From the AUTHOR'S FOREWORD. In presenting the following pages to the world I desire to offer a few explanatory words concerning the form in which this book appears. During my 6 months' residence in the city of Washington, U. S. A., which comprised the winter of 1909-10, I was earnestly entreated by many friends to compile a volume which should embody the gist of a very large number of lectures delivered during that period, especially those which dealt particularly with the Sacred Books of the world. Owing to the very ...
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From the AUTHOR'S FOREWORD. In presenting the following pages to the world I desire to offer a few explanatory words concerning the form in which this book appears. During my 6 months' residence in the city of Washington, U. S. A., which comprised the winter of 1909-10, I was earnestly entreated by many friends to compile a volume which should embody the gist of a very large number of lectures delivered during that period, especially those which dealt particularly with the Sacred Books of the world. Owing to the very large amount of space required for even the barest outline of treatment of the Scriptures venerated by Jews and Christians alone, to say nothing of the Sacred Books of other faiths, I have attempted to present in this volume only discourses on those themes which have been specially brought to my attention by friends and students in many different places which I have visited and where my earlier books have widely circulated. To take up this entire subject at any length, or even to treat any portion of it with anything like fullness, would necessitate the publication of quite a long series of volumes, to which the present fragmentary work may possibly constitute an introduction. This particular book aims only at presenting, in meagre outline, a view of revelation and inspiration which renders it easily possible for as to admire and venerate the Bibles of all peoples, without in any sense making a claim for their infallibility or finality. One of the chief objects of all these discourses or essays is to increase interest in universal aspects of religion and philosophy, and wherever possible to throw some light on doctrines which are still occasioning much perplexity in many quarters. So much general interest is now evinced regarding all that pertains to the psychic side of every subject, and so many curious and conflicting views are still expressed concerning matters designated "occult" and "psychical," that it seems a highly important duty to do all we can to clear up mysteries and present our ripest and most helpful thought to the enquiring multitude, whatever may be our special viewpoint. One cannot keep in any degree abreast with current literature without encountering the most extraordinary ideas concerning the unseen universe, the mysteries of which the modern world, is making desperate endeavors to unravel. It is all in vain, in these days, for religious teachers to tell the masses that "secret things belong to God" and we have, therefore, no right to enquire into them, for were such a text to be pushed to its logical extremity, in the hands of many theologians it would mean putting an end to all investigation and blindly accepting the dictum of some pretentious hierarchy. It was this very attitude insisted upon by Dr. Pusey, but repudiated by Dean Stanley, which drove Mrs. Annie Besant to Atheism, from which Theosophy eventually rescued her. If we cannot believe in the reality of a Spiritual Universe and at the same time use our reason, then thinkers must of necessity take refuge in some form of Agnosticism which can never satisfy the affection and never permanently content the intellect. If Bibles will not bear examination then the sooner they are consigned to the limbo of desuetude the better.-but if, as is maintained in the following pages, we can find much that is excellent in all of them, but the whole of truth in none, we do well to broaden our human sympathy by comparing Book with Book and System with System, to the end that we may at length discover a common religious and philosophical denominator. Magic as well as Mystery is dealt with in these lectures....
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