The Logan County banner. [volume] (Logan, W. Va.) 1889-1903, 1890-01-16
IAEosoPtlx IN BRIEF.
The Doctrines Preached by \ Queer Class
OF Religious Scientisfs.r 1850


Of .. Religious Scientistss.,
The supreme being is sthe universal
iple-formless, changeless, devoid
of the attributes of personality and linn
itation,n and utterly inscrutable From
a. thought or idea Of Him -sprang the
/ universe, Of which idea it is '.the sensi-
bic expression. esIshe~creatixe= Ideals.
also spoken OF as the universal soul or
..soul Of the world, = and manifests itself
in two forms, spirit and matter. These
two forms are at present antagonistic,
but In the struggle matter is constantly
defeated and will at last be entirely dis
solved. Spirit will remain triumphant,
and will be reabsorbed into the uni
versal soul whence it sprang. This soul
will then 4reascendsthe cyclic way. and
finally stand at the foot Of the upper
step Of the spiritual worlds, as the first
hour OF it's emanation. Beyond that
lies the great Deep or mystery"
Again, the universe is governed, not by
super natural interference, bat by law,
eternal, immutable and ever active
This law is, during the struggle be-
tween spirit and matter, "a distinct
dnalism'
The actual conduct of the universe Is
intrusted to intelligences who are con-
ditioned and finite, though, compared
to us, infinitely high" but whose rule is
in strict conformity with law. They
are developed from the soul of the world
| and are elsewhere spoken of as 1.-THE
occult powers of nature, emanations of
the working God" Man is triune be
ing, composed of body, soul and spirit
The soul of man contains, besides his
mind or intellect, his astral or ethereal
body, which can under certain circum-
| stances be separated from his pffy steal
body, of which it is the exact counter
/ part, and is then independent of the
ordinary limitations of time and space
| Both these bodies are: material and
| therefore destructible; but the spirit of
| man is an emanation or spark of the
soul Of the world, with which it
will be eventually united. 1t is given
to man, by the practice of asceticism-ab-
stinence from animal food, alcohol and
from any infringement of the law of
perfect chastity-so to free himself
from the bonds of matter during his
life upon earth that his spiritual facul-
ties become developed and he acquires
part of the omnipotence of the soul of
the world. He can then control the
sensations and alter the conditions q
the physical and astral bodies of other
persons; he can know all that has been
known or can be known and can govern
| and employ the guiding inteffig or
powers of nature." Those who thus ar
rive at divine wisdom are the true
adopts.
There are also some misguided beings
who by compact with the lower intelli-
gences obtain some, but not all. of these
powers, which they are then apparently
compelled to use for evil These are
spoken of with reprobation and horror
as the followers Of the left-hand path. !"
True adeptship is Of course attained by
| few, and those who do not seek 1t can
only arrive at absorption into the
soul Of the world by successive incarna-
tions-the discomfort that they ex-
'perience thereby being in exact proper
ton to the evil that they commit in the
| fesh.-National Review