MODERN THEOSOPHY WHENCE? WHAT? WHITHER? SL.OAN BP 575 .S56 1922 Sloan, Mersene Elon. Demonosophy unmasked in modern theosophy DEMONOSOPHY UNMASKsd ^^'^' 37 1923 IN MODERN THEOSOPHY WHENCE? WHAT? WHITHER? An Exposition and a Refutation WITH Corrective Bible Teaching BY / MERSENE ELON SLOAN Editor and Bible Teacher SECOND EDITION OF ABRIDGED TEXT REVISED AND ENLARGED XHE VC^AY RRESS Saint Paul, Minnesota That we may not be overreached by Satan ; for we are not ignorant of his devices. — // Cor. 2:11. There will be false teachers among you, who will privately introduce destructive heresies, even de- nying the sovereign Lord who bought them, bring- ing on themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their impurities ; on account of whom the way of truth will be reviled ; and in covetous- ness with deceitful words they will make gain of you ; whose judgment of old does not linger, and their destruction does not slumber. — // Pet. 2:1-3. Maintaining the true word in his teaching, so that he may be able both to exhort by the sound in- struction, and to confute the opposers. For there are many unruly persons, foolish talkers and de- ceivers, . . whom it is necessary to silence ; who overturn whole families, teaching for sordid gain what is not proper. —Titus 1:9-11. Copyright, 1922, by THE VC^AY PRESS PREFACE The prophet Malachi [3:5] said that one of the special works of Messiah would be "swift testi- mony against the sorcerers," and it was so ful- filled. For some reason, the church, in continu- ing the work of Christ, has largely neglected this phase of needed testimony, until, disguised un- der other names, it goes little recognized or re- buked, and has actually invaded many individual churches. It is not generally known that sor- cery is a large element in the modern revivals of oriental paganism and the psychic religions that are fad-rampant in this hour — the "mystery of iniquity" posing as science and philosophy. Among the cults of this nature, c«ne of the most subtle, active and disastrous is Modern Theosophy. Current literature abounds in en- ticing and deceptive sentiments adopted from theosophic teaching, directly or as corollaries, and of which readers do not know the origin or significance. In this way, as well as openly, does the propaganda go on slyly, undermining Chris- tian faith, and substituting the "doctrines of de- mons," until, as a leading theosophist said, "the 2 Preface Modern ideas of theosophy now pervade individual life, literature, the pulpit, the stage, and many socie- ties and organizations." Not many realize how true this is. The inva- sion has been so covered by pretensions of inter- est in the cause of truth that it has not been prop- erly recognized and repelled. Much theosophic literature, both labeled and disguised, is put in- to our public and school libraries, our book shops, and offered freely to any who will read. News- papers and periodicals are adroitly worked into the service of promoting the cause, with articles and news items which, while omittuig the word theosophy, give favorable impression of certain of the catchy and subtle doctrines. A theosophic journal became so bold as to advise school teach- ers to work the propaganda quieily among their pupils. Free lectures are given, to which the public is invited. Worst of all, the pernicious principles have infected not a few churches, un- til even evangelical pulpits teach them. In all history, there have been strange admix- tures, of materialism and mysticism in thought and in systems of doctrine. The present is call- ed a materialistic age, yet at no time, probably, have certain forms of mysticism and spiritism been more in evidence, nor so well disguised un- der a phraseology so closely imitative of truth as to mislead, if possible, the very elect. True Theosophy Style 3 light and knowledge are in the world as never before, and by their side the flicker of an imita- tion that boasts the name of gnosis until many are deceived by it. This book is much abridged from the original manuscript, offering only an outline for popular use. The element of c-ccultism, which is a large item in the theoscphic system, is mostly reserved for the more complete edition to follow. Certain of the oriental features which appeal to some minds with their jargon of mysterious-locking words, names and phrases that make a show of wisdom, are quite overlooked. It is not the in- tention to display academic knowledge. The sub- ject is too serious and dangerous to handle use- fully other than in simple directness in language that is clear to all.- And it is handled with bare hands; for gloves are too soft for such. The former edition was pronounced "incisively crit- ical," and it is intended to be such. The writer has made extensive study of the subject, has been, by force of circumstances, a close observer of its working, and has personally suffered from its inroad into his own family. He has had more than half a century of actual experience with the spiritistic and occult, and knows just what he is saying when he undertakes the discussion. The book is not written in the abstract style, but ■ in personal testimiony ; in modesty, yet in the as- 4 Preface Modern surance of having the authority of first-hand knowledge, therefore not apologetic. It is hoped that the little book may be useful in warning and guidance amid the snares and pitfalls that en- danger every pilgrim who seeks the spiritual way. For our wrestling is not with blood and flesh, but with the governments, with the author- ities, with the world-rulers of this darkness, with the spirit- ual forces of wickedness in THE HEAVENLIES. — Eph. 6:12, Theosophy Contents 5 CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 9 PART I. Whence? ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE CULT . 14 Founders. A Russian Thistle : Blavatsky's life, char- acter, claims, work. The Thibetan Story. Religion of Thibet. In America. Spiritistic affiliations. A De- velopment of Spiritism. Leaders. Significance. PART II. What? FALSE PRETENSES 29 Revived Paganism and Gnosticism. DENIAL OF DOGMA OR CREED . . .31 Pledges. Presumptuous claims. THE CREED 34 Universal brotherhood. Study of Comparative reli- gion. Occultism. THE DOCTRINES 41 Alleged sources: Ancient writings, Astral records, Mahatmas, Self-illumination. God and Creation . . . . .47 Pantheism, emanations and evolution vs. tran- scendence, creation and development. Alleged ignorance of God. What Is Man? 49 Discamate pre-existence. Refuted. Reincarnation . . . . .51 " Central truth" of Theosophy. Contrary to Scrip- ture. No proof. Argument from consciousness and memory. Denied at first. 6 Contents Modern Karma . . . . . . .55 "Second truth" of Theosophy. Defined. How administered. Excludes forgiveness. Denies Jesus Christ and makes prayer a mockery. Alleged su- premacy of mahatmas. Gospel contrast. Atonement and Regeneration . . .57 Opposed to Christian teaching. Foolish claims. Sin, matter and evil. Nirvana. No Devil. Fall of m.an. Regeneration. On the Bible . . . . .63 " Sacred literatures of world." Scrap-book theory. About Jesus Christ . . . . .65 Importance of attitude towards him. Theosophic interpretation and ancient heresies. Incarnation not "possession." Separating Jesus and Christ. The lie called. On Prayer . . . . . .69 Personality and prayer. Sample. Will-prayer. Praying to self. On Death . . . . . .72 Night-life. Friend. Christian view. OCCULTISM AND PSYCHISM . . .75 Power and psychic righteousness. Dangerous study. Occult materialism. Disguised spiritism. True other- worldness. Short cuts vs. growth. Faith vs. magic. The "astral plane" . . . .83 "Summer Land." Spooks. "Astral" journeys. Clairvoyance . . . . .86 Sight vs. faith. Delusions. Visions. Rudiments. Fascination . . . . . .90 Serpent's eye. Mystery religions. Psychic influ- ence and intoxication. "Magnetism." Etheric currents. Scripture teaching. Powers of the air. Telepathy. Science deluded. Theosoptiy Contents 7 THE CHRIST'S SECOND COMING . . 97 Perversion. A plain lie. Artful cunning. THE NEW RELIGION . . . .101 Unrest. Proposed remedy. Significant signs. MAGIC PUT ABOVE JESUS CHRIST . .104 Insult and anarchy towards Jesus Christ. A spew from the pit. " Esoteric " part of theosophic system. PART III. Whither? DOCTRINE DIRECTS PRACTICE . . .106 Basis of morality. How tolerance works. True tol- erance. Effect of doctrine of Karma. Hardness vs. Christian .sympathy. Magic helpfulness. " With- out natural affection." Ruined homes. THE "LIFE THEOSOPHIC." . . . 115 Bondage to superstition. Materialistic spirituality! Christian better way of freedom. DEIFICATION OF MAN . . . .118 "As gods." Self supreme. Man the center. EQUALITY 120 Exaggerations of spiritism. Trades-unionism and female suffrage. DEIFICATION OF WOMAN . . . .123 Logical step. " Female Principle." Satan's reward. "Father-Mother god." Abstractions and fictions. Result of feminism. AFFINITY AND MARRIAGE . . .127 Pagan theory of duality. " Soul marriage." Spirit- ism perverts marriage and sex expression. DIABOLISM OF MODERN THEOSOPHY . . 131 Ultimate work of the system. Antediluvian condi- tions. Evil powers. Demonic obsession and posses- sion. Adeptship. Mask exposed. Mediumship. 8 Contents Modern Initiation-Regeneration . . . .135 " Re-births." Caricatures. Pagan initiations. Evo- lution hastened. Christian contrasts. Yoga 139 Hindrances. Passivity. Principal practices. Dan- gers. Lure to women. " Lord of yogis." New Consciousness . . . . .146 " Sixth sense." Warning. Demon incarnations. Initiatory Trials ..... 149 Tests. Haste. Christian contrasts. MEDIUMSHIP THE THEOSOPHIC AT-ONE-MENT 153 Union of human and demon consciousness. Dangers. DEVELOPMENT OF PSYCHIC POWERS . . 155 Jude nineteen. " Psychology." Warning. SEXUAL PERVERSIONS . . .157 Pagan pretenses. Hindu pious immorality. Trend of false religions. Gnostic attempts. Moses and the broken tablets. Pernicious books. Unclean spirits. Anakim. Medical testimony. Paganized American Christendom. Particeps criminis. Result. MULTIPLE PERSONALITY . . . .166 Wise seekers. "Riddle of personality." Subcon- scious and other minds. Demonic possession. MAN OF SIN AND ANTICHRIST . ' .172 Climax of evil. World-harvest. Irenaeus quoted. Pope not Antichrist. Seiss and Andrews quoted. CONCLUSION 182 Dangers. Warnings. Deduction. APPENDIX 185 Personal testimony. Jesus not an Essene. The Silence. The Drama. Hold fast the form of sound words which you have heard from me, in that faith and love which are in Christ Jesus. 2 Tim. 1:13 Theosophy Conglomerate System 9 MODERN THEOSOPHY WHENCE? WHAT? WHITHER? Proposition : Modern Theosophy is a system of subtle, evolved and ripened Demonosophy mas- querading under a stolen and misused title. INTRODUCTION ' In its ancient form, theosophy was a speculative attempt to explain the universe and the nature of the Supreme Being by a peculiar dreamy mysti- cism. It was too subtle to receive popular notice; and was restricted to adventuresome philoso- phers. Modern Theosophy exploits in a more pop- ular way some of the old philosophy mixed with other elements, especially spiritism. Like its old forerunner, Gnosticism, it is professedly an at- tempt to form an eclectic, universal, philosophi- cal religion by an amalgamation of selected ele- ments from all systems. The literature of Bud- dhism and Brahmanism supplies the terminology, and the doctrines are a Icose conglomeration from the religions of India, Egypt, Persia and Greece ; the Jewish Cabala ; occultism, magic, and spiritistic revelations. It uses some Christian 10 Literature Modern phraseolc-gy, and pretends to be a higher devel- opment of Christianity than is orthodoxy, but is the very antithesis of it. Professing to offer the clearest and brighest light, wisdom, peace, hope and liberty, its appeal is to those who are disturb- ed in their religious thinking, and so are pecul- iarly susceptible to influences that make a show of knowledge hidden in mystery. Yet, among the most advanced theosophists, there is the most absurd credulity and superstition, expressed in words that deceive the deluded until they reject all evidence of fraud. The literature of the cult is full of pretentious words that are vain wind, useless and senseless, teaching fictions that were exposed ages ago. It would be worse than a waste of time to bother with the thing, but for the fact that many who have not been taught are being mislead. When current literature is full of the poison, artfully disguised, there is need of specific warning. The oriental character of theosophical teach- ings is in accord with all mysticism and spirit- ism — they have a common source. Isaiah [2 :5, 6] refers to the bringing of such corrupting influ- ences from the orient to the Jews in his time, saying : Oh house of Jacob, come let us walk in the light of the Lord. Therefore thou hast forsaken thy people, the house of Jacob, because they are Theosophy Early Writers 11 filled from the East, and are sorcerers like the Philistines, and with the children of strangers they unite themselves. Here was an ancient attempt to combine the true religion with an importation from the orient. It was disastrous. God stood aloof from His people while the thing lasted; for He can never endorse or tolerate falsehood or the demionism of oriental, or any other, spiritism. It is so today, and the answer to Christendom's present turmoil of trouble is the same as embodied in Isaiah's plea that Israel would turn from those delusions of darkness to the light of God's truth. As then, so now sorcery is a conspicuous item in spirit- istic cults, of which Theosophy is one. Early Christian writings were largely directed against spiritistic and mystical doctrines profes- sing to be improved interpretations of Christian- ity. Irenjeus, who died in 190 A. D., vigorously opposed and exposed Gnosticism, of which Mod- ern Theosophy is largely a revival. It is said that a certain book on Gnosticism helped Madam Blavatsky to invent her system of doctrine. Irenseus exposed the heresy of a certain Mar- cus [active about 175 A. D.] who by magical imposture, drew many away from the Christian faith, as Theosophists do now. The claims of ]^.Iarcus were almost identical with those of the present cult. Irenaeus says of various heresies 12 Impudence Modern that teachers were sent forth by Satan pretending to teach a higher Christianity, while negativing the real in practice, in order to make people think all to be like themselves, and so reject Christiani- ty as a delusion. They sought to bring the church into