arV
15543
€nu\\ Hwetsitg
Jihtiatig
THE GIFT OF ..u.a/i^nAA^yiyo
J.:.^^..^UQ.r.
p(ja/LO-
iiy^/. 6896-2
€nu\\ Hwetsitg
Jihtiatig
THE GIFT OF ..u.a/i^nAA^yiyo
J.:.^^..^UQ.r.
p(ja/LO-
iiy^/. 6896-2
The
date shows when this volume was taken. To renew this book copy the call No. and give to the librarian.
HOME USE RULES. AU Books subject to
JW
Recall.
/TfT
Books not used for instruction or research are returnable within
weeks.
Volumrt cals
of periodi-
and of pamplilet»
are held in the library as nnich as possible.
For
pwrposes they, are given out for special
lim-ited tinse.
Borrowers not
use
should
their
library
privileges for the benefit
of other persons.
Books
not needed recess periods be returned to
during should
the libracy.'pf arrange-
ments
made
for
their
return during borrower's absence, if wanted.
Books
needed more than one person are held)
on
the reserve
Hst.
Books and
of
special
books, when the giver wishes it, are, not allowed tovalue
.gift
sirculate.
Readers are asked neport
ail
cases of
marked or
Do
to-
books
mutilated.
not deface books Sy marks and writing.
The tine
tliis
book
is in
Cornell University Library.
There are no known copyright
restrictions in
the United States on the use of the
text.
:iS^
r''W
pRiNCESS KARADcJA delivered
this
pleasure
winter
London,
in
are
in
she
of the lectures, that
announcing that two has
much
has
now
obtainable in print, viz
The Esoteric Meaning
of
the Seven Sacraments,
bound volumes in
And
2/-
paper covers
1/-
The Ancient Therapeuts, In
paper covers
6d.
Single copies of both these booklets can be had of all Princess Karadja's other 4,
as well as
works— from Messrs. Wooderson,
Great Russell Street, W.C.
The
other lectures, viz: 'the True and False Gnosis, The
Balaam's Ass, and Jachin and Boaz
of Babel,
will
Tower
gradually be
pubUshed.
The
GNOSIS Propaganda Fund
state of the
cioes not at
present allow this expenditure.
The but as all
large
number
are insignificant.
two
the printing
Propaganda Fund
proceeds
of tickets was given away,
expenses being defrayed
When is
and apparently appreciated,
lectures were Well attended
will present
first
lectures
deficit of
is
paid, the Gnosis
about ^25, which
sum
temporarily advanced by Princess Karadja.
She hopes Missionary
that those
Work
will
friends
kindly help
who to
take an
interest
wipe away
this
in
debt
her
by
Those who wish obtain
them
reduced price,
at
among
their
can
friends,
viz
15 copies of The Seven Sacpaments for
10/-
The Ancient Therapeuts for
5/-
15 copies of if
booklets
copies of these
distributing
the Pure Gnosis by
in spreading
to assist
application
Address
is
made
(ist April to ist
Dec,
(ist
II,
Karadja's Secretary
directly to Princess
Dec. 1910)— GOUVY, BELGIUM.
1910, to 15th July, 1911)
King's Road, Sloane Square,
London, S.W. No
Observe
made on
reduction
Those who are unable
to
copies ordered through booksellers.
assist the
cause
materially,
can
render valuable aid to the Propaganda by mentioning the books to their friends.
The away
to public
English an
The
the editions
greater libraries,
Am rica
net
sums
schools,
now
hospitals
printed will be given
and members of the
Clergy.
realised
by the
sale of these
two booklets
be used to cover printing expenses of Voluntary accepted
if
contributions
or
will
lectures.
donations
would
gratefully
addressed to
The Gnosis Propaganda Fund, c/o Messrs.
Drummond, 49,
Charing Cross, W.C.
be
O. l^^l^r^r-^o rW TUP WITH THE r>r^/^r)l COMPLIMENTS
THE AUTHOR.
nr-^-
OF'
THE ESOTERIC MEANING OF
THE SEVEN SACRAMENTS.
By the same Author :—
TOWARDS THE
LIGHT,
Mystic Poem.
Bound
Third Thousand.
copies
2/-
In paper covers
ZUM LIGHT
(German
edition of the
I/-
same poem)
I/-
L'EVANGILE DE L'ESPOIR
I/-
DAS EVANGELIUM DER HO'FFNUNG
I/-
THE ANCIENT THERAPEUTS
./6
Copies of above works can be had from Messrs. 4,
To be published
WOODERSON,
Great Russell Street,
W.C
shortly
MYSTICAL DRAMA IN FIVE ACTS. Price 3/6.
The
Esoteric
Meaning
OF THE
Seven Sacraments. BY
PRINCESS KARADJA.
FIRST THOUSAND.
LONDON Messrs, Woodkrson,
4,
Great Russell Street W.C. 1910.
Matrimonii™,
Ordo ^SAtiCTlTKK
Unctio Extrema,.^ 'Renovatio
PCENITENTIA
'CONTRITIO
EUCHARISTIA
Confirmation
Illuminatio
PTISMUSi
Re-gen eratio
'TT'CCORDING ^/«
salvation, instruments
through outward
is
and
and
to the Faithful inward
How
Orthodox
definition,
Eternal
of
Life,
signs— transfer
visible
spiritual Grace."
that these divinely-appointed ordinances
it
of Grace, which ought to bind together the
of the
the
Ordained means of Grace,
Sacraments are
necessary to
which
the
to
Church, have turned
Members
into veritable apples
of
discord
The reason
is
very simple.
The Sacraments have gradually and
signification,
functions.
immense
lost
have degenerated
As they
their original
into
mere
ritual
the
repeatedly failed
benefits which they were appointed to transmit,
these glaring failures gave birth to grave doubts con-
cerning their
efiicacy.
At the Reformation simply
discarded
Luther went so firmation or
Cheat.
as
far as
five
"not
of the
Sacraments were
necessary
to style the
to
Salvation."
Sacrament of Con-
FiKMELUNG," which word
signifies
Fraud
If he had had the slightest notion of the
Inner Meaning of the Sacraments, he would not have handled the pruning-knife with such deplorable
alacrity.
12
One thing occurred
if
signification
called
no Reformation could have
certain:
the Church of
Sacred
the
of
is
Rome had
Knowledge
Gnosis.
Mysteries was
the
of
retained possession of
the
esoteric
ancient times
in
"the Power of the Keys" (potestas clomcwm).
This power has long ago ceased to be
the appanage
of Orthodox Christianity.
During the
centuries of the Christian era this
first
knowledge remained in the hands of which were on
Societies,
this account terribly persecuted
In our days the Church
by the Orthodox Priesthood. has
the
who do not logicwm" requested opinions,
Luther
different Secret
of inflicting
od ly in ur
Odiv/m Theo-
share her views, but the
to
Christians
subsists
still
detest,
abhor, and
which are declared to be styled
condemn
are
still
certain
wicked heresies."
who denied
those
to those
Baptism administered to unconscious possessed by worse demons
the
infants,
efiicacy
Demons
Such vehemence
to be hoped that, in
is
gradually vanishing, and
coming
ages,
be judged according to their to their
more or
strict
less
of
The
language meets scant approbation in our days. Spirit of Intolerance
of
men and women
acts,
will
and not according
adherence
forms
of belief It is
remarkable
who have been opinions were
fact,
that nearly
all
the Sectarians
persecuted on account of their heterodox
men
of
deeply religious turn of mind.
IS
Numerous
records prove conclusively that disregard of
external ordinances can by no
means be considered
as
token of impiety.
The
Messalians,
who had
Sacraments, were
low esteem of the
Sect of Mystics,
who devoted them-
selves wholly to prayer.
Ireneus
informs us that the Gnostics declared
outward and material Sacraments their chief
aim was enlightenment
the soul was
all
Can such
to be unnecessary:
the illumination of
that their hearts desired.
frame of mind
denoting particular in
all
The Gnostics did
wickedness
no way despise Divine Grace.
be described as
fairly
It
seems strange that
men, who apparently were eager to conquer Life Eternal,
contempt
ould manife Salvation
for
the Ordained Means of
must be some cause
there
for
such
an
anomaly.
The reason
is
The
this
Gnostics, as well
Mystics, refuse to be fed on husks.
the husk, as long as living kernel
but
it
We
is
do not despise
and protect the
serves to hide
if
as the
once removed, then
the husk has, in our eyes, no value whatever.
We
do
not object to outward signs, unless these signs FAIL to
Inward Grace promised.
transfer
the
external
ordinances,
We
consider
void of spiritual signification, to
be acts of superstition, unworthy of
cultured mind.
These, our views, prove no contempt for the Holy
Sacraments
On
the contrary.
It is just because
we
14 feel
the deepest veneration for the ordained means of
Grace that we intensely object to their promiscuous distribution unto
unworthy
This, our mental
the views
atitude,
is
in
strict*
Church.
of
stated that the
Outward
THE Faithful. if
recipients.
signs confer
harmony with
It is
expressly
Inward Grace TO
These words of reservation imply
who
the Sacraments are administered to those
tliat
are
not faithful, then they remain mere outward signs, un-
accompanied by any vestige of
On
point there has
this
down the
been
general defection
The Church
from the Original Faith. laid
spiritual Grace.
of
Rome
has
that the Sacraments are, in
principle
their
own
mere
fact of their administration
nature, vehicles of Grace, which
from the
convey Christ
to the
Soul.
The Council that
The
the
of Trent
anathematizes
all
who deny
Sacraments confer Grace ex opero operate.
ritual
function
is
supposed to act as
incantation, which brings with
it
charm
or
The
magical results.
present state of Christian Communities affords abund-
ant evidence of the
fact,
melancholy
apt to engender
fallacy,
that this doctrine
is
simply
feelings of
false
security within the hearts of men.
All the Reformed inseparably tied
The
to
hold that Grace
the reception of the
glaring absence of
admission
all
indispensable.
NOT
Sacraments.
practical results
But
is
makes
this
dangerous ad-
15
mission
they
generates the
inevitably
It
to confer Grace,
fail
what
is,
question
If
then, the practical use
of all these ritual functions
The Catholic Church
is
theoretically
the Sacraments were administered as they be,
in
spirit
If
ought
to
then they inevitably
truth,
magical transformation of Man.
operate in
opero operate kernel
and in
right.
it is
true
is
the recipient absorbs the living
if
not true
The ex
if
he
merely fed on the value-
is
less husks.
The
correct
number
of the Sacraments has been the
subject of considerable litigation.
The Church though
WHY nor
it
of
Rome
insists
upon the number Seven,
has long ago ceased to be aware of the reason
there ought to be seve
Sacraments
neither more
less.
These Sacraments are Baptism.
I.
Confirmation.
II.
Eucharist.
III.
IV. Penance. V.
VI.
Extreme Unction.
Holy Orders.
VII. Marriage.
They have There
is
invariably
been mentioned in this
order.
something very remarkable about that
fact.
16
proves
It
conclusively
the
that
established the sequence, were initiates,
of the reason
why
It is exceedingly
that they should by chance
the order, which the
be
have discovered
is esoterically correct.
human
seems very strange. ought to
and conscious
the Sacraments ought to be men-
tioned in this order, and no other. unlike
who thus
Fathers,
the
point
of
view,
the
progression
Goethe suggested that Marriage Sacrament,
first
and come before
Baptism, as the birth of the child ought to come after the wedding.
which
of England,
has
not
entirely
rejected the five minor Sacraments, places the
Extreme
Unction
last in
This seems, of course, very
the row.
