The Cloud upon the Sanctuary.
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BY THE COUNCILLOR D' ECKARTSHAUSEN.
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TRANSLATED BY MADAME ISABEL DE STEIGER.
LETTER II.
It is necessary, my dear brothers in the Lord, to give you a clear
idea of the interior Church; of that illuminated Community of God
which is scattered throughout the world, but which is governed by one
truth and united in one spirit.
This enlightened community has existed since the first day of the
world's creation, and its duration will be to the last day of time.
This community possesses a school, in which all who thirst for
knowledge are instructed by the Spirit of Wisdom itself; and all the
mysteries of God and of nature are preserved in this school for the
children of light.... Perfect knowledge of God, of nature, and of
humanity are the objects of instruction in this school. It is from
her that all truths penetrate into the world, she is the School of the
Prophets, and of all who search for wisdom, and it is in this
community alone that truth and the explanation of all mystery is to be
found. It is the most hidden of communities yet possesses members from
many circles; of such is this school. From all time there has been an
exterior school based on the interior one, of which it is but the
outer expression. From all time, therefore, there has been a hidden
assembly, a society of the Elect, of those who sought for and had
capacity for light, and this interior society was called the interior
Sanctuary or Church. All that the external Church possesses in symbol
ceremony or rite is the letter expressive outwardly of the spirit of
truth residing in the interior Sanctuary.
Hence this Sanctuary composed of scattered members, but tied by
the bonds of perfect unity and love, has been occupied from the
earliest ages in building the grand Temple through the regeneration of
humanity, by which the reign of God will be manifest. This society is
in the communion of those who have most capacity for light,
i.e., the Elect. The Elect are united in truth, and their Chief
is the Light of the World himself, Jesus Christ, the One Anointed in
light, the single mediator for the human race, the Way, the Truth, and
the Life- Primitive light, wisdom, and the only medium by which
man can return to God.
The interior Church was formed immediately after the fall of man,
and received from God at first-hand the revelation of the means by
which fallen humanity could be again raised to its rights and
delivered from its misery. It received the primitive charge of all
revelation and mystery; it received the key of true science, both
divine and natural.
But when men multiplied, the frailty of man and his weakness
necessitated an exterior society which veiled the interior one, and
concealed the spirit and the truth in the letter. Because many people
were not capable of comprehending great interior truth, and the danger
would have been too great in confiding the moist Holy to incapable
people. Therefore, interior truths were wrapped in external and
perceptible ceremonies, so that men, by the perception of the outer,
which is the symbol of the interior, might by degrees be enabled
safely to approach the interior spiritual truths.
But the inner truth bas always been confided to him who in his day
had the most capacity for illumination, and he became the sole
guardian of the original Trust, as High Priest of the Santuary.
When it became necessary that interior truths should be enfolded
in exterior ceremony and symbol, on account of the real weakness of
men who were not capable of bearing the Light of Light, then exterior
worship began. It was, however, always the type and symbol of the
interior, that is to say, the symbol of the true homage offered to God
in spirit and in truth.
The difference between spiritual and animal man, and between
rational and sensual man, made the exterior and interior imperative.
Interior truth passed into the external wrapped in symbol and
ceremony, so that sensuous man could observe, and be gradually thereby
led to interior truth. Hence external worship was symbolically typical
of interior truths, and of the true relationship between man and God
before and after the Fall, and of his most perfect reconciliation. All
the symbols of external worship are based upon the three fundamental
relations- the Fall, the Reconciliation, and the Complete Atonement.
The care of the external service was the occupation of priests,
and every father of a family was in the ancient times charged with
this duty. First fruits and the first born among animals were offered
to God, symbolizing that all that preserves and nourishes us comes
from Him; also that animal man must be killed to make room for
rational and spiritual man.
The external worship of God would never have been separated from
interior service but for the weakness of man which tends too easily to
forget the spirit in the letter, but the spirit of God is vigilant to
note in every nation those who are able to receive light, and they are
employed as agents to spread the light according to man's capacity,
and to re-vivify the dead letter.
