Chicago Daily Tribune Newspaper, December 29, 1878, Page 9

THE CHICAGCO TRIBUNI: 9 —_— RELIGIOUS. To-Day’s Bible Lesson---Review of .Christ's Life---His Intercession. .The Religion of Ancient Egypt in the Light of Modern Discovery. The Unknown and Unkmowable Deity Auterior to the Idola~ - trous Era. A Complefe Moral Code for the Guidance of tke Individual, Family, and Katjon. The Atonement of Osiris—Immortality of the Soul and Final Judg- ment. Leo’s Foreign Secular Policy Hostile to the Sacred Cohiege. General Notes, Personals, Sun- day Humor, Services To-Day. BIBLE LESSON. Our home study to-day is 2 review of the past Jessons in the life of our Savior, and you will plesse take your New Testament and analyze the 1ollowing points: 1. His birtn. Hie rearinz. 5. His crucifixion. 6. His resurrcction. 1M1s teachings. 7. Ilis ascension. 4 Jlix sufferings. | 8. Itis intercession. We glso present the true * Lord’s Prayer,” in which He defines Iis past, present, and future; 2lso, the futare of His followers, aud shons His intereessory work. He pleads: 1. That we may be kept. Tt we may have liisjoy. 3. That we may live. 4. That we may be sanctified. ‘That we tnay have unity. That we may have rewdrd. That we may have love. Read Bis intercession.—Jokm, Xvii. Thiese words spaxe Jesus, &nd lifted np His eyes to Heaven, and raid: Fatker, the hour Las come; ylorlfy thy son, that thy eon ulso may slorify ‘Tnce: As Thom imst given Him power over all flesti that he should give etemal life to as many #s thon hast siven him. And this is life ctermal, thar they may know thee 1ne only truc God and Jesus Cbnist whom thou hant sent. 1 have glorified thee on the earth. [ nave tmshed 1he work which taou favest me to do. And now, O Fataoer, glorify me with tnine own €elf, with the or‘y which I had with thee before the werld waw. 1 have manifested thy name to tte wen which thou gzvest me out of the world; thine they were. and tiou gavest them me; and iney have kept thy word. Now they have known that all things whatsocver thon hast miven me are of thee. For 1 have given unto them the words whichthou gavest me, and they have received them and have known surely that [ came out from thee. 2nd they have oelieved that thon didst send me. T pray for tnein; 1 pray not for the world, but for ikem which thon haet #ven me, for tacy are thine. Ama_ all minc are thine, and thmme are mine; and I am sorified in them. And now 1 am 1o mure in tite Sorld, but these are in the worid, and I come fo thee. * Moy Father, keep through taine own name 1n0s¢ whom thou hast erven me that they may be oue, aswe are. While I was with them in the world 1 kept them in thy name; thosc that thon pavest me 1 hase kept, a0d none of them is lost iut the son of perdition, that the Scripture might “be fulfijicd. And now come 1 to thee, and these things 1 speak in the world, tat they might have Joy fultilled Iin themeelves. 1have giveil them thy word; ana the world hath bated them, vecause they are ot of the world, evenas 1 ammotof the world. 1 pray not that thou sironldest take them ont of the world, but that thou sbouigest keep them from the evil. ‘They aze not of ik world, even as 1 am pot of the world. Sanctify them through thy trath: thy word is truth. As thou hast sent me 3070 the worid. even so have I nlro gent them into Theworld. And for theic eakes 1 sanctify myeelf, that they alto mizht be sancuficd thronch the iruth. Neitner pray Ifor these alone, bat for toem aleo which shall delieve on me turongh their wora. ‘That they all may b one, a8 thou, Father, 2rt in me, and 1 in thee, that they also may be oneinus; that the worid may beleve taat thon pastsentme. And the glory which thou gavest me I buva given them: that they may be onc even grweare one. 1in them and taou iu me, that they wmay be made perfict in one; and thnt the worla may know tkat thou hast sent me, and Bust loved them, a8 thou hast Joved me. Father, 1 il taat they. aiso, whom thou hast ziven me, be itk me where 7 Am: that they may behold thy glory. which thou hast ziven mes for thou lovedst me before tbe fourdation of the world. O Trighteous Father, the world hath not known thee, outIhave Luown thee, and these have known 1hat thou hast #ent me. ~ Ana I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it; that the love wherewith thou bast loved me may be in them sad 1inthem. ANCIENT EGYPT. TS RELIGION AS REVEALED BY MODERN EX- PLORATION. Jotm N. Hoare in the Nineteenth Century. «On Egypt! Egspt! Of thy religion fables only will remain, which thy disciples will under- stand as little as they do thy religion. Words cut into stoue will alone remain telling of thy pivus deeds. The Scrthian, or the dweller by the Indus, or some other barbarian will inhabit shy fair Jand.” Such was the prophecy of Hermes Trismegis- tus, too literally fulfilled concerning the re- lirion of the nation which Herodotus consid- ered to be **by far the best instructed people with whom he was acquainted, since they, of all men, store up most for recollection:” the people who “of all men were most attentive to the worship of the zods,” and “most scrupu- Jous in matters of religions” the people from whose Pantheon be gladly acknowledzes that #gimost all the gads came iato Greece.” The crownfug glory of the wisaom of King Solo- mon was that it ‘‘excelled the wisdom of Egyot.”” Of their love of learning and reverence for religion we bave abundant proof in their writngs on the papyrus of the Nile and the *fine linen of Egypt”; amd in tae “words cut iuto stouc™ on the walls of temples, on the tombs of kings and queens, of priecsts and pricstesees, of noble men and fair women. Every temple had its library at- tached. On the walls of the library at Dendera 18 sculptured a catalogue raisunne of mavuscripts belonging to the temple. The exhortations to follow learning are unceash Love letters 151y mother. I make its beauty to appear in thy face. It is @ greater possession than all honors.’ And 0 we, descendants of the “barbariins.” the thought of whose appearance ov the banks of the Nile seut such a shiver to the heart of the cultured priest, are sble to spell out the lizion of the Exyptians, and. unscaling the lios of the dead, bid them spesk for us their *ser- mons iu stones.” Tire interest which attachies to tbe reiigion of ancient Egypt is_due partly to the proof it pives that our ~Father—who is, as 2 Vedic by ealls Him, ** the most fatherly of fathers™ ~fed the souls and spints of His children when they * huncered and thirsted after righieous: ness ' in the emotest azes of ihc worlds and partly to the Jight it sheds upon the Moszic con- teption aa idea of the Divine Beinz and mau’s tefation o Him. On this account it may be well to bear in mind the extreme antiquity of the Ezvprians and the state of their civilization during the serfdom of the Israclites. A pyramid at SakKarsh, near Thebes, has_a royal title on the icner door to the Tourdh King of the first dypasty. If this fn- seription be contect, then the pyramid was built from 500 to 700 years before thie rreat pyramid of Cacops. and was 2,000 years old in the ‘time of Abrabam. Of this pyremid we may say, as King Amcuemnba sard of a palace he was build- ;Eg” “afsde for eternity. time shrinks before During the period of the slavers of the Israel- .cs, Egypt was already in its decadence, and its chigion had Jost “much of its original purity. We possess books of travels, moral treatises, letters, sacred lymons, and novels, some written beioreand someduring this period. Moses was “icarned in all the wisdom of the Egvptians,” aod the influence of this learning is feit in the Prntaveuch. The dry ciimate and the sand of Egynt have preserved the monuments, the papyri, and the 1rescoes, which apacar fresh asthe day on which they were painted. M. Mariette descrives his pedetrating into one of the sealed sepulchral chiambers at_Memphis and finding, on toe thin layer of sand whicn covered the floor, the foot- prints of slic workmen who, 3,700 vears before, had iafd ‘the Apis mummy i its sarcopliauus and closed, as they believed, the door of per- feut fittinz stone forever. We shail consider (1) the 1dea of God, (=) the effeet o2 this idea upon the life of the people, (3) the conception