If the Sacraments are simply outward
logical
ceremonies, without hidden meaning, then there
is
no
for
placing Holy Orders and Marriage
logic
and Divine Wisdom are sometimes
apparent reason at the end.
But human at variance.
There are powerful reasons why Extreme
Unction should be the the
last.
fifth
These reasons
but, first of
all,
Church of Kome,
Sacrament and Marriage
will presently
be mentioned
necessary to point out that the
though
it
has the great merit of
having kept the sequence of the Sacraments
intact,
severed the connecting link between them.
One
individual can no longer be the recipient of
The man who has received the
has
single
them
sixth Sacrament
all.
Holy
17
Orders
is,
excluded from
ipso facto,
seventh
Marriage.
The seven Sacraments chain
none can
left
each
link
is
with impunity.
out
The Church
encumbrances.
transformed
Rome
be
invisible
chain are disconnected, then they are
If the links in
of
an
in
links
Heaven and Earth
connecting
indispensable;
are
has carefully preserved the seven links, but
only imaginary benefits can be derived from them in their
present
The mere
condition.
faithfully preserved
them
is,
however, very
The Reformers threw overboard
credit.
much
all
to its
the Mys-
they failed to grasp, and played sad havoc
teries that
with the
having
of
fact
Divinely-appointed Ordinances of Grace.''
Bishop Cranmer was
much mistaken when he
was no ground in Antiquity
clared
sidering the
number
de-
for con-
of the Sacraments to have been
Seven. Systematic knowledge of the progressive phases of Evolution was the Great Arcanum, imparted in
Ancient Mysteries.
The Seven Sacraments
the
all
are rungs
in the Mystic Ladder that Jacob beheld in his vision.
That ladder was well known Egypt,
Greece,
Mexico,
to
India,
the
and
Initiates
Persia.
of
The
Egyptian Saviour, the Virgin-born Horus, was known
by the
title
tep-f-xet, that
The Ladder meets us
in
is,
''
Lord of the Ladder."
the Cave of Mithra and in
18
and the num-
the Well of Life in the ber of the rungs
As none
Seven* had the slightest notion
of the Reformers
Meaning of the Sacraments,
of the Inner
Two, and
invariably
is
Five
rejected
In the Lutheran Catechism these latter are not even mentioned.
The Anglican Church
accentuates
the
importance
ladder on which the
There
alone left intact in such
is
mutilated ladder
radical:
it
Baptism
of
Minor Sacraments
Supper, but admits the others as
Imagine
less
is
first
and third rung are
something almost tragical the two rungs
left, fail
to
yawning gulf
But five
ladder on which two rungs are
rungs "of minor importance"
essential
and
distinctly queer
is
thing
On
the
Roman
intact, but, alas!
as
it
ladder
all
the
illuminate
Rev.
J.
of
are,
on the ground!
it
remains in that position
method
rungs
ascension.
May
it
happily,
As long
cannot be used as
the
of
the Leaders of the Church
Truth
and engender
Oliver states that the ladder with the seven steps was
used in the Indian Mysteries to designate the approach
soul to
perfection.
The of
ascent to the summit
Paradisical
Mount of God by means
pyramid consisting of seven steps was an old notion entertained—
before
the
vision
of Jacob
"Researches in America,^'
by the Mexican
Vol. I., p. 86)
savages.
(Humboldt,
19
within their hearts the Good-will, so
may
soon be raised heavenwards!
After these introductory remarks,
amine the
original
Meaning
The word Sacbamentum the Greek word
fii/o-Tn'piov
In ancient times
symbol of
What
is
time to ex-
of the Sacraments.
is
the Latin translation of
(Mystery).
simply signified the sign and
it
could this Secret be of the Great
Mysteries
ancient
the
it
Divine Secret.
Knowledge all
the Ladder
Truth hidden in
the
is
all religions
RATION
the precious
kernel
the
REGENE-
worthy of the name.
essence of is
Central
everywhere embedded
deep in the husk of empty ceremonies. Regeneration familiar,
word with which
is
all
but few people realize what
term
Originally the
entire
or less void of sense.
drama of Salvation was con-
densed in this unique word
Regeneration. that this term implies
Let us carefully examine
all
Man
Regeneration
is
by which
potential God. latent
possibilities
glorious actualities.
really means.
current term of the religious
It has degenerated into
vocabulary
it
Christians are
are
is
the process
transformed
into
20
The Human Trinity,
When impure birth
as well as the Deity,
personality,
composed of THOUGHT, Feeling, and Will.
Man
the dark thoughts ef unregenerate
feelings they breed
join
will tainted from its very
by the germ of disease and death.
come through the destruction
Salvation can only
Good-will, the Child of Heaven.
tution of
Whenever the Inner Christos
man
will
to
of
and the substi-
the offspring of earth,
this evil will,
of
is
is
born in the heart
Peace and Good-
the Invisible Choir sings
Earth
Good-will
is
the Saviour, the Re-
deeming Agency, through which we
obtain ultimate
peace.
Through the Generation of th
Human
Good-wil
within the
Soul the Emanuel, or GoD-wiTH-US,
is
incar-
nated.
In the present state of Humanity the Brain has not the faculty of procreating something that
but the Heart, when
mortal
is
purified, is ever
The Heart must gradually re-become Virgin it
be
fit
Divine Babe.
to give birth to
only can
im-
fertilized
by
then
Divine Thought and pro-
duce an Immaculate Offspring.
The Human Foster-Father.
Brain, like Joseph, It
is
his
duty to
is
only
tend,
fit
to be
guard
and
protect the Heavenly-begotten Seed deposited in the
bosom
of Mary, that
rational faculties in
is,
Man
within the Pure Heart.
The
are unable to procreate
Will
21
that
is
absolutely
that Will, once
it is
Good
their mission
is
to support
begotten, through the Grace of the
Holy Ghost.
This
is,
words, ihe Inner Meaning of the
in
Great Mysteries of Incarnation and Immaculate Conception, which have been the subject of such endless
controversy
when applied
The Incarnation Ladder
The
is
to historical personages.
the
the Atonement
step on the Heavenly
first
is
the
last.
Seven Sacraments are the divinely-appointed
means through which man ascends the intermediate rungs
Baptism corresponds
to
the Birth of the Christos
within the Soul.
CoNFlRMATON,
to the gradual
growth of the Divine
Child.
Eucharist,
to
His coming into the reception of His
Heritage.
Penance,
to the struggle of the
New
and the Old
Adam.
Extreme Unction,
Holy Orders,
to the final death of the latter.
to the Consecration of the Victorious
Christos as King, Priest, and Prophet.
Marriage,
to
the
unto
onystica,
union of the Redeemer and the Divine
and
Human
Soul.
the
indissoluble
Redeemed, that
is.
22
We
will
now examine
Heavenly Ladder one by
The
first
Sacrament
No true
the
one.
Baptism.
is
Trent anathematizes
Council that Baptism
rungs on
seven
the
who deny
all
necessary to Salvation.
is
Mystic would dream of denying this necessity.
But
maintain that the validity of the Ordinance
entirely depends
intelligent faith on the part of
the recipient.
The
Lord,
in
His
Teaching
associates
administration of the
If the Ordinance
mony.
to
the
and
with
is
limits the
believers.
moral and
not connected with
change, then
As
Apostles,
Sacraments to those who were
The Apostles baptized none but
Taught. spiritual
commission
meaningless cere-
only
matter of fact and experience, the vast
majority of the baptized never undergo the momentous
change called Rkgeneration unregenerate.
Millions of Baptized infants
Manhood with no It this
is
stated
Ceremony
they remain practically
profit
grow up
to
whatever from their Baptism.
by the Church that the performance of confers
special
mark upon the
Soul,
whereby Christians are discerned from non-Christians."
Can
this claim
fully asserted that all th
this
Sacrament
different from
Can
be substantiated
is
unconsciou
administered
pagan babies?
are,
it
be truth-
infants to in
any
whom
respect,
Has empty formalism
23 the
power
children of
transforming
of
people
God"?
The Ceremony
of
Baptism
is
declared
God
the
breathes into the nostrils the Breath of
Life Eternal."
What an amazing
Creator, then,
Step-Father nnto
of the earth
be "the
to
moment when
seed-time of spiritual growth, the Spirit of
adopted
into
Is
He
Is the
statement
all
the other nations
wicked enough to neglect sowing
the blessed Seed of Immortality in the Heart of the
Truth-seeking "Heathen" who
Deity under the
Name
loves, honours, and
revealed
to
obeys
forefathers?
his
Surely the Holy Ghost leads the Evolution of every
Soul that hungers and thirsts after righteousness, under
whatever conditions that Soul happens to be incarnated Religion Christian
is is
not
An
geographical question
no nearer the Heart of God than
Jew, Mussulman, Hindoo, or Parsee.
No
immoral virtuous
special "cove-
ensures to the former undeserved prerogatives.
nant
Baptism
How
Sin.
is
Rite ordained for our deliverance from
immense
could such an
result
be obtained
without the conscious Co-operation of the Recipient
The
entire renewal of the
place within the infant. disposition
moral nature cannot take
Not the
slightest
change of
can be noted after the performance of the
Ceremony.
The
glaring absence of
the Church to declare that
all practical results all
compelled
baptized persons, though
not PERSONALLY SANCTIFIED, have
RELATIVE HOLI-
24
NESS
(!
which
because they are members of the Church,
!)
is
Holy
(see
Harold Browne's
Exposition of the
Thirty-nine Articles," page 617.)
The
Church
Invisible
is,
indeed,
Holy
but of THAT
Church unregenerate men and women are NOT memon the True
no
bers.
There are
Vine
their fruitless condition proves conclusively that
they are not in spiritual union with Christ.
The Ceremony
of Baptism, performed
upon them the dubious
scious infants, confers of nominal
that
There
which
official
Christianity
is split
is all
is
criminal in Europe
hardly
been baptized
by chance, he be
unless,
very scum of Earth of the
benefit
immatriculation into one of the hundred
quarrelling sects
up
upon uncon-
is
into the
One thing identified
is
The
Jew.
admitted to nominal reception
Sacrament, which
enlistin
who
is
stated to
Army
of Christ
certain
the
the
consist in
Primitive Church ever
Baptism with Regeneration.
Through
this
Sacrament regenerating Grace was not merely promised, but actually bestowed. Over-estimation of
shell is fatal to spiritual
life.
few years ago an anecdote, which clearly
heard illustrates
to
what strange mental aberrations IGNOR-
ANCE and FANATICISM can lead even good and intentioned men.
well-
25
China rejoiced the
certain Catholic Missionary in
hearts of his Superiors by sending ports
concerning
crowned his
his
the
efforts
splendid
home glowing which
success
re-
had
thousands of Chinese had from
hands received the Holy Sacrament of Baptism
funds were urgently needed to carry on this magnificent work.
Considerable sums were sent out to the energetic
who soon
Missionary, conversions.
was
It
reported
large
number
deemed necessary
to
another Priest to assist tending this huge
new-comer begged
his arrival the
of fresh
send
out
On
flock.
to be introduced to
the Christian Community.
