The Washington times., 1894-06-22
ARE HONEY MAKING CREEDS
All Orthodox Churches Thus Desig-
mated by Mr.. Wright.
HIS REPLY TO REV. DIR. ENNIS
Sermon Of This Clergyman Characterized as
an Exhaustive Construction Of Ridiculous
Conjecture -Theosophy Put Forward a.
the All.Embracing Creed.

Notzerott hall was crowded to the doors last
night BY An Interested audience which gathered
to listen tc the theosophist Claude Falls Wright,
who replied to assertions made last Sunday by
Rev Dr. H. w. Ennis, of the Western Prseby-
terian church, concerning theosophy. In the
audience were some Of the best-known theoso-
phists in the city, and in q box were seated
President G. N. Comm, Of the Blavatsky Theo-
sophical Society, and his wife.
Mr. Wright was . pupil Of Mms. Blnvatsky
during the last three years Of her life, during
which time he acted as her confidential secre-
tary. Since her death he has been actively en-
gagged in the work Of his society, and has Ike
every other theosophical propagandist, labored
entirely without remuneration
President Comm made the Introductory AZ.
dresA He stated that the society had no Greco
or rule Thsosophy taught man ,ixs to iesa the the
virtues Of patience, honesty, humanity, anu
kindlness. Mr.. Wright's address, he said, was
the result Of an attack made on the society Dy
the Rev. Howard W. Ennis, and he left 1t to the
audience to Judge which Is right
Mr.. Wright when introduced, said: ~ was in
night / had expected that a repr mt ative
from one Of the churches would be here. was
disappointed, and therefore am to be alone
and uncontradicted in my remarks concerning
theosophy and the churches
II am not here to attack any church or any in
dividual religion. i am not ready to say have
-
sophical Society was created in order to embrace
ali the religions of the world, 1t is therefore not
for mo to attack Christianity, for it Is on that
our society is founded.
REV. DIR. ENNIS SERMON.
Snow, let me tell you upon what that lecture
Of Mr.. Ennis was founded. had not intended
TO use his name, but am compelled to do 1t.
Two weeks ago iectured in a small hall in this
city on Occult Development At the conclusion
OF my lecture / was introduced to person who
gave his name as Ennis He said to me: VIII
you allow me to ask you two questlonsg l re-
piled that was willing, and he said How do
theosophists regard GodF and What is your be-
lief concerning reincarnationr
II told him that those were questions that II
would be hard to answer in moment He then
Immediately attacked something that had said
during my lecture. Ireplied with an argument,
and he said hastily: only come TO ask ques-
tons
II did not get time to talk TO him as fully
should have liked The next that knew heard
of his lecture have it with me- and must say
that 1t is an exhaustive construction OF ridiculous
conjectures.
..He referred to Nine Blavatsky legerdemsin
or conjuring tricks and said that they would
secure her renown even in India. In reply l
would say in no more uncharitable spirit than
Mr.. Eunis felt, that Jesus performed miracles.
II he brands one an tmposture, why not the
other? Mr. Ennis would throw up his hands
with holy horror if were to refer TO the miracle
Of the loaves and fishes as legeIdemain and yet
he calmly stands on the platform and attacks
my creed The only difference between Mr..
Ennis and myself is that l can in1ure him and
he cannot hurt me.
MEN MUST SEEK THE TRUTH.
"Just as in other religions is it in theosophy
that men must struggle and strive after the true
light The teaching is not all Mr.. Ennis says
that as we are not teaching the true religion;
that we are giving a religion of broken hearts
That is untrue, for there is Just as much Joy and
happiness as can be adduced from other reig-
ious.
To H. tho rafa 20
the Bible French novel That is untrue
Those who have attended my lectures know that
L have often quoted the Bible and that in all
earnestness
"Now comes our relation to the great power
termed God. We do not claim that Jesus is a
Of God. We do claim that there is more
than one God Those who will 30 back and
study the Sanskrit, on which the Old Testament
Is founded. will find that the jews had many
gods, of whom Jehovah was the great tribal God
Moses says in Numbers: DO not revile the gods.
Note the plural here. The Bible Is illiterate
throughout, and those who search to learn will
know this. Theosophy is the hardest religion of
all In the Roman Catholic church and other
churches the parishioners and worshippers pay
their money and are told what to believe"
Here man in the audience obie;ted to the
reference to the Roman Catholic church, but he
was soon satisfied that no offense was meant
s'Dr Ennis says" continued the speaker, that
theosophy is so hard that no one can understand
1t, and that the Christian religion is such that
child can comprehend it. should like 10 ask
DR. Ennis to pick up Revelations and explain 1t
in five minutes.
VEHICLE FOR MONEY MAKING.
"I have said and l contend it is the truth that
the church is a vehicle for money making This
is angrily denied refer to the high salaries
paid ministers, bishops, and archbishops, and
then respectfully refer these people to Jesus
words: All thou hast sell. and give TO the poor
.sDr Ennis would say there is no tendern ess
in theosophy. / say that much of the religion
that men learned at their mothers knee, the
kindliest and tenderest religion of all, is the
kind of religion that he redi scovers when he
enters the theosophist's fold. Some will say
that this mothsrs-knee religion is fairy-like.
say no 1t is the bravest, truest, and most
gentle of all common sense.
"Dr. Ennis says that theosophists know moth
ing about their religion, and adds that in a
weeks study he knew more about theosophy
than theosophists did themselves. This is the
cry of the ignorant, the dumb rattle of the idol
worshipper He said as did the Pharisee: Il an
greater and holer than thou. l thank God that
am not as other men, He wound mp by pray
ing for us That is what call, TO use vulgar
phrase. playing it low down on theosophists"
FREE RELIGION BACK OF THE BIBLE.
Mr. Wright then went on to attack those per-
sons who should be teachers, but are deludng
those who come to them for the light He said
that ministers were placing before the public an
alleged authentic religion easy to understand
Then he added:
81 say that the true religion lies behind the
Bible. It gives the clue. 1t gives the leading
lines and to those who will study and work the
truth shall be known and then this so-called
easy Christianity will be seen aimsy tangle
of fairy story fretwork."
The speaker then began an exhaustiv Q out
line Of the theosophical belief He read from a
book the leading 'tenets Of the society. He re-
ferred tn the similarity in the natures of Christ
and Buddha. He showed many points in the
life of Buddha that identical with these of
Jesus and then added that the Buddhistic
history was by far the Oldest the claims about
the life Of Christ were forgeries and only pla-
giarisms of the history of Buddha. He added:
~ don't say this to hurt Christianity. say
thecsophy tries to reconcile all religions, and it
Is the true religion. Others are faulty This is
the com bination Of the great truths and the God.
given light, not Bible myths, and those who will
study shall know the truth"
At the conclusion of the lecture, which was en-
thusia stically received a half hour was given
over to q general discussion, in which the
audience freely joined.