public contempt by pretending to be Chris- tians, while practicing immoralities under the sanction of doctrines proclaimed as Christian. Theosophists and other spiritists now have the impudence to assert that Christianity is a per- verted fabrication of that Gnosticism ! They as- sume all people to be blind fools — and they find many who are willing to respond to that rating by accepting their teachings ! TertuUian, another early writer, said that such heresies tend to pride and lawlessness, which we shall find to be true of Theosophy. He also said: Heretics are given to consulting with magicians, mountebanks, astrologers, philosophers; and the reason is, that they are men who devote them- selves to curious questions [occultism, psychical research, psychology, astrology, palmistry, etc.] "Seek and ye shall find," is everywhere in their minds. Thus from the very nature of their con- duct may be estimated the quality of their faith. Seeking was good before the truth was reveal- ed, but afterwards it is evil ; for it is a repudia- tion of the truth given. Ignoring what is al- ready at hand, and seeking for something else, Theosophy Seeking Strange Fires 13 is to invite deceptions. Gcd cannot respond to such seeking ; for it is not of faith, but of doubt. Only deceiving spirits can respond — which they are ready to do, and so the seekers fall into a trap of their own setting. This is true of The- osophy and of every other cult of professional truth-seekers that ignores and repudiates the al- ready fully revealed things of God. This can not be emphasized too strongly today, when peo- ple almost generally are ignoring their Bibles and running after all manner of new-thoughters and new teachers, seeking after strange fires and mys- terious phenomena of spiritistic delusions. God, having anciently spoken in many portions and by various methods to the fathers by the prophets, in the last of these days spoke to us in his Son. —Hebrews 1:1,2. In the following verse, the statement is made that this speaking of God was a complete revela- tion of himself. Other Scriptures emphasize the same fact, excluding any and all looking for, or reception of, further testimony from human or spirit sources. We are to hold, study and follow what has already been completely manifested. 14 Founders of Cult Modern MODERN THEOSOPHY WHENCE ? FOUNDERS OF THE CULT As a distinct cult, Modern Theosophy was born in New York City, in 1875, of Henry S. Olcott, Helene P. Blavatsky, and their mahatmas, with a few others. As Blavatsky is reputed, and her- self claimed, to have been the promoter and high-priestess, an outline of her career v/ili large- ly answer the inquiry Whence f A Russian adventuress, she was from the no- bility, and received the usual schooling of her time and static-n. Without any spirit of accusa- tion or slander, but from the fruit of her life, we are entitled to inquire into her reputation and character. **Figs do not grow on thistles." That H. P. B. (as styled by her followers) was a this- tle, is evidenced by abundant detailed testimony. She has been described as ''enormously fat,'* with a "harsh, disagreeable voice and a violent temper ;" she dressed "in a slovenly manner, smoked cigarettes incessantly, and cared little cr nothing about the conventionalities of life." She was coarse, profane, and shocking in speech ; Theosophy Blavatsky's Personality 15 and subject to tantrums, peevishness and rebel- liousness. From childhood, she showed medium- istic qualities and a clairvoyant tendency. She was a terror to her household; impulsive, excit- able, capricious, headstrong-, wayward, mysteri- ous. She was violent in anger, subject to trances, and kept all those about her in fear until they de- clared that she had a devil. She was often found talking by herself, and, when questioned, replied that she was talking with an invisible hunchback friend. She was mystical, fond of fairy stories, and claimed to see fairies, hobgoblins, and other creatures of the invisible world. She practiced some of the well-known phenomena of spiritism, and seemed to be under the special protection of unseen powers. She herself attributed her pranks to the influence of invisible helpers. At seventeen, she made a freakish marriage, but soon ran away from her aged husband. i\Iany years later she married in America a six- teen-year-old boy, it is said. Following the deser- tion of her first husband, Blavatsky spent some years in travel, seeking knowledge and adven- tures in mysticism, and at times leading a ques- tionable life. To the end, Blavatsky showed the same con- trary, violent and ugly disposition that marked her childhood. Her nature was never changed, notwithstanding the boasted povv-ers of her re- 16 The Fruit Test Modern ligion to uplift and perfect human lives. What could be the output cf such a teacher? What in- timation have we, thus early, as to the probable nature of Modern Theosophy, acknowledging with reverence and boasting such a mother, seer- ess and priestess? When a fountain brings forth at the same time bc-th sweet and bitter wa- ter, then can a vulgar, profane, insulting, infidel, lying, swindling woman bring forth a system of doctrine that can get the following of any but very deluded people. But Blavatsky would claim exemption from the rule of fruitage, on the ground that she was only a medium of invisible teachers. But what of the character and claims of invisible teachers who, professing to be wise and good, would se- lect such a messenger to transmit their doctrines to the world, without first changing her charac- ter and requiring her to reform her conduct? The whole scheme is repudiated by common-sense, even without further evidence. Yet such a strange condition prevails in the world, that thousands of educated people have been, and are being, bewitched by the strange fascination of the system of thought and practice such a woman foisted upon the wcrld. THE THIBETAN STORV. Blavatsky claimed to have visited Thibet, where she discovered a very ancient book in an un- TiiEOSOPHV Thibetan Myth 17 known language, but which she was enabled to read by occult wisdom. Something like Joe Smith and the Book of Mormon! She claimed to have also met in Thibet certain "Wise Ones" (whom we shall presently locate under the title "mahat- mas") who instructed her and commissioned her to enlighten the world by 1. Putting down spiritism. 2. Converting materialists. 3. Proving the existence of the mahatmas. This was claimed to have occurred in 1S56. But Blavatsky also said that she was taught spiritism by Plome in 1858, and knev/ nothing about it un- til then. Slipped a cog there, madam ! Now why did she learn and practice, and enthusiastic- ally boost spiritism for years foUowin.g 1858 if she had been commissicned in 1856 to put it down? Her accounts of Thibet and its people did not check with facts, and it was proven that she never was in that country. Nevertheless, iheosophists make much of that visit and the discoveries alleged to have been made there. They emphasize their teachings as coming from the "Masters of Thibet," who are alleged to continue the instructions begun with Blavatsky by sending "thc-ught waves" of inspira- tion and dictation into all parts of the world. I have in hand scores of messages claimed to 18 Lamaism Modern have been so inspired. They are of a peculiarly heavy and exacting legalistic mysticism, ex- tremely pious in that way, but utterly devoid of the joyous, care-free spiritual life provided in the Christian faith. Some Christian terminolo- gy is mixed in, but quite without the Christian meaning and application. The Religion of Thibet Now what is the religion of Thibet, so esteemed by modern theosophists, and which is being sly- ly inoculated into the thinking of Christian peo- ple? It is Lamaism — a variety of northern Bud- dhism strongly modified by a corrupt Sivaism, and mixed with native Shamanistic notions and practices. And what is Sivaism? The worship of Siva, the "transformer of forces," whose functions are exercised "only that reproduction may take place." Two of his many emblems are the lingam and the sacred bull. Anyone inform- ed in the Old Testament and otherwise in regard to ancient idolatries, knows that horrible things are involved in that base religion. The teachings of modern Theosophy and kindred spiritism and mysticism have a characteristic trend towards a peculiar form of emphasis on the sexual rela- tions, as will appear later in our inquiry. The alarming increase of extravagant sexual expres- sion that puzzles people today is a logical and in- Theosophy Reforming Spiritism 19 evitable result of the subtle influence of the vari- ous forms of paganism and nature-worship that this boasting day of culture has welcomed in the name of free thought and free conscience in re- ligion — free from the advices and warnings of the word of God, the Bible. BLAVATSKY IN AMERICA. Neither time nor circumstance of Blavatsky's advent into America appear to be known. In- dications point to the early "seventies." She professed to have come from France to America because she knew this to be the cradle of Spirit- ualism, and she wanted to be at headquarters. She claimed that her mahatma ordered her to come. Blavatsky and Olcott, then a newspaper reporter, met at some spirit seances, and at once became associated in spiritistic and occult in- vestigations. For some time Blavatsky associated with spiritists as a medium, and then undertook to re- form the movement by teaching a higher [ !] form of spiritism, incorporating the oriental mys- ticism she had picked up. This raw western country knew only a crude, elemental kind of spiritism, and Blavatsky was commissioned by the spirits to put it down — by substituting the oriental kind ! Crude spiritism had a limited range, and was too simple a fraud to catch many 20 Subtlety and Cunning Modern thinking Christian people. So the devils invent- ed something more subtle, intellectual, and imita- tive of Christianity, cunningly using the Bible- with a show of respect while perverting it unto destruction. When you are come into the land which the Lord your God gives you, you shall not learn to do after the abominations of those nations. There shall not be found among you any one that makes his son or his daughter to pass through the lire [special magic initiation into a certain occult order], or that uses divination [fortune-telling, etc.], or an observer of times [includes astrology], or an enchanter [a hypnotist], or a conjurer [magician], or a charmer [a hypnotist using apparatus], or a consulter with familiar spirits [spirit me- diums], or a wizard [includes palmist], or a necromancer [consulter of the dead]. For an abomination unto the Lord are all that do these things ; and on account of these abom- inations the Lord your God drives them out from before you. You shall be perfect [sincere, or single-minded] with the Lord your God. For these nations, which you are about to disposess, hearken unto observers of times, and unto di- viners ; but as for you, the Lord your God has not assigned the like unto you [He is not the source of such things]. A prophet from the midst of you, of your brethren, like unto me [Joshua], will the Lord your God raise up unto you ; un- to him [Jesus] shall you hearken. —From Deut. 18. TiiEOSOPHY A spiritistic Circle 21 A DEVELOPMENT OF SPIRITISM At first Blavatsky claimed to have received or- ders from an adept through an "elemental" rep- resenting ''John King," a favorite "control" among spiritists of that day. Later, she professed direct guidance by two mahatnias, and based the system of modern Theosophy on alleged revela- tions from these spirit teachers. Olcott had been studying oriental occultism, and his knowledge of that was worked into ordinary spiritism, to- gether with further studies by him and Blavat- sky, resulting in the new cult. In a published article, in 1875, Blavatsky styl- ed herself "a follower of Eastern Spiritualism," and predicted that American Spiritualism would "become a science and a thing of mathematical certitude." She called Spiritualism, a child of an- cient magic. Magic and mystery were the chief items of interest in starting the Theosophical Society. The catchy Brotherhood plank, now put forward so prominently, was not thought of for some time. At first it was only proposed to study "those secret laws of nature which were so fa- miliar to the Chaldeans and Egyptians." 22 Teaching Demons Modern The Theoscphical Society began as a spiritis- tic circle, and that is what it is now, only devel- oped into a cult of more complicated and intel- lectual subtlety. Circumstances (some say the ma- hatmas) led Blavatsky and Olcott to go to India, where they developed their system along oriental lines, and incidentally got some notoriety by an exposure of frauds perpetrated by Blavatsky as alleged miracles. A little study of the literature of modern The- osophy finds unmistakable evidence of the work of teaching demons, who have a style peculiar to themselves, besides the uninspired or not-dictat- ed work of men and women. For we are not like the many, adulterating the word of God; but as from sincerity, but as from God, in the presence of God, we speak in Christ. — II Cor. 2:17. TiiEOSOPHY Anne Besant 23 SOME THEOSOPHIC LEADERS 'Trom cne learn all," said an ancient writer. "It is enough that the pupil be as his master," said Jesus. An inquiry as to the present leaders of the theosophic cult discloses an affinity between them and their teacher, Blavatsky, of significant bearing on our subject. Anne Besant poses as the present world-lead- er of the movement. She was the wife of a clergyman of the Church of England, who was also master of a college. She was apparently a Christian until the birth of a child, when she suddenly left home, child and church. She join- ed a free-thought society in London, professed atheism, and poured scorn and ridicule upon Christ and Christianity. Then she became a socialist zealot, and was associated in the publi- cation of "The Fruits of Philosophy," described as "one of the most obscene pamphlets ever written." In a much later book she deplored the part she took in that, admitting herself to have been mistaken, but without expressing penitence or contrition. 