Forlong - Rivers of Life

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Rivers of Life, or Faiths of Man in all Lands.
1 Sam. v. 9; see page 5, before. Scholars say, that all they can make out of the
Hebrew word emerods, is the signification of a “protuberance;” and hence, owing to
the addition in the text of “secrct parts,” they say emerods may be “bubos” which
is, I suspect, only half the meaning, for we know the penalty which is said to have
followed in the case of all other peoples who looked into arks or neglected their Phallic
deity. There is, then, a length in Sivaik lore at which it says to philology, and even to
the most learned analysts of its language, through mere book learning, “Thus far
shalt thou go and no farther;” and I believe pure Hebraists have reached that stage
in the investigation of this word eduth. The ark, I must repeat, was built for it,
not it for the ark, see Exodus xxv. 16, and elsewhere. Of course it came direct from
God, as do all Palla-Diums and Lingams; which is the universal fiction of priests, just
as in the case of books, and moral and other laws, &c., with which they wish to indoctrinate
us. This riddle of the eduth, or “geduth,” which had an altar and offerings long
ere an ark or “testimony” (law or covenant) existed, can then be approached by paths
apart from philology; and well it is so, else we would oft remain dark indeed,
especially in India, were we to await—in Sivaik lore, the investigations of even this
powerful arm of flesh; and this I have had abundant experience of in studying as I
have done, and in some original tongues, the oecult nomenclature, rites, and customs
of Lingam-worship. My poverty in Hebrew has been somewhat compensated for by
having a tolerable smattering of several Oriental languages in, which I learned how
dense is that veil which modern as well as ancient priests throw around their gods and
rites—a veil intended not on1y to defy all philological approach to their mysteries, but
to hide these from ninety-nine hundredths of their followers as well as from their
scholarly co-religionists. No one can read of religious matters in even ordinary Tamil
or Telogoo, not to say in the high-flown and orthodox writings of Eastern priests and
mystics, without meeting the impenetrable curtain with which they so easily hide all
from the vulgar gaze. To do this is pious; so let us approach the subject of the
Eduth on grounds which I think are much more sure than. even those of philology.
All Africa, Arabia, Syria, and Phenicia—indeed all Asia, aye, all the world—
bowed to stones, as these volumes will, I think, abundantly shew, if others more able
have not already done so; and why should not poor Jews bow to stones? Why
should not these poor quarriers and brickmakers of Lower Egypt and Idumea, who
had this time been expelled. from Egypt, as the moat reliable writers assure us,
for dirt and diseases connected with uncleanness? They anointed them, and
rejoiced in calling their deliverers, such as Cyrus, and the great and long-expected
one, “the MESSIAH,” which is a name of Maha-deva as the especially and continually
“ANOINTED ONE.” They were slaves, and the lowest of the low, in that land which
tolerates more filthiness than most. Of course the gods or idols of such a race, if any at
all, would be of a still lower type than those deities which are common to similar
labourers in Asia; that is, gods represented by round or conical stones (female or male