Through these divine instruments the interior truths of the
Sanctuary were taken into every nation, and modified symbolically
according to their customs, capacity for instruction, climate, and
receptiveness. So that the external types of every religion, worship,
ceremonies and Sacred Books in general have more or less clearly, as
their object of instruction, the interior truths of the Sanctuary, by
which man, but only in the latter days, will be conducted to the
universal knowledge of the one Absolute Truth.
The more the external worship of a people has remained united with
the spirit of esoteric truth, the purer its religion; but the wider
the difference between the symbolic letter and the invisible truth,
the more imperfect has become the religion; even so far among some
nations as to degenerate into polytheism. Then the external form
entirely parted from its inner truth when ceremonial observances
without soul or life remained alone.
When the germs of the most important truths had been carried
everywhere by God's agents, He chose a certain people to raise up a
vital symbol destined by Him to manifest forth the means by which
He intended to govern the human race in its present condition, and by
which it would be raised into cormplete purification and perfection.
God Himself communicated to this people its exterior religious
legislation, He gave all the symbols and enacted all the ceremonies,
and they contained the impress, as it were, of the great esoteric
truth of the Sanctuary.
God consecrated this external Church in Abraham, gave commandments
through Moses, and it received its highest perfection in the double
message of Jesus Christ, existing personally in poverty and suffering,
and by the communication of His Spirit in the glory of the
Resurrection.
Now, as God Himself laid the foundation of the external Church,
the whole of the symbols of external worship formed the of science of
the Temple and of the Priests in those days, because the mysteries of
the most sacred truths became external through revelatlon alone. The
scientific acquaintance of this holy symbolism was the science to unite
fallen man once more with God, hence religion received its name from
being the science of rebinding man with God, to bring man back to his
origin.
One sees plainly by this pure idea of religion in general that
unity in religion is within the inner Sanctuary, and that the
multiplicity of external religions can never alter the true unity
which is at the base of every exterior.
The wisdom of the ancient temple alliance was preserved by priests
and by prophets.
To the priests was confided the external,- the letter of the
symbol, hieroglyphics. The prophets had the charge of the inner truth,
and their occupation was to continually recall the priest to the spirit
in the letter, when inclined to lose it. The science of the priests was
that of the knowledge of exterior symbol.
That of the prophets was experimental possession of the truth of
the symbols. In the interior the spirit lived. There was, therefore,
in the ancient alliance a school of prophets and of priests, the one
occupying itself with the spirit in the emblem, the other with the
emblem itself. The priests had the external possession of the Ark, of
the shewbread, of the candlesticks, of the manna, of Aaron's rod, and
the prophets were in interior possession of the inner spiritual truth
which was represented exteriorly by the symbols just mentioned.
The external Church of the ancient alliance was visible, the
interior Church was always invisible, must be invisible, and yet must
govern all, because force and power are alone confided to her.
When the divine external[1] worship abandoned the interior worship
it fell, and God proved by a remarkable chain of circumstances that
the letter could not exist without the spirit, that it is only there
to lead to the spirit, and it is useless and even rejected by God if
it fails in its object.
As the spirit of nature extends to the most sterile depths to
vivify and preserve and cause growth in everything susceptible to its
influence, likewise the spirit of light spreads itself interiorly
among nations to animate everywhere the dead letter by the living
spirit.
This is why we find a Job among idolators, a Meichizedek among
strange nations, a Joseph with the Egyptian priests, a Moses in the
country of Midian, as living proofs the interior community of those
who are capable of receiving light was united by one spirit and one
truth in all times and in all nations.
To these agents of light from the one inner community was united
the Chief of all agents, Jesus Christ Himself, in the midst of time as
royal priest after the order of Melchizedek.
The divine agents of the ancient alliance hitherto represented
only specialised perfections of God; therefore a powerful movement was
required which should show all at once- all in one. A universal
type appeared, which gave the real touch of perfect unity to the
picture, which opened a fresh door, and destroyed the number of the
slavery of humanity.
