As soon as he has entered upon the journey of life, the church admits him into its fold by the rite3 of Baptism which is conferred upon him at a time when he himself is irresponsible; later, when his mentality4 has been somewhat developed, he ratifies5 that contract and is admitted to Communion, where bread is broken and wine is sipped6 in memory of the Founder7 of our faith. Still further upon life’s journey comes the sacrament of Marriage; and at last when the race has been run and the spirit again withdraws to God who gave it, the earth body is consigned8 to the dust, whence38 it was derived9, accompanied by the blessings10 of the church.
In our Protestant times the spirit of protest is rampant12 in the extreme, and dissenters13 everywhere raise their voices in rebellion against the fancied arrogance14 of the priesthood and deprecate the sacraments as mere15 mummery. On account of that attitude of mind these functions have become of little or no effect in the life of the community; dissensions have arisen even among churchmen themselves, and sect16 after sect has divorced itself from the original apostolic congregation.
Despite all protests the various doctrines17 and sacraments of the church are, nevertheless, the very keystones in the arch of evolution, for they inculcate morals of the loftiest nature; and even materialistic19 scientists, such as Huxley, have admitted that while self-protection brings about “the survival of the fittest” in the animal kingdom and is therefore the basis of animal evolution, self-sacrifice is the fostering principle of human advancement20. When that is the case among mere mortals, we may well believe that it must be so to a still greater extent in the Divine Author of our being.
Among animals might is right, but we recognize that the weak have a claim to the protection of the strong. The butterfly lays its eggs on the underside of a green leaf and goes off without another care for their well-being21. In mammals the mother instinct is39 strongly developed, and we see the lioness caring for her cubs22 and ready to defend them with her life; but not until the human kingdom is reached does the father commence to share fully23 in the responsibility as a parent. Among savages24 the care of the young practically ends with attainment25 of physical ability to care for themselves, but the higher we ascend26 in civilization the longer the young receive care from their parents, and the more stress is laid upon mental education so that when maturity27 has been reached the battle of life may be fought from the mental rather than from the physical point of vantage; for the further we proceed along the path of development the more we shall experience the power of mind over matter. By the more and more prolonged self-sacrifice of parents, the race is becoming more delicate, but what we lose in material ruggedness28 we gain in spiritual perceptibility.
As this faculty29 grows stronger and more developed, the craving30 of the spirit immured31 in this earthly body voices itself more loudly in a demand for understanding of the spiritual side of development. Wallace and Darwin, Huxley and Spencer, pointed32 out how evolution of form is accomplished33 in nature; Ernest Haeckel attempted to solve the riddle34 of the universe, but no one of them could satisfactorily explain away the Divine Author of what we see. The great goddess, Natural Selection, is being forsaken35 by one after another of her devotees as the years go by. Even Haeckel, the arch materialist18, in his last years showed an40 almost hysterical36 anxiety to make a place for God in his system, and the day will come in a not far distant future when science will have become as thoroughly37 religious as religion itself. The church, on the other hand, though still extremely conservative is nevertheless slowly abandoning its autocratic dogmatism and becoming more scientific in its explanations. Thus in time we shall see the union of science and religion as it existed in the ancient mystery temples, and when that point has been reached, the doctrines and sacraments of the church will be found to rest upon immutable38 cosmic laws of no less importance than the law of gravity which maintains the marching orbs39 in their paths around the sun. As the points of the equinoxes and solstices are turning points in the cyclic path of a planet, marked by festivals such as Christmas and Easter, so birth into the physical world, admission to the church, to the state of matrimony, and finally the exit from physical life, are points in the cyclic path of the human spirit around its central source—God, which are marked by the sacraments of baptism, communion, marriage, and the last blessing11.
We will now consider the rite of baptism. Much has been said by dissenters, against the practice of taking an infant into church and promising40 for it a religious life. Heated arguments concerning sprinkling versus41 plunging42 have resulted in division of churches. If we wish to obtain the true idea of baptism, we must revert43 to the early history of the human race as recorded in41 the Memory of Nature. All that has ever happened is indelibly pictured in the ether as a moving picture is imprinted44 upon a sensitized film, which picture can be reproduced upon a screen at any moment. The pictures in the Memory of Nature may be viewed by the trained seer, even though millions of years have elapsed since the scenes there portrayed45 were enacted46 in life.
When we consult that unimpeachable47 record it appears that there was a time when that which is now our earth came out of chaos48, dark and unformed, as the Bible states. The currents developed in this misty49 mass by spiritual agencies, generated heat, and the mass ignited at the time when we are told that God said, “Let there be light.” The heat of the fiery50 mass and the cold space surrounding it generated moisture; the fire mist became surrounded by water which boiled, and steam was projected into the atmosphere; thus “God divided the water ... from the waters ..42.”—the dense51 water which was nearest the fire mist from the steam (which is water in suspension), as stated in the Bible.
