Current:

Leader (1850-1860), 24th August 1850, Edition Country of 1, Page 16, 520 H£t)t ZLeaitet. [Saturday,

Page 16
Page 16
16 of 24

On this page

  • Text (3)
  • Transcript

    • Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.

      Additionally, when viewing full transcripts, extracted text may not be in the same order as the original document.

      Wordsworth's " Preludlfi." [We Have Rece...

      force of the ignorant majority an advantage over the moral power of the truth-seeing and truth-seeking minority . He who abuses a man because he disagrees with him will persecute him , and would damn him ; and it is because I admire the courage with which , in your pages , you have generally exposed this sin , for sin I call it , in foe or friend , that I musr entreat you to reconsider your a > sertion , that this " man was more arrogant , narrow-minded , and selfish than any poet we evr heard of , " because he sometimes devoted his powers to what you are pleased to term the

      " trivial" object of proving that no man is isolated from his race either by his strength or weakness , but that we are each of us bound to all his fellows , not even excluding the " Idiot Boy and his silly mother , " and even though while himself , in his life and conversation , the light and warmth of a large social circle , some of his verses do exhort us " to shun cities and the haunts of men , and , shutting ourselves in mountain solitudes , there , among roaring cataracts and gliding streams , to impregnate our minds with the solemnities of landscape nature . "

      W . E . F . [ Our answer would be very lengthy if we deemed it necessary to explain our review , and explain away our correspondent's misconception of it ; but with reference to the ** selfishness" charged against Wordsworth , and especially " the solitary selfworship" of his life , we are content to let the matter rest with those who did know him ; and , not to trench upon private sources , we will simply refer to Mr . De Quincey ' s ** Autobiography of an Opium

      Eater , " in Tail ' s Magazine ( nor will W . E . F . deny the ample knowledge of Wordsworth ' s real nature , or the unbounded , admiration for his genius , possessed by Mr . De Quincey ) , as bearing out all we said . Our impression of Wordsworth ' s character is , as we said , derived partly from the study of his ¦ works , but more from the reports of those who knew him and admired him . If that impression is erroneous , let it be shown to he so . We have no personal feeling or interest in the matter . ]

      520 H£T)T Zleaitet. [Saturday,

      520 H £ t ) t ZLeaitet . [ Saturday ,

      Religion. August 19, 1850. Sib,—In My Fi...

      RELIGION . August 19 , 1850 . Sib , —In my first letter I defined Religion to consist in the recognition of a comrron nature , destiny , and faith . It is essential that all should acknowledge the rights of that humanity of which all partake . I do not allude to metaphysical rights , which may be disputed , but to positive rights , which admit of no 'dispute . Unquestionable is the right which each has to develop his physical , his moral , and his intellectual nature , equally with all the members of the society to which he belongs , subject to no conditions but

      those which grow out of that individual nature , or which arise from that collective humanity in which he is included . The acceptance by all of the doetrine which teaches reverence for the human worth that resides in each , will create a feeling whose cementing force will construct and sustain that church or brotherhood which the dogmas of the pre went day , as of past ages , have been impotent to realize . The extension of the sympathetic sentiment from the family to society ; the conviction that our ideal of justice requires us to make the greatest possible approximation to that ideal embodied in the formula of equal awards to equal claims : the

      growing" desire now rapidly possessing itself of every ju . » t and gentle soul to impart to all those material and spiritual advantages which he himself enjoys , will one day inauguiate thsit true equality which consists not in the possession of equal intelligence or of equal power , still loss of equal property , but in the investiture of all by all , with the right of equal development in the admission of all by all into that one family which has for its futliev the God of justice and love ; in a word , an equality which comists in the glad and hearty recognition that we are all of one nature , have one origin , one destiny , one faith ; are all equally men . This conviction will not be subversive of order . On

      the contrary , as men really feel and act on the sentiment of a common humanity , a readiness will manifest itself on the part of the less intelligent mid the less moral to accept gladly and obey loyally the leudorship of the bust and wisest , their own freely choi-cii and joyfully accredited officers . And thus , from the perception of a common origin and a commun nature , will the idea of a common destiny evolve itself . From the interpretation of the material world we hhall proceed to the subjugation and enjoyment uf it . Human culture will bo accelerated and matured .

