t was man or God; and that was not
decided until the year of grace 325. Then Theodosius called a council
at Constantinople in 381, and this council decided that the Holy Ghost
proceeded from the Father. You see, there was a little doubt on that
question before this was done. Then another council was called later
to determine who the Virgin Mary really was, and it was solemnly
decided that she was the mother of Christ. In 431, and then in 451, a
council was held in Chalcedon, by the Emperor Marcian, and that decided
that Christ had two natures--a human and a divine. In 680 another
council was held at Constantinople; and in 1274 at Lyons, it was
decided that the Holy Ghost proceeded not only from the Father but from
the Son; and when you take into consideration the fact that a belief in
the Trinity is absolutely essential to salvation, you see how important
it was that these doctrines should have been established in 1274, when
millions of people had dropped into hell in the interim solely because
they had forgotten that question. At last we know how religions are
made. We know how miracles are manufactured. We know the history of
relics, and bones, and pieces of the true cross. And at last we
understand apostolic succession. At last we have examined other
religions, and we find them all the same, and we are beginning to
suspect that ours is like the rest. I think we understand it.

I read a little story, a short time ago, from the Japanese, that throws
light upon the question. There was an old priest at a monastery. This
monastery was built over the bones of what he called a saint, and
people came there and were cured of many diseases. This priest had an
assistant. After the assistant grew up and got quite to understand his
business, the old priest gave him a little donkey, and told him that
henceforth he was to take care of himself. The young priest started
out with his little donkey, and asked alms of those he met. Few gave
to him. Finally he got very poor. He could not raise money enough to
feed the donkey. Finally the donkey died; he was about to bury it when
a thought occurred to him. He buried the donkey and sat down on the
grave, and to the next stranger that passed he said: "Will you not give
a little money to erect a shrine over the bones of a sinless one?"
Thereupon a man gave money. Others followed his example, a shrine was
raised, and in a little while a monastery was built over the bones o