The news-democrat. (Providence, R.I.) 1906-1909, 1906-09-21
DO YOU THINK That YOU
HAVE EVER LIVED BEFORE 4?

"Reincarnation" Is found among the be-
liefs OF Brahmans and Buddihts, and Of
the Magi; IL is alluded 10 in the Jewish
Cabbala. II has been advocated by many
writer's, OF wrom the following are q Sc
lection.
DIR. Edward Beecher"H Henry Ward
Beecher, Phillips Brooks, Boehme. Prof
Francis Bowen (of Harvard), Giordano
Bruno. Campanella, James Freeman
Clarke. Cudworth. DIR. Dorner, the youn-
ger. Fichte, Flammarion, Glanvil Hegel,
the younger Helmont. Herder, Hume,
Justin Martyr Prof. William knight (of
st. Andrews), William Law. Liebnitz.
Lessng, Henry More. julius Muller. ORR
gen, Paracelsus. Andre Pezzani. Plato.
Periphery, Pythagoras. Chevalier. Ram
say. Schopenhauer. Bishop Scott. Southey,
Swedenborg and Walt Whitman.
As TO the New Testament, we might un-
derstand the words, ELIAS has come, and
they have done unto him whatsoever they
pleased TO imply or state that John the
Baptist was Elijah reincarnated
But a better instance is where the dis
cipes asked whether n certain man had
sinned, or his parents, that he was born
blind. To have sinned before he was born
must mean to have sinned in n previous
life. The disciples found a man who had
been born blind. and they asked the ques-
tion-Is the cause OF this blindness rein
carnation or heredity?
The belief In reincarnation was quite
common among the Jews. but II was
forbidden blythe council or Constanti-
nople In 55l.
As 10 the arguments in favor Of the
theory, the chief seems To be that. dis
satisfied with current ideas-such as the
constant creation of new souls and the
apparently arbitrary government OF the
world-people searched for a reason for
tays
about man and trust In God. They found
that this theory. while IL did not deal
with dogmas and creeds. supplied a rea-
son for things. and gave them hope about
man and trust in God.
For example, here was a child born to
misery Was there a reason? Was there
Justice? Yes. While they believed that
the misery was a great training ground
for the child, they also believed that the
child had earned the misery i'm a previous
life. While they believed that a man will
reap what he now sows. they also believe
that he now reaps what he has sown In
a word those who believed I'm reincarna-
ton were satisfied that I'm the present life
we are having what We have earned. and
earning what we shall have.
The theory explains a great deal that
orthodox religion does not attempt to ex-
plain. what orthodox religion calls 'in-
scrutable ways OF Providence" the be-
lever i'm rcincarnation calls Justice
Think also Of the way I'm which the the
orv supplements the physical theory OF
gradual evolution. II we believe I'm "a
grand plan OF Providence. surely we know
that few minutes Of life I'm this complex
world Is feeble training OF an eternity in
heaven; surely we know that many sue
cessive lives are necessary II (as Is cer-
taIn) this world Is n fine training ground.
before we are thoroughly educated; iust
as n boy or girl must go through moro
than one class In a school before he or
she IS fitted for after life.
Such are a few of the arguments In
favor OF relncarnation. The great mis-
take made by It's advocates Mas been 20
regard IL as proved. In the samc sense
that the law or RrHvfry Is proved. The
theory Is not like an impregnable battle
ship; Il Is more like what Plato would
call a raft 90 keep US from sinking in this
wcrd OF apparent evil. II the theory
helps 10 make n man or woman honor
able. brave. courteous. healthy happy.
active. calm. then let the man or woman
hold IL Till he gets a better.-Eustt.,e e
Miles In the Daily Mall.