St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-07-30
NEW BOOKS.

Wright, f. Il. s. Published by New
England TheOsophical Corporation,
"a Mount Vernon street, Boston;
cloth.
The introduction OF this volume was
Written by William Q. Judge. and. while
expressing his appreciation of the work,
he says: This is the same call to our
fellows that we helped to sound before
in prior lives on this poor globe. 1t is a
new attempt to tell again that which the
neyer-dying brotherhood have preserved
till now"
From theosophical standpoint, that
is without any immediate attempt to
prove every. assertion made-or, in
palmer language, to take ever ything
for granted-the writer presents a clear
and torctbie statement of the theories
of occult science or eSoteric philosophy
known as theosophy.
He states his premises without proof,
and then triumphantly points to his
conclusions as the INSTRUMENTATION of
the world. His sylogism is like this:
The Adopts" possess the sacred sci
ences which they have made known to
the INITIATED" Nine. Blavatsky was
one OF the initiated, therefore her
teachings are parts of the sacred sci
ences. The Adopts" he explains, are
body of philosophers, men who have
passed beyond the stage of the normally
human semi-divine beings. who hold in
their mighty keeping he records of all
the learning in the past, know the last
word concerning the evolution of the
globe. have solved the m ystery of be-
Ing, and possess power over nature.
They dwell In haunts absolutely mac
cessible to ordinary man. aud in the
absence Of any valid proof of their ex-
istence, the reader is asked to judge by
analogy that as men are higher in the
scale or nature than animals, so there
is possibility of higher evolution or
men, which possibility the author pre-
sents as fact. He asserts that the
Eastern method Of teaching differs
from the Western in this. the
Western leads the pupil up by
a series of facts and eritications to the
result, while the Eastern teaches
philosophy which depends for its proof
upon the conclusions OF the teacher
drawn from secret knowledge, and then
claims for the Eastern method the in.
faliIbiity OF an exa ct science. To the
reader there seems wide difference
between the unyielding facts and ak
IONS of mathematics and theories
founded on such statements as this.
'For all we can tell there may be hid
den records containing some of the pro-
founder secrets known to men," or if
such and such things are possible as
the existence of the submerged CONT
nent atlantis. why not admit the ex-
istence of other submerged continents,
or the possibility of the submergence
OF our continent at some future time?
/ he writer says the Westerner, in the
rush and hurry of his life. has no time
for philosophy; that the INTEL ectual de-
velopment of American and European
nations has not reached a point where
they can formulatea philosophy of their
own, and that but few of them will
credit the fact that they have lived on
the earth before.
Is it inmaturity of intellect, or want
of proof in support of these occult
theories?
{ Oteultism says 'there was a time
when man had such power over the ele-
ments that he could actually create, or
cali into physical being, an finals, birds
or plants" Are such unsupported
statements to be received as self-evi-
deHt truths? The author numbers
Jesus among the "adepts," and quotes
two excerpts from the New Testament
to prove that he taught reincarnation.
Inc first is the question asked by his
disciples when the man born blind was
brought for healing, WHO did sin, this
man or his parents. that he was born
The use of the words '.born
blind' suggesting punishment for sin
in previous life.
Jesus reply, "Neither this man
nor his parents" is hardly in the
line of reincarnation. The second quo
tation is where Jesus, in speaking of
John the Baptist, says: If We will re-
ceiye it, this is Elias, which was to
Before the birth Of John, when
the angel Gabriel announced that event
to his father, ne said: He shall come
in the spirit and power of Elias" Be-
sides, relncarnation implies a previous
death. and there is positive assertion
that Elias never died, and that he ap-
peared on the Mount of TRANSPORTATION
as Elias, not as John the Baptist The
Bible doctrine is, alt is appointed unto
all men once to die"
The author complains of the poverty
of the English language TO express oc-
cult IDEAS, as we'll as the immaturity of
Western minds to receive them; but is
not the fault in the ideas? While among
the speculative theories presented as
facts are some truths taught by hris-
tianIty which shine bright y among the
shadows of mysti cism. the human mind
will not accept ;nciful secret wisdo m,
as baselesS as dream, for truth. Men
live and die. aud to the living death is,
as Faber has declared, san unsurveyed
land, an unarranged SCIENCE" aud until
it is surveyed aud arranged it will sim.
ply be universal fact.
The book is interesting as an ex-
ponent of one of the oldest religions of
the world. A faith full of magic and
thus meeting ready assent
from the ignorant and credulous natives
of the Orient, but which has doue but
little to advance humanity, notwith-
standing its age, when compared with
the results of the teachings of Christ,
as they have been followed,
for less than 1000 years.
"Sophos. or kidnapping the Kings"
BY Albert Alberg. The Bow-K not
Publishing company, Chicago. Paper.
Price 50 cents.
Mr.. AlDerg is a comparatively new
writer to the mass of American readers,
although some charming stories have
appeared from his pen in the
Cincinnati Post. In London he
has gained line reputation for
his quaint and fanclful stories for
children, notably 'FaDled Stories From