A PLEA FOR THE OCCULT. 417 



ands of years ago — the other denies and rests on that negative as the all of 

 knowledge in that direction. Between the two the thinker is visionary or an in- 

 fidel — and all that can be discussed inside the limits of toleration or sanity is a 

 jumble of formulas about either supernatural and miraculous things, or an utter 

 denial of them, with chance as providence and annihilation as the only certainty. 

 Without suggestion or coloring, these are the horns of the dilemma with which 

 the recognized teachers confront poor humanity to-day. Beside these the so- 

 called superstitions of the ancients were very gospels to the race. 



The occult in this modern age, it will be perceived, is vastly narrowed from 

 what it was in the time from which philosophy draws its inspiration. Aristotle is 

 claimed by modern materialism as its prophet, yet the chief part, the soul of his 

 system is ignored. His terminology has been borrowed, but when it refers to the 

 principle of things, or the cause of the manifest, it is mythical, superstition and 

 pagan vagary, while the manifest, or phenomenal is exalted as the all of his 

 wonderful teaching. Occult has lost its etymological meaning and been con- 

 signed to witchcraft, conjuring, demonology and related things. But even here 

 the thought of these ancients is being vindicated in the light of discoveries in 

 magnetism. Mesmer taught a century ago, yet the schools have only accepted 

 his facts within a very few years. But, as hypnotism, this rejected truth takes 

 its place in the ranks of accepted fact, and one more occult force becomes 

 knowledge. 



And now we find only one more door remaining closed between us and the 

 wisdom of the ancients, but before that stands modern science insisting that it 

 is only a blind door in the solid wall of the unknowable — impassable and impen- 

 etrable. And in its watch it is relieved by theology, which as in all the centu- 

 ries of progress, interposed its little standard of infallibility as a barrier before 

 every new door of truth. But reason and progress persisted in forcing the locks 

 and as the doors swung back new worlds of knowledge stood revealed — the 

 occult became the known, the hidden the revealed, the unseen the understood. 

 And so will it be now. 



There is one mistake a great many well meaning people make ; that the dis. 

 covery of something they did not know, or believe, would change the whole as- 

 pect of the world. They seem to forget that facts have always been. These 

 people labor under the delusion that the world was made according to their plan, 

 forgetting that they only from time to time find out a truth as to the nature of 

 things. And they often stand amazed that as their little lights go out, the sun 

 and moon and stars still shine on. But the man of progress rests serene. He 

 hails each new truth as something in the grand economy of the universe hereto- 

 fore hidden to humanity, and he fearlessly swings open this blind door in the wall 

 and steps forward into another world of higher and grander phenomena. 



Now let us try this door. We have passed the former ones of astrology; 

 alchemy, sorcery and magic, and found the light of astronomy, chemistry, mag- 

 netism, electricity and mesmerism, or psychology. Before us is the door of 

 superstition, but as it opens we are ushered into the world of life. And again 



