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CHRISTIAN INDEX?
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FROM INDIA.
THE PARSERS.
I am much interested in these
peculiar people and have looked into
their history and conversed with
many of their educated and intel
ligent men that I might write about
them without prejudice. They are
called fire-worshippers and sun-wor
shippers and have been persecuted
and driven from place to place, and
yet they have maintained their sepa
rate existence and cling to their
peculiar customs with as much te
nacity as the Hebrews of the present
. day. I have not heard of a single
instance, where a Parsee has been
converted to Christianity nor are
they overcome by the powerful in
fluence of Braminism or Mahometan
ism by which they have been sur
rounded for a thousand years.
THEIR ORIGIN.
They are decendants of, the Per
sians, as theif name signifies and fol
lowers of Zoroaster, the great re
ligious leader of Persia about two
thousand years before Christ. When
Persia was over run about twelve
hundred years ago by the Mahome
tan hords of Arabia the people were
given the usual choice of the Koran
or the sword. Many of the people
submitted to the conquerors and
many were slain, but a handful es
caped their persecutors, and, fleeing
south, passed into India where they
obtained permission to live. They
were mostly an agricultural people
living quietly along the shores north
of Bombay when the English came
into possession of the country, but
when Bombay began to increase in
importance they gradually came to
that city until now about fifty thou
sand tare living there. They took
kindly to Western civilization and
soon became leaders in commercial
and manufacturing enterprises and
now many of them count their
wealth by millions.
THEIR RELIGION.
They claim that they do not wor
ship the sun or fire but that they are
pure monotheists worshipping only
one God, that the four elements,
earth, air, the fire and water, are the
highest manifestations of God and
they revere these elements as such.
I saw a great number of them as
semble on the sea shore at the set
ting of the sun’and engage in prayer
and I asked some of them if they
were not worshipping the sun. They
replied that they worshipped only
God and simply looked upon the sea
and the sun as manifestations of God.
Their watch-words are Right
thoughts. Right words. Right
actions. They believe that the earth,
the air, fire and water should not be
contaminated and this belief leads
them into some curious customs, one
of which is their manner of
DISPOSING OF THE DEAD.
They do not bury as the Christians
or Mahometans because they think
that would defile the earth and
water, nor do they burn as the Hindus
because that would defile the air and
fire, so they expose the bodies of
their dead that they may be quickly
devoured by the birds of the air.
This was formerly done on the tops
of high and lonely hills, but living
now in a great city they have re
source to what they call
THE TOWERS OF SILENCE.
Near Bombay, on a high hill, they
- - . r l ,
have laid out beautiful grounds
enclosed by a high wall and orna
mented with shrubs and trees.
W ithin, they erected round towers of
stone about thirty feet in diameter
and about twenty feet high open at
the top. The towers are floored
with stone tightly cemented and in
clined towards the centre where
there is a pit from which drains pro
ceed in four directions passing
through beds of charcoal. There
are doors to the towers for entrance.
I obtained permission to visit these
towers and saw the bearers bringing a
corpse to be disposed of. They took
it into the tower, the friends remain
ing on the outside, and deposited it
on the stone floor removing the burial
clothes and coming out closed the
door and the funeral procession de
parted. Huge vultures were sitting
around on the sides of the towers
and in adjacent trees and swooping
down devoured the body. It is said
that within ten minutes there is not
a vestage of body remaining except
the bones and these are soon dis
solved by the action of the tropical
sun and rain, and are washed into
the pit, the water from which is puri
fied by passing through the char
coal.
To me rhe whole idea at first was
horrible, and I took the first occasion
to ask an intelligent and refined
Parsee how a people so civilized and
apparently refined as his people
were, could consent to place the body
of a dear friend, perhaps a mother, a
wife or a child where the vultures
devour it. He said that if the body
were placed in a grave that it would
be devoured by noisome worms or
would slowly decay and he did not
the Parsee method was more
■revritiny than and the
worms, and for sanitary reasons he
considered it much better, as the
earth and water were not contami
nated by the use of the towers. On
an average there are two or three
funerals a day and the vultures are
constantly on the lookout for their
meal of human flesh. The force of
custom has much to do with our
ideas of propriety.
THEIR CUSTOMS.
The Parsec may be distinguished
anywhere by his dress which is of
good material and though pictu
resque,is quite becoming. The ladies
are treated with great consideration
and kindness and the girls are edu
cated which is something quite un
common in Eastern lands. When a
son marries he brings his wife to the
home of his father, and frequently a
father and three or four married
sons live in the same house in great
est concord. They are not a war
like people but some of them have
risen to distinction in civil life and
some of them have been knighted
and one or two of them have been
made baronets by the queen of Eng
land. They give largely of their
means to found hospitals, endow
schools, furnish public libraries and
for other work of humanity, and do
not confine their beneficence to their
own race. They are loyal to the
British government, doubtless be
cause they have enjoyed a large
measure of prosperity under British
rule in India.