24 Quarrelsome BrotJierhood Modern Besant's acquaintance with the doctrines of Christianity made her a valuable medium for the false teachings ; for she is able to clothe them in the semblance of Christian verbiage, making them more deceitful and alluring. A townsman of her earlier life says that she has an inordinate vanity, with an "irresistible desire to be 'in the limelight' — to be in position to display her mar- velous gifts of speech." The doctrine of brotherhood, made so much of as the strong plank of the theosophic platform, seems unable to support the weight of personal ambitions for leadership that broke the Society into factions at the first opportunity. After the death of the original projectors, two rivals set up claims to Blavatsky's mantle : Anne Besant, in England, and Catherine Tingley, in America. Each wanted to be president of the world-society. Neither would prefer the other in honor, in the Christian v/ay, and a bitter fight ensued, the ran- cor of which continues to this day. Theosophists make extravagant professions of foUov/ing the "selfless life," yet the ugly contest between these two parties would disgrace a dirty political cam- paign ! So now there are two Societies, and sev- eral little sects, or orders, of this universal broth- erhood ! NOTE:- Mrs. Besant was introduced to Madam Blavatsky by editor William T. Stead, who was a spiritist and interested in Theosophy. His conspicuous activity in connection with the famed " Welsh Revival " is significant in view of certain strange things associated with that event. TiiEOSOPiiY Catherine Tingley 25 Catherine Tingley was a spirit medium when she took up Theosophy in self -exploitation. She writes with words of honey the most blasphe- mous teachings, along with numerous and pre- sumptuous claims for herself. No megaloma- niac puts forth more blasphemous claims. She dares to call herself, not only the greatest person and teacher in the world today, but the greatest of all time, the Lord Jesus Christ not excepted ! Insane people sometimes claim to be the Lord, but she does not stop there ; for she claims to be better than He was — yet remains out of the asy- lum, and finds plenty of fools who are willing to follow her teachings! It is just as Jesus said it would be — teachers coming in their own names, pretending to be great ones, would attract many who are too proud to follow him who came in humility, exalting the Father instead of himself. The brazen impudence of Catherine Tingley goes even beyond that of Simon Magus, the sor- cerer, who ''claimed to be some great one, even the power of God" ; for she claims to "wield powers" in the sense of controlling the invisible powers. She rates herself as the evolved per- fection of great world-teachers, although con- ceding high honors to Blavatsky, saying she was "martyred, as was Christ, but on a cross of great- er agony," and is "one of the world's redeemers." 26 Audacious Blasphemy Modern But the sufferings of Blavatsky, at the close of her career, were only the Icgical consequences of her life, and nothing like martyrdom. Mrs. Tingley has emphasized her claim to be the proper successor to Blavatsky by asserting that they were close friends twelve hundred years before Christ, at a time when both were incarnated in Egypt! Later, she even claimed to be the reincarnation of Blavatsky herself ! She had recollection of having been a bosom friend long ago, and then she became suddenly conscious of being, not a one-time bosom friend, but a rein- carnation of that twice contemporaneous person ! Great magic, that ! Verily, the evolution of a dis- eased imagination, with promptings from deceiv- ing spirits, and urged by unbridled ambition, knows no consistency or reason ! A reincarnation of one whom she declares to have been greater than Jesus Christ [Blavatsky, and a reincarnation being an advance over the preceding state], there is no limit to the audacious blasphemy of this Point Loma pretender whom thousands follow, and whose insane ravings are honored on the shelves of public libraries in this professedly Christian land, and whose exploits are heralded in contemporary literature! And these same people ridicule as myth, fable and su- NOTE:- Blavastky is reported to have died from elephantiasis, perhaps with "complications. The end of her career, like that of other such pre- tenders, should dissuade even the bisised from confidence in their claims. Theosophy Natural Inference 27 perstition, the authentic, proven, tried, stable and consistent Christian Scriptures in the most es- sential doctrines and pervert them by presump- tuous interpretaticns unto most grotesque incon- sistencies ! But how can such people rationally interpret anything? The amazing thing is that people who boast of their superior education fall into such a dirty puddle. Of the satellites of these leaders, it is not worth while to take detailed notice. They form a grow- ing family. Each thinks to give the world its latest and best lessons in truth. They differ some in details, but, in the main, only reflect the teachings of the principal leaders. LOGICAL INFERENCE From this outline survey of the origin and source of modern Theosophy, we have plain indications as to the character of the doctrines. Detailed in- quiry brings to light the extremities of falsehood into which the human mind can be led when it turns from the plain word of God to follow the alluring, fascinating, and subtle suggestions of its own imaginations, enticed and misguided by demon teachers, even as Eve was beguiled into doubt and disobedience by a flattering prospect NOTE:- The imprisonment by the British Government of Leadbeater, a conspicuous theosophic writer, for corrupting boys, is a comment on such leadership the significance of which appears later in this book. 28 Glamorous Knoidcdgc Modern of power through knowledge — not that which comes through normal experience in obedience, but that glamorous knowledge called occult, which Theosophy especially stands for, but which is illusicn, delusion and mockery. But evil men and imposters [lit. jugglers — juggling with doctrine] will progress for the worse, deceiving and being deceived. But do you abide in the things which you learned and was convinced of, knowing with whom you learned ; and that from a child you have known the Holy Scriptures which are'^able to make you wise for salvation, through the faith that is in Christ Jesus. —II Tim. 3:13-15. Theosophy Audacious Mockery 29 MODERN THEOSOPHY WHAT ? FALSE PRETENSES Modern Theosophy professes to be a higher and better interpretation of truth and Hfe than is Christianity. It has the audacity to claim to be a development of the higher spirituahty of Christianity, while denying its essential and fun- damental doctrines, and ridiculing the faith of all who accept the Bible in truth. It pretends to be a friend of churches, wishing to give them clearer light and nobler fellowship, yet insulting- ly mocks them in all that is most important — Sa- tan in Eden reproduced. He pretended to be Eve's friend, wishing to direct her to higher things, even to the wisdom of gods, but was all the wdiile mocking ]ier very nature as a created being under duty of obedience to God ; and mock- ing God, whose word he contradicted, as we find to be the case with the cult we are investigating. The first teachings are so closely imitative of Christianity that the danger does not appear, and the descent to the paganism which constitutes 30 Revived Paganism Modern the real system is so graduated that inquirers do not reahze the situation. Theosophy grows bolder as it meets little opposition from the churches, and makes most daring claims to mis- lead the unwary. Professions of friendship to- wards Christianity must be accepted as the as- sassin's kiss. Some Theosophists are frank enough to admit that their system is not Christian. Max Muller said that Theosophy is a psychological religion — ■ the word theosophy conveying the idea of wild speculations on the hidden nature of God ; the word psychic reminding of the trances, visions and ghosts ; and the word mystic leaving the impression of something vague, nebulous and secret. Christianity has no such description. Wherever these elements are present, any claim to being Christian is fraudulent. That modern Theosophy is a revived paganism, is clear when we compare its teachings with those of ancient pagan cults. The original pro- moters claimed to be only discovering and re- producing the long-neglected ancient wisdom- religion of pagan peoples. The Bible most em- phatically condemns and warns against them, so that it is amazing how any Christians can be misled into the snare of the deceptions. Theosophy Intolerant Tolerance 31 DENIAL OF DOGMA OR CREED Theosophy boasts of being unfettered by any dogma, creed or doctrine, but we shall find it to be little else, most positively stated, and some of them imposed upon followers with insistence even in the presence of contrary evidence. The- osophists are the most presumptuous dogmatists, claiming infallible knowledge from direct guid- ance by invisible beings of superlative wisdom. They glory in a pride that rejects the revelation attested to have been directly from God, and, with perverse folly, accept notions revealed from sub- ordinates — mahatmas ! They make a great ado about tolerance, yet, at the very outset, exact a pledge from every can- didate before admission that forever restricts his liberty of opinion to the dictates of the order! He must never question the religious opinions of fellow-victims ! He forfeits his right to offer sug- gestions to any whom he believes to be in error ! But no Christian may pledge himself to silence regarding doctrine. He keeps free to testify for his Lord, and against falsehood in every form and place. Pledges of silence and secrecy indi- 32 Presumptuous Claims Modern cate a cult of falsehood that shuns the light, and seeks to keep victims from exposing hidden cor- ruption. One who will not pledge himself at the outset is not welcome — ^lie might become an un- comfortable member, when certain unsavory se- cret doctrines and practices are reached ! Incon- siderate vows are a specialty of devils, who would bind the conscience before showing their hands. But Christianity says, "Prcve all things" and "Try the spirits," before committing one's self. The term ''surrender" is liable to misuse, and is being misused in these days by people who think they are in a higher Christian way, but who are in danger from deceptive piety. The motto of the Theosophical Society is "There is no religion higher than truth." It pre- sumes to set up its notions as positive truth, not- withstanding many inconsistencies and contradic- tions, and in face of its own claim that all thought is in a state of transitional flux, wherein nothing is fixed ! It denies that Jesus Christ is "the way, the truth, and the life," and says: "Each man is himself absolutely the way." Emphatic for a dogmaless cult, overflowing with tolerance, be- sides being presumption and blasphemy 1 There are as many ways, then, as there are individuals, and no teachers are needed ! By this, teachers of Theosophy are a superfluity — but, if they zvill teach, of course, they must be tolerated ! In Theosophy Demands on Credulity 33 reality, theosophists are most intolerant of what conflicts with their notions, using violent words of resentment and denunciation. They make far greater demands en human credulity than they accuse Christians of doing. We have repudiated the secret things of shame ; not walking in craftiness, nor falsifying the word of God ; but by the manifestation [or setting forth in clear light] of the truth, approving ourselves to every hu- man conscience [or sense of fitness] in the presence of God. . . . For we do not proclaim ourselves, but Christ Jesus as Lord. — // Cor. U'.2-5. 34 Thcosophic Platform Modern CREED OF MODERN THEOSOPHY The general creed is formulated in the platform of the Theosophical Society. Numerous doc- trines are associated with it which have been modified from time to time, as is the custom with spiritistic religions, while maintaining a certain trend. The platform is : 1. To form a nucleus of the Universal Broth- erhood of Humanity, without distinction of race, creed, sex, caste, or color. 2. To encourage the study of comparative re- ligion, philosophy, and science. 3. To investigate unexplained lavv^s of nature, and the powers latent in man. Man, humanity, is the object of emphasis — the supreme consideration. The adage, *'The proper study of mankind is man," is far off the track. How is one to learn anything worthy by study- ing a failure, or a diseased and perverted thing? What uplift in that? To hitch a wagon to a fencepost means a short trip ; to hitch it to a star This is the eternal life, that they may know thee, the only true Gcd, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent. Jno.l7:3. Theosophy The Best Pupilage 35 is better. The proper study of man is God, and in that only can one be exalted. To find Him in whose likeness we were created, but whom we lost by sin, is to find the way back to the original norm of man. Jesus Christ, the God-man, is the revelation of what we cught to be, and to study Him, to become His disciple, is the fit and only successful pupilage. Let Him be our teach- er, not mahatmas or created spirits of any kind. Why, even the exalted angels of heaven do not affect to be teachers, but leave that v/ork to God Himself. Any invisible beings, under v/hatever guise, that ofifer instructicn are to be repulsed at once as deceiving pretenders. God lias spoken in His Son, and there is nothing more to be reveal- ed to man. It is only because people do not like that revelation, and Vv'ant one that suits their pride, that they run after new revelations and speculative philosophies, grasping after some- thing that vvill be less humiliating than the truth, which makes clear their need of help from out- side themselves. They will accept the help of in- visible spirits without any proof of their identi- ty or qualifications, while rejecting the help of Jesus Christ, who accredited Himself so fully The glory thou gavest me I have given them. Jiio. 17:22. We all, beholding as in a mirror, the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image .... — // Cor. 3:18. Predestinate to be conformed to image of his Son. Rom. 36 Brotherhood Dogma Modern that any who at all investigate can not fail to be convinced. The doctrines that cluster about the theosoph- ic platform are the acme of diabolical cunning, deception and treachery. UNIVERSAL BROTHERHOOD The brotherhood plank is called the cornerstone of the theosophic edifice. The Society assumes credit for something new — it is "forming a nucle- us," as though nobody ever thought of the scheme before ! But many movements have