The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-03-30

gave way to the Manichaeans, whose
thought was union of Persian, Chris
tian and Greek ideas. They taught
that the spirit of man is the creation of
God and that there is a constant con-
fict between flesh and spirit as between
the powers of light and darkness.
A philosophical school called the
Neo-platonist was established embrace
inc the doctrines of Pythagoras, Plasp
and Buddhism Plotinus, member of
this school, taught that men are not
fallen into the miry pit of matter but
that it is their mission to bring the di-
vine within them into harmony with
that which is divine in the universe.
Many of the orthodox church fathers
welcomed reincarnation as a ready ex-
PLANTATION of the fall of man and the
mystery of life, and distinctly preached
it as the only means of reconciling the
existence of suffering with a merciful
God
Justin Martyr expressly speaks of the
soul inhabiting more than once the hu-
man body, and denies that on taking a
second time the embodied form it can
remember previous experiences. Glenn
ems Alexandrinus is declared by a con-
temporary to have written wonderful
stories about metempSychoSiS and
many worlds before ADAM
Origen taught that the lapsed souls
God clothed with the bodies and sent
into this world, both to exDiate their
temerity and to prepare themselves for
a better future. If from unknown rea-
sons the soul be already not exactly
worthy of being born in an irrational
body. nor yet exactly in one purely
rational. it is furnished with a mon
strous body, so that the reason cannot
be fully developed by one thus born,
the nature of the body being fashioned
either of a higher or lower body ac-
cording to the scope of the reason
The doctrine of pre-existence was
held by Synesius, most familiar to
English readers as the convent patri-
arch in "HyDatia.' When he was in
vited by the citizens of Ptolemais to
their bishopric, he declined the dignity
saying that he cherished certain opin-
ions which they might not approve.
rudentius entertained nearly the
same idea as Origen concerning the
souls descent from higher seats to
earth, as appears in one of his hymns
20 Savior. bid my SOUL thy trembling
spouse,
Return at last to thee believing.
Bind, bind anew those all unearthly
vows
She broke on high and wandered
grieving."
Although Origen's teaching was con-
nople in sol. it permanently colored the
stream of Christian theology.
After the reading of these chapters
there was a general discussion on the
subject "Reincarnation. Countess
Wachmeister was cited as saying that
500 children who had never come in
contact with the idea of previous exist
ence told of recollections concerning a
former life.
A sketch of William 1. Judge showed
that before the age of eight he was i'll
unto death. in fact was considered
dead at one time. but nevertheless re-
covered. After his convalescence he
was entirely changed. He read books
on art. religion and displayed knowl-
edge in various lines which was aston
ishing. ReincarnatiOn being the only
doctrine which could explain the pos
session of so mature a mind by a child
of seven or eight. The reason that chill
dren are more apt to remember previ-
GUS existence is that their minds are
not so charged with new life expert
ences.
DR.. Ferguson asked that the meetings
of the society be changed from morn
ing to evening. Many persons who
have church affiliations would like to
know more of theosoDhy but are de-
tered from attending on account of
services at their own churches. The
doctor urged that the time be changed
because theosophists believe in giving
out good thoughts and not retaining
them for self alone. The time of meet
ing will be considered by the society
during the week.