In an age of ignorance wonders abound, prodigies occur, and miracles become common, The untaught masses are easily deceived, and their unreasoning credulity enables them to proudly boast of their unquestioning faith. When their feelings are excited and their passions aroused by professional evangelists, they even profess to believe that which they cannot comprehend; and, in the satirical language of Bulwer, they endeavor to “_assist their ignorance by the conjectures of their superstition_.”
Among the multitudes of diverse and opposing religions which afflict mankind, it is self-evident that but one religion may justly claim the inspiration of truth, and it is equally evident to all reasoning minds that that religion is the religion of kindness and humanity,--the religion of noble thoughts and generous deeds,--which removes the enmities of race and creed, and “makes the whole world kin!” And which, in its observance is blessed with sympathy, friendship, happiness and love.
This religion needs no creed, no profession of faith, no incense, no prayer, no penance, no sacrifice. Its whole duty consists in comforting the afflicted, assisting the unfortunate, protecting the helpless, and in honestly fulfilling our duties to our fellow mortals. In the language of Confucius, the ancient Chinese Sage, it is simply “to behave to others as I would require others to behave to me.”
“Do unto others as you would they should do unto you,” says Jesus; and in the Epistle of James, we are told that “Pure Religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.”
The same benign and generous conduct is commended in even grander and nobler language in the lectures to the French Masonic Lodges: “Love one another, teach one another, help one another. That is all our doctrine, all our science, all our law.”
It is believed that the learned dissertation of Lord Brougham on the _Origin of Evil_, which is annexed to this work, will need no commendation to ensure its careful perusal.
THE FALLEN STAR, or, THE HISTORY OF A FALSE RELIGION
And the Stars sat, each on his ruby throne, and watched with sleepless eyes upon the world. It was the night ushering in the new year, a night on which every star receives from the archangel that then visits the universal galaxy, its peculiar charge.