      Men will be educated in a manner harmonizing with Lhcir constitution . Knowledge will be communicated l > y genial and living methods , for we shall then have iu tinned to the po > session of a catholic Science pervading and animating all sectarian sciences ; There will then be no question about secular and religious education , for theology will bo exploded , and it will \ w . scon thut Keli » ion consists in reverence for God and human worth ; in faith in the wisdom and goodness ot" tho divim ; action in the universe ; in the love of what is noUu and beautiful in life and thought ; in thu free enquiry after truth , for every truth i . s u revolution ; and iti the diligent endeavour to disyoMT ihu st : ttuUM of the Ktornnl , and faithful ! v

      to obey them . The obligation under which all lie to cooperate in every enterprize that has for its object the welfare of the human race will then be generally acknowledged ; and in a society pervaded by a sentiment of justice all will earn what they enjoy , or , at least , the exceptions to this rule will be very few . It is evident that some ages must elapse before this social condition can be consummated . But it is time that men should avow their convictions and make some approach to the realization of them . For a long time their work will be chiefly of a destructive

      character ; for it is essential to the progress of humanity that the now dominant ideas should be supplanted by those which alone can preside over the destinies of society , such as society now is . Especially is this the case with our theological ideas , nearly all of which are of an exclusive and disintegrating character . They serve only to keep men apart ; they can never bind them together . They will multiply sects , but they will found no church . We waste our intellect , our time , our money , in discussing topics which it is an outrage to the human mind to make subjects of discussion at all , and in

      endeavouring to effect objects that are happily inexecutable by us—as the conversion of the negro and savage to a theological creed , unluckily as hideous and degrading , but luckily as unintelligible , as any dogmatic religion that has ever bewildered the intellect of man or confused his moral sentiment . The abandonment of this creed will make it possible for men to approach and understand each other . It will ceconomize our resources . It will _ remove many obstacles to the consideration and adjustment of the questions of education , suffrage , and organization of labour . We shall then base our institutions on the

      great facts of the universe ; for when the pretended laws of God are dismissed from sight we shall have clear discernment Jor the actual and universal statutes which alone can avail for the governance of future generations . Yours faithfully , M . C .

      The Lost Keys.—No. Iii. Aug. 14,1850. Si...

      THE LOST KEYS . —No . III . Aug . 14 , 1850 . Sir , —All our authors allow that not many centuries back our forefathers existed during what are called the dark ages . It is admitted , also , that the priesthood then held the mastery of men ' s minds , and that for any one to have a different opinion from that of his confessor was certain to entail upon him the punishment of heaven through the medium of man . It was during these dark ages that the King claimed the body and the Church the soul . Not only was man thus , during his lifetime , divided for

      the welfare of others , but at his death he was not released ; for the priest further claimed a right in the disposal of the soul during infinite eternity ; and no one could be released from this priestly purgatory unless he had money or means to bribe his fellowcreature to persuade his God to giant him salvation . Well may it be said that gold was the god of all religions . It even now can smother vice , and transform wickedness into virtue . It is the clerical passport into heaven , and without it , according to some creeds , none can be saved . Well did the mystagogues name the largest and heaviest golden coins

      •• am / els , " and the less valuable " crowns" and " nobles . " But thia is an age wherein people have so long been blessed with peace that they have had time to seek alter truth . And the grand and mysterious keys by which truth may be read are being sought alter , not only by the learned priesthood , but also by the multitude . Some forty or rifty years back a deputation of learned Europeans waited upon certain Eastern Biahmirucal leaders for the purpose of obtaining answers to sundry

      questions , one was , ' Should truth be told at all times ?" And the answer returned was , «« Yes ! but to the Brahmins only V * I am not vain enough to offer an opinion as to whether truth should or should not be publicly exposed . AVe find vast numbers of statues of Hurpocrates transmitted from the learned ancients ; these are differently figured among different people ; and , as I have explained , the Masons retained the mystic truths in their lodges , and had it not been considered advisable that the truth should be

      concealed from the multitude , in all probability the figures never Avould have been sculptured , and Masonry , and tho other * ' orders " which emanated therefrom , would never have existed . Whether it be advisable to give the peer and the pauper tho sumo education must be left for the consideration of others far better able than I am to judge what may ultimatel y be tho result of equalizing the inind of men , whilst wealth and necessaries of life remain so unequally distributed . Leaving , however , such matters to others , I will , agreeable to my promise , proco ( ( I with an explanation of the feasts of the Church of England .