of the future life. 1. ‘The manifold formns o the Lzyptian Pan- theon were nothing, says the late E, Deutsch, but religious masks of the sublime doctrine of the unity of the Deity communicated to the ini- tiated fn the Mysteries. * The zods of the Pan- theon were,” says M. Dierrot, only manifesta- tions of the One Being in his various capaci- tics.” M, Maspero and other scholors have arrived at the same conclusion. The following hymn occurs on two papyri in the British Museum. It represents the thought prevalent in pL at the time of the Exodus, and is the work of Eona, the well-known author of the “Romapce of the Two.Brothers,” and other works. ‘The hymn was translated some years ago by Maspero. A translatiou bas also heen offercd by Canon Cools in ** Recoras of the Rast.” 1 select portions which express the uni- ty of the Godhead: Hail to thec, O Nil He causeth growth to falfll all desires, He never weuries of it. e maketh his mizbt a brckler. He is not graven i miarble Asan image bearing the donble crown. Tic 13 not debeld: 5 Me hath nerther ministrants nor offerings: Hie is not adored in sanctuaries: Tis abode i» nol Enown, No surinc 1 found with painted figutes (of him). There 35 no boilding that can contain him ! no counseilor in 1hy heart) Every eye is sutisfied with iim, Unknown is hie name in Teaven, }ie doca not manitest his forms ! Vain are all representations of him On_this hymn Canon Cook makes the note, sufliciently remarkable us coming from the cditor of the Speaker’s Commentary: * The whole of this passage is of extreme importance, showing that, apart Irom ail objects of idoln- trous worship, the vid yplian “recoguized the existence of a supreme God, unknown and in- conceivable; the true source of all power and Zoodness.” This one God is moreover the Creator: *He bas made the world with Ilis hand, its waters, its atmosphere, it vezetation, ) jts flocks, and pirds, and tish, and reptiles, and beasts of the fild.? < He made all the world coutuins, and hath given it light when there was as vet mo sun “Glory to Thee who hast begotten: ol that exists, who bast made o and made the ods also, and all the beasts of the field. Thou mafest men to live. ‘Thou hast no beivg second to thee. Thou giv- est the breath of life. Thou art the Ligit of this world.” But althouzh God be the Creator, yot He is “ self-created Mz “ llis commencement is from the beginning. Heis the God who has existed from old time. There is no God withoot Iim. No mother bore Him, no father bath bezotten Him. Goa-zoddess created from Himself. All gods came into existence when He began.” Mauy of the hymns speak the mystery of His pawme: “Unkvown is = His name in Heaven”: “Whose name is hidden from [is creatares: in s vame which is Amen™ (hidden, seeref). Therefore the Egyptians never spoke the Unknown Name, but used a phrase which expressed the el cxisteoce of the Eter “Iam Ove Being, I am Onpe.” The expression s founa in the “ Ritual of the Dead,” where Leosius translates ju: “Ich bin Tum, e¢in Wesen dus ich eiues 1d he refers to the similurly constructed 1y Falinsr are Ope.” E. am He who 1am.” The Original is Nuk-pu-Nuk. P:atarch tells us of the veil which overhung the iempl: of Neith at Sais: “1amthat was, and fs, and is to bes and my veil no mortal hath yet drawn aside.” The psme Neith means * 1 ¢ame from mysell.” In one of the marical texis there s a chapter en- titled: * To open the Place of the Sbrive of the. Scat of Neith.” **Iam the seat of Neitn, hid- den in the hiaden, coneealed in the concealed, shut up in the suut up, upknown 1 am Kknowledge.” At the town of Pilnom, God was worshiped unger the name of **The Living God,” which Braesch considers o correspond with the mean- jug of the name Jehovah; and the serpent of brass, called kerch (the polished), was there re- zarded as the living symbol of God. ‘These passages are suflicient to establish the fact stated in the letter of Jamblichus to Por- phyry that the Egyptisns “atlirm that all thiugs ‘hich exist were created, and that He who grave them bein is their trse Father aud Creator.” "The Egvptiavs felt that which we all feel, that. no name can express all that God is. Nev- ertheless, they tried to realize God by taking some natural objeet which should in itsell con- vey to their minds some feature in God's na- ture, so that from the well-known they might grope after if bappily they michu find the unknown, ‘This becawe a necessity for the priests in the religious teach Therefore, in the Sun they sa as the Light of the world, in the River they saw the likeness of Him whom no temple can contain, whose form cannot be gravenin 1warble, whose abede is unknown. The more faily they. felu the infuite natare of God, the wmore wouid tney seek in nature for syabols, aud in flichts of inspiration for names, Lo ex- press the yearnings of their souls after God. Tlence they called God Pthah whee Re speaks, and when by His word He becomes Creaters they called -Him Thotl wnen He writes the Sacred Books, and *‘mauifests truth and good- pess™': they called Him Osiris when He mani- fests all that is best and noblest iu man’s na- ture, aud takicg upon Him the wpature of maun becomes the god-man. All the deities were regarded as manifestations of the one gereat Creator, the Uncreated, the Father of tne nniverse. This is expressed in the hymn: ©Hail to Thee! Lord of the Lavse of Time, King of Gods! Thou of mauv pames, of holy transformations, of mysterious forms.” This jdea of Oue God espressed in mavy tames is iven by Aristotle: God, though 1Te be One, fio6 maay names, becaust He s called according to states into which lie 18 continually eut anew.’ The same_idea is tound in several passages of the Rig-Veda: * That which is One the wise call it in divers manners; they call it Agni, Yoma, Tudra, Varuma. “Wise puets make the beautiful-winged, though He be One, manifold by words." Neverheless, as in Greeee apd in India. so also in ancient pt, the symbols became in the popular mind actual gods, and the people degenerated into gross idolatry. It is an ifustance of the descent from the worship of the invisible attributes of God. ey **changed the giory of the incorruptible Godinto an image made fike o corrupsivle mez, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things . . . and they they chansed the truth of God into a lie; and worshipved and served the creature ratber than: the Cre- ator.”” This Is unfortunately the aspect in whicn e tian Pantheon has presented itseif to mankind for many centuries. After these appeared A crew, who under nacs of old renown, Opiris, lsi, Orug, and their train, With moustrour shiapes and éorceries abused Fanatic Egept and bier pricsts, 1o seck Their wanaesing gods diszuised in bratish forms Rather thon human. We possess the zecount of a brilliant effort made by Amenophis the Fourth (1,500 B. C.) 1o abolish ail worship exceps that of the sun. fHe assumed the name of * Glory of the sclar disc,” and chauzed the capital city so that the wrchi- tecture might not suzeest the popular poléthe- fsm. Lepsws explored the ruins of the new ejty, and found the walis decorated with pecul- jar floral designs, and with byiins to the sun. This relorwation, howeser, lasted only for one generation, and then passed away, We tind the influence of this religions revolution om the Stele of a hymn to Osiris (cighteenth dynasty), for wherever the name of ine deity Awmen oe- curs, it has been chiselled out; but itis restored under his successors. A striking picture is given of King Pianchi Mer-Amon entering the temple of K, the sun. “He purificd bimscif fo the keart of the ool Take, wasbing hi¢ face in the stream of the hesventy waters in wbich Ra laves his fuce. “Than he proceeded to the sandy height m Heli~ opolis, making a zreat sacrifice before the tace of Ra at his rismg, With cows, milk, pum, frank- Incense, and all brecious Wwoois deligntful for seent. e went tu procession to the temie of, Ra . . . then the cbief priest olfered sup- ol ns to ward off calamity tor the King, girded with the sacred vestments. He then puritied bim with incense and sprinkhing, and brousht to him gariands from the Temple of Obelisks. The King ascended the flizht ot steps to the great shrive to beliold Rain the Temple Obelisks. The K stood by bimsell, the great one alone, he drew the bolt, nie opened the Told- 1 inz doors, he saw his jather Ra in the Tetple “fhen he closed the doors, aud set sealing clay witk the King’s own signet, snd enjoined the pricsts, saving: ‘I have sctmy seal; let Do other King whatever enter therein.’ Then he stood, and they prostrated themselves efore his Majests.” "Fnc conception of the unity of the Godhead did not preveut the Egvptians from thiuking of God as very near to them. Heis their ratner, and they ‘“sons beloved of their Father.” He is the **Giver ot life; * Toucher of the hearts, Searcher of the inward perts is llis pame.” of Obelisks. WEvery one glorifics Thy poospess, mild is Thy | Jove toward us; Thy tenderness ‘surrounds our Tiearts; great s Thy love iu all the souls of men.”" One lamentaion cries: *Let not tby face be turned awas {rom us; the fov of our hearts is to coutemplate Thee. Chase all anguish from our hearts.” **He wines tears from off all faces)® “lail to Thee, Ra, Lordof all truth: whose shrine is dden; Lord of the gods: who listeneth to the poor is his distress: centle of heart when we ery to ‘Thee. Deliverer of the timid man from the vio- Jent; judginz the poor, the poor and the ob- presséd. Lord of merey most loving: at whose cominz men live; at whose goodness gods and tmen rejoice. Sovereign of life, health, and strength.? “Speak nothing offepsive ol the great Creator, if the words are spoken inseeret e heart of man is no seeret. to Ilim that made it. . . . Heis present withtheethough thou be alone.” As we might expect from so_ lofty a concep- tion of God, their hearts broke forth iuto joyous hymus of praisc: Huil to thee, say all creatures; Salutation from every land: Toune licleht of heaven, to the breadth of the cartly: To the denths of the sea: Tho sods agore Tay Majesty. The spirits Thou hast muge cxalt Thee, Rejoicing before the feet of their begetter. They cry out welcome to Thee: Father of the father of all the cods: Who ruises the liewvons, who fixes the earth. Maker of beings. Creain: of existences, Soverejen of life, health, ang strength, Chief of the gods: We worship Thy spirit, wko alone hast made us: We, whom Tnou hast made, thank Thee, that ‘Thon has given 13 birth; We give to Thec praises for thy mercy towards us. II. Such was the iden of God and His relation to man held by the ancient Ezgptians; and, as we might expect, it drew forth in them * lovely and pleasaot lives.” "The three cardinal requirements of Egyptinn plety were love to God, love to virtue, love to mad, *{was u wisc man upon earth,” says an anceint Ezyptian, “and I ever loved God.” On oue ot the tombs at Thebes a King sums up his life: *¢ L lived In trath, T fed my soul with jus- tice. What I did to inen was donc in pea and how L loved God, God and my heart well know.” The Rosetta stone records of Ptolemy Epiptianes: “ He was bious towards the gods, be ametiorated the life of man, he was full of generous pity, he showed forth with all bis misht his svntiments of humanity. He dis- tributed justice to atl like God Himsell.” Thus was the todern Kiug u worthy. successor of the aocient. . Loveof truth and. %!s((ce was a distinguising charactenistic of the Egyptians.'God is wvoked : *Rock of truth is” Thy vame” In an inscription at Sistrun a2 King addresses Huthor, Goddess of Truth: “I offer to he the truth, O Goddess! for truth is thy work, und thou thyself art the Truth.”” Thoth js the wod who ** mauifests trath and zoodness.” The highi priest in every town, who was also the Clifef Mawistrate, wore round isneck a jeweled jewel, which bore on one side the image of ‘ruth, and on the other sometiaies the fmage of Justice sometimes of Light. When the aceused was acquitted the Judge held out the lmage for him to Kiss. The iwaze of Justive is repre-' sented with the eyes closed and without hauds, to siguily that the Judge should never receive any bribe with his hands to “ blind bis e withat.” S also, in the scene of the final jude- ment, Osiris wears round nis neck the *jeweled Justice and Trutb, the heavenly pattern of the carthly copy, tor- justice and truth are cternal m the heavens, jewel was adopted ap- parenily by _the Jewish ltigh Priest after the fheht from Egypt. No Epglish travstation has been offered for the strenge woras Urim and Thummin, —but LaX. transiated them *Truth and Ligh Truthfulness was an es- tential part of the Egyptian moral code; and when, atter death.tne soul eniers the “Hall of the Two Traths, or Perfect Justiee,” it repeats the waords learned upon th: * O Thou great God, Lord of Truth! I e known ‘Lhee. 1 have kuown Thy nume. Lord of Truth is Thy vame. I never told alie at the tribunal of trath.” ¥ v The howor due to parcuts sprang naturally from the beliel iy God us ** our Futher which art in Heaven.” We constantly find inscriptions on the tombs such as the following: ** 1 hon- ored my fatherand my mother; 1 loved my brothers. I taught little children. [ took care of orpbans as though they had been my own children.” In letters of excellent sdvice ad- dressed by au old . mun 110 years of to a young triend—whick form the most ancicnt book in. the vorld, dating 3000 B. C.,—he says: ** The obedicnee of u do- «lesonis a blessing. God loves obedience. Disabedience is hated by God. "The obedieuce of a son maketh glad the beart of his father. . . . Ason teacbablein God’s service will be happy in conseduence of his obedience, he will grow to be old, he will find favor.” This is the rliest appearance of the “first commandment with promise ” (Eph., v, 2), the obedicoce to God :\nd man which was the “essence of Hebra- ism." The moral code of the Egvptians was exceed- ingly claborate. 1t consisted of forty-two com- mandments or heads, under whicn all sins might be classed. ‘This code was theideal placed be- fore men on arth; it wis the standard of per- 1cetion according to which they would be judied in hieaven. Some of them are nf local interest ounly, but most belong to the cternal laws of rizng und wrong written on the tubles of the heart. Men were taught from child- Tood, 85 children are nowadays tausht their catcchisw, that they must apuear in the presence of the Divine Judee, and say: T have not privily done evil to my peighbo 1 have not afilicted any, nor caused any to w T have not told lies. 1 have not done any v thing, I have not done wiat is hatetul 1o the gods. 1have not calumniated the slave to his Iaster. 1 have mot been idle. I have not stolen. 1 have not committed adultery. 1have not committed murder.” And 50 on. But their commandments were positive as well as negative. On the tombs we find the com- mon formula: **1 bave given bread to the hungrs, water to_the thirsty, clothes to the naked, shelter to the straoger.”” Iu the Jamen- fations at funerals, the mourners sec the de- ceased eotéring the presence of the Divine Judze, aud they chant the words: “There is no fault ju him. No accuser riseth up azainst him. In the truth be liveth, withh the truth e nour- isheth himself. The gods are satistied with all that ne hath donme. . . . Hesuccoured the afllicted, he gave bread to tne hunery, drink to the Lhirsty, clothes to the naked, he sheltered the outcast, bis doors were open to the stranger, he was 3 father to the fadherless.”” This was the principle of the final jndzment announced by the Son of Mar to whomn “all judmincnt s commaitted,” some 4,000 years afterwards among the lulls of Palestine. This tenderness for suffering humanity is charactenstic of the nation. Gratefully docsa, mun acknowledge in his autobiography (4000 B. C.): ¢ Wandering 1 wandered and was liupgry, Uread was sev. before me: I fled fronsthe land naked, there was given mesine Jinen.” Itisa glory o a man that ““the poor shall make their moan a3 the door of his tomp.” An inscription onatomd at Beni-Hassan, written about 2500 B. C., reaus: “I have not oppressed any widow. No prisoner languisbed in wy gays. No ene ded of hunger. \When there were years of 1pwine I had my fields plowshed. food to the inbubitants, 0 that thers was no hungry person. [ zave the widow equal portions with the marricd. I did not prefer the rich to the poor’? Ou the wall ot the Temple of . Karnak