When water containing sediment52 is boiled over and over it deposits scale, and similarly the water surrounding our planet finally formed a crust around the fiery core. The Bible further informs us that a mist went up from the ground, and we may well conceive how the moisture was gradually evaporated from our planet in those early days.
Ancient myths are usually regarded as superstitions53 nowadays, but in reality each of them contains a great spiritual truth in pictorial54 symbols. These fantastic stories were given to infant humanity to teach them moral lessons which their newborn intellects were not yet fitted to receive. They were taught by myths—much as we teach our children by picture books and fables—lessons beyond their intellectual comprehension.
One of the greatest of these folk stories is ”The Ring of the Niebelung”, which tells of a wonderful treasure hidden under the waters of the Rhine. It was a lump of gold in its natural state. Placed upon a high rock, it illuminated55 the entire submarine scenery where water nymphs sported about innocently in gladsome frolic. But one of the Niebelungs, imbued56 with greed, stole the treasure, carried it out of the water, and fled. It was impossible for him, however, to shape it until he had forsworn love. Then he fashioned it into a ring which gave him power over all the treasures of earth, but at the same time it inaugurated dissension and strife57. For its sake, friend betrayed friend, brother slew58 brother, and everywhere it caused oppression, sorrow, sin, and death, until it was at last restored to the watery59 element and the earth was consumed in flames. But later there arose, like the new phoenix60 from the ashes of the old bird, a new heaven and a new earth where righteousness was re-established.
43
That old folk story gives a wonderful picture of human evolution. The name Niebelungen is derived from the German words, nebel (which means mist), and ungen (which means children). Thus the word Niebelungen means children of the mist, and it refers back to the time when humanity lived in the foggy atmosphere surrounding our earth at the stage in its development previously61 mentioned. There infant humanity lived in one vast brotherhood62, innocent of all evil as the babe of today, and illuminated by the Universal Spirit symbolized63 as the Rhinegold which shed its light upon the water nymphs of our story. But in time the earth cooled more and more; the fog condensed and flooded depressions upon the surface of the earth with water; the atmosphere cleared; the eyes of man were opened and he perceived himself as a separate ego64. Then the Universal Spirit of love and solidarity65 was superseded66 by egotism and self-seeking.
That was the rape67 of the Rhinegold, and sorrow, sin, strife, treachery, and murder have given place to the childlike love which existed among humanity in that primal68 state when they dwelt in the watery atmosphere of long ago. Gradually this tendency is becoming more and more marked, and the curse of selfishness grows more and more apparent. “Man’s inhumanity to man” hangs like a funeral pall69 over the earth, and must inevitably70 bring about destruction of existing conditions. The whole creation is44 groaning71 and travailing, waiting for the day of redemption, and the Western Religion strikes the keynote of the way to attainment when it exhorts72 us to love our neighbor as we love ourselves; for then egotism will be abrogated73 for universal brotherhood and love.
Therefore, when a person is admitted to the church, which is a spiritual institution where love and brotherhood are the mainsprings of action, it is appropriate to carry him under the waters of baptism in symbol of the beautiful condition of childlike innocence74 and love which prevailed when mankind dwelt under the mist in that bygone period. At that time the eyes of infant man had not yet been opened to the material advantages of this world. The little child which is brought into the church has not yet become aware of the allurements75 of life either, and others obligate themselves to guide it to lead a holy life according to the best of their ability, because experience gained since the Flood has taught us that the broad way of the world is strewn with pain, sorrow, and disappointment; that only by following the straight and narrow way can we escape death and enter into life everlasting76.
Thus we see that there is a wonderfully deep, mystic significance behind the sacrament of baptism; that it is to remind us of the blessings attendant upon those who are members of a brotherhood where self-seeking is put into the background and where service to others45 is the keynote and mainspring of action. While we are in the world, he is the greatest who can most successfully dominate others. In the church we have Christ’s definition,46 “He who would be the greatest among you, let him be the servant of all.”