With some embarrassment, explained THAT
worthy
Colleague
they were all dead.
Why
All
his
Had
epidemic or
there
massacre
The reason was
Oh, no
quite simple, yet somewhat
Female Infanticide
startling
in China.
The good
of all these
poor
Priest,
little
is
very
who
common thought
heathen babies going to
hell,
had had the bright idea of purchasing the right to baptize
them FOR
Penny
were drowned the poor
little
head
Before they
mites had solemnly been
admitted into the Holy Catholic Church and assured
an eternity of
bliss.
The Salvation is
of an immortal
penny
certainly wonderfully good value for the
vested.
head
money
in-
26
What
strange conception such fanatics must have
of
God whose
How
is it
attributes are Justice
SANE man can believe that the
possible that
base coin can have
expenditure or non-expenditure of the power of affecting for
human
and Mercy
fate of
all
soul
Augustine
unbaptized infants would
all
perish everlastingly.
It
stated in Scripture
is
are saved by the laver of regeneration
These words do not at are not
all
We
''
(Tit.
iii.
5).
imply that the myriads who
shall
The
fate
which
from
EEGENERATION
is
through
saved
are
The
COmpulsory RE-INCARNATION.
Heavenly Father's wisdom.
we
educational
Those children who
properly are not punished
fail
methods are
of
to learn their lesson
everlastingly."
are simply obliged to perform the
over again, under more
full
Nay
they
same task over and
and more painful conditions,
until they have finally grasped the signification of the
word Duty.
The
lesson to
first
be learned on this
planet consists in absolute submisssion to the Divine Will.
Each
Thy Will difficult
soul which
be
murmurs
done
regenerated.
is
part of its education
ascended on to the
first
in its darkest hours
is
The
accomplished
it
has
rung of the Ladder, and the
eager hands of invisible Helpers are ever ready to assist its ascension, until
become ripe
the Soul
is
for Immortality.
made
perfect
and has
27
human
Sponsors are
institution,
Divine
but
Ordinance.
The New-born
needs aid and protection
Ohristos
He has to grow in wisdom and stature (Luke 52) Two Guardian Angels, or Guides," are specially atii.
tached
to
Him
and
Regenerated Soul sources, but
attend
The
welfare.
own
its
re-
and led by Invisible
guarded
has attained
it
His
never abandoned to
is
tenderly
Protectors, until
to
stature of the fulness of Christ
the measure of the
(Eph.
iv.
Then
3).
only the Sponsors are relieved of their charge.
The Soul
which has been admitted unto personal Communion with the Saviour has no further need of
Amongst us
magnificent
this
generated into mere
farce.
Guides."
Institution
has de-
The Godfather and God-
mother are supposed to guarantee that the baptized infant will faithfully keep the Covenant entered
on
its
behalf without
its
knowledge and consent
promise to see that the Child Christian.
Do
will really
they
be brought up
they keep this pledge
In the majority of
atom of
upon
cases, the
Sponsors neve
give an
religious instruction to their God-children,
and
most parents would resent any attempt in that direction as an intrusion. is
to give
What
All that
more or
less
is
required of the Sponsors
handsome present
has this institution, in
do with Religion
its
to the Baby.
present condition, to
28
The
Church, having,
unfortunately,
the
rejected
Doctrine of Re-incarnation, found itself on
of
dilemma: Salvation and Damnation became the only two alternatives
left.
As Baptism was
the means
through which damnation could be escaped, and as the
number
of
was very chase
men and women who were
small, it
Heaven
yield
up
was deemed necessary to try reduced
at
the multitudes
price,
who were not own
their
really regenerate
will.
so as to
to pur-
save
all
in the least disposed to
The consequence was
pro-
miscuous distribution of the Sacrament.
Imagine the state of
School
which the un-
in
fortunate youngsters had the option between two awful alternatives
either to enter without
due preparation
an examination much above their mental capacity, or else
This
be expelled in utter disgrace and be ruined is
for life.
the only option offered to humanity by Orthodox
Creeds.
The Church,
which
empty ceremonies benefits,
performance of faculty of procuring celestial
resembles
schoolmaster
who
tells his
pupils
that they can succeed in passing their examination by
cheating
Such educational methods cannot dire
results
essential, viz.
they lead to neglect of
fail
to
produce
that which
is
the Development of the Divine Germ.
Regeneration
is
absolutely indispensable to Salvation,
29
but the administration of
H^O
and empty formula are
void of any value whatsoever.
We
now come
to the second Sacrament.
Confirmation
The Church once in
is
the completion of Baptism.
declares that both can be received but
lifetime, as
they "imprint
mark, upon the Soul which can never be effaced." This statement
absolutely true if the Sacrament
is
of Confirmation is accompanied
the actual bestowal variably the case in
The
Gifts
of the
as
it
of spiritual gifts.
New
be—hy
ought to
This was in-
Testament times.
Holy Ghost,
as
described in the
twelfth Chapter of the First Epistle to the Corinthians, are not in the least
natural
budding and
hidden
in
the
miraculous
Soul.
dormant in carnal
Man
they constitute the the
Spiritual
Divine
faculties
which
more miracle in that than
in the fact that the
until the day
potential bu
when the combined
is
no
Acoen
The acorn remains
gradually develops into an Oak. soil
lie
are brought into vigorous action
through the Sacrament of Confirmation: there
hidden in the
Germ
unmanifested tree
life-giving influences
of moisture and heat compel the seed to evolve and
fill
its destination.
The Moisture and Heat life
indispensable to vegetable
are the physical counterparts of the
Water and
30
Psyche and Pneuma, the two great agents of
Spirit," or
Kegeneration mentioned by Christ in His well-known reply to
Nicodemus (John
man be
unto thee,
Water and
born of
Kingdom
Spirit, he cannot enter into the
The symbolical Water bestowed of
of the
of God."
in the
Sacrament
the Divine Seed within the heart of
Baptism
Man
say
Verily, verily
5)
iii.
to germinate.
The mysterious imposition
hands performed in
of
the Sacrament of Confirmation
is
the Magnetic Force
indispensable to the proper growth of the germ.
As long still
as the seed
remains hidden in the
belongs to the dominion of Earth.
Water its
Realm
this
of
Man
from Earth to Heaven takes
The germination
similar manner.
Manhood
occurs, unperceived
bosom
by
all
of Divine
mortal eyes, deep
day when the Inner
but there dawns
hidden beneath the bushel of
Christos, the
matter, breaks through the
Him, and emerges
in
crust that imprisons
radiant
consciousness
new world
higher planes of
life
glory
Regenerate
Man
earlier stage of evolution.
unveils to
on
Him
the its
SEES and hears and
FEELS with entirely new senses that
an
the seed emerges
aid,
of AiR.
place in
at
its
obscure prison and rises upwards towards the
The Ascension
in the
it
superior
descends from above, to assist
evolution, and, thanks to
from
soil
He
did not possess
31
The
of the
gifts
Holy Ghost are not
they
supernatural
constitute
the
in the
least
heritage
glorious
reserved for super-man.
would be
It
miraculous for
an acorn to produce
multitude of leaves below the surface of the is its
nature to do so once
Unregenerate is
Man
is
it
it
has emerged above ground.
in darkness
imprisoned in matter
soil
his consciousness
the five senses are the only
peep-holes through which impressions from the outer
But deep
world can nature
lies
in the centre of his
hidden the rudiment of
sixth sense
that
of spiritual perception.
There has been considerable speculation within the
Church concerning the Cor.
in gifts
1-11.
xiii.
Gifts of the Spirit," described
It
generall
is
believed that these
were only distributed during the
the Christian Era.
One
of
them
originally
is
Even the memory
meant has been
centuries of
in particular is sup-
posed to have vanished, and that gift of tongues,"
first
the of
obliterated
mysterious
what
this gift
from out the
Christian Communities.
The Speaking consist
in
in tongues
is
generally supposed to
the more or less involuntary utterance of
incoherent sounds, void of any apparent sense. interpretation,
repeatedly
which
prompted
is
completely
religious
erroneous,
maniacs
to
pour
This has
out
torrents of incomprehensible sounds.
No wonder
that the gift of tongues
is
generally con-
32
by the Church
sidered
accompanied by the
it
be
interpretation, which
is
to be of small value, unless
of
gift
generally, however, granted separately.
One thing
is
certain
understanding
the
Nonsense has never yet been
distributed
by the Holy
Utterance of sounds void of sense and imaginary
Ghost
comprehension of their meaning are feats belonging to they ought to be re-
the realm of mental acrobatics
served for the Pentecost of the Lunatic Asylum. It is sad to think that
modern nations are
so utterly
ignorant of the true nature of the gifts of the Holy
Ghost that they identify the ravings of unsound minds with
the
Speaking
magnificent faculty of
in
Mys-
teries."
The
real gift of tongues is of
immense value
the power of veiling eternal verities in the more or less transparent garb of A.LLEGOEY.
Knowledge of into
human
celestial
brain
if
truths
they utterly transcend the com-
The thoughts
of
Heaven
in the language of Earth
if not,
prehension of the Recipient.
must be expressed
cannot be projected
the message cannot be correctly poets
possess,
tongues
more
their brain
or is
less,
sort
our
the gift
of
the
Inspired Artist
which he
has, perhaps,
speaking in
receiving-apparatus for
thought-waves, which they sometimes hend, yet register faithfully.
of
fail
to compre-
It is the glorious mission
to express
sublime truths, of
never himself grasped the Hidden
83
Meaning.
an he
which
is
ever understood
embedded
wealth of wisdom
the
and
doubtful
is
it
in the mystic
Tannhauser
of Thule."
yet
Initiate,
the
Lohengrin
''
King
are Divine
Revelations in the fullest sense of the term, as they contain
truths from
the
celestial
spheres
which Wagner had probably very incomplet Ibsen
sneered
often
at
who
critics
truths
of
knowledge.
perceived
works depths to which the conscious thought of the
Author never had plunged.
The great Norwegian poet he lacked that of inter-
possessed the gift of tongues pretation.
This latter gift of the Holy Ghost gives more joy
than any other:
consists in
instant perception of
Inner Meaning of Allegories, Metaphors, Fables,
the
and Parables.
was
It is
justified in saying
immemorial
time
since
Earth, as
it
is
of
abundant
in the
modern
the
times.
who have
still
that
it
gave
gift,
and
St.
edification."
Paul
The
amongst
of
all
one of the favourite modes of mani-
the
festation
those
magnificent
speaking in tongues has been distributed
faculty of
in
it
Holy
Ghost.
It
was
particularly
Middle Ages, and meets us constantly
But
this
gift
is
only discerned by
from the self-same Spirit
greater gift of Interpretation.
received
To one
is
given the faculty of putting forth riddles, to another that of expounding them, but the in all,"
same God worketh
34 It
literal
meaning of
simplicity that
allegories
is
The
working method
indeed an admirable
is
generally of such childish
can be grasped and remembered by
it
the most unintelligent mind.
