pilgrims at one time. The most costly sections of this one room
are guarded night and day by armed government soldiers.
The religion of these Swiftites is of a very pure kind. The ministers of
this national church are fully equipped before entering upon their
office. The training schools for ministers attracted my closest
attention. Fortunately, these people have no language complications as
we have, so that a prospective minister can spend some of his time
studying the Book of God's Revelation instead of spending a great
portion of his training period in learning the languages in which the
book had once been written.
A minister's training consists as much in voice culture and the many
branches of elocution as it does in acquiring a correct knowledge of
God. But in illustrative teaching Swift leads us by far. I was
profitably entertained in the main temple as I listened to one of the
famous orators discoursing to an audience of eighty thousand. Not only
did his canary-like voice penetrate to all parts of the large room, but
his objective illustrations clinched the truth remarkably well.
A series of special services is held at the close of each month. The
most wonderful of all these exercises, or renditions, is called "The
Mediator Service." This is one of the most spectacular and impressive
exercises outside of Heaven. Even the famous Passion Play of
Oberammergau (our world) with the less glorious exhibitions at Horitz
and Selzach, all dwindle into insignificance compared with "The Mediator
Service" on the world of Swift.
During my visit I witnessed the full program of this sublime rendition.
The music was inexpressibly grand as rendered by the vested Mediator
Choir. Naturally the Swiftites have sweet, bird-like voices. Can you
conceive the effect of a triple choir of these human warblers all
trained in perfect harmony and unison?
When you consider that nearly the whole population witnesses these
special exhibitions at least once a year, you can the better understand
why the spiritual condition of the people has reached a high very level.
I investigated the many interesting features of this inviting world and
found that in some respects we are inferior to these human bird
creatures, although in many other respects we are superior. Electricity
is known in their world, but they have not yet harnessed it; hence they
are ignorant of telegraphy and a long list of similar inventions which
we enjoy.
In agricult
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