01nec , \ ,.ht, h:.t t, ha. jgr Qt.ar Cl' to ffi\' . . l' . l AJ • J t'Te l 1:J. g / ., al w corn ~ \ \"here ar e 1t"o r rni r:_u;;Jr. . , • c r wond r , signs. descents 'l o eartf,, .,:o r a •t orn words: Thus saith the L ord.

•w•

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'Jl '' tl ur d' rou uttJ, of your chariot wheels And :J.n"-rry fla hing of } our eyes: whi1e th' earth J)6th, a~ .,'t'UT foo c,tool rock l>eneath \~our ire ?

1 l '" rt rdm:Um t with the winged hord~ J ~ w g u:J.rd you r thr one. 'I'he p eople 1o\·cd 'J }Jf:JJJ 80: a nd when upon the despot's head 1 poured the r;acrcJ ointment out, 'twas but 'I f1f: priet of a f•-w poor pence to set a wl1ite J)ol·t· frf,_#, thus sanetify the mailed fist lie ]aid upon tl1c people. Ah! it was So eatJY too, to stand behind the throne, Yoar .,..._. lightly balanced in my hand ! ! •c.r.. too grand and glorious to ~ast! ....... yd, eaateut 1 cannot be ! "\\>1Jat s left -~~of tbe plainest sort, no force ••lelr--tJOII 1Jebind? Still~ let me curse .....,..... ... 11, from Prometheus 'tfllil reed, and John of ).lainz lllf!!wll' pitda and Luther's dire re~·ol~ 5 lalllbil{• hateful creed of mJDd

een

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'

76

OJ

'J JJ J..

f f

CALIPSYCOP ...}I."; OR,

I_- PP..P.c;:E--cE OF A BEAt:TIF L :::orL Entranced, enthralled, I &it and gaze. belo\-ed. n That soft and rnellow liglJt that doth from om: - .

I..ook forth; Jike tnorn's first titnid ray or -wj ·,. _ _ . fysteriou glow! ~ .;' :~\ not lest tl 0~ do rriah~ .-_ ."

'Tis music leeping. (). touch not the trin~.- T ..._ . ~figl1t be less bcautifu]. Stir not for fear it: !!O. Y et ]ooks it out at me. 'Th OF-Pper; softer c,en .l \.nd takes ne·w l,eauty as I gazP. There i no word To te11 how tender and how sweet it i~. Sh ~ there .

It fluttered then and 'most went out. X ow glou-:-. ag"ain So faintly. 0, so faintly, yet it stays and takf':-, _-ew color on, deep purple-like; and now methink I note in th' air a fragrance, nameless as 'tis faintLike breath of maid who feeds upon the flowers she pluck ... .. ay, close them not, beloved, still let me feel that light That comes again, so full, so soft, so strong as if It came from love's wide-opened eyes that peered wit] in

A darkened yoom in search of missiltg mate. It is The tay that knows nor mete nor bound. Thou weep\.t. beloved,

And through that mist, it faintly glows like morni~g light CauJbt in the tear-chops of the night. 'Tis gone ! ~ a)'· yet

l { 1•' :\I~ 0 F 'I' l l F.

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t • H1l'" l g ow , s d I • \\t'l't. t \0\l St'l'H\' S l 1. '-\' f.•1('(' , HO' 'tnilc O n, · O lhy 11 drift th rnnp:h l't>s·v-l.\1\lt•d1\Htrb pu rt·, l)' h· R<'lll pl,· whil \\A' t tnt t 1\. H>it'l ?. 0 ~ll''·\1· .nw , illtll nmg . <',wintry Lh<'l' t rays 1 1 y name 011

ntor<', .

" ' 111

• • cc tllll'lt.' lll' \\ and stt·· more, once .Ill 0'(' hot l ()JICC mort; . m) n.mw ."n:w I;~~ "WI 't'ln.:ss to th v ton

l~ps,

h no"' tts p;lln<· ! '1'1 • . • l l\1!' watch th : es, 1 I mmorlal II thee and tlw f ll l y beloved!

1 'fl n < C( petals vcxrd tl t1bman stirred within o o. 'k lOU art ·st'll lwaulif 1 btc ud. Al1, sav 1 t A ou 1 . hinc · th oup;11 mnsk." l' . clovcd' · H ow could 1 ll n een. unfc·lt and \IIlS\lS}>L'l'tl'd . . u f m l < ullcst argil' walk U And throno· . l , ort t? The dull 'en l'd n' Ill < nt on self . 1\t pass it bv H c with it and .l'. ·l . . . ' t Jmg l<< 1ts lughc· ·' 1 Eut oYe wonld .., ) na nrc not. ton un 1~cnnel it f .

