ZOROASTER.

Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 1580, 11 March 1887, Page 4

ZOROASTER.

Some doubt prevails as to the exact time and place Zoroaster lived, but it is generally ogre d that he was born in Bactria over 3000 years ago. As regards his personal life little is known ; the details of bis life, as handed down to us, being entirely legendary and uchistorical. That he was a man, however, of extraordinary intellectual abilities is universally admitted, having been ttyled " the master of the whole living creation," " the abyss of knowledge and truth." It was his misfortune to have lived ct a primitive period in the world's bittory, when even the witest men groped in the dark in search of truth ; and, if we rt fleet how Btteped in ignorance and idolatry the nations were with whom Zoroaster came in ccntact throughout bis life, we cannot but admire the courage with which be proclaimed bis belief and faith in the true God. But it should be added tint the superstitious noticrs and practices which are so " prominent and repulsivo " in the teaching of the so-called later Zoroastrianism would have had no sympathy with our sage. Indeed, as Mr Cook points cut, the sacred chants or Gatl lis attributed to Zoroaster, and admitted by all critics to give a faithful representation of bis religious views, are entirely freo from all such pernicious tenets. In short, the principles of belief in an Omniscient and All-merciful God, as set forth by Zoroaster in the national religion which he founded, approach far nearer the old Ht brew fail h which prepared mankind for Christianity, than can be said of most of the other religious systems framed by the leading intellects at respective periods in the world's history,— f rom the Quiver,