The Washington herald., 1914-07-05
THE OCCULT SIDE OF CHRISTIANITY

listed in the past. forming a part OF
the religions Of the world? The answer
must be an immediate Affirmative;
every great religion has claimed to
possess a hidden teaching, and has de-
clared that II is the repository oi
theoretical mystic. and further OF prac-
teal mystic. or occult. knowledge. The
mystic explanation of popular teaching
was public, and expounded the latter
as an alIegory. giving to crude and ir-
rational statements and stories {
meaning which the intellect could ac-
cept.
The mysteries OF Egypt were the
glory of that ancient land, and the
noblest sons OF Greece. such as Plato,
went 10 Thebes to be initiated by
Egyptian Teachers of Wisdom. The
Mithraic Mysteries OF the Persians, the
Orphic and Bacchic Mysteries. and the
later Eleusinian semi Mysteries OF the
Greeks, are familiar in name.
The great teachers-it is alleged by
Hindus. Buddhists, and by some COM
parative religionists, such as Theosophists
form an enduring brotherhood of men
who have risen beyond humanity, who
appear at certain periods to enlighten
the world. and who are the spiritual
guardians of the human race. This view
may Dt np III lht plLdScs
ligions are branches from a common
trunk-divine wisdom"
This divine wisdom is spoken of as the
wisdom. the Gnosis, the Theosophia, and
some, in different ages OF the world.
have so designed to emphasize their be-
lief in this unity OF religions, that they
have preferred the electric name OF
Theosophist TO any narrower designation.
The religions of the past claimed to
have a hidden side, to be custodians of
mysteries" and this claim was en-
dorsed by the seeking OF initiation BY
the greatest men. 1t would be a sad
commentary II Christianity stood outside
this circle OF religions. and alone is with
out a Gnosis, offering to the world only
a simple faith and not a profound
knowledge.
II the esoteric teaching can be re-estab-
lished and win patient and earnest stu
dents. IL will not be long before the
occult is also restored. Disciples of Les
Ser Mysteries will become candidates for
the Greater, and with the regaining OF
knowledge will come again the authority
of teaching. And truly the need is great
For, looking at the world around US. We
find that religion in the West Is suffer-
ing from the very difficulty that theoreti-
cally we should expect to find. Christi
anity. having lost its mystic and esoteric
teaching, Is losing its hold on large
number of the more highly educated. and
the partial revival during the past few
years is co-incident with the re-introduc-
ton of some mystic teaching.
Every one who carefully studies the
question will admit that men of strong
intellect have been driven out OF Chris
tianity by the crudity of the religious
ideas set before them, the contradictions
in the authoritative teachings. the views
as to God, man, and the universe that
no trained intelligence could possibly ad-
nit Nor can il be said that any kind
of moral degra dation lay at root OF the
revolt aHnst the dogmas OF the church.
The rebels were not too bad for their
religion: on the contrary. it was the re-
ngion that was too bad for them.
The reason for this revolt lay in the