B Can 1set its impress on tl . I ' Ol mortal love It u w· . . l nnnortal Human, lift p, Ipe from ltS tenuous garb both s .

Cleanse it from c ·trll . . . f . pot aml stam,

~e

~

thought1es~

Enn bl . . : ' ' 111 ccttOn, strengthen, beautif o e It, unttl "' nature's own good tim y, Unfolding in progrl'ssion infinite etcrnc e Th' . tnheritance :· , plates O r£ 1 e and tts fndcs) from the 19 f memory as hath existence prece'dent.

TO THE GRA'N'D A'XD NOBLE SOUL OF )!Y BROTHER HENRY CLAY LOCKWOOD ' Thou art not gone. Let filmed \'ision so Proclaim, yet Love will not bclic,·c, for Love Lynx eyed can see as deep as Faith; for Faith Is Love although it bear another name. . , Thou art not gone. Let dullard sense so "''II t: Yet Love's keen ear doth catch thY voice, not sttlled . the oath. BY Jesus To it; but mellowed in a minor keY· 1

."~ ~re l

th~n j,othin~

once heard biiil reprove a JeW for leSS 0 All so-co.Jied "revealed rehgt !'" ·ud!!1"'nts that he could 8 a" uod" ,.as hut • but so grandly just was be 10 hiS b o.nd bear the natne of one w 10 a o to his JDind, unjustlY used.

tJ'ng

7H

I' ( ' I·'l~\I •:> L' OJ•• 'f' III ·~ ,, l l\ 1\lOH' l'r\l. Ill :\1.\'\ I IIC)IJ .., r L tJc)l, g'OtJ<· J) . • 1" \':tin WIIP., I . ' C'S JHill' H colcl ln:•<·h m :ty s t·l'k , ' I ( ,()\ {. s w 'I 1'1 f'lloll 'tt•l J t . . n I11111<I ('111<1s quid,lv ouL r . I' )C) gotH•. r,i)((~ hnfll<'cl houlld' disl ru~t . liH rem, lhc• <'h· , .. I . ,•, J j . t :-;c ' >ttl Wllh II I H'l'l'illrr SCt·nt ( ( ( ).t I IC r·s c I f r ,. . r"\ • 'I'l ' .cnc fo l lows on Uw t 1·nd. ' i()IJ :.u·t uot g ' n 1 . , ·c·lf- . . one. <HI >t Slps her own h1ack brew.

J>oiscmc·d by lltc• C'llnning of hc•r n. r L, 1 J) "t Lo \' c > t n lC. I ,ovc r·1 f ts np !lope,s mngic cttp , ,

·r.,

1 h:1t rwvc:r c· mp t·IPS ont w lll.1e her swret lips · -H(·st on 1't s crysta1 b rim. Thou art not gone.

STT A ..\" 11iA TUA CU1I 1\IEA. SIT A~ 1:\IA ~IE.\ CU}I TUA rl'} 1ou com ' st like a beautiful thouO'ht r

b

fo the skilfully-fashioning mind, Ah; could I but see how tbou'1·t wrought E'en a glimn1er of light to the blind.

Could thine eyes gain a mellower glow, Could thy hands learn a tenderer clasp Than the gleam of t he long, long ago, T han the touch of that dear, welcome grasp?

Ther e's a chord that comes mut ed and faint And tremblingly falls on mine ear.

Ah ! \Vould I could catch its sweet plaint Thou seem'st to be passing so near.

Ab, how can the word-painter's arts Senses of mortal man teach The flavor that sunlight imparts To the juice of the down-covered peach?

And bow can a rose in full blow Shut in a crystal clear bow1 · Teach the beholder to know The exquisite scent of its soul?

pOEl\IS OF .I , II I ·~ Sit lnima ,, (I C'l I :\I \IOHTI\ I 11 1 A · ·1 ' l~ ~T A.'1 m mr s ( nst· as \1 . a, ·"' Sit .lnima , \ lnHnorl nl HI;\ v l>' 1 •) 111 c a c·un• I ll'll 1've ' tW • II ,., \\ passed n'er Ut t\ G r< ·;~.t .. TO Di vide!

7!J

I 10~ li'·~., ~, 1, TO .A radical friend 0 [ lllllH' .

PRAY " . .

0 sion etng urp;t' d t n t ,m l ll'HC<' ' Ill('\II momC'nt f ln<'nl l d 111 '- Y 'tnc1 · n f'J)l'PSover bo prnver ·nlll' • ' l<' O1 • " I " 1 pray!t " · _·1 r\m too givehone!5t himc:;eltof 0

tt·isti, ·~ ~ mpoH~iblc

( \Yrilt<·n in my voutl) on 1to twsl \o k nc~, ·1 1wfm·<· ..1lt·.