avowed the same purpose. It is an old shibboleth of Spiritism, and the cry of various secret or- ders. In the very door of this crecdless cult is the d-o-g-m-a of universal brotherhood ! The very idea of such a brotherhood is taken from Christianity, whose founder was the *'Son of man." But to discredit the supremacy of Jesus Christ, in this, it is represented as a conception evolved in human thought, recently born, and is perverted into loose application. The Son of man is also Son of God — not of human generation, but begotten by the Holy Spir- it. He is the second Adam — Divine man, God in- carnate. The atonement in Jesus Christ brought all mankind back to the Adamic relation in God's purpose. As in Adam all died, so in Christ are they made alive. The life of the world is in him, TiiEOSOPHY True Brotherhood 37 but that life is effective only in those who accept- ingly believe in him. Those who reject make them- selves aliens from God, thus refusing to belong to the brotherhood that inheres in Christ, so can not claim relation to the universal ; for God alone is universal. That which is born of the flesh is necessarily limited to the realm of the natural, and participation in the universal can ccme only by spiritual birth. Only Christians, therefore, can talk of a universal brotherhood, and even they must qualify the term as excluding those who are not of the household of faith. For an un-Christian, or an anti-Christian, cult to propose to estabhsh a universal brotherhood of humani- ty, is folly and delusion. To be fellow-men is one thing ; to be brothers, quite another. The term "brother" is a family one, therefore restricted in application. Humani- ty can reproduce only after its kind. The God- born are not to be counted longer in the fleshly relationships. Jesus said : "Call no one on earth your father ; for One is your Father, God." Uni- versal brotherhood can not obtain in a mixed generation. Jesus said, and history confirms, that some men are children of the Devil. The- osophy undertakes a big job, in proposing to es- tablish a Universal Brotherhood of Humanity from such diverse elements. Such a brotherhood must wait, at least until all the Lord's people are 38 Beginning of Wisdom Modern caught up, to be with him in the air. John 1 :12, 13 and Matt. 12 :50 are good antidotes to the uni- versal brotherhood of humanity virus. STUDY OF COMPARATIVE RELIGION The second plank in the theosophical platform appeals to "liberal thinkers." It, too, is a definite creed of this creedless cult! It is a declaration that Christianity does not present the only true way to God, but that all religions are worthy, and to be consulted and used. Theosophy professes to study and honor all systems alike. But, in reali- ty, it only juggles with them, using, here and there, such items as it can force into a seeming endorsement of its own doctrines, while reject- ing and denouncing what is not so available. The very first law of the truly spiritual hfe — the Kingdom of Heaven — is meekness in sincerity (inherent in Divine Personality), accompanied by reverence for authority. "The fear of the Tord is the beginning of wisdom." The sincere in heart shall recognize God. But neither of these is present in the proposition to study compara- tive religion to find truth. Nothing is sought as authoritative. Nothing is admitted as authori- tative. And it is not intended to change belief according to findings. Each is his own authori- ty, with mind already disposed. Search is only from curiosity, and to find literature that endors- Theosopiiy Oriental Bias 39 es preconceptions and supplies material for argu- ment against the unique and supreme authority of the Bible — the same humbug of hypocrisy that was in certain who came to Jesus with questions. Students of comparative religion are usually prej- udiced against essential Christianity, and are given to making adverse comparisons by misinterpretations and misapplications. Those who are settled in truth have no desire or occa- sion to dabble in falsehoods. Slum-trotting is no part of Christian duty, but an act of will-service (a superfluity) fraught with defiling reflex in- fluence. Only for equipment for service in com- batting falsehood already active and threatening is one justified in studying various religions, and even that is dangerous. Instead of making an eclectic synthesis of all religions through the study of comparative relig- ion, as proposed, theosophists make an almost exclusive appropriation of oriental paganism, perverting what few Christian items are admit- ted, so as to make them seem to endorse the orientalism. OCCULTISM The third plank in the platform of the Theosoph- ical Society is also a creed. It capitalizes the word "nature" and all the characteristic terms of occultism. The creed affirms belief in certain 40 Magic Pozvcr Sought Modern "powers latent in man" that have been neglected all these ages, and which it is to bring out in this the "scientific" phase of its system. This plank is held in special regard, because it has to do with mysteries and the acquirement of supernatural knowledge and power. They seek knowledge be- cause "Knowledge is Power," and power is the theosophic conception of godliness. Instead of making righteousness and holiness the great ob- jects of attainment, as with Christians, they make occult power the supreme thing, with a certain kind of fictitious goodness a condition of attain- ing this power. Ancient paganism revived ! The cult started in a search for magic and the occult, and that is still the chief aim, however much some may deny it, or try to disguise it in order to mislead the critical. Not by Might nor by Power, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord. — Zech. U'.6. Theosophy Sources of Doctrines 41 THE DOCTRINES ALLEGED SOURCES The doctrines of modern Theosophy are a cun- ning combination of pantheism, evolution, fatal- ism, reincarnation, and a number of associated superstitions and queer practices. There are four alleged sources of theosophic doctrines : L Ancient writings of paganism — especially the Hindu religious books. 2. "Astral Records." 3. Mahatmas. 4. Intuitions (so-called) of the natural hu- man mind. Only a little reflection is needed to assure of the foolish inconsistency of resort to, or reliance on, these scnirces. ANCIENT WRITINGS If evolution is true (and theosophists emphasize it so to be) the later literature is the best. They as- sert that the Bible was evolved (some say com- piled) from more ancient writings. And, even 42 Spook Photographs Modern if not, the alleged later appearance of it should be in its favor, when there had been a period of evolutionary development throughout the world. What folly, then, to go back to the earlier and necessarily cruder literary sources. And, if self- consciousness is to be the only authority, as al- leged, Vv'hy consult the Vedic or any other liter- ature ? ASTRAL RECORDS The alleged "astral records" are, in brief, spook photographs of all things that have ever been thought or done in the world. They are stored up somewhere on the "astral plane," and may be consulted by anyone interested in the secrets of other lives — if he will only let the mahatmas de- velop his occult powers of clairvoyance ! But, as it is admitted by Lea'dbeater, one of the leading theosophic writers, that clairvoyant readiiig is as liable to error as any other, and subject to de- lusion from imperfect vision or subjective mis- interpretation, of what value is the testimony of such records, even if they exist? Yet theosophists contradict the Bible and all history, and all rea- son and sense, by appeal to the "astral records." MAHATMAS When special and infallible authority is needed by theosophists, they fall back on the mahatmas — always capitalized by them. When the found- Theosophy Evolved Shades 43 ers of the theosophical cult substituted oriental spiritism for what they called the western, they not ciily emphasized certain oriental doctrines, but also adopted the nomenclature and phraseol- ogy of eastern occultism. Modern (or western) spiritism is simply a revival of ancient necroman- cy (consulting the dead), using some of the lan- guage of Christianity as a disguise. The origi- nators of modern theosophy merely substituted the eastern theory for the same spirit intercourse and applied the oriental terms. In India, nec- romancy is forbidden, as such, but a substitute is practiced in the form of mahatmiic communi- cations. It is only a dodge. Instead of consult- ing the alleged spirits of the recently departed (thereby hindering their adjustm.ent to the new CG-nditions of the spirit plane, as the superstition puts it) the Hindus apply to the shades of men who are more advanced — men who are alleged to have evolved through many incarnations until they have reached a very high state of perfec- tion, and who have voluntarily devoted them- selves to the care and tutelage of humans who are eager to press onward and upward in the path of occult devotion. But they are, in reality, only disguised demons, just as in ordinary spiritism. They may be of a more intelligent order (for spirits differ just as humans do) but that does not make them better. It only gives them power 44 Spirit Teachers Modern to deceive more intelligent people by a more sub- tle cunning. Their teachings are, in the main, identical with those of spiritism, or necromancy. Christianity has no place for guidance from the dead, or from invisible spirits of any kind — not even from angels, as before said. Angels were created to be ministering spirits, not teach- ers. Those who remained faithful are happy in the fulfillment of their appointed duties. Those who, through pride and envy, rebelled, transgress still further, and affect to be teachers of men. Their teachings and revelations are in mocking imitation and burlesque of the truth. This is what Scripture states, and is what many people have found by sore experience. Theosophic ap- peal to, rmd reliance on, the mahatmas is sure proof that the system should be labeled *'Demon- osophy," rather than "Theosophy." The real god of theosophy is Satan. INTUITION OR SELF-ILLUMINATION Self-illumination — the ''inner light" is held to be also an important source of knowledge and wisdom. This rather contradicts the supremacy of the mahatmas, but it matters little ; for it is a good sop to hand out to the proud — they are most in harmony with falsehood, and more easi- Men loved darkness rather than light. —John 3:19. Theosophy Inner Light 45 ly led. The inner light is easily manipulated by a little hypnotic suggestion, so it does not bother the mahatmas a little bit. ''But," said Jesus, "if the light within you be darkness." Some think they have truth because the inner sense is so clouded that they can not see realities. The ostrich fears not while its head is hidden beneath the sand. A philosopher may think a pool of water is deep because of the muddiness that hides the bottom. Falsehood may scent to be positive truth to an abnormal mind — and that is just what the sinful human mind is. It is Vvdien the prodigal comes to him- self that he realizes his condition. Seared con- sciences are not cleared consciences, and only cleared consciences can perceive truth clearly. To follow the inner promptings of a fallen na- ture, is far from following the mind of God, where only is truth. If we are to walk in the light, we must look away from natural inner promptings unto Jesus Christ, "the way, the truth, and the life" — the cnly light of the world. Introspection is a most alluring but deceiving and dangerous practice. It is very liable to lead to captivity of the mind to seducing spirits who take advantage of the darkness of men's minds to suggest misleading notions by way of fancies and impressions. Looking within often becomes a form of idolatry, with self as the god. Self- 46 Self-Worship I^^Iodern worship is a large phase of theosophy, which de- clares man to be, himself, God. The fact that theosophists repudiate truth is proof that their inner light is darkness that comprehends not ; for whoever is of the light conies to the light — re- sponds to and acknov/ledges it, as Jesus says. The Logos became flesh, and dwelt among ur-, and we behekl his glory, a glory as of an only-bcgot- ten of a father, full of grace and truth. He who has seen me has seen the Father. If our gospel be veiled [not clear], it is veiled to those who are perishing; to those unbelievers v/hose inmds the god of this age blinded, so that they might not see clearly the effulgence of the gospel of the glcry of Christ, v/ho is an iniage of God. He [Christ] is a iikeness ol the invisible God . , , . by him were all things created . . and he is before all things, and by him the universe was constituted [arranged and put together]. Who [Jesus Christ], being an efTulgence of his [God's] glcry, and an exact impress of his person [cr personality; see the Greek], and sustaining the universe by the word of his power. These quotations, from John 1:14; 14:9; 2 Cor. 4:3.4; Col. 1:15-17, Heb. 1:3, and many other Scriptures, fully corrob- orated in Christian experience, show the sufficient and com- plete revelation of God in Jesus Christ, excluding any other manifestations chicug'a mahatmas or occult investigations. Theosopiiy Presumptuous Ignorance 47 DOCTRINE OF GOD AND CREATION The system of modern Theosophy is embraced in its theory of God and of creation, or, rather, of the world^s evolution ; for it denies a creation in the proper meaning of the word, substituting a form of pantheistic evolution of emanations. Of God, the statement is: "We do not yet un- derstand or comprehend the Infinite, the Some- thing men call God." It is one of the dodges of spiritism to refuse to make any definite state- ment regarding God. Such indefiniteness is a sure sign of the evil source of the whole theosoph- ic system. Of what sort is any light, whether in- ner or cuter, that leaves this item in such ob- scurity? In the face of such a declaration of ig- norance, vvhv do theosophists mahe any attempt at all to denne God? Yet they do it. What right have they to denounce the Christian doctrine of God, if they admit having no understanding or comprehension in the matter? It Vv^ould be at least consistent and discreet to be silent, but they are not. Why v/ill people run after teachers who, at the very outset, insult their intelligence by of- fering instruction from empty minds ? This pro- fessed io-norance of God is rather boastingly ex- 48 Personality Fundamental Modern pressed, yet it is