The Washington herald., 1914-08-23
The Occult Side of Christianity
REINCARNATION
A Cardinal Doctrine of Early Christianity
ny DR. w. w. BAKER.

The atmosphere Of our modern thought
Is no longer that which the early Chris
tians breathed. nor even that in which
our fathers thought out the problems Of
Theology fifty years ago-qusstions pour
in and difficulties arise that our fathers
did not feel Science has created an al
most entirely different world for Us ana
It is only gradually that We can come TO
move about in this new world, and
j must stumble and fall before learning TO
walk. Therefore we should drop all pre-
: conceived opinions and predjndice and
u open our minds TO receive and TO assim-
ilate by the law OF reason any statement
j or argument that may be submitted in
an attempt to outline a doctrine that may
lie at the very root of existence-that
many explain the drama and the mys-
terry of life.
i ReIncarnation or reimbodiment Is a
II fundamental doctrine of Theosophy and
affords a solution OF the most perplex-
ing phenomena OF life, and does 1t al
no sacrifice Of the attributes we may
fairly expect OF a true religious science.
1t contemplates that no injustice be
done the deserving or benefit bestowed on
the undeserving, the justice of its oper-
atoms must be discernible and It's ne
cessty accepted as the only explanation
Of the manifold phases Of existence
among humanity.
Must Remain on human Level.
Relncarnation refers to the growth and
development OF the human soul by means
OF successive returns to physical life
not in animal form at any time-that
would imply retrogression-reincarn
must always tend to progression. We
are on the human level of life and must
remain there, as the soul never under
any circumstances descends into animal
bodies.
When a man dies as regards the physi-
cal manifestation the consciousness, or
the man, passes into a relatively spirit
ual condition OF existence calculated to
exist for a long time, at the end Of which
he returns for another physical nantes
tation. and this cycle OF life is repeated
over and over again-it may be for hum
dreds of times. During the ages covered
by this activity man evolves from the
savage to the perfect creature God in
tended him to be.
1t is an accepted doctrine that when a
men dies he passes into spiritual exist
ence. Theosophy not only Celebrates this
| thought, but attempts to explain the diff
ferent phases Of spiritual life and the
results obtained by the consciousness
through its expressions.
| 1t posits the physical life as the initia-
tive life-the period during which action
along certain lines is initiated. and the
spiritual existence following earth life, as.
I to great extent, an assimilatlve period
: wherein the soul transmutes into definite
mental and moral faculties its expert
ences during earth life.
Creator Not Unjust.
| The doctrine contemplates, advance, i'm
| provement, both as regards the earthly
body and the soul consciousness. Is il
| possible to doom a human being OF i'm
] ma all
any single personality? In equity should
we not grant the privilege to any one soul
| OF the opportunity to advance and take
its place among the highest and the best?
! On what other theory than that of Re
| incarnation can we account for the phe-
nomena OF human life. that would other
| wise be chaotic and uninteligible? We
must accord to the Creator wisdom and
! justice. not injustice. How is the gulf
! between the savage and our most brilliant
men to be spanned? We cannot intelli-
gently push the question aside by saying
all things are possible with God"
! God has created man with certain at
tributes, and they exist in the lowest
savage as in the highest member of
civilization. In the savage they may be
said to exist potentially and in a New
ton. as active powers, but can we not
give the infant soul OF the savage an
opportunity for cultivation and the gain
ing OF intellectual and spiritual powers?
The thinker has accepted the theory Of
the evolution OF the body, and il of the
body why not Of the soul? How other
wise is il possible for man to become
the perfect instrument OF the Divine?
To comprehend to some extent we must
remember that there are no mishts in
the Divine economy Everything works
together for the end desired. Hence, in
msnifesting a soul must have the char
acter of body best adapted to its needs.
Young souls need a certain environment.
need q certain class OF body best fitted
for its expression; a nervous system anc
brain development that will best enable
it to contact physical nature; hence we
understand the necessity for the segre-
cation Of tribes and races.
Take a savage out of his usual sur
roundngs and put him down, say, in
Washington, and he would be decidedly
confused at first; surprised and inter-
ested. but soon dissatisfied and anxious
to return to his hunting grounds. He is
not developed. not ready. He must
evolve by gradual stages to the point
where his mind will appreciate improved
surroundings and its advantages. AS
We have souls at all stages Of growth,
we must have bodies best adapted to
their expression. This is one way In
which to account for the differences in
intelligences and in mode of life of hu-
man beings.
Evolution Now Accepted.
Only a few years ago the doctrine of
evolution was anti-Christisn. and every
pulpit denounced Darwin. Now, so far
as the form is concerned. evolution is
accepted as a fact in nature. But grant
ing the evolution of the form alone, are
we not dropping into materialism? If
only the body evolves. then the greater
intelligence Of the man comes as a
product and dependent upon the greater
perfection of the bodies.
Scientific teaching based on close OBJ
servation and study, shows that acquired
qualities are not transmitted, because the
greater number Of children are born OF
the younger and not of the older, so that
when men have reached their best, no.
bIest, and most intelligent period OF life
is the very time when they are least
able to transmit those qualities. Chill
dren are born in the youth OF the parent.
so that on the theory that qualities are
transmitted by the body. you would have
the undeveloped and uncompleted people
as parents handing on bodies, while the
developed and wiser. having passed the
stage Of parental activity, can take no |
part in evolution.
II evolution is confined to the form
must not the Creator wait upon that
evolution TO produce higher and bet |
ter souls2
The truth of the matter is that you !
must acknowledge the doctrine of the l