chapter in our text-book on the Trinity. While

the idea of Deity as a mystic Three-in-One forms part of the universal occult teaching and is found in almost every religion, it must also be recognised that individual religious cults frequently centre round One in particular of the Three Logoi. ‘Thus the purely monotheistic systems, Judaism and Mahome- tanism for example, are religions of God the Father. These are expressions of the power aspect of Deity. They are vitally concerned with law, with judicial systems and moral codes, their founders being law- givers and administrators.
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ty
ESOTERIC CHRISTIANITY
Systems which centre round the worship of an Avatar or Divine Man are religions of God the Son. Such were the cults of Osiris, Horus, Mithra ; such is the worship to-day of Krishna and of Jesus. ‘These are concerned with the love aspect of Deity, being expressions of that duality (always associated with the Second Logos) which the Incarnation reflects in the human-divine nature of the Saviour.
For the systems centering round God the Holy Ghost we have to look in the past to those cults wherein the feminine counterpart of the Third Logos has been worshipped as the Divine Mother. Isis, Ishtar, Diana and the Buddhist Kwanyin, with the Virgin Mary, are representations of Deity as the productive and life-sustaining element in nature, as in the soul of man. ‘They foreshadow the reign- to-be of the Third Logos, God the Holy Ghost.
Christianity embraces these three. It grew out of the first, having its roots in Judaism, while the retention in its canon of the Hebrew Scriptures served to prolong and strengthen that influence, now generally declining. It established the second, which reached the height of its power during the Middle Ages. Roman Catholicism, unchanging in its method, remains pre-eminently a religion of God the Son. With a further cyclic impetus, however, Christianity has now entered upona third era, which
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THE CREED
may be recognised as that of the Holy Spirit.* The present period is one in which the religious impulse is being directed into every kind of activity, social, philanthropic, and intellectual. Art, philosophy, science, statesmanship, education, are alike coming under the influence of this new wave of spiritual energy, which is that of the Third Logos, the activity aspect of Deity. Upon this rapidly advancing tide of intellectual and creative power humanity will be borne forward toward the realisa- tion of brotherhood and the establishment of a world religion.
For further study of this subject the reader is referred to “The Fire of Creation,” by J. J. van Leeuw, a recent treatise which sheds most valuable light upon the Christian presentation of the Trinity.
ADDITIONAL BOOKS
Besant, ANNIE. “‘ Avataras” ; “ Initiation.”
CARPENTER, EDwarpD. “ Pagan and Christian Creeds.”
Coss, Dr. Geicie. ‘‘ Mysticism and the Creed.”
Frazer, Sir F. G. “The Golden Bough.” (The abridged edition is recommended.)
Kincsrorp, ANNA. ‘“‘ The Credo of Christendom.”
KincsForpD and MAITLAND. “ The Virgin of the World.”
LEADBEATER, C. W. “‘ The Christian Creed”; ‘‘ The Hidden Side of Christian Festivals.”
Leeuw, J. J. vAN. “ The Fire of Creation.”
RoBERTSON, J. M. “‘ Pagan Christs.”
* For earlier indications of this tendency see Rufus M. Jones’ “Studies in Mystical Religion.”
E.C. I 7 c