It appears to me that here is one
of the finest fields for mission work
to be found any where. These peo
ple have, not been disgusted with a
pseudo Christianity as the Italians
and Mexicans have been, nor are
they so debased with ignorance and
superstition as the Hindus or Chinese,
but are sociable, appreciative and
anxious to learn new and better
ways. If they could be reached
with the Gospel they would become,
with their intelligence, enterprise and
liberality, a powerful factor in the
evangelization of the East. Thus
far, so far as I could learn, no special
effort has been made to reach them.
Their heroic endurance for what they
considered right, their enlarged views
and notable benevolence entitle them
to special consideration.
0. C. Pope.’
Bombay, India, Dec. 1891.
Beecham’s Pills will save doo
or’s bills.
ATLANTA, GA., THURSDAY. APRIL 28. 189. T-
CHAPULTEPEO.
The Castle of Chapultepec is about
two miles from the city of Mexico.
A magnificent drive leads from the
city to the grounds of the Castle. It
is broad and level, and bordered on
both sides for some distance at the
end next to the city with bronze
statues of distinguished men of the
nation. At the beginning of the
drive is a statue of Charles IV., of
Spain the largest equestrian statue
in the world, except, perhaps, that of
Hadrian in Home. Horse and rider
are moulded in one piece. The de
signer forgot to provide stirups for
bis majesty, and it is said that he
died of a broken heart because there
was a defect in his great work. On
the pedestal we find the statement,
(and you will not fail to hear the
ring of Mexican patriotism in it)
that this statue is preserved as a
work of art.”
Two other splendid statues on lof
ty pedestals adorn the drive, that of
Columbus, and that of Guatemoo.
The latter was the last of the Aztec
kings, and the hero of Gen. Wallace
novel “the Fair God.” The Aztecs
of the city have an annual dance
around this statue in honor of their
last king. Each of these statues
stood on a beautiful green circular
mound, and the drive divides, pass
ing on each side of them. The
scene in this drive is animated and
brilliant in the afternoons. The car
riages and horses are quite handsome,
and many of the coachman we’ar ele
gant liveries. And the driving of
every one of these coachmen is like
the driving of Jehu. The damp,
moss covered arches of an old aque
duct, add picturesqueness to the
scone. .. t
.i We the'grr-untb of Chapul-'
tepee by a large gate guarded by
soldiers. The grounds are only the
natural woods, most of the trees be
ing cypress, I think. The long, grey
southern moss hangs from the branch
es of the trees, making a weird, fan
tastic scene. The charm of my
drive through these dark and shad
owy woods will not wear out of my
mind for many a year. Some wild
animals and birds are kept in cages
near the gate, here and there among
the green trees are seen bronze stat
ues of Apollo and Venus. Here a
lofty monument commemorates
the heroic deeds of the Mexican ca
dets who fell in defence of then
country at the storming of the Cas
tle of Capultepec by U. S. soldiers
during the war which on .the monu
ment is termed the North American
Invasion, and which we call the Mex
ican War. The castle stands on an
almost perpendicular hill, which is
covered with luxuriant trees and un
dergrowth and vines to the top. On
one side of the hill are some large
rocks covered with Aztec carving.
Farther on around the hill, we find
an opening, and we are told that it
leads into a cave, and that there is a
passage from the cave to the
top of the hill, where, as
every body knows, Monte
zuma had a summer palace. The
existence of the cave was unknown
to all but to Montezuma; and he was
accustomed to retire into it, telling
his courtiers on his return that.he
had visited the spirit world.
Wo pass “Monteztimas Bath,” a
deep spring of sparkling water,
which now helps to supply the city.
Here, also, is “Montezuma’s Tree,”
and no doubt it stood here when his
Royal Highness wandered in super
stitious reveries through these woods,
for it is 56 feet in circumference
and more than 100 in height.
We ascend the hill by the broad
stone stairway.
“E’en on the landing
Proud statues arc standing.”
But they represent, not pride, but
the thought of the Mexican nation,
Patriotism and Resentment of For
eign Interference. They are bronze
statues of weather beaten soldiers,
officers who fell during the storming
of the Castle—animated, alert, watch
ful, gun in hand, ready to fire on the
approaching enemy. The narrow
space in front of the Castle is paved
and a stone wall runs around the i
edge of the hill to prevent the un- i
wary from tumbling down.
