The Portland daily press., 1896-05-18

very beautiful and true history of the
struggle and wanderipgs of human
soul. The work of higher criticism is to
point out the true and ancient records,
and to seperate them from much added
later, thus restoring the true records to
very nearly their original form, and
bringing them more in accord with
science.
So far from being opposed to the teach
ings of Christ, we hold that His teachings
are those of theosophy only that theoso-
ply contains more than we have recorded
of His utterances. We must remem Der
that we have set down only small por-
ton Ct the teachings of Christ, and then
only His public teachings, for He said
many things to the disciples they were
forbidden to repeat, and even to them
He did not speak freely. He said to them
that there were many things they were
not able to bear, that is, that they were
not far advanced enough to receive.
Theosophy sees under the outer cover
ings of all religion ono divine truth. The
fact that special religion exists is in
itself proof that there are souls that
require that truth should be given them
in that form.
But we must remember that every re.
ligion no matter how ancient, rests on
some other still older religion. The jew
lsh religion was only formation and
reformation, each prophet adding some
thing to what had been given to others,
and making such changes as he found
necessary. Christ came to lead the peo-
pie and the world away from mere forms,
and to make them and US see that the
whole vast universe itself is but a
mighty symbol of the one God whose pa
vilion is clouds and darkness, and whom
we can know only by His works
And Christ assailed all the priests, all
the physicians and all the men of science
of His time. No wonder they slew H i'm,
although today they might only send
Him to an insane asylum. He came
and brought about His reformation and
then He died just as all rsformers have
died, scornod Of men. He proclaimed His
gospel, and yet only IA years after His
death we find Paul fighting his mighty
light with Peter against all forms, the
teachings of Christ SO quickly obscured.
The break between the Roman and the
Greek churches was over q matter Of
forms. Luther brought to the world a
protest against forms, and asked for that
freedom in which Christ made men free.
The Puritans crossed the ocean to escape
the Journalism of the church of Eagland,
and yet their idea of spiritual liberty
was the liberty to think as they thought
and theosophy teaches that this is because
man is composed of mind and matter,
the element that inspires him to pro-
gress, to go forward, to escape from
forms, and the listlessness that holds him
back and binds him down, and yet it is
the business of the higher nature to
bring about this ceaseless evolution, and
1T is the duty Of theosophy to teach what
Christ taught, the divinity of every soul.
"Ye are gods" was His ceaseless fight,
and SO He called men to reach to His
own high standard, to understand the
message He brought to the world, to
come to the heights to which He had at
tanned. and to be perfect, even as the
Father is perfeot.
: Yesterday afternoon the Portland
branch was organized and later on Miss
Guild will return and deliver another
series of lectures.
AS a result of the course of lectures and
the general work Miss Guild has done
in Portland last week, there has been a
very successful revival of the Theososs
phlcal Society that was formed two years
ago. Several new people have become
much interested and have affiliated with
the society. Mr.. Edwin A. Rogers of 107
Oxford stree.. formerly a member at
large has joined the branch and been
elected president. Miss Joyce Lee, form
erly of the Theosophical Society of
Cambridge, Mass, have moved to Port
land. and has been made vice president
and secretary Of the society here The
presence here Of Miss Lee ensures the
future and progress of the branch.