of spirit for the illumination of those called to teach the people divine truths. Thus their chief office in the perfected body will be to feed it with divine substance drawn down and freely given for the use of those who are given the wisdom to use discreetly and to act as the goddess Hygeia. Respectfully submitted by your Fellow Servant,

CONSCIENCE.

H. E. BUTLER.

THE brief contribution of "M. L. S." on this topic in the last ESOTERIC is full of truth well worth considering by the student of ethics and the human faculties. That single paragraph points out with clearness of statement and force of illustration that conscience is no trusty guide as to the absolute right or wrong in human action. This is a capital truth to begin with an excellent statement of what conscience is not. But I felt an impulse while reading it to add a few sentences in the position as to what Conscience is in its relation to moral truth.

The common error of esteeming Conscience as an infallible guide is unaccountable on first thought, the theory being so obviously out of harmony with the facts. But when we consider that Conscience is very like intuition, and that intuition, being the voice of truth, is the voice of God, the error appears to be quite natural. When we also reflect that the voice of Conscience is supreme in moral authority, and how difficult it is to distinguish between that which is highest within us and that which is truest without us, the mistake appears still more natural.

There is another seeming paradox involved in the laws of Conscience, namely, that a man who obeys the voice of Conscience does right, even when he does wrong. This is explained by the distinction between the ego and the non-ego. A conscientious action is always right in its relation to the actor, but is often wrong in its relation te abstract moral truth. This distinction between the concrete and the abstract in morals will explain much that seems monstrously absurd in human history, and will be for us a broad and ready veil of charity in our judgments of our fellow Let us remember that, at least, in all things not absolutely wicked in themselves, Conscience even sanctifies error and makes it acceptable in the sight of God.

men.

a spur

see.

But if Conscience is not a guide, what is it? It is a monitor, a prompter, a blind Samson. It has supreme authority to command or forbid action as right or wrong, but no power whatever to judge or determine what is the right or the wrong. It feels, but does not perceive- does not It is the steam that runs the engine, but not the track that guides it, nor the hand that manipulates it. It is the spur, but not the rein. It is not an intellection, but a sense the moral sense. Its office is neither legislative nor judicial, but executive. It does not pass sentence, but receives and executes it. It is a clock a "watch' a regulator of human conduct; but like all other clocks, it needs "setting," and must be "regulated" from time to time by the "heavenly bodies." What these heavenly bodies are, it is easy to see. Inferiorly they are the "moon and stars" of human reason and experience, but supremely the itself intuition.

sun"

It is not correct to say that Conscience is a "creature of education,"

as we often hear. To create is not the educational function - but to develop and refine. While Conscience, like all other human faculties, is highly susceptible of education, it is, like the rest, an original faculty already created before education begins. The lamb may develop the growth and strength of its horns by "butting," but the horn seeds must first be there to begin with.

All the faculties alike are present even in the savage in their crude and elementary state. The trinkets and paints of the savage are as truly the offspring of the esthetic faculty as are the jewelry and cosmetics of the city belle. So the wild Indian counting the number of his arrows, exercises the faculty of reason as truly as the astronomer who calculates eclipses and star distances. Even so the moral faculty the sense of "duty" shows itself as unmistakably in the crude and often cruel discipline to which the young men of savage tribes are subjected to prepare them for the duties of savage life, as it does in the most refined methods of our training for the duties of civilized life. Nor must it be supposed that there is any essential difference of nature in the tutored and the untutored Conscience - the difference is but in forms of expression and extent of refinement.

Crude sugar and refined sugar are both in essence sugar, though the refining process has made a great difference between the two. So doubtless these are axioms at the foundation of morals as of mathematics, and the rudest Conscience must recognize the former as the rudest intellect does the latter.

Conscience is recognized moral truth become obligatory; and it will emphasize the exalted character of this faculty to remember that man is, in fact, a moral being only in so far as he brings his life and conduct under the regulations and sway of conscientious habit. W. C. BOWMAN.

EXTRACT FROM THE BUDDHIST'S DIET-BOOK. THE Buddhist is distinguished from the members of all other sects by his obligation to live a vegetarian, temperate, and peaceable life. He is not to strive after mastership in any of the brute arts. He is to eliminate the stain of animal food from his blood, to look with horror upon a slaughter-house, and with humiliation upon butcher's stall.

The possibilities of a strictly vegetarian diet are not revealed to meateaters. With grains and fruits we can build up and sustain our bodies in the highest health. The essential thing to remember in beginning a vegetarian diet, is to rightly combine alimentary substances which differ in their composition. This is the true secret of vegetable cooking, together with its careful and proper preparation. There is no dearth of food or of ways of serving it; and the inspiration to adopt it is increased when all the benefits to be derived from it are realized.