Behind
this plain surface
lie
hidden worlds of beauty which remain unrevealed
for
ages until the
Veil
is lifted
away
the gift of Interpretation
upon some servant, edifying
degree,
that the Church
so
late
the
is
of
Interpretation
ei
in 1904, the
did
so
The Power
standing Hidden Verities was the special
me when
receive all
remarkable
possessed, in
venerable friend, Mr. Michelsen.
unto
may
suddenly revealed.
Anna Kingsford faculty
bestowed
is
then the Mystery hidden
(1 Cor. xiv.
through the Centuries
The
Then the
hour appointed by God.
my
of under-
gift
granted
Holy Sacrament
of Confirmation.
The bestowal
of spiritual gifts
invaeiably accom-
reception of the Second Sacrament.
panies the
The wonder, mystery, and miracle times were
not
accidental, but
Divinely-instituted
of the
Apostolic
are essential, to the
Church of God.
Those Christians who have received no special
gift
YET CONFIRMED.
If oaks,
you went to
nurseryman and asked
what would you think
if
for
young
he exhibited to you
35
You would
collection of stale acorns
amazement,
say
your feelings acorns
if
want trees
Sir
he replied the
possessed
him
In
New
extraordinary
abiding and ordinary veloped
is
Imagine
Testament times
and
miraculous
that was
faculty of being transformed into oaks
These acorns are oaks
the benefit of others
in
for
in an
To remain unde-
state.'
the welfare of the
quite
plant."
Would you
not, in
nurseryman and think If those acorns
fool
treatment, the
great
silence, turn
You
your
that
knave or
are either
had been submitted to proper miracle of growth
would have
occurred NOW, as well as two thousand years ago
Great
will
be the confusion of the tens of thousands
who imagine
of so-called Christian Priests,
have received the
that they
Holy Sacrament of Ordination,
when, on the Day of Judgment, they bring forth their flocks
of 350
millions
of so-called
Christians,"
who
admitted into the True
IMAGINE that they
Church of Christ by the administration of water and
empty words on
At the
their unconscious heads. this colossal
know ye not
will sternly say:
who
leads
sham
the Christ-life."
the Spirit of Truth
he only
is
Christian
Thousands upon thou-
sands of so-called Pagans are members of the Invisible
Church
they
may
heard even the
possibly never
Name
upon
this earth
have
of Jesus of Nazareth, but the
36
own
Divine Seed maturity tears
heart has reached glorious
hands
Angelic
have
they have shed in
baptized
silence;
Invisible
have led their spiritual evolution
The Church instituted
and to-day these
declares the
by Jesus
Holy Supper
Christ.
It
in different
countries
Communion was
several
thousands of
The magnificent
years before the Incarnation of Jesus. discoveries
to have been
however, an un-
is,
deniable fact that the Mystery of Holy celebrated
Sponsors
are Sons and Daughters of God.
heathen
despised
them with
Modern Archseology have proved
of
this
conclusively.
In Egypt, Mexico, India, and Greece we find traces of this
Sacrament.
Communion with bread and wine
played an important part in
The notion
all
heavenly food,
of
tion of which
Man was
the ancient Mysteries.
through the consump-
Deified,
is
of very
ancient
descent.
In one of the Vedic hymns the worshipper exclaims
We
have drunk the Soma, we have become immortal,
we have entered The Egyptian Manual used
the Light,
Book
we have known the Gods
of the
at the Great Initiation,
food of the Gods behind the Shrine."
exclaims
My
them under the
bread
is
white
which
Dead,"
my
is
speaks of
the the
The Neophyte
drink
is
red
eat
know, the branches beautiful."
37
The two
trees alluded to
were the Vine and the Fig-
tree, symbols of Our Lord and Our Lady. further speaks of the
The Neophyte of the
obtain power from the bread
obtain power as
foliage of the Tree of
me
Divine food that giveth Power."
says
Gods
The Ritual
my Lady."
eat
it
beneath the
And, further on
To
given splendour, joy, and peace of heart in the
is
place of
Bread and Wine."
In one of the Ancient
of the Early
Eastern Church,
of
lated from the Ethiopic
Adam
by Rev.
S. C.
and Eve," transMalan, we meet
the following startling passages
"Adam and Eve made Altar. shall
God
make
it
This oblation ye have offered
said
my
an oblation of bread on the
flesh,'
me
and the Holy Ghost came down
on that oblation." Later on
it is
Shem, son of Noah, prepared
stated
Keep
Bread and Wine, and said
this
Mystery
secret.'
Further on we find
related that Melchizedek,
12 stones and offered on them
of of bread
cup of wine and
Melchisedek said altar,
King
sacrifice
and wine, and that he gave Abraham the Holy
Eucharist,
an
it
and
offer
"Take 12 upon
In the presence of to maintain that the
instituted
it
morsel of bread, and
stones,
and make thereof
Bread and Wine."
all this
evidence,
it is
impossible
Holy Communion was originally
by Jesus of Nazareth
Jesus was the High-
38
Hierophant of the Essenes. ministered
to
His
In this capacity
Holy
the
disciples
He
ad-
Eucharist
Sacrament to which evolved Souls had been admitted for
many
centuries.*
Manifested Ray of the Great Invisible
Jesus was
Source of
Spiritual Sun, the
all
The
Illumination.
Seven Sacraments are means of Grace ordained by the Pre-existent Christ, the Divine
Man, Jesus, was
Through the consciousness of
at-oned.
His Unity with that Central Before
The
Self,
Holy Eucharist was by the
instituted
first sight, it
appears as
Such
small importance.
If the HISTORICAL
is
ages ascended
be outside the
God has no
Being of
if this
Him
is
All those
loved
whom
the originator of the
who have
in previous
Heavenly Ladder would, in that fold.
step-children
(Luke
of
distinction were of
Why this
injustice
Are we not
xi.
13)
All
Surely
told that
Heavenly Father giveth the Holy Spirit ask
name
have received them prior
Era.
the
the
not the case
Jesus
Sacraments, then no to the Christian
by
temporary Manifestation.
that historical personage was
case,
NOT
personage we reverence under the
Jesus of Nazareth,
At
Jesus was able to say:
am
Abraham was
historical
Being with which the
to
the
them that
men and women who
and obeyed God long ere Jesus was incarnated,
belong to the
Holy Invisible Church, just See note on page
as
39 those born at
and under
later period
Time and space has nothing Religion
an ever-present
is
Salvation
thing of the
not
Spirit of Christ,
overshadowed this planet since the evolution of ALL
do with
to
reality,
The
future or of the past
different climes.
its first
which has
formation, leads
its children.
According to the Catholic Church, Salvation great thing to be desired above to
which we must
all,
But what
aspire.
the very Root of Evil
bar to Divine
long endeavours to one's
own
To
spendthrift.
The
joys
in
the great
sacrifice the joys of
less,
saintly person,
is
simply
who
is
spiritual
denies himself
hope of reaping posthumous
the
In
miser.
on the same ethical
The Christian who in
recompense
of
still
his
life-
Earth
of the
Supreme, those two extreme types of manhood
more or
is
advantages for
by riotous living
spiritual
is
of Self
The prodigal who squanders
immortal birthright
benefits,
spiritual
purchase the joys of Heaven
commercial transaction.
legitimate
salvation if not
not eradicated by
is
conquer
personality.
in order to
his
is
Selfishness
Communion
the
the ultimate goal,
The worship
an immortalization of Self
is
are,
level.
hopes for personal advantages
virtues
is
not
yet sufficiently
evolved to be worthy of receiving the Eucharist.
This Sacrament
Unity
no
is
based upon the great principle of
partake of
it
worthily in spirit and
40 in truth unless he be keenly conscious of his solidarity
with the entire
God
human
race.
desires the redemption of
all humanity
merely the sa va vati tion on of separate individuals.
proud
prerogative
of
Regenerate
Man
to
not
It is the
co-operate
with Deity in the accomplishment of this grand labour of love.
When we
have patiently toiled our way upwards to
the Gates of Heaven, then
we must crush our
great
yearning to enter and return to the lower planes of life
Our Father the
in order to try to bring back to
Sons and Daughters who are
The mystic expression (Rev.
vi.
9),
which has
still far
to rest
puzzled
away from Home.
beneath the Altar so
many
No
refers to this great spiritual fact.
Christians,
one who EEALLY
has been admitted to the Sacrament of the Altar would
wish to enjoy heavenly bliss as long as millions of his fellow-creatures
suffer
ARE Last must
THOSE
ENTER First. Those souls who are admitted unto true Communion with Deity gladly
sacrifice their spiritual prerogatives
in order to assist in executing God's plan of Redemption.
They rest
for
little
be fulfilled" (Rev.
season, until their fellow-servants
vi. 11).
Upon
the Mystic Ladder
that Jacob beheld in his vision Angels
DESCENDED.
This expression
is
very significant
Angels did not remain at the Top is
to serve those
beings
who
ASCENDED and
are less
THE
their mission
evolved.
Each
41
Soul which has ascended into the Divine Presence redescends of
its
own
Good-will and Peace ever walk hand
in hand.
who
the Lord
labour for others enjoy rest
in
Those they
beneath the Altar," sustained by the Food of
rest
Meat
Heaven, the
Celestial
who do the
will of the
of the Father
We
perish."
until
But
Messenger.
free accord as
ever granted to those
Father (John
that not one of those
is
we have done His
will
will
ones shall
of
Heaven
and brought home the
sheep that have gone astray (Matt.
May
little
Kingdom
cannot enter the
The
34).
iv.
vii.
21).
the Church of Rome, which claims to have the
Monopoly of Salvation, remember that In the Sacrament of the Altar each vigorous young Tree which has
from the Divine Seed de-
posited in the Heart of
the world existence,
''
(John
and
Great Tree of
is
i.
9)
yields
ment
all
In
to
the
Holy
tiny twig upon the
life
are nutritious elements which
in separate individuals
the live
Members
the Blood
of
the
Invisible
Church,
and move and have our being."
Wine and Bread belong to
separate
his right to
the life-giving Sap which supplies nourish-
Him we
Matter
that cometh into
Life.
sustain temporal is
up
man
transformed into
The Wine and Bread of Christ
every
to the
Realm
of perishable
the Mystic Blood and Flesh of Christ belong
Realm
of Immortal Substance.
Eucharist
the
regenerated
Soul
Through the acquires
the
42 assimilat lating ing food directly from the Celestial capacity of assimi
The scant
Sphere.
Dogmas, and
Creeds,
in
trans-substantiated
nourishment contained
spiritual
into
Ceremonies
Ritualistic
is
an everlasting draught from
the well of Absolute Truth.
The overwhelming magnitude the
in
Grace conferred
of
Sacrament of
produces
inevitably
within the Soul
feeling of unworthiness
becomes keenly conscious of the necessity of the
it
Sacrament of Penance. beggar
If
is
suddenly admitted unto
King, he may, in the
of
humble
his
station,
first
and simply
feels
ashamed of
his
rags.
table
flush of emotion, forget rejoice at all the glory
moment when
he beholds, but there inevitably comes he
the
While he was
still
on
the path their wretched condition did not strike him,
but the undeserved honour conferred upon him makes
him yearn
intensely for clean garments.
True reception effect
The
of
the
of
Holy Communion has the
making the Soul keenly conscious of
vision
of ideal
Manhood, in
all
its
SiN.
immaculate
beauty, compels the Soul mournfully to recognize
own
infirmities.
