the golden bough-第37节

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n；　manifested　the　light　of　Gunputty　to　a　dark　world。　The　last　of　the　direct　line；　a　heavy…looking　god　with　very　weak　eyes；　died　in　the　year　1810。　But　the　cause　of　truth　was　too　sacred；　and　the　value　of　the　church　property　too　considerable；　to　allow　the　Brahmans　to　contemplate　with　equanimity　the　unspeakable　loss　that　would　be　sustained　by　a　world　which　knew　not　Gunputty。　Accordingly　they　sought　and　found　a　holy　vessel　in　whom　the　divine　spirit　of　the　master　had　revealed　itself　anew；　and　the　revelation　has　been　happily　continued　in　an　unbroken　succession　of　vessels　from　that　time　to　this。　But　a　mysterious　law　of　spiritual　economy；　whose　operation　in　the　history　of　religion　we　may　deplore　though　we　cannot　alter；　has　decreed　that　the　miracles　wrought　by　the　god…man　in　these　degenerate　days　cannot　compare　with　those　which　were　wrought　by　his　predecessors　in　days　gone　by；　and　it　is　even　reported　that　the　only　sign　vouchsafed　by　him　to　the　present　generation　of　vipers　is　the　miracle　of　feeding　the　multitude　whom　he　annually　entertains　to　dinner　at　Chinchvad。

A　Hindoo　sect；　which　has　many　representatives　in　Bombay　and　Central　India；　holds　that　its　spiritual　chiefs　or　Maharajas；　as　they　are　called；　are　representatives　or　even　actual　incarnations　on　earth　of　the　god　Krishna。　And　as　Krishna　looks　down　from　heaven　with　most　favour　on　such　as　minister　to　the　wants　of　his　successors　and　vicars　on　earth；　a　peculiar　rite　called　Self…devotion　has　been　instituted；　whereby　his　faithful　worshippers　make　over　their　bodies；　their　souls；　and；　what　is　perhaps　still　more　important；　their　worldly　substance　to　his　adorable　incarnations；　and　women　are　taught　to　believe　that　the　highest　bliss　for　themselves　and　their　families　is　to　be　attained　by　yielding　themselves　to　the　embraces　of　those　beings　in　whom　the　divine　nature　mysteriously　coexists　with　the　form　and　even　the　appetites　of　true　humanity。

Christianity　itself　has　not　uniformly　escaped　the　taint　of　these　unhappy　delusions；　indeed　it　has　often　been　sullied　by　the　extravagances　of　vain　pretenders　to　a　divinity　equal　to　or　even　surpassing　that　of　its　great　Founder。　In　the　second　century　Montanus　the　Phrygian　claimed　to　be　the　incarnate　Trinity；　uniting　in　his　single　person　God　the　Father；　God　the　Son；　and　God　the　Holy　Ghost。　Nor　is　this　an　isolated　case；　the　exorbitant　pretension　of　a　single　ill…balanced　mind。　From　the　earliest　times　down　to　the　present　day　many　sects　have　believed　that　Christ；　nay　God　himself；　is　incarnate　in　every　fully　initiated　Christian；　and　they　have　carried　this　belief　to　its　logical　conclusion　by　adoring　each　other。　Tertullian　records　that　this　was　done　by　his　fellow…Christians　at　Carthage　in　the　second　century；　the　disciples　of　St。　Columba　worshipped　him　as　an　embodiment　of　Christ；　and　in　the　eighth　century　Elipandus　of　Toledo　spoke　of　Christ　as　a　god　among　gods；　meaning　that　all　believers　were　gods　just　as　truly　as　Jesus　himself。　The　adoration　of　each　other　was　customary　among　the　Albigenses；　and　is　noticed　hundreds　of　times　in　the　records　of　the　Inquisition　at　Toulouse　in　the　early　part　of　the　fourteenth　century。

In　the　thirteenth　century　there　arose　a　sect　called　the　Brethren　and　Sisters　of　the　Free　Spirit；　who　held　that　by　long　and　assiduous　contemplation　any　man　might　be　united　to　the　deity　in　an　ineffable　manner　and　become　one　with　the　source　and　parent　of　all　things；　and　that　he　who　had　thus　ascended　to　God　and　been　absorbed　in　his　beatific　essence；　actually　formed　part　of　the　Godhead；　was　the　Son　of　God　in　the　same　sense　and　manner　with　Christ　himself；　and　enjoyed　thereby　a　glorious　immunity　from　the　trammels　of　all　laws　human　and　divine。　Inwardly　transported　by　this　blissful　persuasion；　though　outwardly　presenting　in　their　aspect　and　manners　a　shocking　air　of　lunacy　and　distraction；　the　sectaries　roamed　from　place　to　place；　attired　in　the　most　fantastic　apparel　and　begging　their　bread　with　wild　shouts　and　clamour；　spurning　indignantly　every　kind　of　honest　labour　and　industry　as　an　obstacle　to　divine　contemplation　and　to　the　ascent　of　the　soul　towards　the　Father　of　spirits。　In　all　their　excursions　they　were　followed　by　women　with　whom　they　lived　on　terms　of　the　closest　familiarity。　Those　of　them　who　conceived　they　had　made　the　greatest　proficiency　in　the　higher　spiritual　life　dispensed　with　the　use　of　clothes　altogether　in　their　assemblies；　looking　upon　decency　and　modesty　as　marks　of　inward　corruption；　characteristics　of　a　soul　that　still　grovelled　under　the　dominion　of　the　flesh　and　had　not　yet　been　elevated　into　communion　with　the　divine　spirit；　its　centre　and　source。　Sometimes　their　progress　towards　this　mystic　communion　was　accelerated　by　the　Inquisition；　and　they　expired　in　the　flames；　not　merely　with　unclouded　serenity；　but　with　the　most　triumphant　feelings　of　cheerfulness　and　joy。