There is nothing about the castle
to remind you of pictures of castles
which you have seen ; there are no
gloomy towers nor romantic turrets,
nor draw bridges nor terrible dun
geons. It is a low, broad, two story
building, of stone I think, and point
ed white, airy and cool-looking and
commodious, suggestive of ease and
refinement. In one of the upper
porches are- many flowers and vinos.
On one side is an elegant round tow
er which I suppose forms bay win
dows in the rooms to'which it is uni
ted. .
The Castle was built by the Virey
Galvez. It was occupied by Maxi
milion and Carlotta, and ig now the
summer residence of the President
of the republic. The rooms were
being repaired so that I did not have
the privilege of catering it. I was
told that it was splendidly furnished
in the Parisian and New York styles.
Though my informant was a Mexi
can gentleman he spoke with enthu
siasm of Mrs. Diaz exquisite little
sewing room. Would that I could
have seen it!
Back of the Castle, and united to
it by a magnificent stairway is the
National Academy, the West Point
of Mexico. A few months ago a
Bishop of the Methodist church was
in the city and was taken to Chapul
tepec. The President of the Acade
my, being told that the Bishop was
a distinguished man from the United
States, introduced the cadets to him.
As each ono shook hands with him
the Bishop asked him, “What is
your religion V” and, each one re
plied, “I hate noye,” except, one and
he replied, “I as t4l Ptotestant.”
J'WMM .tljp tlie Castle is
seen the . SvesbV*'' ‘Molino,
del Jtey/'Ahe Kings Mill. The big
old brick mill stands there yet with
the inscription across its front; and
it still grinds.
From the wall in front of the Cas
tle one has a grand view. The pur
ple mountains form an amphitheater.
On one side rise Popocatapetl and
Ictacihuatl, the Woman in White.
Both these are covered perpetually
withenow. The Woman in White
is so called because on the top of the
mountain, many miles in length is
the figure of the corpse of a woman,
with a sheet spread over her. It is
all there in perfect proportion ; the
“decent composure’’ of the figure,
the head, the folded arms, the feet,
and over it all has sunk down so
as to reveal the figure in striking out
line, that sparkling sheet of snow',
“white as no fuller on earth could
whiten it.” The Indian legend is
that Popocatepetl is the husband of
the White Woman. The Great Spir
it enraged at him killed his w'ife; and
now when he roars and throws out
lava it is in rage for her death.
At the feet of the Woman in
White lies the blue silvery lake of
Tezcuco. Within the encircling
mountains lies the Valley of Mexico,
green as emerald, and dotted with lit
tle crystal lake rfnd great
patches of yellow flowers; and in
the midst of all this beauty sits like
a queen,the City of Mexico. Perhaps
the eyes of the Grand Duke and of
Grand Duchess never beheld a more
glorious view than that which greet
ed Maximilion and Carlotta every
morning from the windows of this
castle.
We turned at last from this pano
rama, and as we crossed the paved
space one <?f the many cadets who
were sauntering about, a tall, slender
elegant young gentleman ap
proached us and caught up in his
arms a little girl of our party, talk
ing to her in caressing tones. Her
mother told us that they had known
him at tho hotel. And she also told
us that his uncle owned the moun
tain Popocatepetl, and that he would
inherit it What an incongruity be
tween the owner and the possession I
Sallie Hale.
Without a Peer.
Dr. Sylvanus Landrum once said
before the Southern Baptist Conven
tion that Mrs. M. J. Kennedy was
without a peer in the preparation of
Bible lessons for the little onfcs. She
edits the Intermediate Quarterly of
the American Baptist Publication
Society.
PEN DEOPPINGS.
BY L. L. V.
Os the very common sins about
which it is the minister’s duty to speak
to the people, there is no one about
which he ought to speak to them
more earnestly than the use of light,
frivolous and profane language. It
is a sin too lightly rated. Many pro
fessed Christians whose deportment
otherwise conforms to a respectably
high standard of morality bring the
cause of religion into disrepute by
not being duly regardful of their style
of speech.
It is of course possible for one to
be sincerely pious and yet have a
temperament that will cause him to
enjoy lively and humorous talk. We
should mistake often in our estimate
of Christians as of others, if we al
ways took it for granted that the
man who sighs is better than the man
who laughs. To be forbiddingly grave
of aspect is not at all necessary for
the maintenance of a devotional
frame of mind. Yet there are jest
ings so little befitting that they
should be avoided by every one who
would commend the religion which
lie professes to outsiders. Very
much of the slang so common in our
day is unbecoming the lips of those
who wish to be regarded as imitators
of the Saviour. A little of it is neith
er coarse nor profane. Much of it,
however, is both. It is used by some
persons—by some indeed, who, how
ever speak from pulpits, under the
impression that it is a forcible style
, of speech, and that it brings a speak
er in closer touch with his hearers, ft
i would be easy to show that there is
slightest need/]f comprumis
’ ing the purity and elegance of our
. language in order to render it clear
and emphatic. We are far more the
slaves of words than we ordinarily
suppose, and we will not be apt to
keep our thoughts chaste if our lan
guage is indecent.