Each thought, word,
or deed in our past life is photo-
graphed in our aura, and the moment when these astral records are
presented to our gaze
is
tebeible, even
48
who have
for those
This
standards. called
led pure lives, according to earthly is
the
Fiery
the valley of the shadow of death."
and women inevitably have to traverse leave the physical body, but
those
to the great Initiation pass the
they are trance,
they behold
shame and
all
who
it
are admitted
death-like
the
and
in
an agony of
they begin to say to the mountains
is
brought face
to face with the "Accuser," the terrible being
The Accuser
repeatedly in Scripture.
The Accuser
Ceremony when the Heart
is
Scale
presides at the
weighed in the balance
against the symbol of Divine Law.
is
graphically
Egyptian drawing which represents
the Judgment of Osiris.
Grace
is
mentioned
Crocodile-headed Sphinx
represented in the shape of
the
Fall on
Cover us
to the hills
weigh down
the
in
light of eternal verity
Ancient
men
Burning Furnace
During the Fiery Ordeal the Soul
on the
All
when they
Plunged in
in the flesh.
still
merciless
us,'
mystically
Ordeal,"
None
of.
us
representing JUSTICE, unless
placed itself at our side and supplied
all
that
lacking.
No Man unless he
can pass victorious through the Fiery Ordeal is
at-oned with the Saviour.
We
would
all
succumb unless the Sacrament of Holy Communion ever preceded
that
wipes away true.
of
all sin."
Penance.
"The Blood
of
That old familiar sentence
Christ is
verily
44 transforms
Intense consciousness of sin his
own Judge, and
The
that Judge
into
the sternest of
all.
culprit feels that there are acts in his life that he
cannot pardon himself, even of
is
Man
God and
if
he obtained the pardon
The penalty
his fellow-creatures.
of sin
is
In the agony of remorse, the Repentant
death
Soul begs to be wiped away from amongst the living.
At
this
stage
of
evolution
the
Soul
the
receives
ExTOEME Unction.
The Church ment
until all
in
given,
soul
of clay
never administers this Sacra-
hope of recovery has vanished all
nominal
men, women, and children,
sciousness senseless
Rome
extremis, to
Church,
of
of
has
left.
which has just divested
to have
this
and
the
often after con-
ceremony
affect the welfare
itself of its
is impressive,
garments
and seems
soothing influence upon distressed relatives.
They apparentlybelieve that the anointing has effect,
of
is
ceremony performed upon
body can, of course, in no way yet
members
it
will
magical
be of great help to the Soul in Purgatory.
Even those who consider the ceremony
to
be
mere
act of superstition would not care to deprive mourners of this illusion
....
But
an
illusion,
and hardly
anything else
Loving prayers do of death
assist
Soul in the dark hour
but ritual functions, performed by
stranger
45
who attends
the death-bed
professional duty to do
so,
simply because
it
his
is
can only be of scant benefit
to the departed.
The Oil anointed, will
are
Cheisma, with which the dying man
or
symbol of Peace
is
and Good-
inseparable companions.
Good-will was
If
Peace
not generated during earth-life, there can
The Soul will
in the Beyond.
because Pain suffer
will
cleansing
is
neither
necessary for
suffer,
more nor
less
It
is
Agent
than
avoid pain resemble naughty children
washed.
suffer,
is
the Soul absolutely
Those who attempt to
purification.
its
and must
Deity claims vengeance, but
wrathful
not because
who
decline to be
not desirable to abbreviate the pangs of
Purgatory: the flames must not be extinguished until the dross in us
As
rule,
is
consumed and only noble metal
the
of purification
place after death, but
those
souls
ascend the Ladder have the
voluntary descent
into
who
are
Hades
still
for
ment
of
wrecks
Chamber
eager to
The the
each Initiate
The Sacra-
of Fiery Ordeal.
Extreme Unction was not conferred on poor of
humanity who
towards the dark shores to
takes
days was
Central part of the Ancient Mysteries to cross the
left.
in the flesh.
3J
all
entering the
faculty of
burning furnace while they are
had
is
drifted
against
their
will
the Chrisma was administered
those strong souls who, of their
own
free will,
left
the flesh-pots of Egypt and went into the desert to be
46 confronted with the Last
quered before Victory fear of Death, for they
is
Enemy, which must be conBut they
complete.
walked hand in hand with God.
The Soul which has ascended
the
to
fifth
rung on
the Heavenly Ladder never looks back with regret
it
has no longer the slightest wish to remain on planes of or
life
cling
physical body
when
granted of skin
to ''
there
the possession
is
The
who
those
gladly
yield
up
only
is
their
coats
but that garment was given them to hide
nothing in our nature
left
it
when
that needs hiding.
days spent in the Pastes, or voluntary tomb,
the indispensable
ment
conquer
possibility to
is
and we can only entirely dispense with
there
is
desperately to
"The Golden Fleece"
body?
glorious
sin,
accepts with equal submission Life
Why
Death.
of
it
preparation to the
that of Priesthood.
days by the
sixth Sacra-
Jonas was swallowed 3^
Monster of the Deep
before he began to
preach
The
Soul
receives the
must
to
St.
loftier
is
away from
Earth
of
Rome
declares that no
as exalted as that of the Priest.
Chrysostom,
the dignity of
it
position
on
that his power
is
According
the Priest
than that of Emperors and Kings.
declares
before
Sacrament of Ordination.
The Church Earth
die
St.
is
far
Bernard
greater than that of the
Angels and Arch-Angels. claims
justified
if
ad
47
vanced in behalf of the half-deified
being who, after
having ascended the Ladder of Evolution, has
finally
been ordained by the Great Leader of the Invisible
The true
Church.
recipient of the Sacrament of
Holy
functions of King,
Orders emulates in his Priest, and Prophet.
No
But the proud
higher position can be conceived.
affirmation
ludicrous
absolute
of
when
applied to the vast
men who have
number
The Priesthood churches
all
more or
less
such as
it
is
It is
established
simply
properly
Literal
by men
fulfilled
members through
There
of the clergy
whom
is,
d,
who
spiritual
the congregation, but
that
forces.
How who
can this duty
only
grasp
the
and are absolutely ignorant of the
sense,
Esoteric meaning
Opus
stupendous
the professional duty of the clergy to expound
the Scriptures to the multitude.
be
by the
has nothing to do
machinery, put in motion by conflicting is
of gentle-
comfortable living.
over the world
with the Sixth Sacrament.
It
slightly
simply selected the clerical profession
in order to obtain
official
appears
superiority
rebours.
are, of course, individual
are true channels of grace, is
life
actually transmitted to
many perform
Magnum
the
They transform Bread
into Stone,
pure religion into adulterated and indigestible
theology.
To
reserve
the
sixth
members of the male sex
Sacrament is
exclusively
an undeserved
to
insult to
48
We
womanhood. and
Now
Priestesses.
not only
must evolve
FATHER but
nation of Priests
into
that the
that
Mother
also
bar
sinister,
is
beginning to be
Sex can no
openly preached from our pulpits,
be
is
God
longer
excluding half humanity from the
reception of the sixth Sacrament.
The mission The only of Self.
has and Priest or
The
the Priest
sacrifice acceptable to
Whoever all
is
to
is
offer
God
is
to give
willing
that he is for love of the
Priestess in the
Priest
kingdom
up
the immolation
up
all
dominion over multitudes of
less
that he
Redeemer
is
of the Messiah.
King because he has
is
sacrifice.
legitimate
evolved beings and
is
responsible for their spiritual welfare.
He
is
down the
Prophet, because he riches of Heaven, to
appointed to hand
is
which he has
free access,
unto those who are beneath him on the ladder. of his hands
must be
lifted
up
to
one stretched down to Bestow.
One
Receive, the other
That
is
the mystic
attitude which meets us so frequently on drawings
and
monuments, intended to transmit to coming ages the Ancient Wisdom.
Solve et Coagula,"
occult formula, corresponds to bind, granted
conferred upon
That power
by Christ
them the is
to the
the famous
power to loose and
to the Apostles
when He
sixth Sacrament.
bestowed only upon those souls who
have actually ascended the Ladder
and passed
toriously through all the phases of Re-generation.
vic-
The
49 true Priest has the glorious mission of liberating his
The
fellow-creatures.
chains
intolerable
by
forged
Ignorance and Fanaticism snap asunder at the magic
That
touch of the shining sword in his hand. powerful weapon
Word
The Word of God.
is
all-
not shrouded in the venerable garb of antiquity, and
emerging from the pages of but
justly reverenced Book,
Living Word, emanating from
heart
filled
by
the Holy Ghost.
The
true Priest
Unto him alone
Mediator between God and Man.
is
is
granted access into the Holiest of
In rare and solemn hours of deep contempla-
Holies.
tion his enraptured Soul
lifted
is
beyond the
He
he enjoys the Beatific Vision. "in
glass
moments
dimly,''
but
face
to
face.
sacred beyond expression
to the Ineffable Joy,
which
is
sees
Veil,
and
no longer
These
rare
are the preludes
reserved for the Soul on
the last rung of the Heavenly Ladder.
But the
Priest
is
not yet entitled to remain per-
He
petually in the Sanctuary.
The
to perform.
end
six days of
has
still
many
duties
are approaching their
period of intense activity precedes the coming
of the Great Sabbath.
Betrothed
Wedded.
to
On
the sixth rung the Soul
the Divine Bridegroom
it is
is
not yet
It has fugitive glimpses of the Beloved,
but
has not yet conquered the right to remain for ever in
His presence.
But when
it
has received the Seventh Sacrament,
50
then the Soul enjoys Eternal Rest. the peace that passeth
out no more
that
The Prodigal Son has for ever left
understanding.
all
will
is, it
fed on husks."
he
arose,"
go
It will
never more re-incarnate.
definitely returned
"the far country," where
be
enters into
It
it
home
was
he has
his fate to
minute
And, behold
to ascend the Ladder, his father
descended and ran to meet him on the third rung, and
brought him the prodigal
said
meat
of heaven.
have
Father,
And when
the
then
he
sinned
received the white robe, and finally the mystic Ring,
the symbol of the Seventh Sacrament, Marriage, the indissoluble union of the
Redeemer and the Redeemed.
Of the Unio Mystica
speak.
publicly without profanation.
ject too holy to be treate
What the
bride would describe to strangers the rapture of
embrace
first
kiss
sub-
It is
of the
The
Soul,
which has enjoyed
the
Heavenly Sophia" (Divine Wisdom)
use Jacob Boehme's expression
will
to
divulge nothing
concerning the Sacrament of Marriage.
One thing
is
certain
it
was not instituted
to legalize the physical union of
union
is,
human
race.
for the
It is highly important
the welfare of the child that the knot uniting
parents should be solidly tied. its
man and woman. That
under present conditions, indispensable
propagation of the for
in order
own
But the
link is not,
its
by
nature, unseverable.
