DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.636#0503
Modern Theism. Rammohun Roy's successors. 493
or vows to be taken by all candidates for admission into the
Theistic Society.
By the most important of these declarations every member
of the Society bound himself to abstain from idolatry; to
worship no created object, but to worship through the love
of God, and through doing the works dear to God (Para-
brahmani pritya tat-priya-karya-sadhanena), the Great God
the Creator, Preserver, Destroyer (srishti-sthiti-pralaya-kartri),
the Causer of emancipation (mukti-karana), the Partless (nir-
avayava), the One only without a second (ekamatradvitlya);
to lead holy lives, and to seek forgiveness through abandon-
ment of sin. At the same time a few short formulas of divine
worship (Brahmopasana), consisting of prayers, invocations,
hymns, and meditations, were promulgated for use in- the
daily services. This took place at the end of 1843.
Pandit Ram Chandra Vidya-bag-ish was appointed minister
of the newly-organized church, and not long afterwards
Debendra-nath, with twenty friends, solemnly took the oaths
of the new Theistic covenant in his presence. The year
1844 may be given as the date of the real commencement
of the first organized Theistic Church of India, hence after-
wards called the Adi Brahma-Samaj, though at that time
and until the first secession it was simply denominated the
Calcutta Brahma-Samaj.
Three years later, in 1847, the number of covenanted
Brahmas had increased to seven hundred and sixty-seven.
But, as usual, with the accession of new members, the
growing church began to be agitated by contending opinions.
It was affirmed that the Vedas had never been thoroughly
examined with a view of arriving at a just estimate of their
value as an authoritative guide to truth. Four young Brah-
mans were therefore sent to Benares. Each was commissioned
to copy out and study one of the four Vedas. The result of
a careful examination of the sacred books was, that some
members of the Samaj maintained their authority, and even
or vows to be taken by all candidates for admission into the
Theistic Society.
By the most important of these declarations every member
of the Society bound himself to abstain from idolatry; to
worship no created object, but to worship through the love
of God, and through doing the works dear to God (Para-
brahmani pritya tat-priya-karya-sadhanena), the Great God
the Creator, Preserver, Destroyer (srishti-sthiti-pralaya-kartri),
the Causer of emancipation (mukti-karana), the Partless (nir-
avayava), the One only without a second (ekamatradvitlya);
to lead holy lives, and to seek forgiveness through abandon-
ment of sin. At the same time a few short formulas of divine
worship (Brahmopasana), consisting of prayers, invocations,
hymns, and meditations, were promulgated for use in- the
daily services. This took place at the end of 1843.
Pandit Ram Chandra Vidya-bag-ish was appointed minister
of the newly-organized church, and not long afterwards
Debendra-nath, with twenty friends, solemnly took the oaths
of the new Theistic covenant in his presence. The year
1844 may be given as the date of the real commencement
of the first organized Theistic Church of India, hence after-
wards called the Adi Brahma-Samaj, though at that time
and until the first secession it was simply denominated the
Calcutta Brahma-Samaj.
Three years later, in 1847, the number of covenanted
Brahmas had increased to seven hundred and sixty-seven.
But, as usual, with the accession of new members, the
growing church began to be agitated by contending opinions.
It was affirmed that the Vedas had never been thoroughly
examined with a view of arriving at a just estimate of their
value as an authoritative guide to truth. Four young Brah-
mans were therefore sent to Benares. Each was commissioned
to copy out and study one of the four Vedas. The result of
a careful examination of the sacred books was, that some
members of the Samaj maintained their authority, and even