THEOSOPHY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10899, 4 September 1897, Page 6

THEOSOPHY.

TO THE EDITOK.

Sir,—When I wrote my former letter on the above subjeos I had' no intention of sustaining an argument, for the.simple reason that I know the devotees of this carious creed always evade ,tbe points at issue. .01 this we have a pattinent ex-imple in A. AY. Mauraia's le't-r. It. cauaot, I think, bis denied that the cbarges in my letter are strong and straight', bat A. -W. Maurais leaves thsin serenely undisturbed. He contents himself with merely saying tbat my arguments are " a more or lets inaccurate account of the teachings;' 1 &o. Now, if this be so, is it uot passing strange that he fails, to point the inaccuracies out, aud appears crest-fallen ? H^ ignomiuiously falters bifore bis own paradosii<, and furnishes mswitti- a renewed conviction that while ininy Theosaphists have Theosopby on the bvain, very few have much brain .on Tbeosophy. Tbecsophy is a cold mass of infinite absurdities,'.and its insane principles are expounded by no two disciples alike. A. W. Maurais contradicts Madame B:av*tsky, for she distinctly affirms "memory dies with the brain," and he says "No." I need hardly hint, that there is a very vital distinction betwean '.'immanence" and " pantheitm," but A. W. Maurais peem3 to regard them as identical., Immanence postulates that Gad is in and tbrougnall, pantheism says the.sll is God. •A. W.Maurßis boldly affirms :■ "In the Nirvauic,state the millions 6f humanity do not lose their -individuality*'.1 - .Then, I ask, where is.it? : I wanUfte proof. ,If Theosnphy accepts the pantheistic position,-it denies th". existence of a personal God, and-puts in His place a mysterious onwipteaeot "essence," otherwise called an "influence" or.. a "potentiality." Theoscpaisfc'i maintain that to ascribe personality to God is to limit Him, but such a line of argument, if impartially carried out, would destroy all the Divine attributes, and leave us up God at all, but only a logical abstraction. ilf A. W. Maurais's lettar consists of " a few unambiguous words," as he assumes, then all I can say is that there are no ambiguous worda in any language opoken on the fr.ce-. of the earth.— I ra, &«., . .T _, Balclutha, September 3. W. J. Ellioit. .

TO THS EPITOR.

Sih, The Theosophists have carbainly a high ideal according to Mr Manrais, but if they believe they hare done anything to break down the " barrier between Eeotfs" I fear.they are a deluded people. Itcurfcainly is news to me, and I have no doubb to 99 out of- every 100 of the civilised people of the world ; in fact, I question if-1 per cent, ever heard of Theosophy. There is an old saying "by their fruit you will know them," and we kaovr what Christianity has done for toe world; Now, in thoje islands of the seas thera are pleuty 1 of people still cannibals;' alongside o!: these we lifcvsCtirisli.inised and civilised people, who only a few years s.go were cannibals like fcheir neighbours. Whai.: I would propose is that Colonol Olcott, or even' the New.Zealand apostle oE Theosophy, Mr-Maurais hiioself.go to one of those cannibal' -inlands where no Giiriatian has ever tried-to- get a -footing, and. let us sea the effects of preaching T^eosophy upon them. '! ■,■■..••-•■ ■■" •■.'"■ ;.. If» they are as suocessfnl:. as the' Christian missionaries have been—much »3 their uagucccss' ia regretted- by their..Vsujipfefcers—then "Theo-:. Sophy will have a claim worthy of investigation' even by Christian*. .< ..-.i:s/'-:: : ■ ; ■■":'■ ■■■. To show lam in earnest, I;-will willingly sub--scribe £1 towards the eipensa- of fitting him out, aud £1 per year waile the .experiment is bsini; tried. —Lam,.&c, '. ■ :-.:-: '■■" -"■ ;ii' .•' Dunedin; September 3. ■ . ,■' Ichabod.'.a;