sure evidence that those who en- dorse the position have not the mind of God at all, however much they may claim to be gods ; for the mind of God is surely self-conscious. Every Christian has some understanding and comprehension of God; for he has the mind of Christ, and Christ is God-man. So the Christian has the God-consciousness, and no others have or can have it. Not having any understanding of God, why do theosophists define him as "an eternal, omni- present principle"? Such is a doctrine, not of reason or of the inner light in natural human coiisciouness ; for man does not deduce imper- sonality from constant experience of the personal. Personality inheres in the very constitution of man, as self-consciousness recognizes. That self-consciousness is from God, in whose image man was created. He who planted the ear, shall he not hear? or he who formed the eye, shall he not see ? .... it is he who teaches man knowledge. fPs. 94:9,10]. They who make them [idols] be- come [lxx] like them, and all who trust in them. |Ps.ll5:8]. Who, among men, knows human affairs except the spirit in man ? Likewise, who knows the things of God, except the Spirit of God? [1 Cor. 2:11, freely translated in our speech]. These rational statem.ents show the imbecility of notions of an impersonal God, and the fact that we become assimi- lated to our conception of God; also, the fact that we can understand the things of God only as we receive his Spirit. Not by science, philosophy, occultism, spiritism., or evolution but by revelation and regeneration, can man know Tkuth. TiiEosoPHY The Perfect Man 49 WHAT IS MAN? Modern Theosophy says that man is "constitu- tionally independent of the physical body," i. e., pure spirit, or discarnate spirit, becoming incar- nate from a pre-existent state in the spirit world. This is directly contrary to the Bible, which says that man's body was created first. Then God put into that body the breath of life, and man becaijie a living being. Man became, net was al- ready. He was never intended, or destined, to live as an unembodied spirit. There never was, :ind never Vv'ill be, such a being as man apart from (lie complex being God made him — body, soul and spirit. The perfection of man will be ac- complished only when, in resurrection, the whole being is fully redeemed. "A spirit has not flesh and bones, as you see me have," said Jesus after his resurrection. The hope and consolation of the Christian is not in a disembodied future, as with spiritists ; not in being unclothed, but to be clothed more fully, v/hich is quite different from any "astral" notion. The childhood song that has long been accounted very pious, 'T want to be an angel," is quite at variance with the Chris- tian teaching. The redeemed will never be spirit 50 Man Never Disembodied Modern beings, but will have glorified bodies like that of the Son of God who took upon himself forever the human nature. The Man in the Heavens will have many brethren with him in glory. Who will transform the body of our humihation into a Hke form with the body of his glory. —Phil. 3:21. Beloved, now are we children of God, and it has not yet been manifested what we shall be. But we know that, if he should appear, we shall be like him. — / John 2:2. . . that we may present every man perfect in Christ. —Col. 1:28. TiTEOSOPHY An Exploded Superstition 51 REINCARNATION Passing over the theosophic cosmogony, with its grotesque theories of vibrations, emanations (or sparks), and its low conception of a Supreme Being that is but a conglomerate mass of broken fragments, we come to the doctrine of reincarna- tion, which is said to be the "central truth" of theosophy. It is not at all a new notion, but a revival of the ancient pagan superstition of transmigration. Is it not remarkable how these advocates of evo- lution go back to ancient and long-ago exploded theories for their leading doctrine ? And is it not remarkable how people of Twentieth Century boasted enlightenment are so ignorant as to fall to such teaching? The doctrine of reincarnation is a perversion and denial of, and substitute for, the doctrine of resurrection. It is an attempt to explain immor- tality and perfection without either a redemption or a resurrection. As we "put on incorruption" the moment we are raised from the dead, there is no place for another incarnation in corrupti- ble flesh in order to further develop towards im- * mortality. Reincarnation is an impossibility in 52 flashes of ConsciGiisness Modern the Christian system. It is God who brings to perfection those who receive His life into their hearts (as in Heb. 13:21), and this is to be done in this life so far as it has to do with conditions in the other world. When men know God in Christ Jesus — in the heart consciousness, or spir- itual nature — they have immortality ; for they are already partakers of the Divine nature, which is immortal. Scripture says : **It is appointed unto men once to die, and after this the judgment," which natly contradicts any notion of reincarnation. The only evidences for reincarnation offered by theoscphy are the conjecture or inference from certain strange flashes of consciousness and seeming recollection of formiCr experiences, and the testimony of the mahatmas. As for the flashes of consciousness and mem- ories of the past, some scientists account for them by the theory of entailment of race-con- sciousness. But that does not satisfy the situa- tion. If true, such experiences should be general and more or less constant, rather than sporadic. The fact that persons of mediumistic tempera- ment are specially disposed to such experiences js significant of a more definite and personal agen- cy. So far as I have learned, Pythagoras was the first to record such experiences. It was from him that Plato got the theory of reincarnation. Theosopiiy Obsession by Spirits 53 But Pythagoras and Plato were both spirit med- iums, in fact, though not in professional prac- tice. From many years of close acquaintance with this matter, I explain such experiences as due to obsession from spirits. Entailment of race consciousness could produce only general and vague impressions, whereas, the experiences in question are of quite definite and personal items. Now discarnate spirits have had long ex- perience in this world, and have recollection of events and of people from ancient times. When they attack individuals, their own mental states are impressed upon the consciousness of those whom they obsess. I could give a number of il- lustrative instances if space permitted, but two or three may be useful as samples that clearly in- dicate the correctness of my diagnosis. [See note on personal experience in appendix]. REINCARNATION DENIED AT FIRST Reincarnation was expressly denied at first by those who put forth modern Theosophy. Olcott says that Blavatsky did so by direct orders from the mahatmas, who then directed her to teach that, at death, souls go to other planets to stay. After the visit to India, and six years after the- osophy was launched, the doctrine of reincarna- tion was affirmed. Olcott says it was by express orders from the mahatmas, both to Blavatsky and 54 Superfluous Claims Modern to himself. He recogized the strange contradic- tion, but was too bhnded by the evil powers to charge the mahatmas with fraud. He blamed himself for having, somehow, misunderstood the mahatmic wisdom ! It is clear, then, that the doc- trine of reincarnation is not an essential in the theosophic system. The claims for its import- ance are entirely gratuitous and superfluous. But it m.akes a hit with foolish people of a certain trend of mind, and is useful in covering up the operations of demons. The gist of the whole thing is this : Obsessing spirits have consciousness of past experiences, as before stated. That conscious- ness affects the minds of people under obses- sion in the line of the psychic intellection just de- scribed. In ignorance of the facts, people sup- pose that such recollections are of their own former experiences in some other life, or at some other time. In so doing, they fail to guard against the obsessing attacks of the spirits, and so are more easily led into the snare of actual posses- sion. Very cunning are the ways of demons. We need to know the devices, as Paul said. My pur- pose in dealing with this subject at all is just to this end. The claim that Origen and other early Christian writers taught reincar- nation is utterly false. On the contrary, they denounced it as a pagan Superstition. By gross perversion, certain Bible expressions are made to appear to teach the doctrine, but the misuse is easily shown. TiiEOSOPHY Pagan Fatalism 55 KARMA Inseparable from the doctrine of reincarnation, is that of Karma, which is called the "second truth of Theosophy." Stripped of its mystical verbiage, the doctrine is simply that of inexor- able retribution for all conduct — not from any moral standpoint, but in the bearings actions have on the evolution of selfhood in the occult life. Yet, inconsistently, this inexorable law of fate is administered by the "Lords of Karma"— the special mahatmas who are supreme over this im- personal law! There is no missing or evading the mahatmas in this system of philosophical ab- stractions ! The doctrine of Karma is a special form of ancient pagan fatalism. There is no "good news" in it, and it is directly aimed against the Chris- tian message of pardon and restoration for sin- ners. It seeks to rob the Lord Jesus Christ of the results of his sufferings as saviour and re- deemer by Winding people to the hope that is in Christ. Karma demands suffering to the "bit- ter end" for all wrong, whereas, Christ offers deliverance from that end of sorrow and suffer- ing. If there were such a thing as a karmic rec- ord, Christianity offers to blot it all out. Surely, 56 Heartless Desolation Modern it is unbelief that makes anyone give up the Christian way of hope for the bitter pill of theo- sophic Karma. The doctrine of Karma makes prayer a mock- ery, and any cry for mercy to be but wasted breath. Karma condones nothing, versus love that covers a multitude of sins. Real love, com- passion and mercy have no place in the "wisdom- religion." The word "forgive" is not in the the- osophic dictionary. Mahatmas are relentless masters. What a drear, desolate, cheerless, dead, ugly, hideous thing is this theosophy ! Without heart or pity, but abounding in accusations, re- criminations, and unsympathetic relentlessness ! The law of Karma surely befits a demon-religion. It is abnormal, unhuman, insulting to the God of mercies, and a mockery of those who sorrow for sin. THE GOSPEL CONTRAST How in contrast is the consolation in the Gospel of Jesus Christ : "Hope thou in God." "Come unto me, all ye who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." "When we were without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly." "God has laid help upon one who is mighty." What really good nezvs the story of Jesus Christ is to struggling humanity! If only men would believe, and so find the joy of salvation! Theosophy Sin and Matter 57 ATONEMENT AND REGENERATION Theosophy is bitterly opposed to the Christian doctrine of atonement, and ridicnles the teach- ing that vicarious sacrifice is even possible. It repudiates Jesus Christ as helper and saviour, and insists that men are competent to bear their own burdens of transgression — mistakes, they call them. But, when not arguing against Christian salvation, theosophists say that man needs hel]:), and should turn to the niahatmas for it ! But that help is in the line of magic ; for moral and spirit- ual defectiveness are denied. Sin is repudiated as a spiritual wrong, but is held to be mere inac- curacy due to immaturity of development, to be overcome by education and self-culture. Sin is a weakness due ciily to the soul's limitation in mat- ter ! Poor, inert matter gets all the blame for sin and evil ! Even Porphyry, an old-time enemy of Christianity, knew better ; for he wrote once to his wife: "Accuse not thy flesh, but thy soul." Matter is not unclean of itself : it is only a combination of chemical elements. What seems filth in one place is food in another. We get rid of much foolishness when we learn to regard things in the absolute, or ultimate reality, and not in the relative. Jesus said that eating with dirty 58 Perverted Imaginations Modern hands does not defile, but speaking from a dirty heart. Most people today are more afraid of un- sanitary cups and towels than they are of unholy hearts and unclean imaginations. "Nothing is unclean of itself, but to him who regards it un- clean, to him it is unclean," says the apostle of spiritual good sense. In other words, it is all in the imagination, that anything is unclean, and imagination may be biased either from ignorance (the darkness of the inner light) or from moral perversion. "To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled nothing is pure that is pure." It is abuse of the material that perverts the men- tal attitude. Demons had no right to meddle in matter, nor to seek experience in the flesh — they were creat- ed as unembodied spirits. In seeking experience with matter, they sinned against their own na- ture, becoming thereby perverted in their thoughts of matter, until matter seems to them to be evil. So their religions have always represented mat- ter as essentially and inherently evil. The de- monosophy of theosophy is clearly indicated in the notion that matter is the seat of evil, and the occasion of sin, rather than its victim and instru- ment. NIRVANA The Christian thinks of the unchangeable and everlasting blessedness of Heaven as the end of TiiEOSoniY End of Evolution 59 life experiences. Thcosophists hold the oriental notion of Nirvana — some, as the consummation of the many earth-rounds ; others, as only the ''commencement," or graduation from the series of incarnations into a long and higher evolution through new realms of endless progress. In no case, is it regarded as annihilation, as academic critics have affirmed. On the contrary, it is con- ceived as an intensification of consciousness, far beyond anything that mortal man ordinarily ex- periences, or conceives. Commonly stated. Nirvana is the state in which the individual soul, or evolved "spark," has com- pleted its evolution back to the original source, and has been united again with the IT principle, as a drop of water that has found its way back into the ocean, yet not, as the drop, losing in- dividuality, but retaining the separate self -con- sciousness