The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-03-30
THE THEOSOPHISTS.
MEETING OF THE SALT LAKE socI-
ETY. YESTERDAY.
The Lotus CircIe-story of 'Pitti
Pat, Told to illustrate That There
Is No Death-Dr. Ellen B. Fergu-
son Reads from "a study of For
gotten Truth

L
hour from 10 to II a. m. The story told
''Pitti Pat was to show the cnlloren
that there is no death but merely
change. During a storm party re-
tired to a natural cave for shelter; to
while away the hours of waiting they
produced soap bubbles. Whlle the
breath was applied the bubbles hoated
about apparently to the eye, but as
soon as the breath was Withdrew the
bubble collapsed. So it is with HE,
while there is breath, energy, motlon
and all functions of being are to be
found; as soon as the breath is WITH
drawn that which was once teemlng
with vigor becomes insersible matter.
The soul or breath does not die but IS
Withdrawn 20 the divide center, while
the materials of the body so back to
old mother earth.
Forty-four young people assembled
last Thursday afternoon at the nome Oh
Mrs w P. Lynn to partake III the
rainbow tea festivities and merry
time they had Songs and recitatlons
about the rainbow were given. Inc
socials are to be held for the purpose
of illustrating practically the prlncl-
pie of universal brotherhood Whlcn Is
the most important aim of the society.
Vice-President George A W1scomo
called the Salt Lake branch to ORDER
at II a. M. After the reading OF tne
aims and objects of the society, the
following ideas on reincarnatlon were
delivered by DR.. Ellen B. Ferguson.
REGENERATION IN THE BIBLE.
The vitality of the doctrine of rein
carnation does not in the least depena
upon scriptural endorsement OF II,
but the fact that it is surprisingly con-
spicuous here is certainly interesting
and confrmatory.
Although most Christians are I'M
aware of it, reincarnation is strongly
present in the Bible, chiefly In the
form of pre-exiStence. A sufficient EVIL
dence of the biblical support of pre-
existence and of the consequent wide
spread belief in it among the Jews, IS
found in Solomon's long reference to
it among his proverbs. The wise be
ing wrote of himself: 1.-The Lord pos
sessed me in the beginning of his way
before the works of old. l was set
UP from everlasting, from the begin
ming, or even the earth was. When
there were no depths L was brought
forth; when there were no foundations
Astounding with water. Before the
mountains were settled, before the hills
were brought forth; while as yet he
had not made the earth, nor the fields,
nor the highest part of the dust of the
world. When he prepared the heavens
l was there; when he set q compass
upon the face of depth; when he estab-
lished the clouds above; when he
strengthened the foundations of the
deep; when he gave to the sea his de-
cree, that the waters should not pass
LIT Nd, 1n o. n
ed the foundations of the earth; then l
was by him, as one brought I'D with
him; and 1 was daily his delight, re-
joicing always before hin in the habit
able part of the earth; and my delights
were with the sons of men, The last
two clauses clearly express a prior
physical life. The prophets, too, are
assured of their premature antiquity.
The apocraphal wisdom of Solomon"
teaches Enthusiastically the preexistence
of human souls in Dlatonic form, al
though it probably is older than Philo.
as when it says ok, 15), Il was an in
genious child, and received a good
soul, nay, more. being good, / came
into a body undefiled;" and 'the cor
ruptible body presseth down the soul,
and the earthly tabernacle weigheth
down the mind that nurseth upon many
things"
More important than any separate
quotation is the general tone of the
scriptures which points directly to
reincarnation. They represent the
earthly life as a pilgrimage to the
/ heavenly country of spiritual union
with God. 1t is our conceit and ignor-
ance alone which deems single earth
ly life sufficient to accomplish that pur-
pose. st. Paups idea of the fall and of
God are precisely those of Philo and
Origen. The Bible also treats Paradise
as the ancient abode of man and his
future home, which requires a series
chain.
The first centuries of Christianity
found reincarnation still the prevailing
creed, but with various interpretations.
The Gnostics taught it and the Man
ichaeans received it with much else
from Zoroastrian predecessors. The
which became conspicuous amid the
chaotic vortex of all religions in Alex
andria, during the first century. They
church with a philosophic creed, and
ranked themselves as the only initiates
into a mystical system of Christian
masses. Their thought consisted of
| Greek ideas and ParSee dualism. They
believed that the spirits of men were
creator into the slavery of material
bodies. The evils and sins of life be-
| long only to the degraded prison-house
of the spirit. The Gnostics gradually