The great argument,
What God
united let no
man
51
put
countless
alliances
unites no
ill-assorted
member
fact that
applied
which
unfortunate
God
day.
reasonably be
cannot
asunder,"
lacked Divine sanction
if
It certainly ever
Deity.
the motive that brought the
two consorts together was not unselfish
the
the
is
contracting
grave
entailing
ought to be
fail
love.
very important
of
partnership
of the see
to
is
order
to be
tie
Legal, not of
of
is
The
The Seventh Sacrament was not
Sacerdotal, nature. in
if
prolonging
the
and wife
instituted
But
found
to the detriment of all parties concerned.
it,
which
responsibilities,
and honourably kept.
strictly
continuation
impossible,
The mere
couples
of the clerical profession presided
met with the approbation of
partnership,
meet us every
ceremony does not imply that the union
at the nuptial
Marriage
the
to
to unite
two imperfect
ever
for
"The Great Mystery"
beings on the physical plane.
of which St. Paul speaks in his Epistle to the Ephesians (v.
32)
refers
to
the
at-onement
May
not to matrimonial
affairs.
Marriage
Sacrament
to
be
problem: "Which it
to
unworthy
is
of
God and Man,
those
who
meditate
consider
upon
this
worse profanation, to administer
recipients,
or
to
dissolve unhallowed
unions Ritualists
may retort
that the views expressed in this
paper are simply subjective and lack
am
in
position
to
all
objective value.
prove that these views are
52 identical with those
True
still
Christian era, at in possession of
Gnosis.
to quote St.
Clement of Alexandria, the great
We
contemporary of Tertullian. sentence in his tised,
first
when the Fathers were
period
the
held in the
following
the
find
"Paedagog," Lib. I.:—"Being
WE ARE Illuminated
Bap-
being Illuminated,
we
ARE Adopted; being Adopted, we are Perfected; BEING Perfect, These words ascension
we are rendered Immortal."
the
of
corroboration of
with
describe
mystic
my
extreme
ladder,
by
step
the
lucidity
No
step.
statements could be more effective
than that of one of the Canonised Saints of the Church of
Rome. St. Cyril of
Jerusalem also extols the virtue of the
Sacraments in the following words captive,
remission
garment of
light,
of
sin,
holy
Liberty to the
regeneration
seal
of the
indissoluble,
Soul,
chariot
to
heaven, delight of Paradise." Is it probable that
he would have used these glowing
words concerning the in our days to
frigid
ceremonies
administered
unregenerate in-
countless
dividuals
May ficent evolution of the
Community compare the magnioul, as described
by
St.
Clement,
with the miserable results
obtained through the in-
discriminate
the Holy Sacraments unto
spiritually ignorant multitudes.
53
The Divinely-ordained Means to such
an extent that they have almost ceased
instruments of
Baptism
is
administered to unconscious infants. the Sacrament of Interior Illumina-
conferred upon unripe youths and maidens.
The Eucharist munion
is
steeped in
Sacrament
the
granted
wholesale
Divine
of
Com-
men and women
to
vice.
Penance is
be
Sacrament of Repentance and Re-
CoNFiEMATON is
to
life eternal.
the
generation
tion
of Grace are misused
the awful Ordeal of Inner
transformed into
yearly function,
Judgment— more or
less
superficial whitewashing.
Extreme Unction
yielding
up
of the
Sacrament which claims the most intense
the
Will,
the utter
personal
effort
is
performed
humanity too feeble to have
upon poor wrecks of will
and often entirely
unconscious.
Holy
Orders
Manhood is
the
Sacrament
conferring
upon
the highest dignity which can be conceived
granted to
all
those
gentlemen who choose the
clerical profession.
Marriage ments
is
the most stupendous of
all
the Sacra-
supposed to be instituted in order to legalize
the amours of Jack and Jane
What
is
Apostles
this if not
The sad
CORRUPT following of the fact
that the Sacraments are
54
NOT properly administered
is
proved every day by their
utter failure to produce the blessed results promised.
Admission of this
has far-reaching consequences.
fact
The very Existence its
present condition,
the
of
is
Christian Church, in
hinged upon this question:
"Are the Saceaments Properly Administered, Yes, or If is
we
Tiot
No the reluctant conclusion that such
arrive at
the
case,
then the
recognition of the
inevitable
exists at
fact,
no Visible Christian
on this Globe.
of good
men and women
Church
but the enormous
put
in
consequence
belong
to
the
ecclesiastical
present Millions Invisible
Machinery,
motion sixteen hundred years ago at the
bidding of the iniquitous Emperor Constantine, very
little
is
to
do with the
has
pure Religion taught by
Jesus Christ.
The
Failxire
Is
which has been so negative answer
difficult
is
to solve truthfully with
thing of the past
thing can be declared to be
failure until it
No has been
properly tried
Christianity has hardly Begun yet
But when
New Heaven
it
shall
will
for
once ever
be
established,
smile
down on
then
New
Earth
Pbincess Karadja.
55
MOTE.
In the Apocrypha,
Life
and
confession of Asenath"
which shows indisputable elements of Essene it
is
stated
lore
that Asenath, the daughter of Potiphar
and wife of Joseph, did spend eight days in fasting and penance.
Then the Archangel Michael appeared announced cup
filled
herself with
the blessed
oil
life,
name
never to be effaced.
her bridal gown,
told to
he
she had anointed
of incorruption her
would be written in the book of
She was further
and drinking
life
When
with Immortality.
her and
should be reborn,
to her that henceforth sh
while eating the blessed bread of
to
pre-
pared from the beginning of the world." disappeared in
by lightning-like
fiery chariot
horses.
have quoted this strange fragment, as refers to the
drawn
it
evidently
Great Initiation and the various phases of
Evolution through which the
Human
Soul has to pass.
EXTRACTS FROM PRESS OPINIONS OONOEBNING
PRINCESS
KARADJA'S POEM
"TOWARDS THE
LIGHT."
"This poem was originally written in Swedish, and went through six editions, and has been translated into German, Dutch, and Danish. The present English verse-translation is by the Author T^mes.
herself."
The translation into English vernacular does this talented lady great credit, and, had acquainted the English readers with the fact that it is mere translation of her former work it would easily have been accepted as piece of original English verse, 80 rich is the language and so melodious its tone." EngZisft Mwil.
....
Pall Mall Qaiette.
Beyond." Aberdeen the theme Universe.
Da/ih/ Journal.
Whatsoever
Ocealt Eevieui.
poem
This
man
for English
powerful meditation on
is
sows that shall he reap.'
The poetess has
and an excellent ear
noble message from the Great
wonderful mastery of blank verse
rhythm."
"This poem has met with
very considerable
There are incidents powerfully described. The poem is in blank vers of considerable vigour. It is interesting both psychic experience and as as description of after-death conditions and is thoroughly readable." Bucoess.
....
Watchman.
work contains number of truths, taught by the Catholic Church." CatTioUc
....
Nottinghami Ouardian,
East and West, Bombay and an inspiring message.
this
deeply impressive work
poem
certain ."
psychic problem both It is so remarkable that it requires no story of wondrous birth to account for its extraordinary success. That treacherous medium, blank verse, is handled with an ease and accuracy rare enough among native writer of the language, and remarkable in one whose thoughts are habitually expressed in another tongue. The poem is on the theme of Eternal Hope. It is at once warning and No theologian has better defined the promise. unforgivable sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, but no sermon, taking the Founder of the Christian Faith as the Way, the Truth, and the Life, ever contained less of dogmatic theology," etc.
The story
This
is
dramatic and moving language. chain of circumstances powerfully described. The poem There are delightfully musical flow, and much of in the original Swedish has this is preserved in the translation made by the Princess herself, on the success of which she is to be highly congratulated." Light.
Theosophical Review.
is
told in
This mystic
poem
contains
serious state-
The various steps of penance of an after-life experience. and repentance are graphically ^escribed,"
ment
.M>Ai.\ft:\yMM.
WITH THE COMPLIMENTS
THE AUTHOR.
THE ANCIENT THERAPEUTS.
TOWARDS THE Mystic Poem. approbation
2s.
This work has received the cordial
is.
eminent
several
of
Elegantly bound copies
Third thousand.
In neat paper covers
LIGHT.
theologians
England
in
and elsewhere. noble message from the great Beyond."
Pall Mall Gazette.
"This poem Aberdeen Daily Journal. man sows, that Whatsoever on the theme
"The
Universe.
and an excellent ear
he reap.'
rhythm."
for English
"This work contains taught by the Catholic Church."
Nottingham Guardian. Glasgow Times. upon the autobiography pleasures,
however,
is is
disgusted
The theme
man who,
with
life
It
is
daring
commits
and
His
suicide.
soul,
the narrative of his spirit-life which
conception
Karadja with an will appeal
From
metaphysician.
based
the poem, and his subsequent redemption
might say
sympathy which
is
after having enjoyed all earthly
This difficult
through Sorrow, Mercy, and Love, to Divine Forgiveness. Princess
of
deeply impressive work."
of
forms the main one
number
certain
remarkable inspiration.
as living as ever.
of blank verse,
master
Watchman.
Catholic truths,
shall
wonderfu
poetess has
powerful meditation
is
is
simplicity,
originality,
to
beautifully
the general
start to finish the
worked
and
by
religious
reader as well
poem
out
as
the
to
high level of
maintains
excellence."
East and West. This poem wondrous birth to account story of Tasinanian News. therein
'gem
some
order.'
is
so remarkable that
requires
no
for its extraordinary success," etc.
wonderful
poem.
There
is
found
glows with poetry of the
of the highest
Beautiful thoughts are enwrapped in beautiful language."
The Harbinger of Light. It unknown in Australia should obtain
is
at
seldom that once such
as Princess Karadja's
it
affirming
that
new
successive perusal.
beauties
work absolutely
first-rate
importance
welcomed, that many of
those fortunate enough to obtain copies read and pages,
it
revealed
Towards the Light
re-read
its
themselves is
gem
glowing
with of
each purest
ray serene."
Light.
Her Majesty Queen Alexandra has graciously intimated
her pleasure in accepting
presentation copy."
THE
ANCIENT THERAPEUTS. LECTURE DELIVERED BEFORE THE PSYCHO-THERAPEUTIC SOCIETY, AT THE CAXTON HALL, LONDON, S.W.
ON DECEMBER
By
6th,
1909.
HER EXCELLENCY
PRINCESS KARADJA (of
Bovigny Castle, Belgium).
MESSRS. WOODERSON, 4,
Great Russell Street, London, W.C.
The
Therapeuts.
appears at first sight as if the subject of could be of remote interest to modern It
my
lectur©
men and
women. More than fifteen centuries have elapsed since the day intend ta when the religious communities of which speak to-night vanished from the face of this globe. What have we got in common with those silent cenobites who lived and died in the far-away Libyan desert? We, in our twentieth century, live in whirl, and we rush that most of us avoid ever thinking, towards Our thoughts are centred on the NOW, with its about. feverish joys and poignant anguish their thoughts ever circled round glorious TO-MORROW and its perfect
We
build glittering castles in the air that ever they patiently laboured at the erection tumble down spiritual edifice, and that temple of though it was not completed cannot be entirely demolished by the rolling wheel of time. Our highest thoughts and aspirations are immortal and cannot perish. Each man and woman who leads noble, unselfish life adds living stone to invisible building which the mission of humanity to erect. Modern science has placed an enormous amount of information at the disposal of the human race. In ancient times mental wealth was the privilege of the initiate. The evolution of the heart preceded that of the brain, as it ever ought to do. The result was harmonious development of all the faculties. The divine germ was able to bud, blossom, and carry fruit. In our days mental growth is all that is desired. Scant trouble is taken about the culture of man's moral nature. The peace.
