THEOSOPHY and the CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE OF FORGIVENESS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 9022, 29 October 1892, Page 1 (Supplement)

THEOSOPHY and the CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE OF FORGIVENESS.

Tub following is an extract from a sermon preached by the Rev. John Day Thompson, Primitive Mebhodisb Chapel, Harrogate: —When we speak of the Christian doctrine of forgiveness we do nob mean the current popular doctrine. Between that and the teachings of Jesus there is a great gulf fixed. The current popular doctrine is unmanly. It buys peace ab any price, and betrays an anxiety to be "let off." Forgiveness without limitation and without any conditions that are in any way noble, that is the creed of the unthinking Evangelical. He quotes texts torn from their connection. With what delight does he fasten upon tho story of the penitent thief. See, he was forgiven ; he had but to turn to the Saviour, and all was righb. Such a conception of the Christian religion is tho reverse of noble, All was right; was ib? What more could we desire ? Much. One Could have desired a better start in the heavenly life. Tho thief went, after all, to his own place ; a poor one compared with that of St. Paul, who fought a good fight. If these were equally happy, then there is no justice in God's univ?rse. Suppose Deeming, confessing, repenting, becoming a sorb of prison saint before he is hanged; whab then ? Can the tears of a few days wash out the deeds of years ? It is blasphemy of all moral solemnities to suppose he will be enjoying himself up yonder; while his poor victims, cub off may be in their sins, are in a placo of torment. That is a process of moral whitewash with a vengeance. A Deeming or a Charles Peace has but to believe thab the blood of Jesus will wash out every sin, and make them as though they had never sinned. We feel that Theosophy will do us a service, with its fine stoic doctrine of Karma, if it directs our attention to the flabby, flaccid character of much of our thoughb and talk about forgiveness, and enables us to see the manly, bracing tone of the Bible on this question. In Theosophy there is no such thing as pardoning. The result of evil deeds continues to exist; the suffering caused to others by his wickedness is nob blotted out; bub "karma" is nob only simply the law which punishes, but thab which is ever tending to restore eqnilibrium and broken harmony in the physical and moral world.