acquired through its temporary sepa- ration. Apart from the mysterious-looking and pleasant-sounding word, there is nothing in Nir- vana to attract, and only deluded minds can find in the theory anything at all comparable to the satisfaction there is in the Christian conception and teaching. NO DEVIL TiiEOSOPHY declares there is no devil, but that what many call the Devil is only their "own 60 An Accusing Voice ^Iodern wicked, depraved and polluted souls." The voice of the accuser here, and that is just what the word devil means — accuser, or slanderer. In the very act of accusing people of being their own devils, theosophists show themselves to be children of some kind of devil from whom they got the notion and inclination to accuse. If peo- ple's souls became such as this quotation repre- sents, hov/ did they become so, when, according to the theosophic cosmogony, they emanated, as all others did, from the same primal and pure source? If only matter is evil, how can these souls be impure? Fall somewhere, surely! If the souls of some people may he bad, why not of others? Why are only those of anti-devils depraved? And why may there not be- polluted souls in the spirit world, even evil spirits? Jesus Christ said there is a devil, and there are demons. Do Theosophists accuse Him of only uttering his own inner self in that? Further- more, if the Devil is only a reflection of the wick- edness in some men's souls, then God is only the reflection of the good in other men's souls — and what becomes of the theosophic denunciation of the alleged anthropomorphism of the God of Christianity ? FALL OF MAN The theosophic dogma that the "descent of spirit into matter" constitutes the fall of man contra- Theosophy ' spirit in Matter 61 diets the theosophie eoSmogony ; for, according to that, there was no matter for spirit to descend into. Matter is only the congealed, condensed, solidified form of the "sparks" of spirit, or vibra- tions, that flew ofT from the central source — oth- erwise said to be those same sparks burning, or vibrating, with a glovv^ of their own as they de- vour other sparks of their environment! The fall of man is only his temporary absence from the spirit world, gaining experience in matter, and yet matter is only a special manifestation of spirit ! How clear ! But, when God created the physical world, he called it good. When He put of his own spirit into the material body, He said the combination was good. He did not regard it a fall for spirit to be associated with, or dwell in, matter — even his own spirit. The fall of man was not in his spirit coming into matter ; for there never was any man at all, except in the combination of spir- it and matter. The fall Vv^as not in having to do Vv^iih the forbidden fruit, as inat!er, but in the disobedience, which v\'as a deflection of the spir- itual, not the material. Physical degeneration fol- lowed the spiritual fall. Every system of thought that regards matter as evil, and the association of the spirit with matter as sin, is anti-Christian. The express test of antichrist is the attitude on this A^er}^ point. Scripture states definitely that 62 Self-Perfeciihility Modern he who denies that Christ came in the flesh is antichrist. The apostle who wrote it was deal- ing with this very gnostic proposition which modern Theosophy is reviving. Christ created the physical v/orld for his own use. To regard it as evil, is to accuse him, and that is the specific work of Satan, who dares to slander God as well as men. Again, I emphasize that modern theosophy is demonosophy under a stolen name. REGENERATION Against the Christian doctrine of the new birth as a change of heart, wath a new life impulse, theosophy continually reiterates the perfectibili- ty of human nature by self-culture. It says : "We have it in our power to perfect curselves, and by and by to transform ourselves complete- ly." God says we must be transformed by the renewing of the mind through the operation of the Holy Spirit with the truth, not by evolution of the old mind. We must be acted upcn from without ourselves. An elm can not evolve itself into an oak, nor can a sinner evolve himself into a saint. A dead soul can not evolve itself into life, and fallen man is dead in trespasses and in sins. Rom. 6:6; Gal. 2:20, 5:24, 6:14; Eph. 4:22-24; Col. 3:5,9 and other Scripture repudiate the perfectibility of human nature. Theosophy Misuse of Bible 63 ON THE BIBLE Theosophists profess to class the Bible with what they call the ''sacred literature of the world," holding it to be no more authoritative than any other literature. In practice, they give it subordinate rank, and declare much of it to be of no value. Especially do they subordinate it to the religious literature of India. They are not so fastidious in culling from other books as they are from the Bible. From it they pick out, here and there, a phrase, a sentence, or a verse, to give an appearance of impartiality, and the impres- sion that they use the Bible generally. But these they pervert, misinterpret and misapply to make them seem to fit theosophic propositions. It is the old trick of the Devil, which he ventured to use even with Jesus, but so completely failed. He would fail with theosophists, if they would do as Jesus did — repulse the misuse of the Bible by familiarity with, and use of, the entire text, and not twist isolated passages from their orig- inal setting and meaning. These ultra-wise people go so far as to assert that the Bible was made up of fragments from ancient literatures of pagan peoples. Queries : — How comes it that the Bible, if so made up, so 64 Dishonest Accusers ?iIodern persistently, consistently and sincerely denounces the doctrines and practices set fcrth in those lit- eratures, and teaches things utterly at variance with them ? How can copied sentences contradict and denounce their originals? Echoes do not contradict their original voices. Most remarkable coniortionists, were those Bible compilers! If they were original enough tc^ make excerpts teach directly contrary to the books from which taken, were they not original enough to produce an en- tire book without scissors and paste? Nozvhcre docs the Bible give the unprejudiced reader the impression of being a scrap-book of pagan cul- lings. Any familiarity with the Bible text makes such a proposition rcdiculous. No honest mind can conceive that the kind of men who wrote the Bible perpetrated a fraud on the world, braving thereby the scorn and violence of their contemp- oraries. To so judge them, is to read into their conduct the insincerity of their accusers. The v/isli to overthrow the authority of the Bible is father to the theory of fragmentary compilation. I, John, . . . was in the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. — Rev. 1:9. Why did John and thousands of other Christians suffer persecution, and even mai-tyrdom in multitudes, for holding to the Bible, if, as is claimed, it is only a scrap-book of cul- lings from the literature of their tormentors? And if, as is asserted by "progressive" Bible critics, Jesus was merely a product of his age, v/hy were his followers punished by the fellow-products of the same age ? Theosophy The Paramount Question 65 ABOUT JESUS CHRIST "Whom do men say that I, the Son of man, am V asked Jesus of his disciples. Men's opinion re- garding Jesus Christ, when sincere, is the key to their real selves. It reveals their spiritual vi- sion, the source of their illumination, the basis of their religion, the character of their inner con- sciousness. During the apostolic period the test of orthodoxy was the attitude towards the per- sonality, or identity, of Jesus Christ. This ques- tion is the paramount question today. Its answer was the original and sufficient creed of Christi- anity, as expressed by Peter in "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God," and by the Ethiopian officer in 'T believe Jesus Christ to be the Son of God." The theosophic interpretation of Jesus Christ is strikingly characteristic, and clearly indicative of the source of the system. The same misuse is made of the "name that is above every name" that certain of the early heretics practiced. Theosophy separates Jesus and Christ, apply- ing the name Jesus to the man, and the name Christ to the spirit-being they say was in him as a distinct entity. This is a very old heresy that 66 Spirit Birth vs. Possession Modern appeared in the early church. It simply makes of Jesus a spirit medium — a man possessed and controlled by an invading spirit from the other world. Theosophy has no proper conceptic'n of the incarnation, but regards it as merely spirit- possession, which shows the calibre of the whole system to be restricted to the notions of pagan religions. It would degrade the birth from above to the level of the diabolical monstrosity of al- leging actual invasion of human bodies by the Holy Spirit, just as in demon-possession. Indeed, in the horrible perversions called in Scripture the "mystery of iniquity," it has come to pass that certain professedly Christian cults, or sects, that prate of pentecostalism, are nothing but de- ceptive diabolisms. It has been proven, and I have made personal observations, that the power acting in present-day trances, tongues and accom- panying healings is the power of demons pretend- ing to be God. It is in exact fulfillment of Scripture prophecy concerning the last days. The Scriptural statement of the relation of the Holy Spirit to the human Spirit of the believer is that of a fusion, or, rather, a growing together of the two natures — the Divine and the human — making the Christian a copy of the incarnate Son of God. Of this wonderful and glorious truth, theosophists and other spiritists have no concep- tion at all. But they conceive of the supernatur- TiiEOSOPHY The ''Ugly Word'' 67 al as an invading spirit that enters into and lit- erally controls the human organism. Instead of making man to be a Son of God, they would make him the passive puppet of controlling powers. In- stead of inspiration, they seek dictation. Instead of a life of righteousness and holiness spontane- ously springing forth from a regenerated heart, they seek psychic direction in the mere common- places of carnal existence. Too many church folks have hardly better than this pagan super- stitious piety, failing utterly to comprehend, much less realize, the real meaning of spirituali- ty as the life of the Christian faith and practice. THE LIE CALLED In I John 2:22, we read: ''Who is a liar, but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ?" People to- day would scold John, and denounce him for lack of tolerance and courtesy, in calling even such heretics and false teachers by the "ugly word." John was unfortunate in having lived and written nearly twenty centuries before the World's Parliament of Religions, in Chicago! What could be expected of him ? He was only a product of his time and environment! How could John know? Religion is such a vague thing, you know ! The last word has not yet been spoken in religion ! Others might be as near the truth as John was — and considerably nearer in 68 Politeness vs. Loyalty Modern present-day perspective, as some theologians would have us think ! Politeness counts for more now than does loyalty to God ! Tolerance is the supreme virtue of the day ! We must never crit- icise anybody ! "Never blame anybody" is one of the distinctive dogmas of spiritism. The Devil resents contradiction and correction ! According to John, then, theosophists are plain 1-i-a-r-s ; for they say that Jesus was not Christ, but only a human medium for "the Christ" to work, or manifest, through — a mere passive channel of the Spirit, as some pseudo-Christians also talk. In the beginning was the Logos, and the Locos was with God, and the Logos was God [John 1:1]. That which was from the beginning, that which we have heard, that which we have seen with our eyes, that which we have gazed upon and our hands felt, concerning the Life .... we declare unto you. [I John 1:1,3]. How infinitely better is this view of Jesus Christ than is the devilish caricature theosophy offers ! Theosophy Prayer and Personality 69 ON PRAYER Theosophic teachings regarding prayer are words that darken counsel, and counsel darkness. We would not expect much place for prayer in a system of fatalism, of self-evolution, of an im- personal IT for supreme Deity. In its very nature prayer is a personal appeal to a personal being. Who but a person can hear? Who else can an- swer ? What abstraction can know the thoughts of men, much less their affections and purposes? What can know the heart of man, but one who also has a heart? Is there no self-conscious be- ing greater than man who can feel with and for him? The very instinct to pray indicates a Per- son to respond, as the instinct to talk is based on the existence and presence of a listener. What theosophists call prayer is nothing of the kind. It lacks the first esentials of prayer. For most part, it is only an affirmation of self to self, together with a kind of hypnotic reaching out of the will to bring the "cosmic forces" into the control of one's self for the accomplishment of one's own purposes — notwithstanding the "self- lessness" of theosophic life ! It is a mental wav- 70 Magic Use of Will Modern ing of the magician's wand to summon the re- sponse of occult powers. The following formula for morning use by children illustrates one kind of theosophic prayer: "I am a link in the Golden Chain of Love, that stretches around the world, and must keep my link bright and strong. So I will try to be kind and gentle to every living thing I meet, and to protect and help all who are weaker than myself. And I will try to think pure and beautiful thoughts, to speak pure and beautiful words, and do pure and beautiful actions. May every link in the Golden Chain become bright and shiny." That! That a prayer! Self the supreme thought! An affirmation of self, not a prayer in any sense ; for prayer implies a consciousness of self-failure and insufficiency needing help from without. Contrast the ''Lord's Prayer," in which the whole acknowledgment and aspiration are Godward, not selfward. Aside from this kind of alleged prayer and for- mal mantras, prayer is not encouraged in the spoken form, but in that of a silent will-prayer we may term it— a magic use of the will to con- trol things. It is much the same attitude of mind as that of gamblers, who try to will the shuffle or the throw to result as wanted. This will- prayer, or concentration of mind, is to be direct- ed, they say, to " 'Our Father in heaven' in its esoteric meaning, which is entirely different from Theosophy The "Father in Secret" 71 the one given to it in theology. A Theosophist addresses his prayer to his Father which is in secret." This "Father in secret" is defined to be the ''higher self" of each soul. So theosophic prayer is directed to one's self ! MEN OUGHT ALWAYS TO PRAY AND NOT TO FAINT — Lk. 18:1. The emphasis of this is even stronger in the lit- eral Greek — "it is necessary," or " there is need," always to pray, and not " be discouraged," or "de- spair." Utter dependence on God is the normal human attitude, not self-assertive self-reliance, as theosophists teach. Some years ago, when this book (which was born in a furnace of trial heated seven times seven times) was in its inception, at a time when is seemed as though there were no heaven or God to pray to, the ever faithful Para- clete kept reminding me of this text, and carried safely through. It works, no matter how hard the situation, and regardless of feelings. Faith gets the victory, not feelings. We are to endure as seeing the invisible, not concious of a presence. See Appendix, page 188, for note on the claim that Jesus was an E^ene. This footnote belongs at bottom of page 68, but was overlooked. 