Os all public speakers, the preacher
should be most careful about the
choice of his words. His hearers are
ready enough to think that they will
be excusable for going beyond him
in any line of impropriety. If he
uses a slang phrase now and then
they will take it that they may make
up a large part of their talk of coarse
expressions. If he pronounces the
name of the Supreme being meaning
lessly as a mere ejaculation, some of
those who hear him will conclude
that it will not be much amiss if they
introduce the same awful name by
way of emphasizing their assertions.
Irreverence for the name of the Su
preme Being is much too common
among professed Christians. Some
of those whom we call heathen and
send missionaries to convert, furnish
examples on this point which we will
do well to imitate. Instead of speak
ing the name of their Supreme Deity
familiarly, they will be at the pains of
a great deal of circumlocution to
avoid uttering it at all. We are
quite sure z that some preachers en
courage profanity by their utterances
from tho pulpit. They are at no
pains to speak with that awful rever
ence without which it should never
be spoken. When they employ it
idly as a mere expletive to conceal
the want of an idea which is not
forthcoming, they can hardly expect
otherwise than that some of their
hearers will fall into the habit of us
ing it flippantly.
peovidentiaFindioations.
Has not our Heavenly Father in
dicated to us unmistakably during the
past year that he is leading us to
higher achievements in the accom
plishment of his gracious purposes
concerning fallen man ? Has he not
indicated most conclusively that his
people are not too poor to sustain his
cause and extend his kingdom?
The unprecedented hard times,
seven cent cotton and the consequent
depression instead of retarding us
has resulted in almost doubling our
contributions to his cause and given
us more Christian zeal and better
signs of spiritual progress, than has
been observed for many years.
Thank God for his wonderful
goodness. Now let us begin the
work of the new Conventional year
with unwavering faith and a fixed
determination to do grandly for our
Master. Only about one-third of
Georgia Baptists hflve done anything
during the past year, by contributing
of their means to the world’s evan.
gelization. The remaining two-thirds
are just as able .as the one-third.
Now, if one-third can contribute
$125,000 in one year to Baptist en
terprises, the other two-thirds could,
with equal easej contribute $250,000.
Nov.’, brethren and sisters, I know
I am deeply grateful to you, and I
thank you, in the name of our bless
ed Master, for your sympathy, pray
ers and earnest co-operation in the
prosecution of the responsible work
which you have committed to my
charge, I know you will continue it
in the future. I regard your call up
on me to this work, as God’s call, and
in his name I will give to it the very
best of my feeble powers. We must
now move up all along the line. Last
year was a kind of skirmishing period,
this year, God helping us, the whole
army of Georgia Baptists must be
brought into action, to this end let us
all constantly pray for the presence
and influence of the Holy Spirit. Our
Foreign and Home Boards are con
siderably in debt, let us help them
with all our might that the Conven
tion in May may find them free.
J. G. Gibson, Cor. Sec.
Crawford, Ga., April 15, 1892.
PAUL AND JAMES.
Paul wrote his Epistle to the
Romans it is believed A. D. 58.
In the third chapter of this epistle
he writes thus, 28 verse.: “Therefore
we conclude that i man is justified
f«ith. 'KxljniH the of the
law.” This is the 1 old version. The
new reads thus:
“We reckon therefore that a man is
justified by faith apart from the
works of the law.”
Again in the fourth chapter 3rd
verse he writes:
“Abraham believed God and it was
counted unto (O. V.) or reckoned
(N. V.) unto him for righteousness.”
The gross misrepresentation and
perversion of this doctrine pro
claimed by Paul, induced the Apostle
James three years later, A. D. 61, to
give his understanding of the doc
trine of justification by faith, so I
judge. And so in his epistle he
writes thus:
“What doth it profit, my brethren,
if a man say ho lyith faith, but have
not works ? Can faith save him ? ”
Read now to the 17th verse. “Even
so faith, if it have not works, is dead
in* itself.” Verse 20, “But wilt thou
know, O vain man, that faith apart
from works is barren? Was not
Abraham, our father, justified by
works, in that he offered up Issac,
his son upon the altar ? Thou seest
that faith wrought with his works,
and by works was faith made per
fect. And the scripture was fulfilled
which saith, Abraham believed God,
and it was reckoned unto him for
righteousness. We see that by
works a man is justified, and not by
faith only.”