there is sculptured the earliest known extradi- tionars treaty. It is between Rameses the Sceond and a Khetan Privce. The last clause provides that political lugitives are to be sent hack, with the foilowing humane provision for their personal satety hoever shall be de- tivered up, mmself, his wives, his chiiuren, let Dim not be &mitten to the deaths moreover, let hitn not suffer in the eves, in the moutd, in the feet; morcover, Jeb mot any crime be set up againss him.” This treaty wasengraven for the Khietan Prince on a silver tablet. In a volume of maxims we read: * Maltreat not an infesior. Let your wife find in you her protector, maltreat her ot _Save not thine own Jite at the_cost of another.” On the tomd of aman at El-Kalb (4020 8. C.) it is recorded that he never left liome with anger fu his heart.” ) Ui It was the opioion of, Herod- otus that . the Euyptions * were the Arst people who afiirmed the immortality ot the soul.” No satisfactory explanativn ‘has been given of the silence of the Pentateuch on the immortality of thesoul. No delinite e: pression of . the betief appears in the Hebre Seriptures unul the time ot the Bubylonish van- tivity, when the Jews came into contact with the Persians who held it as a fixed article of faith. Certwin it is that no natiou kept more promi- nently before their ninds’ the reality of the other world and the final judgmeut ‘than did the ancient Egyptians. Birth into this world they called death into thbe land ol darkness, \death they spoke of as birch into the manifesta- ‘tion of lignt. There arc a large number of papyri found in the tombslaid beside and upon the mummy, which _are known as Zhe Book or Riual of the Dead. ‘The most complete of these buoks, the Turin Papyrus, cousists of 165 chapters, cach with a_title of its contents, and witki yu: prics in red ink explanatory of its use: the wh being illustrated - by descriptive vigneties. Gen- erally we find only a few chapters, either in pa- Byrus leaves or cat fnto” the hard black eravite o the pure labaster sarcophuzus. There s un unknown variety of texts, appasently expressing the doctrine vrevailing at the time in that part of Egypt where it was written, The cldest arc the most valuable, as they are purer, and show the various additivns whi have beeu made in the way of parapbrase aud esplanation, and which have become in process of time incorpo- rated as_part of the text.. Some chapters of the bouk declare that they were writien by SUNDAY. DECEMBER 2y, ISTB—SIXTEEN P! God Himself, and that they reveal Hiswill ty . N as Mk e e e G g s [E1D bo done; SNpotfice e Yg chapter, the 6ith, states that it was written by the * fineer of the God Thotb, the * Manijester of truth and goodness;” thereiore the book was regarded 8s hermetic or inspired. It says of itself: * There is no book like it; man hatb not spoken in it, neither hach car beard je.” The * Book of the Drad * describes the pass- age of the deceased through the other world futo the presence of the Eternal Judwe, Osiris. “The story of Osirls is one of great interest. He'is 6uid fo have been a divine being, who in ancient times descended to earth and took uoon him the form and naturc of man. A being per- fectly good, be ameliorated mankind by per- suasion and by good deeds. But st lenath he was kitled by Typhon the Evil One. His wite 1sis weot through the world in search of hitn, * psking tue little children i they had seen her Lord. He was raised to life sgain; and be made his son Horus his avenger on the Evil Ove. Itis this sacrifice which Osiris had uce accomplisbed in bebalf of man ou eartl, which makes hiw the protector of man in the other world, the invisible place. The god-man be- comes notonly the guide of thedeceascd through the other world: he also clothes him witn Ins own divine nature, so that throughout the books the deceased Is described as Osiris Af. or WV, for he has put on, and become identified” with, Osi- ris; and he 'sits ou the throne of justice, the Judee Eterual. Finally he is represented a5 the mediator betwegn God and mian, und is thus at once the representative man and the savior of mankind. 1n one of the Liymns to Osiris, bis praisc is sung as he walks the heaven in holiness and overthrows the impure on earth. He judges the world aceording to bis will; then his name be- comes hallowed, hisimmutsble laws are respect- ed, the world is at rest, cvil flies away, there is peace and plentyupon the carth, justice ts estab- lished; and iviquity purired away. ‘Tie national byiny of Egypt was the .aneros, which was the passiopate cry of Iris to Osiris. The soul on enteriog the realms of the dead addresses Jhe Divine Belng: O thou llidden Ouve! Hidden where thou has the praises of all in Hades (Awmenti), who livest in power, covered with a precious vell—in purity " Then ke prays for admission. Choirs_of glorified spirits sup- port ihe prayer. The priest on earth speaks in his turn, and implores the divine mercy. Then Osiris encourases the deceased to speak to his Vather, and®euter fearlessly juto Ameuti. Nevertheless, before the soul can en- ter, he must be purified, **cleansed from all stain of evil which is in his heart.” Then and then only wmay he pass throuwh the darkness, sud be *“manifested into lizht,” aud bhear the voice of welcome: *Come, come in peace.” But the Egvptiens felt that no man could be- come pure enough tw euter juto the presence of the All-Pure, and therefove they de- seribed the'soul as putting on Osiris. Under the shelter of thut divipe ‘vesture the & geceased was vrotected by the mystery of the Nume from the ills which afflicted” the dend.” The soul then enters, and Is amazed at the glory of God which he now sees for the first time. He chauts 2 hymn of praise, and passes on his wa Space will not permit me to follow the sonl onits passage. ' The Turin Papyrus bas been translated by Dr: Birch in Bupscw’s *Egypt.» Une chupter’ is entitled: “Of ¢scaping out of the Folds of the Great Seroent.” tells how the deceased deties, and fu the strength of Osiris escapes, the Evil One. A curious series of chap- ters follows, deseribivg the “ Reconstruction of the Deceased,” or the new and glorilied body which is given him. ~Several chapters relute to “'Phe Protection of the Soul” = By virtue of repeating onc-of these the soul “goes forth as the day. soul is not detained in corruption (Karneker),” u passuge which is equivalens to the Hebrew verse: *Thou wilt not abandon my soul in Sheol, nelther wilt thon sutler thy Holy One to sec corruption.” A parallel passage oceurs in a later chapter (135), * Hail, O Fatuer Osiris! Tnou’ dost uot corrunt, thou dost not turn to worms. ‘Thow dost notdecay., . . . 1 um! Tam! Lerow! Igrow! Iwakein peace. 1 am not corrupted.” One of the most interesting chapters (125) is entitled: ‘“*Going into the Hall of the Two Truths, and separating 3 Person from his Sivs when he has been made to see the Faces of the Goda.” Scveral coples of this chaoter are ex- hibited on the stairs leading frow the lower to the upver Egyotian Rooms of the British Muse- um. The vigneties explain the chapz At the entranee to that Uall ol Justice’ the de- ceased 18 reeeived by the God of Truth. e finds himselr in the preserce of fortv-to assessors, of avenging deitics, corresponding Lo the foriy-owo commaudments. Before each of these be Kncels o tarn, and con- tesse +{ have ot comm'tted murder, thefr, falsehood,” ete. :Then he promounces the for- mula of the final judgmen: *t [.have fed the hungry, given drlik 10 the thirsty, dotned the naked, sheltered the onteast, and_ heen a father to the fatherless.” Heis thcu placed in one seale of a balanee; in the other scale 13 placed The eyeless and. handless jmage of Justice. ‘I'his i8 the supres ence. 1n the Turin Papyrus the stene is paint- ed with a miauteness of detail sinted to ils im- portance: the gudrdiau anzel watches the scale which Lolds the soul; Borus watches the wweight: Anubis, gunrdian of the dead, watehes the fmage of Justice; while Thoth, siile in hand, records the result’on a tabl ‘Che soul is then conducted Dy Thoth vear- ing the tabiet into an inper chamber, where Odiris is seated. Ostris -pronounces jude- ment; - aed secordm as the ~ soul which has been weighed