72 Heaven of Darkness Modern ON DEATH Theosophy boasts that it frees men from fear, especially the fear of death. It says : When we realize the great truth of reincarna- tion, when we know that we have often before laid aside physical bodies, then we shall see that death is no more to us than sleep — that, just as sleep comes in between our days of work and gives us rest and refreshment, so between these days of labor on earth which we call lives, there comes the long night of astral and heavenly life to give us rest and refreshment, and to help us on our way. So the theosophic heavenly life is a night! The Christian heaven is one of eternal day. 'There shall be no night there." God is its light, and with him is no darkness at all. A heaven of night must be of the kingdom of darkness — the Devil's own. Christianity offers quite a different recipe for escaping the fear of death. *'In order that, by means of his death, He [Jesus] might vanquish him who has the power of death — that is, the Devil, — and might liberate those who, by fear of death, were during their whole life held in bond- age," is more satisfactory than the preposition TiiEosoPHY Death Abnormal 73 of theosophy. The victory of Jesus over death and the grave is the assurance that he will deliv- er all his followers likewise. Faith in that is more rational than is belief in .mahatmic declara- tions which first deny reincarnation, and then affirm it. The promise of God is sufficient to those who trust him. Theosophists, like all spiritists, say that death is a beautiful friend — a mere incidental nap in the ages of recurrent experiences. God says it is an enemy to be overcome — the last one in hu- man experience. It is not a normal process, like sleep, hence the universal fear of it among men. It is a penalty for sin, which is a violation of the normal life of man. Man was not created to die. Without sin, he would never have experience of death. Only those who belong to the Lord Jesus Christ have any reason to feel secure in death. Only they who have accepted his redemption have any basis for courage. Fear of death is not due to ignorance, but to a guilty conscience that quails before an instinctive apprehension of judgement. And after death — What? Not the theosophic night in heaven, but — the judgment. No reincarnation to look forward to as another opportunity, but, to the unbelieving, "a certain fearful looking forward unto judgment," says God. Death ends probation. If not, there is nothing beyond so dangerous and so awful as to 74 End of Probation Modern justify the Son of God in coming down to earth to die for men. The Devil would have men be- lieve that death is only a night's rest between in- carnations, so that they will not prepare for the Judgment in the way that makes the work of re- demption to be effectual. Bible The wages of sin is death. Sin bringeth forth death. Sin entered into the world, and death by sin. It is appointed unto men once to die, and after that the Judgment. Truths The Devil's pay. The logical fruit. Death not natural. No returning after a night's rest for another life here. To die is gain [for Christians]. Not a night. Blessed are they who die in the Lord. No blessedness in the theosophic notion. Thedsophy Prying Curiosity 73 OCCULTISM AND PSYCHISM POWER AND MAGIC RIGHTEOUSNESS The third plank in the platform of the Theo- sophical Society reads : *To investigate the un- explained laws of nature, and the powers latent in man." This is a prying, or intruding, into things not seen, condemned in the Bible, and proven by all experience to be disastrous in every way. Occultism does not deal with the real laws of nature, nor the latent powers in man, but, as investigation has repeatedly shown, with supernatural operations and supersensible powers and conditions — the World of spirits. The lan- guage of the platform is only a blind to deceive people into thinking the processes to be all right, as truly normal, even as scientific scholars are deceived in what they call "'Psychical Research," thinking they are investigating unfamiliar natural forces, while, in reality, meddling with evil spirits. Anything approaching a satsifactory discussion of this topic would require twice the space we have for this whole book, so we may pass it now with only a few comments. In any investigation 76 Occultism and Magic Modern of the occult, even for controversial purpose, there is danger. But, as occultism holds a large place in Theosophy and other cults of the day that thrust themselves upon our notice, it can not be wholly evaded. So it is better that those who know something of Satan's devices should set the matter forth in a way to guard those who, through not knowing, are liable to fall into the snare. The occult powers which theosophy proposes to use for the uplift of man include, according to its own list, "clairvoyance, telepathy, levitation, the occult transportation of bodies, and the ma- terialization by the occultist of a physical body at a distance." Nov/ this is identical with the work of spiritualism, ciily disguised by a slight- ly different cloak. This ultra-spiritual religion resorts to materializations that are beyond the natural as a phase of its spiritual service to man- kind ! As everything material is so bad, and the primary object of theosophy is to put down ma- terialism, it would seem that, instead of adding to it by occult powers, theosophists would seek to eliminate it altogether ! The short and simple fact is that magic is the real thing in theosophical effort. Occultism is offered as a short-cut process to boost the evolution of man, in contradiction of theosophic insistence upon the inevitable round Theosophy True Othcr-Worldncss 77 of prolonged evolution through successive incar- nations. Magic and evolution are made com- rades in the wonderful system of "wisdom re- ligion" self-styled theosophy! Why should not these people repudiate the Bible, when it declares that magic excludes from heaven, and sorcery is condemned as an evil work of the flesh? The power Christians are to seek and cultivate is the power unto righteousness and holiness, ex- pressed in service to God through service to men. Instead of cultivating the occult, and prying into the unseen, the Christian way is the way of faith in unseen and intangible realities — the eternal verities of God's own nature, not spirit creatures playing with magic. We are not to try to find out the details of the invisible world, nor its activities, but to trust God to take care of that in all v/isdom and goodness. We have all we can attend to in this world, doing it in the spirit of eternal truth, which is the mind of God. In the prayer of our Lord for His disciples, he said •. "I pray not that thou should'st take them out of the world, but that thou should'st keep them from the evil." The other- worldness of Christians is not occultism, but the living on the plane of this world a life that is directed by, and filled with, the spirit and principles of Heaven. The super- naturalism of Christianity is not in attempting to live the disembodied life of spirits by embodied 78 Significant Sign-Seeking Modern men. Gcd incarnate in Jesus Christ is our pat- tern, not even angek, much less demons. The miraculous signs that attested the Divine Source of Christianity were not intended to be a per- manent phase of the system, as plainly taught in the New Testament. The permanent elements of power are spiritual, namely, faith, hope, love. To cite the ancient seers and prophets as our exemplars, in their ^nsions, voices and various phenomena, is to ignore the facts of Christian testimony. The situation is clearly stated in Hebrews I :1, 2 — "God, having anciently spoken in many portions [fragmentary utterances or revelations] and by various methods to the fathers by the prophets, in these last days spoke to us by his Son." Since the full truth of God was revealed to man in Jesus Christ, there is no more need or place for the fragmentary and shadowy communications that marked the ancient dispensation. Anything purporting to be a repetition or continuance of those ancient methods is a delusion and a repudiation of the revelation in Jesus Christ. Jesus said that the demand fcr occult phenom- ena as demonstration of the unseen marks a sin- ful and adulterous generation. Faith expresses the moral attitude that is due towards God, and is essentially a manifestation of our own in- tegrity. Not to accept beyond what is seen, is Theosophy Glorying in Shame 79 to impugn the integrity of him who testifies. It is a law of our personaHty that we judge others by ourselves. Therefore, unbelief is an expres- sion of the lack of integrity in the doubter. ''Blessed is he who has not seen, and yet be- lieves" is the way Jesus stated it. The word **blessed," in the Greek, means being of a higher and nobler quality of personality. Theoscphists are, therefore, among those who "glory in their shame" — their own lack of integrity. Yet they presume to dictate to the world what truth is! He who is himself true accounts God to be true, and beheves in His word. MAGIC SHORT-CUT TO ATTAINMENT The noise theosophy makes about wanting to help humanity is but an echo of the voice of the serpent in Eden, who beguiled Eve with the promise of supreme attainment by the short-cut method of disobedience in eating the forbidden fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. It reiterates the proposition of Satan to Jesus Christ, to satisfy his hunger by a miracle and to acquire a reputation by display of supernatur- alism. Short-cut processes are not the kind God generally uses or approves. He needs not to hurry. *'He that believes shall not make haste" is a good motto for these times, when the world is in feverish haste about everything. The pro- 80 Place for Miracles Moder]^ cesses of the kingdom of heaven are described by the Lord Jesus Christ in terms of patient waiting for wheat to grow, mature and ripen. When conditions call for special intervention God can do miracles, and does do them. He can speak and things become. He can raise the dead in the twinkling of an eye. He can feed a multitude with a handful of food when emergency requires. But He does not do such things as curious displays, nor when normal processes [which were established by himself] are adequate to the occasion. God sent an angel to open prison doors and re- lease an apostle, when that was the thing to be done, but at another time left an apostle to be let down from a wall in a basket. He healed many sick by a word, and again left Trophimus to the rest-cure, and Timothy to the tonic use of wines. He called Saul by a vision and a voice from heaven, but calls the world by the preach- ing of the gospel. He wrought unusual miracles through the Apostle Paul at Ephesus, but re- fused to remove the thorn of affliction and per- mitted him to suffer sickness and infirmity. He saved the life of the writer by direct miracle on five occasions, and thrice by giving special strength, agility and presence of mind, but has permitted him to suffer sore affliction for many years. God's methods are not rigid, but adapted Theosophy Imitation Miracles 81 to the working out of the "eternal weight of glory" he has reserved for his redeemed chil- dren. When we learn to abide, to rest, and to rejoice in That Will, we have reached the per- fection of manhood in Jesus Christ who said "Not my will, but thine," and "I delight to do thy will, O God." God does not protect those who act in presump- tion. Magic is an unauthorized imitation of the power of God, and is exercised through the agency of wicked spirits who have some limited povv-er in the physical field. But it is distinctly forbidden by God, and is practiced for unholy purposes. When the Corinthian Christians became proud of their genuine supernatural gifts (to be exercised only under the direction of the Holy Spirit), the apostle reproved them, showing that they were not for display but for a special testi- mony under special circumstances. He showed the better way of Christian spirituality, and warned of the time when those gifts would cease, as being no longer needed. P'or when that which is complete (the proper rendering of the Greek vv'ord sometimes translated "perfect") is come there is no further need of the kindergar- ten methods. When the apostles had "filled up," or completed, the message of God to the world and had attested it by ample evidence, the world was required to follow that truth without 82 Revelation Completed Modern looking for further revelations or demonstrations. To do so is to repudiate what has been given and declared to be the full revelation of God. In his intercessory prayer (John 17) Jesus pray- ed for all who should believe in him through the testimony of the apostles. No other or later revelations were to be given. In correcting cer- tain abuses in the Corinthian church, the apostle Paul (1 Cor. 14:36) asked, "Did the Word of God go out from you, or did it only come to you ?" We also read, "Salvation is of the Jews." The revelation of God to the world v/as given through the Jevv^s. There has been no revelation through the Gentiles, and never can be. All al- leged revelations since the time of the apostles have been deceptions