I have quoted them largely that I
might clearly present to the readers
the contrast between Paul and James
in these two epistles. But two years
later A. D. 63 Paul seems to have
accepted Jaine’s correction; for in
the epistle to tho Hebrews, believing
that he wrote it, we read thus:
“ By faith, Abraham when he was
called, obeyed to go out, etc.” This
brought him squarely up to Jarno’s
position. Abraham’s faith wrought
with his obedience (his books), and
by his obedience was his faith made
perfect.
Luther, who 400 years ago revived
tho doctrine of justification by faith,
has been as much misunderstood,
and the doctrine as much perverted,
as it was in the days of Paul.
Evon in his own day a disciple by
tho name of Nicholas of Ahnsdoif
prepared an elaborate thesis, affirm
ing “that good works were positively
injurious to salvation.”
And this doctrine has been taught
in this day. There have been
preachers, ordained ministers of tho
gospel, who openly declared that
Yon nave Mt the Bajtist
nmol Geo® till mrt
iie CHRISTIAN INDEI
w-
VOL. 69.—N0. 17. -
they were free from the obligations
of the moral law, and could do what
they pleased, or chose, or desired.
In support of their claim to this
liberty, they further rely on Paul:
“Ye are not under law but under
grace.”
The only question in the case is,
What is faith? The faith justifies
and saves the soul. This we will
endeavor to answer in our next.
W. P. Boad.
Starkville, Miss.
SOME INQUIRES WORTHY OF CON
SIDERATION.
Dr. T. P. Crawford, of Lang
Chow, China, is distributing an earn
est tract among the churches, argu
ing the expediency of independent
church missions, instead of missions
managed by general boards. A few
days ago he traversed the country in
person, representing the same views,
without much effect. An association
undertaking his support when first
sent out, did not long continue thia
plan. Similar views were held at
one time by prominent brethren in
Georgia and elsewhere—perhaps
may be still held—with but tempo
rary impression. Nevertheless, views
emanating from such brethren, breth
ren of unquestioned disinterested
ness, large experience? and wide ob
servation, deserve respectful and
earnest consideration.
Per contra, greater concentration
of agencies is being suggested. Both
parties wish to simplify machinery
and save expense. It is suggested
that the home mission work in most
of the states, where well organized
state boards exist, might be turned
over to these boards, leaving the
work in frontier states and territories.
. /general board. That
nication with pastors and churches
might be made more effectual by
substituting the denominational pa
pers for the Foreign Journal and
Home Field; that these are, and will
be, much more, commonly read than
the latter.
There is a strong feeling that we
have too much machinery; that too
much time and means are required
to read the multiplied publications
pressed on our attention. It has
even been suggested that the Home
and Foreign boards be merged ; that
it would contribute to economy, and
that the misleading nomenclature,
suggesting conflict between Horae and
Foreign missions might be obviated.
On the commission they are one.
The vast expense of attending our
Conventions is a serious matter, and
the vast expense of maintaining them
when they are assembled. Perhaps
it; were better for a good many of us
to stay at home. A less unwieldy
body than our General Convention
might be more efficient. Dr. Basil
Manly, Sr., once induced the Ala
bama State Convention to elect a
limited number of delegates to the
Southern Baptist Convention.
All these questions may be con
sidered in a spirit of conservatisnl,
like that which manifested itself in
Birmingham at the last meeting of
the Southern Convention, in regard
to Sunday-school literature. Perfect
systems are a growth instead of the
result of a priori reasoning, the result
out of constant collision between
conservatism and innovation.
E. B. T.
The Collapse of a Rotten Ten
ement. —While crumbling founda
tion and shaky, bulging walls, is not
more certainly to be looked for than
the sudden giving away of a oonsti-*
tution sapped by overwork, unremitt
ing anxiety or exposure to hardship
and malign climatic influences.
Against the disastrous effects of each
and all of these, Hostetter’s Stomach
Bitters is an effectual safeguard. It
fortifies the system against them bjr
infusing into it fresh vigor begotten
of renewed and complete digestion
and assimilation of tho food, and its
consequent reparative action upon
the exhausted tissues and impov
erished circulation. No preparative
for the undergoing, without injury,
of an unusual amount of bodily or
mental work, no means of averting
malarial infection, or disorders born
of bad diet and impure water equals
this superlatively fine defensive in
vigorant. Take it for dyspepsia, con
stipation, billiousness, rheumatism,
kidnoy trouble, la grippe.