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1
Christian
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| adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒 | |
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doctrine
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| n.教义；主义；学说 | |
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rite
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| n.典礼，惯例，习俗 | |
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mentality
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| n.心理，思想，脑力 | |
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ratifies
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| v.批准，签认（合约等）( ratify的第三人称单数 ) | |
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sipped
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| v.小口喝，呷，抿( sip的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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Founder
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| n.创始者，缔造者 | |
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consigned
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| v.把…置于（令人不快的境地）( consign的过去式和过去分词 )；把…托付给；把…托人代售；丟弃 | |
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derived
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| vi.起源；由来；衍生；导出v.得到( derive的过去式和过去分词 )；（从…中）得到获得；源于；（从…中）提取 | |
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blessings
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| n.（上帝的）祝福( blessing的名词复数 )；好事；福分；因祸得福 | |
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blessing
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| n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿 | |
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rampant
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| adj.(植物)蔓生的；狂暴的，无约束的 | |
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dissenters
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| n.持异议者，持不同意见者( dissenter的名词复数 ) | |
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arrogance
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| n.傲慢，自大 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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sect
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| n.派别，宗教，学派，派系 | |
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doctrines
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| n.教条( doctrine的名词复数 )；教义；学说；（政府政策的）正式声明 | |
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materialist
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| n. 唯物主义者 | |
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materialistic
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| a.唯物主义的，物质享乐主义的 | |
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advancement
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| n.前进，促进，提升 | |
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well-being
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| n.安康，安乐，幸福 | |
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cubs
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| n.幼小的兽，不懂规矩的年轻人( cub的名词复数 ) | |
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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savages
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| 未开化的人，野蛮人( savage的名词复数 ) | |
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attainment
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| n.达到，到达；［常pl.］成就，造诣 | |
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ascend
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| vi.渐渐上升，升高；vt.攀登，登上 | |
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maturity
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| n.成熟；完成；(支票、债券等)到期 | |
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ruggedness
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| 险峻，粗野； 耐久性； 坚固性 | |
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faculty
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| n.才能；学院，系；(学院或系的)全体教学人员 | |
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craving
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| n.渴望,热望 | |
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immured
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| v.禁闭，监禁( immure的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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riddle
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| n.谜，谜语，粗筛；vt.解谜，给…出谜，筛，检查，鉴定，非难，充满于；vi.出谜 | |
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Forsaken
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| adj. 被遗忘的, 被抛弃的 动词forsake的过去分词 | |
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hysterical
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| adj.情绪异常激动的，歇斯底里般的 | |
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thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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immutable
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| adj.不可改变的，永恒的 | |
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orbs
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| abbr.off-reservation boarding school 在校寄宿学校n.球，天体，圆形物( orb的名词复数 ) | |
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promising
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| adj.有希望的，有前途的 | |
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versus
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| prep.以…为对手，对；与…相比之下 | |
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plunging
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| adj.跳进的，突进的v.颠簸( plunge的现在分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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43
revert
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| v.恢复，复归，回到 | |
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imprinted
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| v.盖印（imprint的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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portrayed
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| v.画像( portray的过去式和过去分词 )；描述；描绘；描画 | |
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enacted
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| 制定（法律），通过（法案）( enact的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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unimpeachable
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| adj.无可指责的；adv.无可怀疑地 | |
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48
chaos
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| n.混乱，无秩序 | |
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49
misty
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| adj.雾蒙蒙的，有雾的 | |
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50
fiery
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| adj.燃烧着的，火红的；暴躁的；激烈的 | |
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51
dense
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| a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的 | |
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sediment
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| n.沉淀，沉渣，沉积(物) | |
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superstitions
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| 迷信，迷信行为( superstition的名词复数 ) | |
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pictorial
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| adj.绘画的；图片的；n．画报 | |
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illuminated
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| adj.被照明的；受启迪的 | |
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56
imbued
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| v.使（某人/某事）充满或激起（感情等）( imbue的过去式和过去分词 )；使充满；灌输；激发（强烈感情或品质等） | |
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strife
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| n.争吵，冲突，倾轧，竞争 | |
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slew
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| v.（使）旋转；n.大量，许多 | |
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watery
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| adj.有水的，水汪汪的；湿的，湿润的 | |
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phoenix
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| n.凤凰，长生(不死)鸟；引申为重生 | |
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previously
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| adv.以前，先前（地） | |
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brotherhood
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| n.兄弟般的关系，手中情谊 | |
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symbolized
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| v.象征，作为…的象征( symbolize的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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ego
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| n.自我，自己，自尊 | |
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solidarity
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| n.团结；休戚相关 | |
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superseded
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| [医]被代替的，废弃的 | |
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rape
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| n.抢夺，掠夺，强奸；vt.掠夺，抢夺，强奸 | |
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primal
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| adj.原始的；最重要的 | |
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pall
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| v.覆盖，使平淡无味；n.柩衣，棺罩；棺材；帷幕 | |
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inevitably
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| adv.不可避免地；必然发生地 | |
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groaning
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| adj. 呜咽的, 呻吟的 动词groan的现在分词形式 | |
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exhorts
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| n.劝勉者，告诫者，提倡者( exhort的名词复数 )v.劝告，劝说( exhort的第三人称单数 ) | |
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abrogated
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| 废除（法律等）( abrogate的过去式和过去分词 )； 取消； 去掉； 抛开 | |
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innocence
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| n.无罪；天真；无害 | |
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allurements
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| n.诱惑( allurement的名词复数 )；吸引；诱惑物；有诱惑力的事物 | |
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everlasting
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| adj.永恒的，持久的，无止境的 | |
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