The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-01-04

| that II is fast dying out. and while 4, is
stu retained nominaly In the creeds ana
| teachings OF the various churches. yet few
people VIII tolerate 1t from the puluit and
tne time VIII soon come when II viii be A
thing Of the past
Tho doctrine OF the vicarious o,o,,,.,,
| is, In the mind OF the writer one uf I'M.
most pernicous teachings of the modorn
chuTch Inc idea Is set forth that hy His
death Christ atoned for all of our sins
ana that simply by an act of repentauce
| ana faith in Him. whatever sins and crimes
we may have committed are utterly wipci
ou.' ana ,hat we can pass from this lie
~ al our iiiperiectlon and straightway, by
some peculiar miracle, become saints and
dweii In the abodes of eternal peace. The
lG,a IL set forth that by the fall OF Adam
an mankind Is born in sin, and that without,
TINS intervention OF Christ he mus, bo
elernally lost. This is the doctrine of the
'iearlous atorement. Let us look at IL for
moment. From the side Of the Christ
rothlhg could be moro beautiful. To sac
riilee ones self for others is always ac-
cording to the highest ideal But VIVA,
klnd OF creature does it make of man?
W nat encouragement is there for him 10
i've up TO the highest and best that Is
within him? 1t Is very easy to repon.
especially when We know that by repent
ahce we VIII escape the consequences Of
S'' 'N'H' h'N.iuiHB 10 lHlS l0tl, Is II
worth while to struggle FOR the right
through life, when by simply repenting and
heins converted" our future bliss Is as
sured? Gould anything be more unjust?
NOW we are aware that there are many
people who belong to the orthodox
churches who have different opinions on
thls subject, and step by step the church
is being compelled to advance and conform
TO the spirit of the tine, yet this is a plaiu
statement of the doctrine as still taught by
the church and believed in by large ma
jori,y. And right here we wish TO say
word in behalf OF those whose faith in
their respective churches is pure and SIN
cere and whose sinless lives reflect the
glorious example of the great Teacher Or
Nazareth. Such there have been at all
times. These have ennobled Christianity,
but would have shed the same lustre upon
any other faith they might have professed
for they were higher than their creed.
And yet, in comparison with the millions
who have been accounted Christians, such
have always formed small minority. They
are TO be found ct this day in pulpit and
rev. in palace and cottage but the III
creasing materialism, worldlinoss and by
Iocrisy are fast diminishing their proper
ticnate number II is neither of these nor
to these that We write 1t must be borne
in mind that in this article we write, not OF
pure Christianity or pure Christians, nor
OF the Bible but of the churches.
study OF the religions of various races
can not fail to show the student one re-
rarkable fact that is utterly ignored by
the modern church, And that is the
marked similarity between them. There Is
the same thought running through them
all All teach goodness and morality and
aim to raise man from the lower to the
higher All have a great Teacher who Is
the embodiment OF their teachings AMI
1i,rf. J. a =.
rived from. or grow out of. another. The
churches and missionaries to India and
China ignoring the fact that those people
have a religion. degenerated now, to be
sure. as the Christian is, but the essence
OF which is the same goodness and truth
taught by Christ, and in many instances
tar more logical than the views advanced
by theology. 1t is but a narrow mini
which says There is but one religion. our
Savior is the only one and our creed the
Only creed" Not so. From the time man
first appeared there have been teachers
who guided and aided him in his upward
strugge-Saviors who have sacrificed all
that their race might be benefited. AS
the races advanced the forms and ceremo-
MES of the different religions have
changed. but through it all there has ever
run the same golden thread of truth. This
truth has been called by many different
names. but may best tie defined as the
wisdom religion. which is the English for
the Greek word "theosophy"
And. in conclusion. lot us briefly look
at some of the teachings outlined in the
osophy, in comparison with those of mod
ern theology just described. AS referred
to before. with the pure teachings OF Christ,
as outlined in His sermon on the mount,
tleosophy is in perfect accord Indeed,
theosophy might be said to be an advanced
Christianity. Instead of the idea OF an
anthropomorphic God. whose puppets we
are, lheosophy teaches that divinity dwells
in all things and that the entire universe
is but a manif station Of it.
Instead OF the idea of original sin The
osophy teaches that in every man Is a
spark Of that divinity, thus making OF
every man an embryo god Theosophy
teaches that man is an immortal soul, and
that being immortal and divine, he must
always have existed and will neve- DE de-
stroyed Theosophy teaches TIA, by this
divinity which dwells in us. all men are
brothers, and that although at Inherent
times one race may be more advanced than
another. yet the time will come, in the
process of evolution. when all races will be
united. and all mankind will cnsp hands In
oae great brotherhood.
Instead Of the idea Of hell fire and eter-
nal punishment Theosophy teaches that
mans hell Is in physical existence upon
earth. and his punishment consists in be-
ing compelled TO return 10 eartn ana take
up the struggle of physical life again and
again, until his sins are atoned for and
LIES lessons are learned.
Instead Of the doctrine OF vicarlous
atonemeut Theosophy teaches that each
man is responsible for himself absolutely.
and no sacrifice that another could make
can by any possibility abate one particle
Of the consequences of an act. Whatever
of Joy or sorrow comes 10 him is the result
of his own acts, either in this or some
former life. aud whatever the future may
bring forth depends absolutely upon his OWL
efforts now Thecsophy teaches that with
In each man is unlimited power, and that
by living upt o all that is highest and best
in him by striving ever to raise the lower
TO the higher SELF he may SO develop that
power as to become in reality what he is
now but in embryo-a god. Theosophy has
no creed and lays down no doctrines, but
teaches that
whoever was begottcn by pure love,
And came desired and welcome into life.
Is Of immaculate conception. He
Whose heart is full OF tenderness and