The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-01-16
Lecture by Burcham Harding at
Unity Hall.
he EXPLAINS THE DOCTRINE
OF TIE THEoSoPHISTS.
Authorities That Support the Theory
Mr.. Harding Gives His Last
Lecture Here Tonight-What the
Local Society Is Doing.

Reincarnation seems d strange doc
trine 10 those who hear it for the first
time. They naturally say is it possible
that a soul lives for a while in body on
earth and then passes away to heaven;
that the heaven terminates and the soul
returns again to earth in d new body, and
that we have been doing this for an
eternity in the past ana may have to con-
time il IN the future? Such seems a
Strange doctrine. Strange as it may seem,
there Is a vast mass of evidence to prove
that reincarnation IS one of the great
laws Of existence. Without it we cannot
nave a clear conception OF what the soul
Is or its functions. Unless that is under
stood there can be no positive compre-
hension of its existence. Reincarnation
soul cannot be immortal at one end only:
that is but Il theological fiction, born in
the darker ages, but 0ying from expos
ure TO the light of common sense.
When theology cut out reincarnation
from the teachings of the church it lost
all knowledge of that which reincar-
mates, the immortal soul OF man Ioday
theology tells its audiences that man has
no immortal soul It speaks of a soul
which begins its existence with this body,
and therefore is not immortal 1t tells Of
conditional Immortality, not abSo
lutte, but limited conditions. It says the
soul Is cursed with original sin, born in
wrath, and nit only for hell tire-such IS
not Immortality. If the theologians would
study a little TheOsOphy they would re-
store 10 man his immortal soul and I'M
derstand what it is that begins with this
life. and then goes to heaven, never TO
emerge. Until then they will probably
continue 10 torture themselves and their
followers with their fictionS of mans soul.
Reincarnation explains the eternity OF
the past The soul. which is our real
self, has lived many lives on this earth,
coming back again and again, at inter
walls of about 1000 to 1900 years.
THE soul IS the storehOuse of the eX-
perience acquired in each one of the past
eXistences. After a life of struggle and
suffering, we pass to heaven, where the
results OF the earth life are stored away
and asSimilated by the soul, thus being
made immortal. In heaven character is
made permanent; the thoughts and ideas
of earth are lived out and become a per
manent experience OF the soul. The mind
and character gained in the present body
represent the real man. because It IS
the repository of the experience OF all
lives in the past.
There is a vast mass of authority in
support of reincarnatiOn. About 40 per
cent of the present inhabitants OF the
world accept it. Modern Christianity Is
about the only religion that has lost It,
The ignorant monks of the sixth century
cut it out Of the church teachings. me
Jews believed it during The time II is re-
corded that Jesus lived among Them ana
the Bible shows that he accepted 1t. GID
bons' Rome clearly states that it was the
belief of the Jews and that IN oS5 A: p
Justinian. at the council of Constantine
pie. caused the anathema of the church
to be pronounced against any one preach-
ing it. To disobey the church IN those
DAYS meant death The best proof that
it was taught in early Christianity IS that
il was cut out. DR.. I. L. Mosheim, D. D.,
in his Church History records the same
.',rhe writings of Josephus. Philo and
other Jews also relate several interesting
things believed by the Jews. They state
that it was currently believed that Aoen4
was reincarnated as David and Will ap-
pear again as the Messiah Also that
Cain was born again as the Egyptian
that Moses slew, thus meeting ms JUST
deserts Herod and others evidently be
HeVed it. for when hearing about Jesus,
the Bible relates that Herod said: It IS
Tohn the Baptist, whom ! beheaded IN
prison. risen from the dead. Others SAID:
1t is Elias and others said: 1t is one OF
the prophets. These all had been dead
fo~ some time and must have reincar-
mated in their conception. ,...,,,.-,,+
''When the man born blind was brcusnt
TO Jesus. the disciples said: Who hath
sinned. this man or his parents, that ne
be born b,ind?' For a man to be born
blind for sins committed by him lnters
previous life in which ne sinned. The
disciples evidently believed in reincarna-
ton or they would not have put such q
question. Jesus said in another place
who do men say that l am?' The dis
ciples replied: Some say Elias, some
jeremiah and some one Of the prophets
AS these had all been long dead. he mus
have reincarnate0 10 have been any OF
them Jesus said: Elias has already
come and them knew him not, put did
unto him whatever they listed. speaking
OF John the Baptist This was a clear
q affirmation that Jesus accepted relncar-
nation. Paul. John and others speak OF
IL in the Bible.
.aT'he present period sees reincarnation
being rapidly accepted by the leading
thinkers of the day. The Rev Ed
Beecher in his book The Conflict of the
Ages. says that without relncarnat !1ll
Christianity Is illogical. He Is certainly
correct for religion deals with man
soul and reincarnaticn IS the only way
OF understanding its existence
Hell and the devil are being erased
from mems minds. They cannot conceive
how Il loving God can consign his chill
dren TO an eternity of hell. where the
soul burns forever. But if there Is no hell
there is no place but heaven after death.
It matters not what is done in this life
murder. lying. Stealing-ali must go 70
heaven. for there is no other place To
abolish the theological hell Is correct,
but 10 make Christianity logical reincar-
nation must be restored. for the wicked
must meet their just deserts, which they
do upon reincaination into this world.
There is ample proof that the founder
Of Christianity and his followers for 800
years taught reincarnauon. Are we. in
the present day. wiser than Jesus? For
fInarelv the leading thinkers are finding
il best to restore reirCarnatiOn to Chris
tianity. Reincarnation Is seen III every
part of nature, the outer forms changing
but the inner life perSiStlng- Trees put
on a new growth Of leaves in spring and
seem 20 die IN winter. but only To rein
carnate the following year. Seeds produce
plants which flower and leave other
seeds. The other plants disappear. but
tie seeds reproduce new ones.
Row explain al the different condi
tons into which, nan is born? Rich and
Door. inteIlectu Sand stupid, healthy and
diseased. virNl4 and vicious There can
be no effect without a cause There are /
effects and man demands TO know the I
cause. Two explanations may be given /
ether some deity outside man : control /
arTanges our circumstances or We do it 1
ourselves. If 4 deity caDriciOuSly faVorS /
some with all the good things and con- I
dennis others 10 the suffering and misery. /
= IS but natural TO accuse him of in (
Justice Theos0phy shows that each can I
make his own conditions Whatsoever d (
man soweth that shall he also reap. as /
Paul said. We SOW in our life and reap /
t.-e harvest in the next. The law is in !
mutable- bringing to each his exact de- /
serts. rewards for good deeds, suffering {
for evil. The varied conditions of life are (
thus explained on a basis of exact justice. .
and We are relieved from accusing the f
deity of injustice.
THE keynote of reincarnation is hope.
most hopeless. The convict imprisoned for .
life or the victim of j deformed or dis
eased body seem 10 be hopeless if this is
but the only life. Let them recOllect that !
present Sufferings are the result of their .
own deeds in the past and that by living (
will be what is desirable. At once hope
springs into view. knowledge that We
have caused the present oppression
changes our attitude toward it. We cease 4
feeling resentment against any deity and .
are by nature lenient toward orr own
Incarnation is not promulgated as "A mere
intellectual theory. but to endeaVOr 10 :