The freedom that follows the elimination of all desire for flesh food, the Buddhist claims, is reward enough for the efforts to unlearn the habits of our ancestors. The impetus to spiritual growth is to be appreciated only by those who have conscientiously striven to overcome the taste for meat. There can be no comprehension of the importance of this subject until it has become the personal experience of men and women reared and educated in the belief that the body is dependent upon animal food for nourishment. Terribly degrading is such teaching, and difficult beyond ordinary conception to eradicate.

THOUGHTS ON RE-INCARNATION, ETC.

THE man who has separated himself from a brutal life by the right use of reason, purified himself as much as possible from excess of passions, and by this become a man from a wild beast, shall become a God from a man, as far as it is possible for a man to become a God.

We can only cure our tendency downwards by the power that leads upwards, by a ready submission to God, by a total conversion to the divine law. The end of the Pythagorean doctrine is to be all wings for the reception of divine good, that when the time of death comes we may leave behind us upon the earth the mortal body, and be ready girt for our heav enly journey. Then we are restored to our primitive state. This is the most beautiful end. Hierocles.

Sir Paul Rycant gives us an account of several well-disposed Mohammedans that purchase the freedom of any little bird they see confined to a cage, and think they merit as much by it as we should do here by ransoming any of our countrymen from their captivity at Algiers. The reason is because they consider every animal as a brother or sister in disguise, and therefore think themselves obliged to extend their charity to them, though under mean circumstances. They tell you that the soul of a man, when he dies, immediately passes into the body of another man, or some brute which he resembles in his humor, or his fortune, when he was one of us.

Addison.

It must be insisted that the true human ego in no sense migrates from a human body to an animal body, although those principles which lie below the plane of self-consciousness may do so. And in this sense alone is transmigration accepted by Esoteric Science.

Walker's book on Re-incarnation.

Oh the beautiful time will, must come when the beast-loving Brahmin shall dwell in the cold north and make it warm, when man who now honors humanity shall also begin to spare and finally to protect the animated ascending and descending scale of living creatures. Richter.

The assumption that the age of inspiration is past; that the Bible is closed; the fear of degrading the character of Jesus by representing him as a man, indicate with sufficient clearness the falsehood of our theology. Ralph Waldo Emerson, in his celebrated Divinity Hall address at Cambridge, July 15, 1838.

Dissolution is only the cause of reproduction. Nothing perishes which has once existed. Things which appear to be destroyed only change their natures and pass into another form.

Wilkinson.

As many hairs as grow on the beast, so many similar deaths shall the man who slays that beast for his own satisfaction in this world pass through in the next from birth to birth. Laws of Manu.

I seem often to clearly remember in my soul a presentiment which I have not seen with my present, but with some other eye. Von Schubert.

The soul is not born; it does not die; it was not produced from any one ; nor was any one produced from it. Emerson.

BOOK REVIEWS.

66

"The Rights of Man, or, Every Man his own Statesman," is a treatise on Land Finance, Tariff, and Railroads, by J. F. D'Aray. It is published in Pamphlet form, and may be ordered of the author at 75 Montgomery St., Portland, Oregon. It contains thirty pages. Price, 10 Cents,; Twelve copies for $1.00. In the introduction, the author says Every man is able to mind his own business. This is an axiom of a Republican form of government. * * * Let the people attend to the harvest as well as to the seed time, and the result would be a new era of peace and plenty, and the return of the few (the wealthy) to the humble walks of life once again."

Doubtless every man is able to attend to his own business, but the majority of them prefer to have a large interest in their neighbors' affairs. Herein is the secret of the misfortunes and bad luck of thousands who are at poverty's mercy today. Their bad luck is too often mismanagement, or lack of attention to their own legitimate business. Their daily thoughts are given to the end of getting the best of their rival by questionable methods, or by bemoaning the fate which has placed them below (?) a contemporary. Could every man attend strictly to his own line of work; study its minutest detail; take advantage of opportunities in connection therewith; in fine, " mind his own business," the labor problem would be easy of solution. "Rights of Man" presents some interesting reading matter, and its object seems to be commendable.

Mr. Geo. T. Angell, so long identified with the Massachusetts Society for prevention of Cruelty to Animals, is distributing at 12 cents each, copies of a book called "Black Beauty, It is an autobiography of a horse, and its immense sale of over 90.000 copies in England, is proof of its great value and interest to the reader.

It is called the "Uncle Tom's Cabin" of the horse, and its object is to secure to this noblest of animals, that humane treatment to which he is so eminently entitled.