      Having drawn the attention of tho reader to the fact that tho ancient mystogogues invariably pictured the Saviour with the sun behind his head , it maj ' , perhaps , not surprise some persons should nil our Church feasts be traced to the sun ' s motion . The Magi of Zoroaster consisted of the sun and twentv-f ' our Mneri or elders : —

      " And the four and twenty elders , which sat before God on their scats , fell upon their faces , and worshipped God . "—Rev . xi . 16 . According to the Church of England IPrayer Boo k there are twenty-four feasts , and with the ascension of the Saviour twenty -five . There are in the Church . Prayer Book twenty-seven sun days , all possessing descriptive names , and then comes Trinity , and

      twenty-five unmeaning or blank Sundays . * Allowing Trinity to be the third quarter of the circle of the year , it will tally with the sun going down at the autumnal equinox , so that , from the time of the setting of the sun until the rising at the vernal equinox , would require twenty-six sun days , or exactly half the year . The time set aside for the daily worship , or devotion , is matins , or sunrise , high mass at noon , or when the sun is high or on the meridian , and at vespers , sunset .

      The da } r s of the week are of solar and planetary origin . Thus , without minutely rendering a full explanation , we have Moon , Luna die Monday . Mars die Tuesday . Woden , or Mercurie die Wednesday . Thors , or Jove die Thursday . Ventre , or Venerie die Friday . Saturn dag Saturday . And the last , which with the Christians has become the first , is SuN-etay . I have observed that probably the tribes and apostles also typified the zodiacal signs , and that the Hebrews carried those signs on their banners . Were I to assert there were more zodiacs than one , probably some of our learned would smile ; and were I to tell them that our year is composed of ten months I should actually be laughed at . As regards the zodiacs , however , I may observe that , unless seven different zodiacs can be constructed , there will be no reading of any of the sacred mysteries by means of the masonic keys .

      Our month July , we are told , on what is called unquestionable authority , was formerly Quintilis , the fifth , till Julius Csesar altered it : and August was Sextilis , the sixth , till Octavius ( the eighth ) pleased to call it Augustus ; now , following August comes September , the seventh , Octo , the eighth , Novem , the ninth , and Decem , the tenth 1 . Janus , or January , we all know to be theirs * , and if any one can unriddle the mystery , why there are actually ten and yet twelve month 9 in the year , he must , to a certain extent , be master of the mystic keys , and can assuredly explain two of the zodiacs .

      " Take thee ten pieces : for thus saith the Lord , the God of Israel , Behold , I will rend the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon , and will give ten tribes to thee . " — 1 Kings , xi . 31 . Solomon is a compound , and , if more correctly written , would be Sol-Aum-On . As regards the full zodiac , we need but compare the houses of the sun to so many gates , and then we can understand the passage , " And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain , and showed me that great oity , the holy Jerusalem , descending out of heaven irom God . " Having the glory of God : and her light was like unto a stone most precious , even like a jasper stone , clear as crystal ;

      " And had a wall great and high , and had twelve gates , and at the gates twelve angels , and names writteu thereon , which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel . " And the wall of the city had twelve foundations , and in them the names of the twtlve apostles of the Lamb . —Rev . xxi . 10 , 11 , 12 , 14 . The lost tribes may probably occupy a portion of a future paper ; suffice , let us return to the feasts . The most celebrated is that of Cross mass , or Christ-mass . According to the Masonic Keys , 1850 year- back the sun at the winter solstice ( or say 22 nd December ) , was actually on the alpha of Crux , the Southern Cross , and passing that brilliant star and remaining almost he from the hidden

      motionless three days , rose again state after having boon incarcerated in what the Budhists to this day call the cave " mcrkere . " As we are well aware , three days after Christ was crucified he rose again . But the reader will say I have confounded the birth with the death . I have done nothing of the kind ; we call the birthday X or croj-s-mass day , and the Egyptians represented the same peri od and the birth of the new year by the Crux Ansata—the cross of life or salvation . Tho sun being on Crux , the Southern Cross , the earth would ( according to the mystic keys ) be at the north with ( A . ) lambda of Auriua , and also with Apollo—Adonis-or thoAdonai . With Auriga are pictured two lambs

      united , " Let us be glad and rejoice , and gi % -e honour to him : for the marriage of the Lamb is come , and his wife hath made herself ready . "—Rev . xix . 7 . Easter , or the Eastern feast , is held as near as may be at the vernal equinox , when the sun rises in the East at the equator . The Hebrews regulate their year by the moon and the sun , and they at one period or the year rectify their solar and lunar tables . The twenty-seven solar day * find the twenty-six Sntnrnalinn days aive fifty-three Sundays for the year . Fifty-two iv « eKs make the year , but frequently fifty-three Sundays are required .

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Aug. 24, 1850, page 16, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_24081850/page/16/