THEOSOPHY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 11539, 26 November 1900, Page 6

THEOSOPHY.

A vert interesting lecture was given last night in the Theosophical Society's rooms, Mutual Life Buildings, by Dr. A. Marques. As the general secretary of the Australian section of the society, he said he wished to preface his address by a few words regarding the excellent work being done by the New Zealand section; it was proportionately the most active and energetic section of the society. He also spoke of the new people forming in the southern hemisphere, and their responsibility as regards the future of the human race. His lecture was on " The Idea of God, Viewed Through Religion, Astronomy, and Theosophy." Religion he dealt with from the point of view of orthodox belief founded on the Jewish Scriptures, touching also on Buddhism and Hinduism. The notion of a Supreme Power varies considerably according to the intellectual capacity of the various peoples, yet it is a universal belief ; to go to God is the common idea of eternal bliss, reunion with divinity an innate natural feeling. The defect of all exoteric religions, especially that of the Western peoples, is the materialistic, or limited, conception of Deity. Theosophy endeavours to spiritualise it. Through science, especially by means of astronomy, our ideas have been widely expanded. The thought of the immensities of space gave us an idea of Deity far transcending that of the Jewish tribal God,, interested in national quarrels, and anxious to punish those who did not believe in Him. Wider is the Hindu idea which proclaims the all-embracing, allsustaining space as God. The boundary of space is unthinkable to mortals, and it is irreverent to bring the idea of the Lord of space, the Creator of the innumerable suns and systems, with their regular movements and their evidence of life and intelligence existing boundlessly, down to the level of the exoteric faiths. Theosophy, said the lecturer, had been accused of being atheism and pantheism. It was* neither, and yet in a sense it was both. Atheistic, so far as a personal, vindictive, and cniel God was concerned, pantheistic as to the existence of many hierarchies of spiritual beings behind the forces or nature, theosophy yet asserted the existence of one supreme absolute power, unknowable in its essence, creative by the. emanation from it of a trinity of creative being, and from that the hosts of spiritual intelligences. Theosophy endeavours to reinstate Deity in its, profound majesty and glory. Yet it agreed with the Greek writer, who said, " All the pods adored by men wen once human beings." The great possibilities of evolution under karmic law were largely dwelt upon. Our first duty was to realise the possibilities of life on this planet, and in this solar system ; learn to do cur duty to the logos of this system, to our fellows, and to ourselves. Not by useless asceticism, but by curbing our lower nature we evolved and rose in the scale of being, by our own efforts to work on the lines of the law. We had to learn to understand the great saying, "Man, know thyself."

There was a large attendance at the leeture, and some discussion followed. Dr. Marques remains another, week in Auckland, and will probably lecture again before going on to take up his duties to the Australian" section in Sydney.