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MIRACLEMONGERSANDTHEIRMETHODS1MIRACLEMONGERSANDTHEIRMETHODSBYHOUDINIAUTHORAMIRACLEMONGERSANDTHEIRMETHODS2CHAPTERONEFIREWORSHIP.--FIREEATINGANDHEATRESISTANCE.--INTHEMIDDLEAGES.--AMONGTHENAVAJOINDIANS.--FIRE-WALKERSOFJAPAN.--THEFIERYORDEALOFFIJI.Firehasalwaysbeenand,seemingly,willalwaysremain,themostterribleoftheelements.Totheearlytribesitmustalsohavebeenthemostmysterious;for,whileearthandairandwaterwerealwaysinevidence,firecameandwentinamannerwhichmusthavebeenquiteunaccountabletothem.Thusitnaturallyfollowedthatthecustomofdeifyingallthingswhichtheprimitivemindwasunabletograsp,ledindirectlinetothefire-worshipoflaterdays.Thatfirecouldbeproducedthroughfrictionfinallycameintotheknowledgeofman,buttheearlymethodsentailedmuchlabor.Consequentlyourease-lovingforebearscastaboutforamethodto``keepthehomefiresburning''andhitupontheplanofappointingapersonineachcommunitywhoshouldatalltimescarryaburningbrand.Thisarrangementhadmanyfaults,however,andafterawhileitwassupersededbytheexpedientofafirekeptcontinuallyburninginabuildingerectedforthepurpose.TheGreeksworshipedatanaltarofthiskindwhichtheycalledtheAltarofHestiaandwhichtheRomanscalledtheAltarofVesta.ThesacredfireitselfwasknownasVesta,anditsburningwasconsideredaproofofthepresenceofthegoddess.ThePersianshadsuchabuildingineachtownandvillage;andtheEgyptians,suchafireineverytemple;whiletheMexicans,Natches,PeruviansandMayaskepttheir``nationalfires''burningupongreatpyramids.Eventuallythekeepingofsuchfiresbecameasacredrite,andthe``EternalLamps''keptburninginsynagoguesandinByzantineandCatholicchurchesmaybeasurvivalofthesecustoms.Thereisatheorythatallarchitecture,publicandprivate,sacredandprofane,beganwiththeerectionofshedstoprotectthesacredfire.Thisnaturallyledmentobuildfortheirownprotectionaswell,andthusthefamilyhearthhaditsgenesis.MIRACLEMONGERSANDTHEIRMETHODS3Anothertheoryholdsthatthekeepersofthesacredfireswerethefirstpublicservants,andthatfromthissmallbeginningsprangtheintricatepublicserviceofthepresent.Theworshipofthefireitselfhadbeenalegacyfromtheearliesttribes;butitremainedfortheRosicruciansandthefirephilosophersoftheSixteenthCenturyundertheleadofParacelsustoestablishaconcretereligiousbeliefonthatbasis,findingintheScriptureswhatseemedtothemampleproofthatfirewasthesymboloftheactualpresenceofGod,asinallcaseswhereHeissaidtohavevisitedthisearth.Hecameeitherinaflameoffire,orsurroundedwithglory,whichtheyconceivedtomeanthesamething.Forexample:whenGodappearedonMountSinai(Exod.xix,18)``TheLorddescendeduponitinfire.''Moses,repeatingthishistory,said:``TheLordspakeuntoyououtofthemidstoffire''(Deut.iv,12).Again,whentheangeloftheLordappearedtoMosesoutoftheflamingbush,``thebushburnedwithfireandthebushwasnotconsumed''(Exod.iii,3).FirefromtheLordconsumedtheburntofferingofAaron(Lev.ix,24),thesacrificeofGideon(Judg.vi,21),theburntofferingofDavid(1Chron.xxxi,26),andthatatthededicationofKingSolomon'stemple(Chron.vii,1).AndwhenElijahmadehissacrificetoprovethatBaalwasnotGod,``thefireoftheLordfellandconsumedtheburntsacrifice,andthewood,andthestones,andthedustandthewaterthatwasinthetrench.''(1Kings,xviii,38.)Sincesacrificehadfromtheearliestdaysbeenconsideredasfoodofferedtothegods,itwasquitelogicaltoarguethatwhenfirefromHeavenfellupontheoffering,GodhimselfwaspresentandconsumedHisown.ThustheParacelsistsandotherfirebelieverssought,andastheybelievedfound,highauthorityforcontinuingapartofthefireworshipoftheearlytribes.TheTheosophists,accordingtoHargraveJenningsin``TheRosicrucians,''calledthesoulafiretakenfromtheeternaloceanoflight,andincommonwithotherFire-Philosophersbelievedthatallknowablethings,bothofthesoulandthebody,wereevolvedoutoffireandfinallyresolvableintoit;andthatfirewasthelastandonly-to-be-knownGod.MIRACLEMONGERSANDTHEIRMETHODS4InpassingImightcallattentiontothefactthattheDevilissupposedtodwellinthesameelement.Someofthesecretsofheatresistanceaspracticedbythedime-museumandsideshowperformersofourtime,secretsgroupedunderthegeneraltitleof``Fire-eating,''musthavebeenknowninveryearlytimes.ToquotefromChambers'``BookofDays'':``Inancienthistorywefindseveralexamplesofpeoplewhopossessedtheartoftouchingfirewithoutbeingburned.ThePriestessesofDiana,atCastabala,inCappadocia,commandedpublicvenerationbywalkingoverred-hotiron.TheHerpi,apeopleofEtruria,walkedamongglowingembersatanannualfestivalheldonMountSoracte,andthusprovedtheirsacredcharacter,receivingcertainprivileges,amongothers,exemptionfrommilitaryservice,fromtheRomanSenate.Oneofthemostastoundingstoriesofantiquityisrelatedinthe`Zenda-Vesta,'totheeffectthatZoroaster,toconfutehiscalumniators,allowedfluidleadtobepouredoverhisbody,withoutreceivinganyinjury.''Tomethe``astounding''partofthisstoryisnotinthefeatitself,forthatisextremelyeasytoaccomplish,butinthefactthatthesecretwasknownatsuchanearlydate,whichthebestauthoritiesplaceat500to1000B.C.Itissaidthattheearliestrecordedinstance,inourera,ofordealbyfirewasinthefourthcentury.Simplicius,BishopofAutun,whohadbeenmarriedbeforehispromotion,continuedtolivewithhiswife,andinordertodemonstratethePlatonicpurityoftheirint