in the balance is fouud tru¢ or found wanting, it passes to the realms of bliss or to the regious of purifying tires. + In this trial scene the deities ure sometimes dopicted interceding us mediators, and offeriuy sacrifices ob bebulf of the soul. There is o tab- let in the British Museum in which the deceased is shown in theact of placing the gods then- selves on the nltar as hissin-offerivg, snd plead- ng their merits. Joyfully docs the Book of Respirations, or Book of the Breath of Life. salute the soul: “ Come, Osiris, M./ Thou "dust. enter the Hall ot the Two Goadesses of Truth! Thou art purified_from all sin, from all crime. [ail, ! Thou beiuz very pure dost enter Heaven, The Two Goddesses of Justice have purified thee iu the Great Hall. . . . Thou art' justified for cver and cver!” “O_ye Gods who dwell in the Lower Heaven, lhearken unmto the voice of Qsivis . Heis near unto vou. Thereis no fault in him. . . . He hveth in the truth, he ouristesh himselt with truth. The gods are satistied with what he hath done. Let him Yive! Let bis soul Hve!” That which strikes one most in the 125th chapter is the profound insight thas every work shall be broueht wuto judement, snd every seeret thing whether it be zood or evil. It is the voice of conscience which accuscs or excuses in that solemn hour, for no_accuser appesrs in the Hall; the man's whole life is seen by him- selt in its true 1 all s **laid bare ~before Him with whom we have to do3"” pertect justice is moted 10 every wLion, and yeo at the Jast mo- ment * merey séasons justice,” for the Judge is Osiris the god-wan. The rubric that follows this chapter states that @t was to be repeated ou earth with great Solemnity. The worshiper must Dbe “clad fu pure linen, and shon with white sundals, and euointed with fragrant oil, because he s received juto the scrvice of Osirls, und s to be dressed in pure fige linen forever.” This reminds us of the Apocalyptic visloti: ‘T hier was granted that shie shonid” be arrayed i line linen, clean avd white, for the fine Jinen is the righteousness of saints.” Constantly did the Ezyptian look forward to the day of linal- judemént. It was the most important_day of his cxistence; he calied it, with signifiennt brevity, the dos P—dies iila —the duy in which he hoped to e “justified,” or, as h expressed it, “found trae in the bai ance” 1t was the supreme moment of escape from tne death and darkness of this world mto the light and lfe of the other world: then, Dot 1ill then, should he ** behotd she face of God.” Thercfore death bad for him no terror; it wasa jaw, not a punishment; it was a relcase from the company of the fellow-spirits imprisoned in the body. Sometimes a perfect representation of a mummy was seated at the Egyptian banguetsi sometimes it was carried round to each truest fntum: “Guze here, drink aud be merry, for {-when you die suca shall you become.” The ob- ject of this custom was to teach men “to love one_ another, 200 to avoid those evils which tend to make them consider life too long when in reality it fs too short.” In a festal dirze King Antuf (eleventh dynasty) ssng: *‘The Zods who were aforctime rest in their tombs; the mummes of the swmts are cowrapped in their tombs.. They who build houses, aud they who have no houses, bekold what becomes ot them. . . . Noman returnsthence. ~Who fells of _their sayings! Who tells of their doinze? Who encourages our hearts? Ye 1o 10 the place whenee none return. Feast in tranqnility, secing that there is no one who carries away bis yoods with him. Yea, behold, none who goes thither comes back again.”” There is 2 sadness, a_profound melancholy, in the *death i life ** of the ancient Esvptiass, which perhaps justifies the curious remark of Apulcius: *The gods ot Eaypt refoice in lamentations, the gods of Grecce in dances.” The Eeyptian bud a revercuce for_nis body— the casket in which the precious jewel of the soul **lodred as in an inn ™ for so mauny years— and so he builc sumptuous towbs, and adorned tnein with frescacs and nscriptions, and called them his “everlasting home." Sapeba, in his autoblography (2000 B. C.), says: *1 built myself a tomb of stone. His majesty chose the site. The chiel painter designed it, the gculptors carved It. . . . Allthedecorations were ot hewn stone.” . . . My image was carved upon the porzal of pure gold. His Mu_- y These tombs were often sadly gescerated. ‘We read, for instance, of a commission appoint- cd by Rameses the Ninth to inspect the tombs of the ““royal ancestors” at Thebes. Theirre- port has be-o trapslated by M. Chabas. 1Tt states that some of the royal mummies were found Iying in the dust: their gold and silver ornaments and the treasures had been stolen. It also mentions a tomb “broken into {from the back, at the place where the stela is placed be- {ore the monument, and having the statue of the Kine ugon the front of the stela with his hound Bahuka between bis legs. Verified this aay, and found intact.” Such 15 the re- port of 3,000 years szo. Some years ago M. Mariette ~ discovered the . mummies of the tomb of this very King, aud the broken stela bearing upon its face a full-length bas-relief of the King with the doz Bahuka be- tween his legs, his name evgraved upon his mcment in thic'soul’s exist-| back. It was often difficult to find the tomb in the necropolis. 1n the *‘Tale of Setnau we read: * He proceeded to the necropolis of Cop- tos with the priesis of Isis and with the high priests of Isls. They speut three daysand three nights in searching all the tombs, snd in ex- amining the tabiets of hicrozlyphic writing, and reading the letters engraved upoa them, with- out discovering the burial-places of Ahura and her son Merhn.” Before the body was Jaid In tue tomb it was cembalmed by the *physicians of Eeypt.” Itis br Do means certain why the body Wwas em- balmed and preserved with so muel care. G. Witkinson tuinks that it intizated a belief in its resuscitation, but there is no proof in their writings of this belicf. The most urob- able solution is the idea thas as the soul was purified in the other world so the body should be purified and prevented putrefying fu this world, So careiully are the mummies pre- served that if a piece of mummy be macerated in warm water. it will recovier the uatural ap- pearance of fiesh, and if it be then exposed to thie action of the air it will putrefs On the wav {o the tomb the ffheral proces- sion halted on the shore of the sacred lake of its nome or department; and the seene of the Hall_of the Two Truths was ‘acted with an awe-inspiring - solemni Forty-two _judees stuod 10 hear if suy oue on_earth accuded the dead as bis own conscience was then accusing him in the bidden world. If an accusation was made and substantiated, the sentence of ex- clusion from burial was pronounced, even if the dead ‘were the Pharzoh himselt. Such is a general outline of some few of the characteristies of the religion of the ancient Tagptiuns. 1t opens up u considerable number of questions of extreme interest touching its influence on the earher religion of el from the time when Abrabam “came pear to enter into Egspt,” during the period when *Israel Egypt,” lirst 25 guests, then as slaves, brought up in the house of Pha- u “learned in all the wisdom of the Exryptians.” In later aues Egyot still stood forth'as the source of wisdom and learuinz whence flowed the culture of Greece; and still later the highest culture oud most brilliant thoustit of the Christian Church camne from the schools of Alexandris, the new cupital of the old country. % _The Egybtian religion, unaltered by the Per- sians, the Ptolemies, or the Romans, was of all uncient religions the most cbstinate in 1ts re- sistance to Christisnity. The priests of the Temple ot Osiris av Phile—** e who slceps at Philic "—opposed the cdict of Theodosius in A. D. 379, and that o successfully tuat we find 1rom the.votive tablets they were in possession solate ns 433 A. D. At leneth, however, the day came when the chants in bonor of the resurrection of Osiris gave way to cliants in homor of the risen Christ; aud the great temole was_ decicated to the martyr St. Stepben. *This good work,” says 4 Greek inseription, *ywas done by the God-beloved Abbot