About　the　year　1830　there　appeared；　in　one　of　the　States　of　the　American　Union　bordering　on　Kentucky；　an　impostor　who　declared　that　he　was　the　Son　of　God；　the　Saviour　of　mankind；　and　that　he　had　reappeared　on　earth　to　recall　the　impious；　the　unbelieving；　and　sinners　to　their　duty。　He　protested　that　if　they　did　not　mend　their　ways　within　a　certain　time；　he　would　give　the　signal；　and　in　a　moment　the　world　would　crumble　to　ruins。　These　extravagant　pretensions　were　received　with　favour　even　by　persons　of　wealth　and　position　in　society。　At　last　a　German　humbly　besought　the　new　Messiah　to　announce　the　dreadful　catastrophe　to　his　fellow…countrymen　in　the　German　language；　as　they　did　not　understand　English；　and　it　seemed　a　pity　that　they　should　be　damned　merely　on　that　account。　The　would…be　Saviour　in　reply　confessed　with　great　candour　that　he　did　not　know　German。　What！　retorted　the　German；　you　the　Son　of　God；　and　don't　speak　all　languages；　and　don't　even　know　German？　Come；　come；　you　are　a　knave；　a　hypocrite；　and　a　madman。　Bedlam　is　the　place　for　you。　The　spectators　laughed；　and　went　away　ashamed　of　their　credulity。

Sometimes；　at　the　death　of　the　human　incarnation；　the　divine　spirit　transmigrates　into　another　man。　The　Buddhist　Tartars　believe　in　a　great　number　of　living　Buddhas；　who　officiate　as　Grand　Lamas　at　the　head　of　the　most　important　monasteries。　When　one　of　these　Grand　Lamas　dies　his　disciples　do　not　sorrow；　for　they　know　that　he　will　soon　reappear；　being　born　in　the　form　of　an　infant。　Their　only　anxiety　is　to　discover　the　place　of　his　birth。　If　at　this　time　they　see　a　rainbow　they　take　it　as　a　sign　sent　them　by　the　departed　Lama　to　guide　them　to　his　cradle。　Sometimes　the　divine　infant　himself　reveals　his　identity。　I　am　the　Grand　Lama；　he　says；　the　living　Buddha　of　such　and　such　a　temple。　Take　me　to　my　old　monastery。　I　am　its　immortal　head。　In　whatever　way　the　birthplace　of　the　Buddha　is　revealed；　whether　by　the　Buddha's　own　avowal　or　by　the　sign　in　the　sky；　tents　are　struck；　and　the　joyful　pilgrims；　often　headed　by　the　king　or　one　of　the　most　illustrious　of　the　royal　family；　set　forth　to　find　and　bring　home　the　infant　god。　Generally　he　is　born　in　Tibet；　the　holy　land；　and　to　reach　him　the　caravan　has　often　to　traverse　the　most　frightful　deserts。　When　at　last　they　find　the　child　they　fall　down　and　worship　him。　Before；　however；　he　is　acknowledged　as　the　Grand　Lama　whom　they　seek　he　must　satisfy　them　of　his　identity。　He　is　asked　the　name　of　the　monastery　of　which　he　claims　to　be　the　head；　how　far　off　it　is；　and　how　many　monks　live　in　it；　he　must　also　describe　the　habits　of　the　deceased　Grand　Lama　and　the　manner　of　his　death。　Then　various　articles；　as　prayer…books；　tea…pots；　and　cups；　are　placed　before　him；　and　he　has　to　point　out　those　used　by　himself　in　his　previous　life。　If　he　does　so　without　a　mistake　his　claims　are　admitted；　and　he　is　conducted　in　triumph　to　the　monastery。　At　the　head　of　all　the　Lamas　is　the　Dalai　Lama　of　Lhasa；　the　Rome　of　Tibet。　He　is　regarded　as　a　living　god；　and　at　death　his　divine　and　immortal　spirit　is　born　again　in　a　child。　According　to　some　accounts　the　mode　of　discovering　the　Dalai　Lama　is　similar　to　the　method；　already　described；　of　discovering　an　ordinary　Grand　Lama。　Other　accounts　speak　of　an　election　by　drawing　lots　from　a　golden　jar。　Wherever　he　is　born；　the　trees　and　plants　put　forth　green　leaves；　at　his　bidding　flowers　bloom　and　springs　of　water　rise；　and　his　presence　diffuses　heavenly　blessings。

But　he　is　by　no　means　the　only　man　who　poses　as　a　god　in　these　regions。　A　register　of　all　the　incarnate　gods　in　the　Chinese　empire　is　kept　in　the　Li　fan　yiian　or　Colonial　Office　at　Peking。　The　number　of　gods　who　have　thus　taken　out　a　license　is　one　hundred　and　sixty。　Tibet　is　blessed　with　thirty　of　them；　Northern　Mongolia　rejoices　in　nineteen；　and　Southern　Mongolia　basks　in　the　sunshine　of　no　less　than　fifty…seven。　The　Chinese　government；　with　a　paternal　solicitude　for　the　welfare　of　its　subjects；　forbids　the　gods　on　the　register　to　be　reborn　anywhere　but　in　Tibet。　They　fear　lest　the　birth　of　a　god　in　Mongolia　should　have　serious　political　consequences　by　stirring　the　dormant　patriotism　and　warlike　spirit　of　the　Mongols；　who　might　rally　round　an　ambitious　native　deity　of　royal　lineage　and　seek　to　win　for　him；　at　the　point　of　the　sword；　a　temporal　as　well　as　a　spiritual　kingdom。　But　besides　these　public　or　licensed　gods　there　are　a　great　many　little