The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-03-07

hence of Religion any anxiety need he
felt, for Rcligion-the search after God
and the answer to the searching-is ever
lasting as humanity. and il can never
cease to be while man Is living upon
earth But sometimes there comes over
parts Of the world AT least that which
has been truly called the eclipse Of faith.
sometimes 4 cloud appears and vei's for
the moment the light OF the great Sun
of Truth; and although the sun he ever
shining, no matter how the clouds may
gather over us. to us jewellers upon earth
the sun can he Shrouded by the clouds.
Such times have been and may come
again, and though Religion will not per-
ish. much of human anguish. of human
misery. may come between the man and
the knowledge of the life he seeks. And
it seems from many signs as though our
world during the last fifty years had been
facing such a crisis. that it had had pre-
scented to II by choice, a terrible choice
There was doubt enshrouding religions
truths. questioning of the true meaning
and scope OF life: during these years
OF quickly growing science. Of question
ings on the part of religious people. it
seemed for time as though the intellec-
tual must needs have pass into scepti-
cism. as though the emotional would
have no refuge gave superstition. Un>
other. menaced by the Religion of man.
and threatened 1t with at least tempo
rary eclipse. And if today the horizon
is brighter than before. IL We see ten
denotes In the religious world which
promise a fuller faith, a deeper KNOW
edge, yet We cannot hide from ourselves
that that great problem for parts OF
Christendom has by no means yet been
answered, although il may press for solu-
ton. Looking at the great Roman
catholic church, the mightiest orsaniza-
ton of Christianity that Christendom
knows OF has known. We see that in that
Church dogma, almost in its crudest
form, is being vehemently pressed upon
the masses of It's adhsrents. We have
seen coming from the throne OF the Pope
declarations so hopclessly at variance
with modern thought. so widely condemna-
tory of modern progress. that sometimes
IT almost seems as though the danger of
Rome threatened to outweigh the value Of
its priceless discipline. OF the Occultism
widely spread throughout it. And even
today that mighty Church is faced with
III" choice as to whether il will grant
a wider liberty. or whether il will press
upon the people letters OF dogma too
heavy for the modern mind to bear
Outside Rome the PROSPECT is brighter
Tor gradually deeper, more spiritual
view Is spreading through the churches
We see Il more spiritual way of looking
at Christian doctrine: we see a growth
of mystic Interpretation, recognition
that :: spiritual truth cannot ever be con-
fined within the limits of an intellectual
statement And l am told, that in the
Creek Church also there is a change of
spirit, n revival of its ancient mysticism.
lifting UP of hearts towards the heights
TO which only the Mystic can climb. So
that all over Christendom, save with the
one danger I have mentioned, it does
seem as though il were true that the
light is rising on the horizon, and that
there is u hope, weli-niEh a certainty,
that the deepr more mystical view OF
Christianity will prevail above the more
crudely dogmatic. And in order to clear
our way. Vt me define what / mean by
Dogma and Mysticism.
Fly dogma | mean a statement. elabo-
rated by the reason. embOdyinG 4 truth,
or that which is believed to be truth,
and imposing it by authority from out
side. I think. if you bring that definition
and apply It TO the dogTnas that YOU
ind in tn" churches. you will find that
II is inclusive and accurate. The dogma
i necessarily intellectual. not spiritual:
Is necessarily Il statement elaborated by
the reason and imposed b." authority,
whatever that authority may be- II may
be the authority of an ancient Church or
Of some sacred Scripture, or Of a man
regarded as supreme; but in any case il
is an authority outside the man from
whom belief is demanded. And 1t comes
10 him with the claim OF that authority
for his submission; he must bow to it.
accept it as the truth
Mysticism, on the other hand, is the
inner recognition of spiritual truth.
which the man accepts because he sees
il to be true, knows il to be true by
the testimony Of the Divine within
him. lie does not seek an outer au-
thority: he recognises only the author
ity OF the Inner God. He does not de-
mand that reason shall be able to
argue TO 1t: lie sees il i'll the light of
the Spirit that transcends the reason
ing of the mind: and the only author
ity TO which lie bows, the only author
ity on which he accepts the truth. is
the authority of the God within him,
whose eyes are opened 50 that he can
see. He needs no outer argument, he
needs no outer assent. Crowds may
deny the truth he knows, but he feels
his feet are founded upon a rock: the
truth is within him enlightening the
reason: and though heaven and earth
and hell were to proclaim the contrary.
he would hold to the truth he knows.
and cling to ii despite every power
that might strive to wrench il from
his grasp.
We have then clear dist:nction-an
outer authority, an inner authority.
The one presents the dogma. the other
is the light by which the Mystic secs
the truth. CHANGING at the past. the
growth of religions, We can see tina
they pass through different stages.
First when the Teacher. the Founder
Of the faith, speaks and declares tho
truth. it is accepted then by many
who hear Him, accepted from Him by
a spiritual answer aroused by His
spiritual power. Such n Teacher truly
teaches with authority; but il is the
authority OF Spirit appealing to Spirit,
and not as do the scribes and the doc
tors of tho law. 1t is the recognition
by the Spirit within the Spirit in the
Teacher. asserting without reasoning
and without argument. And wherever
a mighty spiritual Teacher Is made
manifest on earth. and speaks with the
power of the Spirit. there the awaken
ed Spirits answer in glad acceptation
of the teaching. not regarding ii as an
outer authority. because the inner as
sent approves that which the Teacher
affirms And so you find. when you
read the teachings of the Lord Buddha,
the teachings Of the Lord Christ. that
He speaks with such force and such
illumination that the Spirit answers
from within us and recognises the
truth of the words.
Then, when He has passed away from
earth. when the great spiritual truths
that flowed from His lips are taken mp
by smaller men. by less spiritualized