1 T 1 n onk for ., 1 ' .tr or throne . H\1'\'<'St wlH'rt· l.

d 1hnm st to e· 11 l . \ on . not Hng is sown .

• Ll mnse l{ ,.il , 1 ' 'f \\he n snys: ,, Tl < am abject 'f O<' 1 to cl. > 1 . IOU nrt god - s l nn d up erect!" " c C \IS l'Vf'S. mak" J . ('\TOT chrl· . l mg C ny mght, • ,ness ntH truth 1 1' l .

Too h01wst lo nsl f l a one Jg lt; , • ' ' OT a tea \"l!\1 h• CUI"C

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l·or tlls that ltunt:lltit\· 1m rs to c. llCl . . rl"" 1 • m:c, •oo. lnn c~t . lo ask fo r •·t crttst · o.r n cup, \\ llll e r:un ctnnclh down and grain COtl1cth np; Too honl'st to 1n-a~· that ct ernn1 decrees Be changed as a crcntut·c of moments may please ;

Too honest to enll for a balm from above' While earth is :tll budding and blooming with love; Too honest to dream of a life of pure bliss, While workers and helpers are needed in this; Too honest and brave in the battle of life To falter while thousands are breasting the strife; Too honest to think of an arn1or of prayer, thoucrllt, While bravest of bosoms go naked 'en andinbare; oo honest to reach for a crown, c " It·' Whil b tl t are noblest of laurels ]lave nang'

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e rowsto 1a honest rob mother-earth hof a t~a~nd the bier ; rt b nd o'er t e pa buroan h ca s e 1 of the blest, 11 honest to long for rea Ill

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Kind llhltt"·ltt"' · 1• tl H'\ I'1 I' L •·1 · ) ~.. ,, •.,,.t · got)( .., ttltt' ow n sou 1 up, h~tt pour th\ tllilk "itltin lht: pool' twtn 's t:up; 1\: tnd h)oks .'tt't' bt t 11-t·, lw of' Jo, t' 110 I:H'k, 1:~1l pnt no c.•n:ds wilhiu tht· lwgg:u·'-; saek; Ktnd d ec•<h: :tl'l' hcs l of' n il , llw so ul's delight! .All th' otht'l's tn:ty do \\ell, bul lhcse rlo right.

Air: •· 0. Tamten bttum '' (Old German Song)

For the children's usc during t he " Y car's End Fest''last Wt"'ek of l)cecmhcr.

X otc: It seems proper to continue the ancient Snxon custon1 of setting up a fir tree. The New Cult how eYer

111:1kes no use of candles. The boughs of the tree arc whitened to simulate snow, tree and snow being etnblems of Faithfulness and Purity.

I 0 Evergreen, dear, faithful tree, The birds return with joy to thee.

Thy tents of green in fields of white, Await them in their earliest flight.

jJ(.).E M S

0 F TilE

l:\1 \IORT .\L

Ht:\l A:\

•u.a.· n .\tN

O. E' t'rll"r~'ett l ~ ' <wnr F. . ,

Mort~ faithful l~ugh ·' crgreen . . ' \\ lwn wintry w· d " l'r e neYer ·e en, .

In s th . . · 1 TllOU still art f·,\l't1 lf ul nEr · tnrYe t ~alea.n ' ergrcen.

II The rn in nwy b~-~·\t tl H"' to ·· · • '"' ...\ nd sh ·ip it of it 1 " rmg oak s en fv clo·tk (.) r l '""· the nng . ... 1lty .~ b nre • . · fot·est A n d swccl) its f ol'lage through t11e mr. ..

III " ·h en wintrv d ~ r k en sk., . . · wcntllcr · Thou mp: t th~ s" cctt t lullabY· And holcl'st the snowdrift to tln: brc·t t A s mot her rock her babe to re.st.

IV

0. maY mv heart n con but be A a r c t hy b r anches. fnithfnl tree.

And m ay my <>oul be pur e nnd whitt As snow that decks thy bough to-night.

AD)IO~ITIO~

(Mother and Child at bedtime) cHILD

0 guard roe. mother. through tl.'e night And lead, bv day· my steps :.n ight That I ma~ bring m~- soul to thee Unspotted in eternity.

Good night, good night.

.

82

POE\1~

OF TilE

Ji\1\IOHTAL

II · ~\JA ._-

Sleep, child of ligbl, I'm t'\'<'r ncar; 0, be not :mxions, lta\ <' no fear; I'll guide thy lilth- frcl a ri ght That thou mayst sc·t no stain or blight From mortal .pleasures' strong aJlurc Upon thy soul now sweet and pure.

Good night, good night .

•