from evil spirits. Magic is of- evil only, whether "white" or "black." It is not strange that theosophists re- pudiate the Bible, for it condemns magic as among the worst of sins. The power Christians are to seek and practice is the power unto holi- ness ; the power to do righteousness ; the pov/er to serve God in the service of man. Such power has no recognition or mention in the theosophic system, whose affected righteousness and holi- ness are but a strange medley of pagan super- stition — even the "devil's righteousness" and goodness. Theosophy Faith versus Prying 83 THE "ASTRAL PLANE" Theosophic literature abounds in references to the "astral plane/' and other planes said to be higher than that. It is not worth while to go into full details about this — it belongs to the unseen things, the prying into which accompanies a puffed-up mind and a lack of confidence in God, that is not content to let him manage the unseen and the future while following his revealed will regarding man, in faith and humble obedience. Meddlesomeness with the supernatural has no place among Christians. God has revealed his purpose as being to "present every man perfect in Christ Jesus," and the way thereto is fully set forth in the Bible. "It does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when he shall appear we shall be like him" is all the assur- ance that faith asks, or that true spirituality can use in the present state of development, and it precludes all prying into the invisible realms. Whoever has this hope purifies himself from all wicked ways, and looks for the Lord from Heaven. Waiting patiently for the redemption of the body in the resurrection, enduring as see- ing him who is invisible (not trying to actually 84 The "Spirit Plane" Modern see him), and overcoming by faithful testimony on account of the blood of Jesus — this is the story, the biography, of the spiritual life, in con- trast to the mock spirituality of spiritistic phe- nomena. The "spirit i:)lane," as it is called by spiritists, is sometimes referred to as the "Summer Land." It is the plane on which Swedenborg professed to see heavenly affairs — the alleged spirit coun- terparts of the material objects on earth: the scenery, cities, houses, schools, people, and even animals ; the fences, ditches, roads, etc., for every object on earth is held to be but a materializa- tion of spirit objects in the astral world, the world of "shades" in ancient mythology. It is on this "astral plane," says theosophy, that all that transpires on this earth is reflected, or is recorded in photographic records, so that the history of individuals, nations and races of men can be read as in a book by those who have "as- tral vision," or clairvoyant power. The "astral plane" is where, they say, the nature-spirits, or fairies, live and cut up capers — the brownies, trolls, imps, goblins, etc., of superstitious folk- lore so much gloried in by those who provide literature for the young, but which the word of God says to avoid as false and foolish. On this plane are found the powers which magicians evoke to their aid in conjuring. From the shades TiiEosoPHY "Astral" Journeys 85 of the astral plane apparitions come, and "thought forms" that are materialized by the etherial ''astral substance." From this uncanny place come spooks to haunt and annoy. Theosophists seek to attain a condition wherein they are able, supposedly, to cause their spirits to leave their bodies and go out on the astral plane to travel about inspecting the ghost world, and to meet and converse with others who also function there, especially the guides, gurus and mahatmas. These shades have the form of the physical body, but are not physical, being a sort of astral mist — such beings as fairy stories tell of. Not only may the spirit leave the body, to function on this plane, but the power may be developed of seeing on that plane Vv^hile in the body and fully awake, it is claimed. Truly, this is living by sight and not by faith. It leads to very disastrous results, being a phase of spirit- ism. These people think they have reached a high degree of advancement when they can thus read the secrets of the lives of their fellow-men, invading the sanctuary of every human mind they wish to with prying eyes, without even the customary knock at the door ! Who but God, the Creator and Judge, has such a right? And He reads men's thoughts through their hearts, which none others do. 86 Spirit Communications Modern CLAIRVOYANCE Clairvoyant vision, sometimes called "second sight," is the power to see not only objects and persons, but conditions and events, on the astral plane, as they have, are, or will be worked out on earth. Theosophists say : Clairvoyance places its possessor in correspond- ence with the afifairs of the higher worlds, en- abling him to see and hear what is going on in these realms, and also to cognize the facts and conditions at points remote in both space and time. Hence, not only is such a man a seer for the present, but also for the past. Under Cer- tain restrictions he may also investigate some of the affairs of the future. In the Christian way, correspondence with heaven is only by faith, without even trying to imagine a view of spirit realms or persons or events. No Christian attempts to hold communi- cation vv^ith any there but God, through Jesus Christ, in the Holy Spirit. Nor does he try to see what God has not chosen to reveal. We are not to try to find out what is going on in the spirit world ; v^e have all we can attend to in the life of faith amid the conditions of this world. Christians are to be in the world, but Theosophy True Supernaturalism 87 not of it. Jesus prayed that the Father would keep his followers from the evil, not that he would take them out of the world. The other- worldness of Christians is not occultism, but the living on the plane of this world a life that is directed by the spirit and principles of heaven. The supernaturalism of Christianity is not the magic of spiritism, but the bringing into the nat- ural of the power of God, restoring the normal v/hich had been broken by sin. Jesus reconciled all things unto. God through his participation in the natural, both things in heaven and things on earth. He restored to man the divinity that was lost by transgression, but, as Adam, so Jesus and his followers did not affect to live a disembodied existence, even to the extent of temporary flights into the spirit world. Even the resurrection state is not one of disembodiment, as has already been noted. We cannot emphasize too strongly, in these days of delusions, the fact that the Chris- tian life is one of faith in the unseen, including faith in the testimony of Christ's apostles, who saw him in the flesh, not on the "astral plane." The exception of Paul is strictly unique, as ex- plained by himself, for a special purpose and not to be repeated. The visions of John for apoca- lyptic purpose make no claim to being visions of the spirit world, but symbohc visions of events, which, having no basis in past experience, could 88 Visions and Voices Modern not be represented in the ordinary way, but re- quired the sj^ecial treatment given them. The vision that Paul had of the third heaven was not describable in the terms of ordinary earthly con- ditions. Peter's visicii of the sheet let down from heaven full of all manner of creatures was for a special object-lesson, not as a showing of any astral existence. Paul's vision of the Lord was not of any astral or spook form, but of the res- urrection body, in order to qualify him for the apostleship. The vision of horsemen and chariots about Elisha was a special method adapted to the cir- cumstances. There is no reason to think of the objects seen as being actual "astral" entities. There are no spirit horses [Isaiah 31:3]. Nor are there spook chariots. The seers, or prophets, of Israel made no claim to being clairvoyants with power to function on any "astral plane." What visions they had were specially given them for use in teaching the people and not acquired by themselves for their own gratification or show of supernormal abilities. Instead of being glimpses of spirit entities, they appear to have been what we might term psychic cartoons of events. In those ancient days, before the Ploly Spirit had been given to man, God had to use the best means adapted to the situation, and He made use of such psychic manifestations as vis- Theosopiiy Effete Rudiments 89 ions and voices. And until the full revelaticii of Christ even the first Qiristians had such helps and experiences. But those "rudiments" (in the language of Paul) passed away and we now have the testimony of the already revealed v/ord to guide us. What has been revealed needs not to be revealed again. The history of all alleged revelations (showings by visions and voices) since the apostles passed away, proves that they are delusions from deceiving spirits. Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispension of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God ; the mystery which has been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints, — Col. 1:25,26. This passage contains more than is commonly understood. The Greek word rendered " fulfil " does not mean simply to accomplish, or carry out, what is already established, but it means to fill full, complete or finish, what had been incom- plete. The Lord Jesus had left certain things to be made clear by the Holy Spirit, and the apostle Paul was selected as special ambassador to proclaim the universal application of the gospel of grace. Paul, by the Spirit, actually spoke "the last word in religion," so far as Christian doctrine is concerned. The finality and sufficiency of the thus com.- pleted gospel is reiterated by Paul, and needs emphasis in this day of disturbing delusions through alleged new reve- lations and occult discoveries. Let us hold fast what we have. 90 Serpent in the Grass Modern FASCINATION, OR HYPNOTISM AND SUGGESTION A PECULIAR fascination attends spiritistic and theosophic teaching and practice. They suit cer- tain elements in the carnal mind and have the subtle hypnotic power of the spirits that work in them. Fascination suggests the serpent's eye. The truth of God is not fascinating, nor even welcome, to the natural man. Only by divine grace can it be received, appreciated and follow- ed. Theosophy glories in the power of fascina- tion it has over a certain type of mentality. A text-book of the cult concludes with : "Those who will study this theosophic teaching will find, as vv^e have found who are older students, that year after year it will grow more interesting and more fascinating." It is not safe to go after any teaching that is fascinating, and this book gives earnest warning to every reader to beware of the serpent that hides in the grass of the- osophic teaching. Fascination was practiced in the ancient pagan mystery-religion, of which modern theosophy is largely a revival. Back of those rites and cere- monies was an underlying element of mental Theosophy Psychic Intoxication 91 suggestion to incite by impressions, to excite the feelings, to lead to action that was impulsive, un- reasoning, hypnotic. It is the thing found among the Moqui Indians, who work themselves into frenzy by certain rites if incantation in connec- tion with their serpent-worship. It is to be seen in the methods of auctioneers who, by loud sing- song voice, reiterating a few simple phrases, put themselves into a sort of magic state and work a "spell" upon the crowd to make it "lose its head" and offer inconsiderate bids. It is prac- ticed b}' many "evangelists" and '"revivalists" who work upon the emotions and sentiments of the hearers to secure immediate response to their appeals. It is the element in "'m.agnetic" speak- ing and "magnetic" personality. It is the thing behind all ecclesiastical effort to produce "a religious atmosphere" by architectual devices, ritualistic ceremonies, costumings, posturings, intonations, and dramatic settings or effects. Even so good a thing as music is perverted to the base use of a hypnotizing vehicle. Psychic intoxication is today largely substitut- ed for real Christian living, until actual immoral- ity is glossed over in communities that make m/dch show of ceremonial piety in church "ser- Be ye not as the horse or the mule, which have no understanding, whose mouths have to be held in with bit and bridle [Ps. 32:9], is applicable to the matter of psychic control — substituting impulse for reason. Hyp- nosis and other schemes for moving to emotional action are dangerous. 92 The Christian Appeal 'Modern vices" and "revivallstic" demonstrations. Quite in contrast to this is the New Testament teaching as to Christian worship and living, ^ where the appeal is always to the understanding and con- science, never to the feelings. Instead of trying to influence by "suggestion", Jesus and the apostles always gave instruction, and stated the plain reasons and principles of action. It is the function of the Holy Spirit to make the applica- tion to every heart that is susceptible. He does it by convincing of truth, not by the magic in- fluence of hypnotism. He persuades, not com- pels. Because certain pagan elements of supersti- tion and perversion have been tolerated and used in the churches ever since the Romish harlotry was instituted (that monstrous commingling of Christian and pagan elements in religion) — ^be- cause of this have theosophy and other spiritisms met little opposition in Christendom. See notes in Appendix, pages 189-192. ETHERIC CURRENTS Theosophists say there are "great etheric cur- rents constantly sweeping over the surface of the earth" with irresistible power, which, by cer- tain methods, may be utilized. There is also an "etheric pressure, somewhat corresponding to, though immensely greater than, the atmos- pheric pressure." Scripture tells of this very thing, but in other words, as follows : Theosophy Poivers of ihe Air 93 Our wrestling (hand-to-hand conflict) is not with blood and flesh, but with the governments, with the authorities, with the world-rulers of this dark- ness, with the spiritual forces of wickedness in the atmosphere [Ephesians 6:12]. Many Christians know this from actual and con- scious experience. Only the spiritual are able to discern and understand the meaning of cer- tain influences and powers that are constantly operative in the earth. Others are blind in understanding, and interpret them as only pecu- liar "atid unknown natural forces. Scripture says that Satan is the ruler c