Tesult
of
this
unbalanced evolution
is
humanitj-.
To most men in our days the welfare
disastrous of the
for
body
is
Physical health that is, the desideratum. possibility of enjoying aa much and as hng as possible It is the is the main thing. the pleasures of earth all-important consideration to which everything else has Hecatombs of living creatures who to be sacrificed. have as sacred rights to enjoy brief existence are sacrificed daily to the insatiable Moloch of selves vivisection, in the vain hope of purchasing immunity the
chief
from suffering for guilty man. reaction has taken place. Happily
Various antivivisection societies are energetically at work and try to demolish the proud edifice, erected on the foundation of iniquity, and silent healers have begun to reconstruct the temple of health on hallowed ground. The physician cures or kills his patient, according to He walks in his the latest fashion of medical science. more or less perown strength, and has at his disposal fect knowledge of physical laws, gathered on the mental plane.
working method, which has been The healer uses known from time immemorial, and can be submitted to no change. He bestows upon his fellow creatures living channel through share of his own vitality. He is which force and grace stream down to suffering humanity from the spiritual and celestial planes. He walks hand in hand with God, and blessings ever follow the steps of the True Healer.
and
will tell
hood
We
now pass on to the real subject of my lecture, you what know concerning the Ancient Brother-
of Healers.
find no trace
them
New
Testament, for will later on explain, but the great hisreasons that torians of the time, Josephus and Philo, give us plenty of valuable information. of
in the
Flavius Josephus, who died in the ninety-third year of the Christian era, was for long time Roman prsetor in
Galilee.
He was
celebrated historian,
and belonged
family of Jewish priests. He was extremely well acquainted with the religious movements in his country, and had spent several years of his youth among the to
healers.
The philosopher Philo was an Alexandrian Jew Levitic family, and contemporary of Christ.
He
relates in
his
De Vita Contemplativa
that
of
on the Lake Mareotis, in the vicinity of Alexandria. They had branched oflE from the Essene Brotherhood, which was spread all overPalestine. FAITH AND PRACTICES OF THE ESSENES.
The Essenes were one of the three great sects into which the Jews were divided at the time of Christ. They were universally recognised as the most pious members Jewish community. Essene The word supposed to come from the is or from the Hebrew Arabic root "hassan to' be pure
of the
word
asa
The word
to heal.
therapeut
signifies,
as you all know, healer.
There were ver}- great analogies between the two sects, Their working were not absolutely identical. methods were slightly different, but they had the principal things in common. The members of both societies were highly evolved men and women, true servants of burning desire to help struggling God, filled with humanity upwards. They attempted to heal, not merely the suffering bodies of their fellow-creatures, The great a,im of their lives all their darkened souls. was to restore the Adamic race to spiritual and physical health.
They deserved indeed
to be called healers.
be fairly questioned whether any religious society has ever produced such community of saints. Through maintaining the highest possible standard of purity and holiness, they hoped to be worthy of becoming recipients of Divine revelations. Their programme was of sublime simplicity. They It
maj'
XDromised To love
God above
all things.
To show merciful justice to man and brute. To lead chaste lives. These three vows really include all our duties to God, to our fellow-creatures, and to ourselves. It is impossible to improve upon this threefold code of ethics. In describing the different sects which existed among the his own time, Josephus dwells at great length and with special emphasis on the faith and practices of the Essenes. What most struck the outside observer was their excellent organisation and thorough-going asceticism. In villages and towns they generally settled around central house, in which they followed their religious observances, of which one was the common meal, or holy supper.
10
They deanyone earned went into the common purse. spised riches, and neither bought nor sold anything. Each one gave freely away all that was superfluous to him and received in exchange all that he needed. They had houses in most places in Palestine, where all members of the sect were received and supplied with all they wanted.
There were practical and theoretical members. The former devoted their time to deeds of mercy the latter in perpetual contemplation.
lived
candidate for admission had to pass through year's novitiate. He then received certain symbolic gifts shovel symbols which also meet us in an apron and Freemasonry. At the end of this probation his character was submitted to The full fresh trial «f two years. membership was only ac uire at the end of this second, period. P!h(ilo
words:
describes their oOoupatttoiis in the Ifollowing "Some cultivate the soil, others pursue peace-
ful arts, toiling only for the provision of their necessary
Among
men they
alone are without money, ev le they are the richest of all, because they have few wants, and are content with their lot. Among them no one follows any occupation that leads to injustice or covetousness. There is not single slave amongst them, but they are serving one another. They condemn masters as representing principle of unrighteousness, violating the law of Nature, which has made us all brethren. They devote all their attention to ethics, using as instructor the Divine Spirit, without the outpouring of which the human mind could possess no knowledge of God and the beginning of all things. Following their ancient tradition they obtain their philosophy by means wants.
all
of allegorial interpretation.
Their houses are open to all adherents coming from other quarters. They bring their -wages to the common treasury, for the use of all. They do not neglect the sick, as they have aimple means to offer relief to those in need. Their institution is not based on family connection, but upon zeal for virtue and philanthropy. They only aooe^pt as members of the Community full grown men, who are no longer carried away by tihe vehemence of the flelsih, but enjoy genuine and true liberty.
They
most happy state, being treated with respect which springs from spontaneous attachment
rather
live in the
11
own children
multitude of orphans and outcasts. Not single birth took place in the com/miinity, yet there was no want of population. Philo states that they had no desire for mortal progeniture, but yearned for the Immortal Fruit, which only Divine the pure soul can give birtih to, fertilised by ray from the Father." This passage is most interesting, as it proves that they were acquainted with the great Central Truth, which meets us in all divinely inspired religions viz., the Incarnation of the Christots in Virgin Heart. Pliny, sipeaking of the Essene community established The Marvel of the "World," ou the Dead Sea, calls it race continuing its existence and states that it was for thousands of centuries, per seoulorem millia, without eitJier wives or children.
their
Pliilo calls
them
The Holy
and states in they had been initiated
Ones,''
pissage quoted by Euseljius tihat by Moses into the mysteries of their
sect.
ESSENES AND PYTHAGOREANS. Zeller points out in his
Geschichte der PliilosopJiie what great resemblances there are between the Essenes and the Pythagoreans, not only as to mode of life, but also
to
Both insisted on strict secrecy about their schools. Both veiled thei doctrine in symbols and metaphors. Both based tlieir philosophy on allegorial interpretation of ancient tradlitions, whose authority they recognised.
Both worshipped higher powers in the foxir elements and offered up prayers to the rising sun. Both cultivated the belief in intermediate beings between the Supreme Deity and man. dualistic views
of
he retatiomsh
between
and matter, good and evil. might add' several other points of analogy. Both equilateral triangle. Their dogmas included the Trinity in Unity of God and the doctrine of the Marriage of Virgins with Deity. B(Mi the Healersi and the Pythagoreans were absorbed in the study of the unpronouncable name of Deity, the Sacred Tetragramraaton, in modern times translated by the word Jehovah. The naane of God mere distinguishing title. It spirit
represented the entii-e Hebrew conception of the Divine Nature. The different letters corresponded to the various attributes of Deity. That is the reason why stated
12
forming the Divine Name was the means used to create the world. Knowledge of 'the Nomen Ineffaibile or Shem-Ha-Mephorash was reserved for the the key to most advanced members of the brotherhood the Holy Name was delivered to the disciple with great the
letters
was the name made known to Moses at the Mount Horeb. Its utterance was prohibited. The High Priest alone spoke the Name of God on the Day of Atoneanent. His voice was merged! in the song of the priests, so that it should not reach those unworthy solemnity. vision at
It
After the Destruction of the Second Temple, the Inner Meaning of the Tetragrammaton was lost knowledge as to the correct there remained no pronunciation of the name. cannot dwell longer upon this subject now. require an entire lecture to be properly treated. This great analogy of doctrine between the most pious pagan memtiers of the Jewish community and so-called philosophers may seem startling to the outsider, who is not aware of the inner unity of all revealed) religions. Both the Healers and the Pythagoreans were initiates, and recognised as brethren. God-fearing men of all deuominations, quite irrespective of outward creeds. never been ,more than one single religion, revealed and re-revealed, all through the ages. It is expressly stated in Holy Scripture that Moses was initiated into all the wisdom of Egypt. or us in his tract On Repentance that Moses brought together the most pious members of his nation and invited them to his most secret mysteries. We all know that there is nothing mysterious in the exotei'ic religion founded by Moses. It is interesting to know that he reserved his esoteric teaching to the most (highly evolved men of his race. The mystei-ies into which he initiated them were identical to those pre-historic times to the to hear
it.
builder of the Great Pyramid.
The ancient wisdom was handed down from prophet
to prophet.
We
know
for certain that Ahijah, the great
teacher of Elijah, was an Essene. He was one of the socalled "seven long-lived saints" of Palestine. Ahijah handed down to Elijah the Mystic Mantle, symbolic ot superhuman power, which was afterwards given to Elisha. The high hierophant was styled the Eagle the serving brethren were called the Ravens. Knowledjge of this circumstance gives very simple and natural explanation to the fact that Elijah was fed in the desert by the Ravens. They were his sahordinates, and as such bound to attend
13
Pythagoras had also been initiated in Egypt. It is an liistorical fact that lie remained several years in retreat at Mount Carmel, where Elijah had estalblishedl school of the prophets. On his return to Italy he established his famous sodality at Crotcna, which in so many respects resembled that of the Therapeuts.
ESSENES AND THE NEW TESTAMENT. There was also great analogy betwen the the Alexandrine Mystics and that
THE
colony of the
Egyptian priests, described by Strabo. There can be no doubt concerning the fundamental unity of all these various sects.
The Essenes are not mentioned in the Kew Testament. This fact seems enigmatical. The utter absence of any mention can only be explained! by the fact that the writers were Ussenes. Tliis assertion
may
at first appear rather startling, but
the analogy between the doctrines of Jesus and tihose of the Brotherhood of Healers is so great that it must bring conviction to every unbiassed minC,
would seem that there was room for definite contact between John the Baptist and this Brotherhood. His timie otf preparation was spent in the wilderness, near tlhe Dead Sea, where the Essenes had their main His preaching of righteousness was in establishment. His insistcomplete harmony with the essene teaching. ence on baptism was in accord with the essenic emphasis on lustration. Messianic outlook, which was one of the He had) It
.1
chief tenets of the sect.
The prophetess Anna and Joseph
"waited ior the redemption
of Israel,"
we know that
the Healers, and also Healer." The similarity
between
of Arimathea,
who
both belonged to
the evangelist Luke was
original
Christianity
and
Essenism is very striking. The Essenes urged their disciples to -seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. So did Christ. Matt.
vi.
19.
They demanded
of all those
who wished
to join
them
the claim put by Jesuis to the rich young man. Without this sacrifice he was not fit to join those who strove after per'fection." The Healers had all in common. Their motto was Mine is thine and thine is mine." Many passages in Holy Scripture prove that the first Christians were Communists (John xii. 26, Acts ii. 44, etc.). To the Essenes lAysical relationship was of small to sell all their
possessions.
