The guardian. [volume] (Boston, Mass.) 1901-1960, 1945-03-24
LODGE NOTES
ODD FELLOWS MEET
Plymouth Rock Lodge 1922,
HIERARCHIES
HIERARCHIES
The Ladder OF Life

For the present state of development, THEO-
SOPHY presents it's teachings in series called SEVEN
JEWELS OF WISDOM and herarchies is the third in the
series All TheOsOphcal teachings have universal appca
ton meaning that they the pattern of life in all the
limited application in the English language being confined
almost entirely to church dictionary gives
the first meaning body of ecclesiastical rulers and in
the third definition suggests wider application such as
kngdOms, classes orders, tamhes genera ana species
Practically the word is of ecclesiastical association The
for this doubt due to the fact during the dark
ages only the ancient MysterySchOOls that the
real teaching of Herarches given out the undamn
lens of life death and known the highest court
of authority But they declined due to the prevailing social
conditions finally closed in the sixth century,
certain teachings limited and restricted form remained in
really the degeneraed shadows of the MYSTERY
During the early centuries of this several religions
contendng for general acceptance when finally the
cOOred with the old beliefs and forms familiar to- and loved
S 90 se apg was evident but
peciay the last named left its mark This largely due
to certain writings which appeared in the fifth sixth
fury purpOrng been written by Dionysius the
AeOpagtea man who according to Christian legend was
OF the first converts OF PAUL when he preached on MARS
Hill in Athens at heart he Greek pagan and perhaps
wishing Christianity from pure exOtericism and to
illuminate it, he seems to have adopted metnod OF miro
ducng of the old teachings in modified form his
effort reinforced through the influence of schools Of
learning active time Alexandria, the great center of
Heenistic culture However this be- these writings pro-
sixth century and to this day are found among the canonca
chies which taught that Cod being the infinite worked
through divnes of graded development each lower
being derived from the abOv it. thus following in
way Neo-PlatOnists only instead
using their adopted c0ngeniaI to
Christian thought These terms God, the summit
then Seraphm Cherubm Thrones forming the first triad
DominatiOns Virtues Powers the second triad And
Prncpaities ArchangeIs Angels as the third triad making
stages grades this in substance the fifth defn
4 ton in the dictionary
essence of meaning this teaching has long
since passed out of the Christian religion and probably
clearly grasped only the very early by
relatively limited number Of people EsOericay the term
has special significance which will try to develop Ex
OtercaIly applies to any organized combination held to-
geher head having under him graded series of subor
dnaes each of them being responsible to the directly
above him. The the government; busInss enter
prise all excellent examples of hierarchy, in the
peciay among the bees and the ants in the air have the
Eagle king in the water the whale in the forest the
though not be able to the series of these
top implies b0ttomBOtaniss plainly the divisions
plants into families Mneralogsts the mathematical
of Nature in the marvellous formation of crystals
This principal of organization universal throughout all
kingdoms All these facts common that their deep
significance overlooked Human beings direct their
along such grooves because they cannot do otherwise
minds part of Kosmic mind and they must follow
Natures pattern or be torn to piecs.
1t is indeed the teachings that the kingdoms
informed by higher beings also the innate tendencies in
shape their lives have their origin in the impulses
from higher of consciousness The inevitable ir
restble human activities to shape themselves
hierarchcal formation, shows that this is Natures
constitution
"As above below"
ITO be Continued)
BROTHERHOOD PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY
CO Harriet Tubman House
rs HOlyoke Street