The author is a woman, Anna Sewell, and the story treats of an English horse, "Black Beauty;" telling of " Kind masters and cruel; of happiness and suffering.' Send for it, all you that love the horse, and there are few who do not. It contains 238 pages, and may be had postpaid, for only 20 cents.. Address Geo. T. Angell 19 Milk St. Boston, Mass. Mention the Esoteric.

"Truth's Fairy Tales," by Julia Winchester, contains nearly eighty pages of reading matter. It is published by the C. S. Publishing Co. 87 Washington St., Chicago, Ill. Price $1.10, postpaid.

The Press work and binding is work of most commendable taste, and externally it will be an ornament to any parlor or library. Nor is this done at the expense of the real value of the book, for it appears of more than average utility in the field of Christian Science literature.

It is printed in large plain type; embellished with frequent illustrations, and seems more especially designed for children's instruction and entertainment. The publishers say of it in this connection:

"Not only will the children delight in these Fairy Tales, but all students and lovers of THE GOOD will find in this book those fundamental principles of the Truth which lead all, who acknowledge them, into harmony.

"One peculiar feature of the book, is that its influence over its readers is uplifting and healing. Even when the reader is indifferent to the subject matter, it is a regular Christian Science Treatment to read over the words.”

The author personifies Colds, Fevers, Dyspepsia, and other forms of evil and sickness, and on page 27 there is an account of a supposed interview between "Fever" and one of the children. While the incident partakes more or less of the ludicrous, from superficial attention, yet the careful reader will note a serious

vein therein, as well as valuable grains of truth. We give it verbatim : "One of the Torments would run after a child until he caught him, then he would say: "I am a Fever, "Oh, are you?” replied the frightened child.

Yes, and I want you to take me. You may have your choice of calling me what you please, Nervous Fever, Billious Fever, Malarial Fever or Hay and Straw Fever, but take me you must."

"And then what shall I do?" said the child, tremblingly. "We've brought a set of shadows with us called Doctors, ment. You must send for one of them."

What will he do?" asked the child, shaking.

" answered the Tor

Oh, he'll bring a bag full of pills and powders and plasters, and a great deal of make-you-feel-worse (a preparation made wholly by the Doctors), which he will give you. Oh, what a nice, hot, painful time you'll have! Won't you be nice and miserable?"

Like most of the literature in this line, the author, it seems to us, takes a position inclined toward the extreme and fails to give due credit to a really conscientious and valuable class of men and women, who honestly try to alleviate pain and suffering.

We have no further criticism to make of this little work, and find much, very much between its beautiful covers to admire and endorse.

We are in receipt of a most interesting and useful book by M. L. Holbrook M. D., entitled "Food and Work; or, Eating for Strength.

In the first part of the work the author says: "The object of this volume is to present the most recent facts of science in a way to make them valuable for actual use in daily life. There is no doubt but man may double his capacity for work, and for enjoyment by improving his dietetic habits.

To meet the requirements of that constantly increasing class who have more and more desire to draw their nourishment from the vegetable kingdom, carefully prepared, and elaborate tables have been arranged, showing just how much of of each particular food one needs to consume in order to provide the body with the required amount of proteids, carbo-hydrates and fats.

The time is near when a knowledge of the principles of diet will be considered as important a part of our education as a knowledge of the multiplication table. That this little work may help to hasten that time is the sincere desire of the author."

The suggestions to those who would become vegetarians are practicable and right to the point. Here is a paragraph from page 63:

I am aware that no sudden change in man's dietetic habits will be made, but it could be brought about gradually. Flesh once a day might be taken, or three or four times a week, as in the majority of well-to-do-families in Germany. Fish, eggs, oysters, and milk might be retained, perhaps indefinitely. There is practically little or no cruelty in securing any of these, not that they are absolutely necessary, but people think they are, and so long as they think so, their thoughts must find expression in acts; besides this kind of animal food would answer the requirements of those who cannot or will not, under any circumstances, altogether dispense with it.

The book is full of valuable advice and suggestions; contains several hundred recipes for wholesome foods and drinks, also an able chapter by M. B. Manwaring on the subject of Food from a Chemist's Stand-point." This section is filled with interesting and useful tables, to which one is always wanting to refer. Published by M. L. Holbrook & Co., New York. Bound in cloth; 246 pages. Price $1.00.

"The Power of Thought in the Production and Cure of Desease," is a very interesting little pamphlet, by Dr. Wm. H. Holcomb.

Published by Purdy Publishing Co., McVicker's Theatre Building, Chicago, Illinois. Price, 15 Cents.