This
is
14
Whasoeiver shall do the will importance. Jesus said of God the same shall be My brother and My sister and My mother." The Healers commanded their 'disciples to call no man on earth MASTER so did Jesus. Like Him, the Essenes laid great stress on being meek and] lov/ly in spirit. They enjoined their members to mutual service they praised the poor in spirit, the merciful, the pure in heart, and the peacemakers. Both the Bssejies and Christ declared that the power to cast out evil spirits and to perform miraculous cures
would be possessed by their disciples. the healing of the body with Uiat of the
Boftih.
combined
soul.
The Essenes avoided swearing their simple word was more brnding than an oath. Jesus told His disciples to say merely yea, yea, and nay, nay. The manner in which Jesus directed His disciples to journey (Matt, x.) is the same which the go on mission of Essenes adopted when they started on they never possesseii two coats and two pairs of mercy shoes, but used the same garments they were until They were never provided with gold utterly worn out. and silver 'because tfiiey knew that the members of the brotheiftiood disseminated all over Palestine would supply them with all that they needed. All that the disciples had to do, when they new city, was to inquire,
"Who
is
worthy
That
is,
What
Essenes
are there in this town The Healers veiled all their inner teaching in parables. is said It about Jesus Without parables spake
not unto them and when they were alone He expounded] all things to His disciples." The Essenes paid the highest homage to the law-giver that is, the Holy Ghost, the Ruach Hakodesh. Those guilty of blasphemy were punished with death. We know that Jesus considered that sin against the Holy Ghost oould not be pardoned. The axe was one of the main symbols of the Essenes their axe was laid unflinchingly at the root of those v?hich dlid not another score of analogies.
He
JESUS AND THE BROTHERHOOD OF HEALERS. think that you will all find from th© points already mentioned that there are s, good many reasons to presume that Jesus and His disciples belonged to the Brotherhood of Healers.
15
words to Nathanaol Vexily, tree," and Nathanael's reply
saw thee undei the Rabbi,
Thou
art
fig-
the
Son of God!" The vine and the fig-tree were Egyptian eymbols of The two trees repeatedly our Lord and our Lady. referred the Book of the Dead," the manual used at
the great initiation.
The vine corresponded to the King's Chamber in the great Great Pyramid, and referred to initiation The fig-tree corresponded to the Queen's mysteries. Chamber, and referred to initiation into the lesser mysteries.
Nobody knew
the
When
name
of the neophyte save the high
saw Jesus said to Nathanael, thee under the fig-tree," he revealed to him His identity as grand master of the order to which they both belonged. Thou iart the iSon lof Nathanael instantly replied, God," because this was the title by whdch the Grand His reply was as Master was invariably addressed. replied to his sovenatural .as if in our days reign, "Yes, your Majesty.''
hierophant.
It is extremely
improbable that the piouB Nathanael
would have given the sacred title "Son of God" to vulgar demonstranger, simply because he had given stration of clairvoyance,
faculty very
usual
in those
days.
have just given interpretation that also explains the cursing of the fig-tree which carry fruit s, story which has puzzled many Christians.
The
spiritual
physioaj. tree Gentle Jesus would never have reproved He could never for not carrying fruit out of season. such folly and would never have have 'been misused his superhuman power in order ito vent his anger at not finding physical nourishment where he hoped to member of the Essene community who do so. But tailed to produce the "immortal fruit" of which Philo epoke was doomed to be cut off and wither. In the parable of the fruitless fig-tree it is also stated these three years, and that the owner sought fruit Neophytes were only initiated into the found none." they lesser mysteries after three years' did not carry fruit during these years of probatio they were cut off from the community and doomed to wither spiritually.
In anothpr parable Jesus said that the Kingdom of Grod would be nigh at hand when the fig-tree should The That statement is supremely true. shoot forth.
16
pure heart. When the human soul has re-beconie VIRGIN, then the fig-tree shoots forth and our Lady becomes manifest in us. Conybeare informs us in work on Philo in
that
the
Christian historian, Eusebius, identific-d the ascetic group described in the De Vita Conteiiiplativa with the earliest Christian Church of Ak:iandria, which was founded by St. Mark. first
This view,
passing unquestioned for jnany centuries, contributed in no small degree to shape the conceptions of primitive Christianity entertained by mediseval thinkers. In the sixteenth century it was challenged because the Papal party made it one of its chief arguments in favour of monkery.
THERAPEUTS AND CATHOLICS. There
however, numerous points in which the mode of life Therapeuts and that of Catholic religious communities absolutely varies. The latter are allowed to embrace the religious profession while stiU in the prime youth. The Therapeuts considered it to be their duty to remain in the world until the age of f-fty, and there to set an example of and noblfc aims to others. The true life of solitude and contemplation was the sequel and reward of am active life of service to their fellow-men. ascetics do not, as rule, give up their life In most monasteries very little to independent study. individual liberty is left to the members of the coanmunity. Their time is strictly regulated, and most of it is occupied iby endless repetitions of the same prayers are,
Thinking men and women are thus gradually transformed into praying machines. The Therapeuts, on the contrary, devoted their time to the study of the inner meaning of Scripture. They allegorised and svmibolised, and finally saw the UNSEEN. They were really the forerunners of the Christaan Gnostics and Jewish Cabbalists. The Catholic monks and nuns believe that they per-
and
foi-m
litanies.
meritorious act by utterly yielding
up
their will
Blind obedience virtue in sheep, but it is no merit in may be who have risen above the animal plane. All vows of absolute spiritual obedience to other men who call themselves our superiors, but may in reality be our to
that of
ei
spiritual inferiors,
annihilate the will.
li
is
superiors.
pernicious.
It is not desirable to
Our aim must be
to sanctify
it,
and
17 to
crush that
of his fellow-creature.
Subjugation
of the
It is not dangerous hypnotic practice. justiiied. by the pretext that it is for the good of the man of his most valuable property victim. If you rob this act is not exonerated by your statement that you The did so in order to prevent him from mis-using it. iron discipline of the Church of Rome may produce the it does not negative result of sometimes precentinij sin engender the far greater result of eradicating all wish io commit it. That is, however, the principal thing. The ancient Therapeuts professed the maxim that no They were not forbidden religion is higher than truth. writings. No index read so-called dangerous to limited their mental horizon to the narrow fields of any particular .sect. No All the world was laid open to They studied not only their own their mental inspection. secret books, but also the revelations granted to other nations, the Divine unity in them all. will is really
But the main
monks
difference between the Therapeuts
and
the inspiring motive for all their It is expressly actions. the Catholic catechism that the obtention salvation is the greatest object to human being can devote his attention. which The of earth in order io Roman monk gives up purchase the bliss of heaven The Therapeuts had no desire of reaping personal advantages in payment virtue. Their one desire was to prepare the earth for the coming of the Messiah. Their thoughts did not dwell on their own ixltimate fate. They knew that heaven is state and not locality. Their distant heaven, but to share wish was not to conquer with ofthers the heaven they carried in their own breasts. The Roman Church hails the so-called conversion of the Emperor Constantine as an immense spiritual victory. It was in reality the gi'eatest disaster that ever befell Catholic
the
lies in
Church of Christ.
•During the first centuries of the Christian era, the followers of Jesus were exposed to all sorts of hardships. Those only who followed the narrow path were admitted into the bosom of the Church. When Christianity wii transformed into State religion, which it became mov? or less compulsory to embrace, then the Holy Dove fled in dismay from the desecrated temples.
The Emperor Constantine was one of the most infamous men that ever disgraced this globe. The list of victims includes his father-in-law, his sister's husband, his nephew, his former friend, his brother-in-law.
his
18
and
liis
own son
Most
of these h^'-nous crimes were com-
mitted after his conversion It was from the hands of this monster that the misguided Bishop Sylvester corrupted through the bait of earthly grandeur received the dignity of Supreme Pontiff The bloody hands of murderer established the throne on which the successors of St. Peter the humble fisherman were to sit in pomp. The unhallowed alliance of Constantine and Bishop Sylvester did not bring about as falsely represented the Christianisation of an empire. Its result was the Paganisation of communities.
RESULT OF PROFANATION.
When
the great Christos Mysteries, celebrated by the Brotherhood of Healeas, were profanated and vulgarised, then the true Initiates retired in silence to their inaccessible
the
desert.
The Roman fanatics
organised persecution upon persecution in order to wipe away from the the earth the retainers of the True Gnosis. The murder of the noble and beautiful Hypatia, the burning of the priceless library of Alexandria all the countless crimes of those dark ages were in vain. Ostensibly the Essenes ceased to exist, and the name even of the Therapeuts fell almost into oblivion, but they eluded their persecutors and preserved intact the sacred deposit of ancient wisdom. of the Healers, but we can trace to We hear much later period the sect of the Bannaim, ui de s. Those Builders still existed in Palestine when the Crusaders invaded the Holy Land. The Wise Men of the East then handed to the noblest sons of the West their sacred treasure of occult wisdom. And when the Crusader returned own country they brought with them carefully hidden the glorious light, lit in their soul by of the Blazing Star, which had led their steps.
Wonderful, indeed, are the ways of Providence The Crusades were organised to extend throug fire and sword the power of the Church of Rome. Their ultimate result was the renaissance of the Gnosis, whioh Roane has always considered as its most mortal enemy "iiystic orders formed by the Crusaders Knights of the Temple, Knights of the Golden Fleece, Knights of St. John, of Malta, of Calatrava, and many others were originally Brotherhoods of Initiates. To-day the orders founded by the Crusaders are mostly extinct or have lost their original signification, but their
19 secret
Rosicrucians,
societies
Illuminatii,
and.
Martinists,
last,
least, the
Oddfellows,
Freemasons
are descended from those Palestine mystics, the
Builders, who preserved all through heritage left by the Ancient Healers. or
the
Bannaim, ages
the
The aim of the Crusaders was to deliver the hoi.,y TOMB. They imagined that they served Deity by cari.'ying ruin and desolation into foreign lands they com-
mitted calmly the most terrible cruelties to the Glory of God. of duty ever arise through our Mistaken deplorable tendency of materialising spiritual truths. When in former days the Jews received tne command Kill the animal they began to slaughter hecatombs of innocent beasts. They did not understand that the animal which has to be killed resides within our own breast and is our own lower nature. When the Emperor Constantine saw in the heavens the sign of the cross and heard In this voice call out, sign shalt thou conquer he nominally embraced Chris-tianity, in the hope of thus obtaining victory over his enemies. He never grasped that the true warrior of Christ has no enemy save the old Adam, and that the only conquest attainable through the conquest is of the
Kingdom
When
of
Heaven.
Peter the Hermit heard
voice
from above
call
Deliver the Holy Tomb he misinterpreted the celestial message. The Holy Tomb which must be delivered is not geographical locality. The Holy Tomb out,
the gross physical frame in which
Divine spark is buried. That spark has to be transformed into a, great light. It will gradually illuminate and transfigure the coarse bushel of matter in which it embedded and is
hidden.
We
are not for ever to remain shrouded in coats of skin, dense physical bodies, which prevent us from perceiving the glories of the Beyond. Nay We are some
day to with incorruptible bodies. We have to conquer the Golden Fleece May the gentle hands of the Modern Healers assist
Humanity to recover physical and spiritual health May we all obey the Divine command, and start new crusade in order to deliver for ever the Holt Tomb
arV15543
Cornell University
The esoteric meaning
olin.anx
1924
Library
ot the
seven sacram
635
