The San Francisco call., 1897-05-18

judging from the frequent applause, 1t
was we'll developed theosophicaily.
Mrs. Besant was attirad in loosely nt-
ting robe of white silk. Her appearance
on the platform was greeted win rouho
of hand-clapping. Before beginning her
lecture she announced that the Drama
charm would remain here curing the
summer and would give series OF lec-
lures on tileosophy.
There was nothing in theosophy, she
said, that was entirely new. This science
of the soul does not require men ana
women to accept anything on falth % ut
affords its disciples every opportunity LOT
lnves tigation. 1t had been said that tn
masses found themselves confused by the
CONF lexity Of theosophic teachings; that
it was fitted only for the educated classes
and that in order to fit those two classes
the doctrine was divided into two parts,
esoteric and exoteric theosophy.
There was no idea during the early ages
OF Christianity that all the most secret
truths of religion were to be thrown broad
cast without discrimination. The distinc-
ton between public and secret teaching
was LAID down by Christ, "Give not that
which is holy to the dogs, neither cast you
your pearls before swine" The Jews used
this name dogs" to apply TO everybody
OUTSIDE OF he seed of Abraham.
Thus Jesus, when he spoke in public,
spoke in parallels, and when the people
demanded an explanation he did not give
it to them, but he gave 1t 10 his apostles
when they were in private.
This custom of secret teaching was fol
lowed in the early days OF the Christian
church. OIgen says that Jesus gave q
very profound explanation of the paraples
to those who had passed beyond the stage
of exoteric teaching, and 1t IS cialmed
that those explanations of Jesus were
handed down by word of mouth, and it is
said that the teachings which Christ gave
the apostles during the forty days after
the resurrection were also handel down
by word of mouth.
These secret teachings were those which
enabled people to separate the soul from
the body, to stand face to face with the
higher grades of being, to learn all those
inner verit:es, without which religion
loses its foundation, its strength ard its
influence over the hearts and conscienceS
of men.
The speaker defined prayer as a COM
mand unto the invisible word which will
be obeyed by those intelligent beings who
catch the thought and tone of the prayer,
and will carry 1t to one who is chartably
disposed, when the prayer is for aid.
Prayer according to the theosophical idea
is the upward aspiration of the soul 10
God.
The ordinary Christian uses the terms
soul" and Esprit" IN the same sense.
But they are not the same. The Apostles
taught that man is the temple of God.
That also is the teaching OF theosophy.
Christ is the type of the developed soul
evolving life after lite until the soul has
reached its manhood, and here theosophy
and Christianity teach exactly the same
thing. Theosopny teaches that the soul
is 10 unite with the spirit and by uniting
there will be union with God. which every
religion has taught. Christ prays that his
disciples may become one in him and he
one in US.
The speaker closed with an allusion to
incarnation and the deeper truths OF theos-
Ophy