MR. CARTER AND THEOSOPHY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 8987, 19 September 1892, Page 3

MR. CARTER AND THEOSOPHY.

TO THE EDITOR. Sib, —Mr. Carter, in his second lecture on Theosophy, attempted to prove that the fundamental teachings of Theosophy are illogical and absurd, but his statement of these fundamental teachings does not entirely accord with the understanding to which a careful study of Theosophic literature leads us. He quotes (I believe from an article in Lucifer) the statement that the Theosophic idea of God is a " Universal, Infinite Spirit, without attributes ;" and he interprets that phrase as meaning that the Infinite Spirit is utterly devoid of characteristics, and therefore cannot act or even exist. But one isolated quotation cannot give any adequate idea of the teachings of Theosophy, any more than it would adequately describe the teachings of Christianity to quote a single text, such as the following : — " The Son of Man shall send forth His angels, and they shall gather all things that offend, and them which do iniquity, and east them into a furnace of tire" (Matt. xiii. 41, 42). Now, a careful study of the teachings of Theosophy shows us that the meaning of the phrase Mr. Carter quotes is that the Infinite Spirit is so infinitely above us that we are unable to describe It's nature ; for the only attributes we cau conceive of are those which we see in man, and it seems to me that it would indeed be a degradation of God to describe Him by any of these. Therefore Theosophy refuses to ascribe attributes to the Infinite, conceiving of It as the Universal All, through which nature and all that is exists. But for us, with our limited capabilities, to attempt to reason as to the methods of the working of the Infinite Spirit, is something like an animalcule in a drop of water trying to reason as to the methods by which man navigates the ocean. Therefore Mr. Carter's reasoning appears to me to fall to the ground, as he is trying to apply our limited knowledge of the action of matter to the methods of action of spirit. In conclusion, may I ask Mr. Carter to state distinctly through your columns what books or pamphlets on Theosophy he has read, for from a careful consideration of his lecture I am led to the inevitable conclusion that he has not yet commenced the study of Theosophy ; and it seems to me hardly fair that a man should lecture on any subject unless he is thoroughly conversant with it.—l am, &c, Lilian Edger, M.A.