Theodore.” But the day ot vengeauce came, aud the Christian in bis turn was driven forth oy the triumpbant Mos- lem, and the Christian Church is now extinct in Nubiu. in the clgim which Eeypt has uvon our affections, et us never forzer that it welcomed a3 guest the patriarch to whow three groat re- lizzioas of the world, Judaism, Christianity, and Iiawm, trace back ibeir spiritual origin, *our torefather Abraham ;" and that it was the home in which tbe iniant Savior of ti:¢ worid, lying iu jlis mother's arms, found a refuge, and ihe highest signifleance was given to the words: **Qut of Egypt have L called my Son,” THE VATICAN. LXO XML AND THE $ACRED COLLEGE PAIL TO AGREE. Hartford Corant, Dec. 21. + The impression is very generdl that the new Pope, Leo XIIL, assumed office with liberal in- tentions ana a desire to reconcile the Church and State in Italy, and that thicre bes beena re- sction.in his viewsand in his policy; that Father Curci also bas retracted his liberal ntterinces aud made submission to Ultrawmontane pur- poses, ; A writer in the Contemporary Keview, who, whether he is a Catholic or not, gives evidence of thorongh acquaintaite with the internal af- fairs at the Vatican, and wbo is intimate with Der Curd, dispels these misconceptions, and satisfactorily accounts for the appearance of re- action. We vannat give here even a synopsis of his long and very interesting paper, nor the de- tails which support his conclusions. But we give zome of his conclusivns, premising that they appear to be perfectly grounded io facts. The writer attemots to set forth the attempts of Leo XIIL to reconcile the ivterests of the Cathotic Church with the peace of Civil Govern- ments, 5 The demonstrations in Italy on the death of Victor Emmanuel, and the want of them op the death of Pius IX., revealed to the most skeptical the alicnation of the people from the Holy Sce, and the stabllity jn the hearts of the people of the soliditied Kinzdom of Italy. Cardinal Manning and other outsiders bad no sooner reached; Rome than they found a current of pub- licopinion for which _they were not prepared. At the first meeting of the conclave it became evident that the Ultramontaue Cardivals had no cpance of success. Cardival Pecci, one of the most learned members of the Sacred College, who had been the abject of the profound aver- siou of -Autoncll, and had been kepe at a dis- tance from Kome, bad ju Leen uppuinted Camarlenzo. Perbaps it was the idea of Pius TX. that by conferring this apoointment on lim Ne had taken him from the list of candidates for the tigra, iu aceordance with the usual castom. But during his brief termn of office, iie had ap op- portunity to bring into prominence his character and opinions; he was believed to be waccessible to ilattery, hostile to the Jesuits, and deter- termived to reform the abuses and corruptions of the Vatican. A carrent of opinion favorable to him was at once forned in and out of the Vatican, and a carrent also iu_favor of moder- ate conrses. The election of Cardinal Pecel was brougnt about by the force ot pablic opin- iom, which was never in the avuals of the Papacy so freely and effectively brought to bear on the choice of 8 t'ope. “The election was bailed throuwrhout Italr as a pational triumph. Cardinal Mauning had bis eyts opencd to ove f “The fact is this, that the Roman Curia is esscntially Italian!” No pheuowenos in the administration of the Charch is so remarkable as the facility with whicl the Italian ecclesiastic, inferior in talcut and morals to their foreign breturen, use the foreign_influcnce to conciliate: their own power at the Panal Court. Speaking of Cardinal Man- mng and his own aspirations for the Papal throue, the writer sa, **Al the taleat and energy which be nas been excrting, and sne- cessfully exerting, at home, for the interests of _lus Church, will be found utterly powerless the Moment that he seeks toemploy toem in naking tne slightest impression on that obstinate, izno- rant, yet wost practically vulpine element in the Rowan Curia which is so thoroughly Ttalian, pay, more, so_thoroughty’ Roman. This is a characteristic of the Romen Catholic Church which deserves far more atiention than it comn- monly receives.” is tirst speech the new Pope made a mis~ Under Pius IX., the Cardinals had been appointed on account uf their subservience to the views of the Pope; the Pupe was every~ thing, tue Sacred College nothin: Byan act as generous a3 imprudent, Leo XL determined 1o restore to the College its authority. By so doing he hapded the government of the Church over to the creatures of Pius iX., not one of whom possessed his contidence, and st the moment he “beman his attempts to reform the Papai Court. In this emergency he summoned to the Vatican his brothier, the ex-priest Don Guisenpe Pec and this brothier and his private chumberlain, Mon- signor Boceali, alone have his confidence. In the important choice of Secretary of State the best selection he could make {rom the materials at his comwand was Cordinal Franchi, anapt pupil of Antouelli, smooth in words ana_de- Jusive ju promises, aboat whom_ Cardinal Pecci bad once said. * Tue Cardinal Fraochi is trank in manner and false in_chazacter.” Each knew what the other tnoucht of bim; but the Pope knew that Francbi was at leass pliable, and his appomntment was the best be could make under 21T the circumstances. Apd our uew. Secreary has entered into the views and policy of the new Pope whose supreme ambition aims at_putting and haviog the Church in relatious of friendship and peace with ali civilized States. The Sacred College §3 hostile to his_views, and no reforms can be effected unless the Pope can disentangle Dbimselt from old traditions and change tHe -ere lcd forth by the hand of Moses, e new Cardinals nature of the collee by selecl outside of che {zalian preluture. A_difficulty has ariseo in the diminution of the Papal revenue—a dropringuff of the Peter’s enee, or voluutary col utions; and the Itramontranes say_that this is_due to the ! Churen policy of the Pope. Pius IX. had agreat révenue (and much of it was wasted ip extrava- gance und was manipulated by Antonelli and other Cardinals who grew rich). and lasterly this contribution was ucreased by the idea that Piux IX. was a prisoner in the Vatican. : The eves ot the pilerims to Rome, who witnessed the crodigal luxury of the Vatican, aud failed to sce the-cell aid bed of straw of the Pope, were opencd, however, and the charity of the world has naturaily drooped off. - The invest- ments of the Holy Sce yicld annually only 1,250.000 francs, and the expense of -the admin- istration fs 7,200,000 francs. The Holy See re- fuses to acvept the anoual fucome of 3,200,000 seitied on the tapacy by tle Parliament, and there is consequently a larwe deflt. 'This is sought to bemet by fresh subscriptions: but it is evident tbat the Chiurch cannot depend unon voluntary contributions, which fluctuate accord- ing to local feeling. Much has been iwritten about the relation of Father Curci, of the views in_his pamphiet, * Il Aoderno Dissidio,” whicn had at one time the cxpressed oporoval of Cardinal Manning. The retraction that. Pius iX. required of Fathier Carci was an acknowledument of these as fand- amental doctrives of the Church: * First—The speedy re ostablishment of the temporal power of the Popes. Secund—The duty of atl sincere Catholics .to abstain from polliical clections. Third—The jmpo: 5 of co-existcuce of the Papacy and the jom of Ttaly.” Rather than submit to this, Curei vehemently sald be was ready to be cut 'to pieces; it was time to recognize the fact that Italian unity canuot be broicen up, that the nation will not consent to be divided 1pro fractions, and that it was the duty of Catnolics to take part in poli- 51:5, and not let religion and morality go to the s, 2 Father Curci was invited to the Vatican by Leo XIIL, had many intervicws with the X'nac’{ brotier and with "Cardipal Franchi. Curel inaintained bis views of the relations ofy the Church to the Government. He saw the hand of Providence ju bumun affairs, and especially in the oceupation of Bome, the coming in of an upright King and a spotless Queen, snd the estabhshment of a pure Court, which_ouziit