The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-01-30
THE0S0PHISTS talk.
Reinearnation Explained at
ArDanum Hall Last Night
Branch Formed
Here.

The Theosophists held a meeting last
night at Arcanum Hall, Clinton and Jack
son avenues. The object of the meeting
was the explana ton of Theosophy.
Mr.. john NJ Pryse, who presided ex-
planned the three objects Of the Theosophi-
Ical Society. 'srhe Society has no dogma or
creed, acceptance of only the Rrst object
being required-the formation of a nucleus
of Universal Brotherhood. The second OBJ
Ject is the comparative study of all re.
ifgions. The Parliament of Religions at
Chicago was in line with the work carried
on by Nheosophists for the past twenty
years. This object will have the effect of
breaking down religious bigotry, as the
first object would in time do away with
race hatred. The third object, pursued by
few, is the investigation of the hidden
laws of nature and the psychical powers
OF man: These abnormal faculties demand
more thoughtful investigation than our
scientists seem willing to give. Theoso-
phists avoid all that is 'spooky' and keep
to that which will keep alive mans spiri-
tual intuitions and develop the conscious
powers of the soul. Therefore they insist
more than all others upon a thorough
publication of the entire nature before at
tempting any occult training
DR.. E. B. Guild :-s4Theosophy is the
philosophy of man. The real man in spiri-
tual consciousness is at one with the Su-
preme Spirit. Then when man shall have
learned himself, 9le will have learned to
know God. Every religion has truth at
it's foundation. The effort of the Theoso-
phists is to find that basic truth-or The
osophy. It reveals the purpose of life.
Mr. T. r Prater endeayored to demon
strate the fact of reincarnation-that we
live many times on earth. He said that
it was the soul that reincarnated, there
fore the physical personality could not as
rule remember these past lives, but if
one would by intense concentration uplift
his consciousness into the soul-plane he
would remember: One life is entirely
inadequate, for the great aim of it all is
conscious Immortality. In the far dis
tant future we will attain to our IDEALS
becoming gods as compared to our pres
Following with the Biblical quotation
as a subject, AS ye sow, SO also shall
ye reap Mr.. H. A. Freeman conterlded
ation-each mans condition is the result
of his past thoughts and acts and for
the future is the sole arbiter of his des-
tiny, a proposition at variance with
the teachings of Jesus and Paul. If this
be so that man reaps the consequences
great responsibility upon him n not gene gener- :
ally conceded in western religious
thought. But if this proposition be un-
terrible injustice everywhere in human
affairs?
Mr.. Charles Johnston, an eminent ORR
entalist. appealed to the universal sense
that our present life is not final and real
the feeling of doubt that we all have
at times as to the reality of our outward
lives. Nowhere is this deep and en-
during conviction more wildly express
az F,a ia m n ont
Scriptures of India, and in the same
teachings we must look at once for an
explanation of that universal feeling and
for a guiding light along the homeward
path toward reality. Our ordinary selves
are not our real selves. Our ordinary
selves are the victims of two delusicns-
selfshness and sensuality- the causes of
all misery and sorrow. SelfiShness Is the
delusion of separate and antagonistic ex-
istence, breeding envy, hatred, malice
and all uncharitableness; whereas, in the
real life. all selves are at one in the
one Supreme Self, and therefore have no
hostile interests at all. Thus the finding
of the real self-behind and above the or
dinary, unreal self-brings an end Of
sorrow, and a beginning of Joy that shall
have no end forever
Several children reeited verses from
Marcus Aurelius and Light on the
Path" They are members of the STheos-
ophist Sunday School There was music
Schenck and Mr.. c. NJ. Mali. Another
free meeting of the society will be held
in the same building next Saturday
evening, February S. The branch formed
last night with headquarters, No. % Vir-
ginia avenue, has seven members, four
in Jersey City, one in Hob0ken and the
other two are members of the New York
Society and will act as leaders The
Jersey City people are William H. Roys-
ton, Jr., F. N. Davenport, Nora E.
Lauders and Paul Gendman. Miss Mar
garet J. Hoey is the Hoboken member.