BURIAL OR CREMATION.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 10870, 21 January 1901, Page 6

BURIAL OR CREMATION.

TO TUB EDITOR OP TIIE PRESS. Sir,—The IJTiblo tells us that "God formed man of tlu» dust and of <th« ground" ((Jen. ii, veixe 7). Then to the serpent it was sakl, "DUtf.t shalt thou eat all the days of thy life" ((Jen. iii, verse 14). Isaiah (chapter Ixv, vterse 25) declares, "Dust shall be the serpent' 4 iiieat." To man alone it is said, '"Dust thon art, and to dust-shalt thou return , ' (Gen. &!', verse 19). "Man shall turn again into tk'.st" (Job xxxiv, verse 15). "All are of the 4\ist, and all turn to duirt again" (Eecles. iii, verse 20). "They die and return to their dust" (Ps. civ, verse 29). Job xiv, verse 19, says, "God washes away the things which gra-w out of the dust of the earth." The above and many other references go to show that man's return to dust is to be uniform, ancj , by natural means of nature's own providing (inherent decay), thus precluding cremation entirely. I therefore respectfully ksUbmit (1) That burial is the. Biblical, and therefore the proper, meting of disposal of the dead, whereas was ever a pagan institution, and, furthVv, that while the Bible contains 164 references to burials, not a single word is there to \yarrant cremation. (2) That the earth was , intended by God to supply food to the living and to be a natural sepulchre for the dead. . J£arth has, theretore, a positive right to every corpse, for whose dissolution sue is provided with all natural means, without injury to the living if decency is observed. (3) That many believe that burial has some affinity with resurrection from among the dead, and also with full entry into eternal lite, while others believe- tnat cremation may possibly assist Satanic powers by adding the human dust of crerauted corpses to the natural dust of the "earth.

(4) That though Jacob and Joseph were both embalmed in Kgypt, the rite was one peculiar to idolatrous Kgypt, and Gen. 1, verses 2, 3, aud iso, tell us all.,we know Biblically of embalming. • (5) That the right to decent htjrial was ever valued almost to the extent ol a privilege. Abraham anxiously acquired a bury-ing-place (Gen. xxiii, verse 4) where ultimately he, Sarah', Isaac, Jacob, Rebekah, and Leah were all buried (Gen. lxbc, verse 50). The thrice-given injunction to Abraham from the children of Heth, "Go. bury thy dead," of itself almost condemns cremation outright (Gen. xxiii). Joseph was put in a cortin in Kgypt (not cremated), and Jesus anticipated a burial when he said,

"Against the day of my burying," etc., etc. (John xii, verse* 7J, and we are told also that the "manner of the Jews is to bury" (John xix, verse 40). (6) That Scripture clearly shows that absence, or deprival of decent burial was a distinct reproach, or was used as a punishment for wickedness. We read, "An untimely birth is better than he who has no burial" (Ecclesiastes vi., v. 6). "Thou shaft not be joined with him in burial, because," etc., etc. (Isaiah xiv., v. 20). "He (Jehoiakim) shall be buried with the burial of an ass" (Jeremiah xxii.. v. 18-19). Of receivers of unauthorised prophecies. God said, "They shall have none to bury them" (Jeremiah xiv.. v. 15-16). A disobedient man of i»od is told, "Thy carcase shall not come into the sepulchre of thy fathers" (1 Kings xiii., v. 22). and a prophet asks, as a privilege, to be laid in the same sepulchre as the man of God (1 Kings xiii., v. 31). Lastly, we read in 2 Kings Lx., v. 10. that part of the curse on Jezebel was that "Tliere shall be none to bun- her." Jehu, however, essaying to bury her as a King's daughter, found only her" skull, feet, and palms of her hands, which, however, never received burial. In the natural position of her skull, feet, and palms of her hands, is seen a true sign of the Cross, possibly intended to demonstrate that all considerations of grace, as well as of ' law, were thrown away on such v woman. ' Hoping you will allow space for the inser- i tion of this letter.—Yours, etc., DE VIA FESSUS. THE UNIVERSAL POSTAGE. j TO THE KIMTOR OK TIIK PBEiS. J Sir.—With your permission I wish to bring foiwurd a subject in connection witn postage stamps that lias hitherto not been much discussed, and it is this:—The adoption of British Empire stamps throughout the Empire as legal tender. I am a poor man, and lure rektion* Iα tin Old Country {

still poorer; why cannot I send these relations 2s 6d if I want to—nay, 6d, or any similar sum—without being taxed for the privilege? The advantage of this boon to the very poorest of our fellow colonists need not be discussed—it would be hailed with the utmost satisfaction. Difficulties there may be, but are they insurmountable? Imperial Federation may include this reform, but would it not be possible for our Government to initiate it without waiting for this, perhaps, very distant event? The probaDility is that business in universal stamps used and presented at post offices as cash would be confined almost entirely to the United Kingdom. Australasia. South Africa, and Canada. Next to the penny post itself it is hard to conceive a more powerful factor than this in "drawing closer the ties, etc., etc." Tt goes -without saying that such tender would have to be very limited, but once allowed that the new departure is a feasible one. the arrangement of the details could safely be left to the authorities in Wellington (who will, no doubt, think this very kind on my part); but, seriously, the above appears to this writer as well worth discussing, and the man who could bring it to a successful issue would deserve well of his country. —Yours, etc., IMPERIALIST.