to create 3 spirit of vmulation in the Vatican to 1 the virtue of tuie Court of the Quirinal, He Insisted taat the fiction of the *“prisoner of the Vatican ™ should be abandoned. and that Leo XIIL, who was not aculimated to the alaria of the Valley of the Vaticau, should go to the country for the summer; and he even said 1n reply to Cardinal Francbi thut the Pope ought to be readv to sacrifice his Iife for the Church, that he ought not be madea martyr to the freaks of Don Margotti and the Civitta Cattolica, aud those who thus counscled wers traitors anil fools. The result of compromises was that Father Curct did sten a retraction, which he wrore aud which ‘the Pope aitered still more in his favor, <o that he was sdmitted into the Vatican and to good terms with the Pope; but we may be sure the “retraction” wus not at 21l that demanded by Plux 1N, Desirine to zo into retreat iu the Convent of Grotta-Ferrata, armnzements were made to thar end, but just as a8 starting pressure was brought to bear by the Jesuit Fathers of Mongragone. and the ex-Jesuit was used admission. The Pope wus extremely idiznant, and Father Curei Was given tempo- rary residence I the Vatican. [fn a reported conversation of the Pope and Father Curci, it appears that they have ne great confidencd in the * zoine over’ of nostsof-Ritualistic clergy- meun of England which Cardinal Manning reports about to take place. The writer adds Lhat imany rewrard the ctforts of Carei to induce the Cathoiics to take part in politics a Jesuitical attempt to restore the ai- thority of the Church in the Government by means of Catholle control of the eiections. But the writer lays a little stress on tl The Writer closes with welancholy picture of the moral angd intelleetual degradacion of the parisi priests of Ituly. 1t 15 true pow as it sas thirty-. one years ago, when Pius 1X. said to Massimo @’ Azeglio,—+ You may find here and tacre an honest dud mtellizent parish priest, but Laking them as a body they are merc dirt ”? (yango). GENERAL NOTES. Two pricsts of the O1d Catbolic faith have re- cently zone over to the Roma Chirch in Baden. Both the Kirk and Free Cburch of Scotland hiave seut clereymen to Cyprus tocstablish mis- slons or churches. Spiritual Sonzs *? bound in American sros- grafn sillc i8 the latest novelty for fashioguble worshipers. Velvet bound books of devotion are 1ot 30 much in vozue as they were. The interference of the Jesuits with matters concerning the government of tie Chareb, es- pecially m Frauce and Belgiwun, bas induced the Holy Sce to Issue sectet but very severe iuscruc- tions, absolutely forviading the Jesuits to med? ic with diocesan affai ‘The Tab'et declares that there is hardly flish noble family that has not =iven one or more of its members as converts to the Roman Catholic Chureh, and that al) prolessions and grades of learning, rank, and title are included in the list of the converis. . A tinal reception will be given to the Rev. Dr. W. W. Everts, rerinng pastor ol the First Bap tist Chureb, to-worrow evening, in the parlors of the ehurch. The pastors of the city churches geuerally are invited, and a larze Tatbering of the Doctor's friends is exaccted. 3 The Cardinal-Vicar of Rome issued un author- izution permittine ail the churches in the ¢ty to sing a Te Deum for the preservation of the life of King Humbert. Such services were accord- ingly beld in two of the churches ab least, and were well atiended by the nobility. A new departuare in the live of Sunday-school review will he that adopted by Mr. Moody’s Sunday-scnool next Sabbath. Jvstead of re- viewing at the usual Sunday-school hour, the evening will be given to it, whea the school will be addressed by competent teachers. The Koman Catholic * Aunals of tne Propa- ganda of the Paith” claims 400,000 Catholics i New York City, of a total povuiation of 1, 000. Accordiuz to the Tast report of the *Propagands,” their expenses in _Amsrica were nearly five times as large as the receipta. The American Sunday-Schoot Union of Phila- delpma has issued two brochures—New Year's address to the Sunday-school teachers of Awer- ica_ by the Rev. John Haill, D. D., anda_siwilar address to the scholars by the Rev. Richard Newton, D. D. Botl will be founa full of good practical sugeestions. The Bishop of Uxford having declined to in- ouire into certain allesed Ritnol ractices of the Rev. Mr. Carter, of Ciewes, proceedings will snortly b taken to test the Bishop’s rient of retusal. This will test the auestion whether the Bishops have the power 10 prevent 2 layman putting the Jaw in foree. There bas been 3 disagrecment in England beuween the two Bishops of the Reformed Epis- copal Churen—Distops Grege and Sugdea—and 1 publisned caril staves that ull communications relating to thie Reformed Ciurch must now be addressed to the latter. Bishop Grege has, vn his own motion, covscerated anotuer Bistiop, hence his virtual ex-eommunicatio: A The third anpiversary of the Epiphany Chiurch Guild wil be celebrated au the church, Throop street. between Adams and Monroe, this morning o'clock. _Morning prayer and litaoy b said at 8 o'clock, the service will bein ce of the Holy Communion, the Ttey. Dr&ckoven beiuz the preacher. Brief reports will be made of the work done by the Guitd during the year. Ti:e Saancial year of the American Missionary | Association closes on Dec. 1. The Association has a debl of §30.305.59, for the dischurie of “which there haye been pledgea sums amour: 10 $0.325. Of "this amount, however, have been oiedeed on condition that the eutire debt shadl be discharged at the close of the year. The frlends of the Association have, therefore, only about three weeks fn which to complete the wors of relicf. . It is suid that itis the iotention of the En- plish Ritualists to eoliclke the services of the Bishops of the Order of the Corsorate Reunio in cases where their own Bishups decline to serve. The resalt of this actjon would bean appeal tothelaw courts ou the eround that, if the jurisdiction of the Bishop of Rome is uoi to be tecognized_or admitted in tne Church, the Bishovs of the Order of Corporate Reunion must also be denied access to its sancruarie: A pilerimage comosed of about 300°Arch- bishops and Bishops and more than 100,000 oth- er persons is orgunizing througtiout Goa, Iudia, where the bones of St Xavier, deposited there in toe mausolen De exhibited duriog three days. Great relizious ang other fefes are on the programm:. Goais the headquarters of the Koman Catholfc Chureh in fudia, and its Archbishopric- contsols 765 of the 1,035 priests ailotted to fudia, Ceylon, Bur- mah, and Siam. Sweden is divided into parishes, aod cach parish forms_a congregation, of which- everv person born in_the parish is a member. The minister is appointed cither by the Kinz, or some lay patron, or the Ecclesiastical Consistors. Duriog the last year a'considerable szitation has zone on in Sweden with 2 view to obtaining for the congregations some share in the apooint- ment of their ministers. But this agitation has met with a furious opposition from the. clergv. 1 and a Professor of Tacolozy at the Uni ot.Lund bas olainly told his peoplc that »* . | Ininister is a divine ‘=ift which a congregation ousht to_accept with humility and reverenee, aud any futerference by the congregation would be unbiblical, unchrissian, ungodly.” 