The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1893-10-25


some solid shore Of safety and satisfac-
faction, and If anyone has good life
boat that we may honorable take, l
wish he would unswing it from the
dayits and let us get into 1t and pull
for shore. But I give you fair notice,
l must first examine the lifeboat be-
fore risk my soul in 1t or advise you
to risk your soul In it. All the splen-
did Ramsgate lifeboats, and Margate
lifeboats, and South Shield lifeboats
and American lifeboats were tested be-
fore being put into practical use, as to
their buoyancy and speed, and stowage
and self-righting capacity. And when
you offer my soul lifeboat must first
test 1t.
Here is a splendid new lifeboat called
Theosophy. 1t has only little while
been launched, although some Of the
planks are really several thousand
years old, and from worm-eaten ship.
but they are painted over and look
new. They are really Fatalism and
Pautheism Of olden time. But we must
forget that and call them Theosophy.
The Grace Darling Of this lifeboat was
an oarswoman by the name Of Madam
;Blavatsky, but the oarswoman now Ia
Annie Besant So many are getting
aboard the boat, it is worthy Of exam
nation, both because of the safety Of
those who have entered 1t and because
we ourselves are invited to get In. Its
theory is that everything is God. Horse
and star and tree and man are parts OF
God. We have three souls-an animal
soul, human soul, a spiritual soul.
The animal soul becomes after awhile
a wandering thing trying to express
itself through mediums It enters
beasts, or enters human being, and
when you find an effeminate man II is
because a woman's soul has got into
the man, and when you find q mascu'
line woman 1t Is because mans soul
has taken possession Of . woman's
body. II you fnda woman has become
platform speaker and likes politics
she is possessed by dead politician
who forty years ago made the platform
quake. The soul keeps wandering on
and on, and may have fifty or innumer-
able different forms and finally is abb
sorbed in God. II was God at the start
and will be God at the last.
But who gives the authority for
the truth Of such religion2
Some beings living in cave in Cen
tral Asia. They are invisible to the
naked eye, but they cross continents
and seas in fash. My Baptist broth
er, DR.. Haldeman, says that Theoso-
phist in New York was visited by one
Of these mysterious beings from Gen.
tral Asia. The gentleman knew 1t
from the fact that the mysterious be-
ing left his pocket handkerchief, en-
broidered with his name and Asiatio
residence. The most wonderful achieve
ment of the Theosophists is that they
keep out of the insane asylum. They
prove the truth Of the statement that
no religion ever announced was so ABB
surd but II gained disciples. Societies
in the United States and England and
other lands have been established for
the promulgation Of Theosophy. In
stead Of needing the revelation of .
Bible, you can have these spirits from
a cave in Central Asia TO tell you
all you ought to know, and after you
leave this life you may become prima
donna, or O robin, or a gazelle, or sot,
or prize fighter, or u Herod, or q
Jezebel, and so be enabled TO have
great variety Of experience, rotating
through the universe. now rising, now
falling, now shot out in q straight line,
and now describing a parabola, and on
and on, and up and up, and down and
down, and round and round. Don't
you seeP Now, that Theosophic life
boat has been launched. 1t proposes
to take you off the rough sea Of doubt
into everlasting quietude. How dc
you like that lifeboat? My opinion is
you had better initiate the mariners Of
my text, and cut off the ropes of that
boat and let her fall of
90 Another lifeboat tempting us to enter
is made up Of many planks of Good
Works. 1t is really beautiful boat
aims giving, practical sympathie'
for human suffering, righteous words,
and righteous deeds. must admit ]
like the looks Of the prov and Of tho
rowlocks and Of the paddles and Of the
steering gear and Of many who are
thinking to trust themselves on then
benches. But the trouble about that
lifeboat is, IL leaks. never knew o
man yet good enough TO earn
heaven by his virtues or genorosi'
ties II there be one person here
present on this blessed Sabbath all
Of whose thoughts have always
been right, all OF whose actions have
always been right, and all Of whose
words have always been right, let him
stand up, or II already standing, let
him lift his hand, and / will know that
he lies. Paul had IL about right when
said: "By the deeds Of the law shall
no flesh living be justiAed." David
had II about right when he said;
There is none that doeth good, no not
one.n The Old Book had II about right
whom II said: "All have sinned and
come short Of the glory Of God" Lot q
man get of that little steamer called
'The Maid Of the Mist" which sails ur
10 the foot Of Niagara Falls, and thon
climb to the top Of the falls on the de.
scending floods, for he can do II easier
than any man ever will be able to climb
TO Heaven by his good works. II youi
thoughts have always been exactly
right, and your words exaotly right
and your deeds always exactly right
vo, can oo mn IN the Uata Of Haavan