Forlong - Rivers of Life

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Rivers of Life, or Faiths of Man in all Lands.
that we agree with the unknown writer of Jeremiah ii. 27, and are compelled to say
“to a stock (i.e., Pillar), Thou art my Pater (Petros or Father); to a stone, Thou
hast brought me forth,” yes, not only created me naturally, but Thou, Petros, art the
Father of ALL FAITHS; that which the infant race alone saw and still largely worship.
Though I may be wrong in some of my details—and etymology I well know to be a
difficult science—yet I can only say that my conclusions are now held by many hundreds
of most leamed man, who have come to them as slowly and as unwillingly as I have. He
who knows the heart alone knows how much it was so with me; but light and truth
must be followed at all risks and they bring with them a comfort quite unknown to him
who will not be enlightened, but who determines, in spites of light as Paul said, or
rather Æschylus in Agamemnon, “to kick against the goad,” a veritable goad or
enlightener in this case. My conclusions are, as before said, not arrived at from Western
teaching, nor originally based on Western lore, but thought out for myself as I studied,
onserved, and conversed with the worshippers of living and activc faiths; aye, faiths
stronger and more active in shaping the lives and thoughts of millions than Europe can
now exhibit, or probably ever will again; for the strong piercing light of keen, fearless
and critical research is showing us that there are not only dark or dirty spots in the finest
robes, but that there are also beauties which our darkness has hitherto prevented us from
seeing; and though the true sceptical spirit is that “word of God which is quick and
powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder
of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, a discerner of the thoughts and the
intents of the heart” (Heb. iv. 12), yet some of the leading minds of Europe have
now, along with this quickening “spirit,” imbibed a spirit of freedom, tolerance and
forbearance, which suffers long and is kind to all the faiths and weaknesses of
humanity; a spirit which vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, nor easily provoked,
thinketh no evil, rejoiceth in the truth, and seeth truth and faIsehood in all
faiths; a spirit which pervades the leaders and learned of Europe so much now, that they
neither jump at visionns nor uncompromisingly follow any formulæ or beliefs. I have
long thought and felt that if the little an Herodotus and Lucian have told us of Phallic,
Serpent, Fire, and Solar faiths in the midst of which they lived, was and is intensely
interesting and strange to Europe, why should not we, the conquerors and governors
of far vaster and freer multitudes than they ever beheld, tell to still ignorant Europe
the mysteries enshrined in thousands or rather hundreds of thousands of holy places,
on plain and hill-top, cavern and chasm; yes, tell of the still same fervid cults
regarding which we know so very much better, as mixed up administratively,
judicially and socially, with all the rights of these sacred spots? and even with the
rites and interests of the shrines in their minutest details, as these come for arbitration
before our courts in issues arising from revenue, criminal, priestly or hereditary rights;
why, I say, have we not imparted to Europe what our ancient historians were only
able to whet our appetites for?