Esoteric V10: July 1896 - Iapsop.com

18!17.] 30ll
tht• theot·y of evolution affect the Christi:m dnctt·ine of rewat·cls
ancl punishment '!" 1mg~eMt11 to the thinker something of the
strength of the doctt·ineH held by the clmt'tlh, :mel its effimwy in
pri-!venting men ft·om letting go of the nM and laying hollf-eviclent tt·uths. The A l't!hcleacon Mll)'!-1, "TheRe are most
difficult qnestionM, and I cln not pt·etend to see my way
tht·•mg-h them. • A blac!k beetle eannot be expec!ted to formulate
a theot·y uf the milky way.' But it Meems plain. that. if sin iR
a tt·auMgt·esMiun and goodness the fulfillment of the law of man'11
higher nature, the cnnMecptenccs of sin ancl of gomlnes!l at·e not
at·hitt•at·y nut· ex tet·nal ; they tu•e in our~el ves." At thiK point
of hi11 argument t.he venerable gentleman exhihit!l a hrave and
trnth.loving duuaetet· in hi11 wil.JingnesK t•l l1l.V aKicle a timehnnm·ed
tloc!tt·ine for the 11ake of obvimts tt·nth. He 11ees that
rewardsaud punishment11, tlte conRequenndeut upon the stage of
twolutionnt·y clevelopment; but he has met het•e anothea· law of
natnre whic!h he mau1t inevitably accept in m·tler to earry to ibl
·legitimate ultimHte the po11it.ion which he occnpieM, or he mnst
quietly t·est upnn what he ha11 already said in the following
worclM: "At what point in the chain does consciousness, ft·ee­
,Jom, pet·Ronality, conMcience. Hnnl. immcwtality, eome in'? I
•~:uanot Hay.'' ThiM itulioates that he 11ees really more than he
iK pt·eparecl to expt·ess: an•l Pvitlently tht! d•wtt-ine of reincar­
·tlatiun is wurking its way into his mimi.
This tl'llth c·au aluue deat· up the diffieultieK with whid1 he
is struggling. We du nnt l'efer to the doctrine of the transmi­
~t·atinn of Ktmls ft·nm men tn animalK, whi1~h has been brought
to the \V estea·n wodcl, with all itH degl'acling eolm·ing11. The
( >a·it•ntal dcwtt·ine of t·ein•·at·nation ha.int!arnatimt
hnhlf4 this nuwh ta·nth : for thPt'f' are no leapK or jumps in
natural law,-Hntl's law,-ancl if the Konls of men could con.
t.inue their growth amcl development in the spit·it world, before
thHy have re1whed a degt·ee of attainment enabling them to he
maMtet· of earthly C11n1litions, an1l to June riilen above the neees­
!lity of the experiences of e:u·th fot• further development, then
there woultl be no ""'' at all in the earthly exi11tence. But if
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