3 reports of the Protestant Epis- just comoiled, show that thera are 48 dhoceses, 13 missionury districts, 63 Bish- ops, L cle 2,000 purishes, and 312,718 communican fast item shows a very Tare ivcrease. . During_thé year 66 clerzymes divd, and 193 were ordained—03 as deacans and 100 as priests. The baptisms numbered 42051, and the contitmations 25,190, ‘The total of con= tributions was 30, In the Sunday- schouls there were 263,555 schoiars. . The first anniversary of Emmanuel M. E Church will oceur on Watch-night {Dee. 31). £ quarterly meeting, love-feust, sermon by sidinr Elder Willing, baptisms, recention of members, ete., make up part of what will doubt- less prove an interesting progmmme. The evancelists Bell and Elderkein, who bezan work in this chapel 2 year ago, are expected to add to the spirit of the occaston. This soun church is located on thecorner of West Harrison and Pauling streets, and extends a cordial in- vitation to_sll people in the vicinity. Special services will contipue duringthe week of prayer. ‘The Bisbop of Rochesterhas issued & letter to his clerzy which is attractiog wide aticution in England. Inithe aays, speaking of the Ritu- alists: *“These brethren of ours are outside the faw, and it is their own act which has placed them there. Where I fina them I leave them, and what they bave made themselves that [ mnst recognize them to be. Consequently, I am compelled ‘to decline cither to contirm, preach, or perform any officlal uct'in churcies adopting ag illewal vitnal. on the simple Zround that, os oneof the Chureh’s rulers, 1 cannot even appear to condone, by my presence and ministrations, A. distinct violatlon “of the Chareh’s order.” ‘The Misston School connected with the Cen- tral Church (Prof. Swing’s) beld, their firsg Christinas festival on last Tharsda/ exening at the school-rooms cornerof Clybon’ and North aveoues. ‘There were present over 750 children, and they were all supplied with oranges, apples, und a bag of confcétionery to take Lome with them. After singing by the seholars, Mr. Frank Gilmau, the Assistant Saperintendent. made a brief Christmas aadress, and insroduced Santa Claus, admirably personated by Mr. Browo, the chorister of the school, who Was masked and costumed for the occasion. Mrs. Washburn favored the children with a Christmas hymn, and Messrs. Prior and_Cook entertained them with a cornet duett. To the great regret of the teachers and scholars, Mr. C. B. Holmes, the worthy and efficient Superiptendent of the Mis- sion, was detained at howe by iliness, and un- able’ to purticipate iu -the festivities. The seholars sent their love to Prof, Swinz and the Centrul Church for the feast of £00d things that toey had received. E. B. Trlor's “Researctes in the Early His- tory of Mankind and tne Develooment ot Cisil-, ization,” republisbed iu this conutry by Henry Holt & Co.. bears curious relations to the study of Bible history. **For instance, the Seripture narmtive declares that only a few centuries uzo the whole human race {the family of Noah) had. « full knowledge of the true God aod were 304 far ndvanced it civilization us to kuow Low to build a vessel of the size of our oceap steamers. The yuestion then arises, first: Howmauy cen- turies would br. required for memuers of a race so0 far udvanced in religious knowledge and in civitization to sink 50 oW that their best marine structure is a rft and their knowledie of divine thines next to nothing at ull? Secondly: Is barbarism and heatheuism of so recent o dare that there is full time for sach degencration this eide the days of Noah? May vot our construe- tion of the story of Nouh have to be modified to “reconcile’ it With what may be proved regard- ing the antiquity of barbarism{” This is the suggestive sumary of a tolerably “Evangel- jeul” journal. LORD BYROX'S RELIGIO: * o From w lutely-diseorered Let Tt is o listle bard to send 3 man preachiog to Judea, nud lease the rest of the world—nigaers and what got—dark as their compléxion, with= out a ray of lizht for so many years to lead therh on bizhs end who will beifeve that God will damn_men for not knowing whout tney are never taught{- I hope Iam sincere; {wassoat least on g bed of sickuess in a far-distant coun- 7%, when T had neither riend. nor comtorter, | vior hope to suctain me. 1 Jooked to death as 5 } Teiief 1rom psin, without o wish for ac after- Iife, but 8 couticence that a God Who panisies in this cxistence had Zeft that fust asylow for the weary. 1am no Platonist; Iam uothing ag sit; bug 1 would sconer be a Paulician, Ma: l chean, Spiuozist, Gentile, Pyrrhonian, Zoroa: ian, than one of the seventy-iwo villianos s 1o are tearing cach other to pieces for e love | of the Lord and hatred of each other. ‘Talk of Galilegism? Sk ¥au bet- ter, wiser, Kinder by your precepts¢ L wili orine fussatmans who snall shame ¢ you ten van uil in zeod-will toward men, prayees to God, aud "duty to their neizhbos PERSONALS. In New York relizious circles Bob Ingersoll is kpown as the *Illinois ichthycssurus.”” Spurzeon says that zoinizto America to escape cexcitement would be like visiting the tropics to escape the heat. He bs suflering severely from roeumatic attacks aud needs rest. There is now living in the Province of Ontario, Canada, a Catholic priest named Jokn Mzcdon- ald, who is 97 years of are, and has been more than seventy years in the priesthood. Prof. Swine sags: *Talmage may be sincere. Only tiis is evideot beyond doubt—that the cldérs who Iabored Jouz and fafthfully to hck their beloved cub into shape did not meet with avy valuable success.” The secession of Lord James Batler from the TIrish Episcopal Church, on aceount of dissatis- Tfuction with the revised prayer-book, has bezn followed by the Rev. St. George Freach, a prom- incot clerzyman, for the same reason. Prof. Winchell has been dismissed from the Vanderbilt University at Nasbville, Tenn., for imparging to his students his latest scientific Qiscoveries and vonvictivns, which proved not to narmom.ze ulways witt: the doctrinal uotions of his associates. The Anglican Bishop of Carlisle, England, has withdrawn the license of the Rev. Michael Hos- lam, curate of Maryport, for having protested vehemently fu: the parish (uot havingz been al- luwed to preach a sermon he had _prepared o the matter} awainst the imFrupl‘ifly of fruit having been placed on the holy table 2t & recent harvest festival. 2 Last Sunday the Rev. Dr. Budiogton resizned. ihe pastorate of the Clinton Asente Congreza- tional Church, New York, which he had™ held siuce its organization 1o 1 His reason for severing his relutions with the church is the long cessation from active work advised by his pysi- cians on aeeount of the cancer in the wouth from which ne has been safferiag since last May, aud the conviction that the church and congre- zation need the services of a pastor at once. No actien has been taken by the churen. Last May, Dr. -Budington was affccted with caucer in tue lett portiou of his tower lip. By the aavice of s physiclan, Dr. J. C. Hutcni- so, of Braoklyn, in consultation with Dr. Par- ker, of this city, o partial excision was made, whieh ' (v was hoped would prove suflicient. When partially recovered, Dr. Budiuzton weut to Enrope to pass the summer. and in Loadoa found the disease returning, and had a second peration performed by emnipent surzeous, who wrrote to Dr. Hutebisyn that the symptoms wera {avorahie fur a _complete recovery. ey, In October lust he returned in good spirits, and worked for 4 short time, wbeu e fournd that the discase had not been eradicated. . A complete excigion of the affected part wus then made, a trianzulur piece peing removed from the lip. Since the op~ cratfon he bas been doing well, 20d acomplets recovery is aunticipated. Dr. Storrs said yes~ torday afternoous that there was no tea- son to doudt that ‘Dr. Budington’s recove ery would be a3 rupid as ine of the case admitted. but that it depended tpon rest aod freedom from care and anxiety; and ho hiad unquestionably taken the Wisest conrse. in resigning his pastorate. ‘There hiad been, be said, an unusaxl pumber of deatts fo gregation resently,—seven in four wreeks; Dr. Budington’s svmpatkics had been greatiy excited. 1is nervous system hud been atlected by bis sufleriugs, aud it would be better fur him got to have the care of his CONZrEEatvg v bis suind. Dr. Storrs said be bad koown Lis friend for mote than thirty years, and $poks warily of his cbaracter, his Christian Liouos, purity, and truth. SUNDAY HUMOR. A sounz man ran away with a veszel the other day. It was in full rig. and the theft was 2 very crafty one. It was one of St. Paul’s **weaker vessels.” e Bishop Simpson, who is not zeperally given to joktag, said ia his sccond Yale lecture, «Jonzk fled, and woald not 2o to Nivevek uutit atter he had been will whaled.” - wSpeaking of razors,” said the obsequions barber, as he tendered chanee for a quarter, 1 ° believe Adam and Eve were the first raisers, were they not?” The customer replied, ** Ap- parently.” o Lady castomer—“My little boy wishes for a Noah's ark. Have you'onet” Toyman—* No,