The law of love began when the Image emanating from wisdom itself
shewed to man all the greatness of his being, vivified him anew by
every force, assured him of his immortality, and raised his
intellectual status to that of being the true temple for the spirit.
This Chief Agent of all, this Saviour of the World and universal
Regencrator, claimed man's whole attention to the primitive truth,
whereby he can preserve his existence and recover his former dignity.
Through the conditions of His own abasement He laid the base of the
redemption of man, and He promised to accomplish it completely one day
through His Spirit. He shewed also truly in part among His apostles
all that should come to pass in the future to all the Elect.
He linked the chain of the community of light among the Elect, to
whom He sent the spirit of truth, and confided to them the true
primitive instruction in all divine and natural things, as a sign that
He would never forsake His community.
When the letter and symbolic worship of the external Church of the
ancient alliance had been realised by the Incarnation of the Saviour,
and verified in His person, new symbols became requisite for external
use, which shewed us through the letter the future accomplishment of
universal redemption.
The rites and symbols of the external Christian Church were formed
after the pattern of these unchangeable and fundamental truths,
announcing things of a strength and of an importance impossible to
describe, and revealed only to those who knew the innermost Sanctuary.
This Sanctuary remains changeless, though external religion
receives in the course of time and circumstances varied modification,
entailing separation from the interior spirit which can alone preserve
the letter. The profane idea of wishing to "civilise"[2] all that is
Christian, and to Christianise all that is political, changed the
exterior edifice, and covered with the shadow of death all that was
interior light and life. Hence divisions and heresies, and the spirit
of Sophistry ready to expound the letter when it had already lost the
essence of truth.
Current incredulity increased corruption to its utmost point,
attacking the edifice of Christianity in its fundamental parts and the
sacred interior was mingled with the exterior, already enfeebled by
the ignorance of weak man.
Then was born Deism; this brought forth materialism, which looked
on the union of man with superior forces as imaginary; then finally
came forth, partly from the head and partly from the heart, the last
degree of man's degradation- Atheism.
In the midst of all this, truth reposes inviolable in the inner
Sanctuary.
Faithful to the spirit of truth, which promised never to abandon
its community, the members of the interior Church lived in silence,
but in real activity, and united the science of the temple of the
ancient alliance with the spirit of the great saviour of man- the
spirit of the interior alliance, waiting humbly the great moment when
the Lord will call them, and will assemble his community in order to
give every dead letter external force and life.
This interior community of light is the reunion of all those
capable of receiving light as Elect, and it is known as the
Communion of Saints. The primitive receptacle for all strength
and truth, confided to it from all time- it alone, says St. Paul, is
in the possession of the science of the Saints.
By it the agents of God were formed in every age, passing from the
interior to the exterior, and communicating spirit and life to the
dead letter as already said.
This illuminated community has been through time the true school
of God's spirit, and considered as school, it has its Chair, its
Doctor, it possesses a rule for students, it has forms and objects for
study, and, in short, a method by which they study.
It has, also, its degrees for successive development. to higher
altitudes.
The first and lowest degree consists in the moral good, by which
the single will, subordinated to God, is led to God by the pure motive
of willing with and to Jesus Christ, which it does through faith. The
means by which the spint of this school acts are called inspirations.
The second degree consists in the rational intellectuality, by
which the understanding of the man of virtue, who is united to God, is
crowned with wisdom and the light of know-ledge, and the means which
the spirit uses to produce this is called interior illumination.
The third and highest degree is the entire opening of our inner
sensorium, by which the inner man perceives objectively and really,
metaphysical verities. This is the highest degree when faith passes
into open vision, and the means the spirit uses for this are real
visions.
These are the three degrees of the school for true interior
wisdom- that of the illuminated Society. The same spirit which ripens
men for this community also distributes its degrees by the co-action
of the ripened subject.
This school of wisdom has been forever most secretly hidden from
the world, because it is invisible and submissive solely to divine
government.
It has never been exposed to the accidents of time and to the
weakness of man. Because only the most capable were chosen for it,
and the spirits who selected made no error.
Through this school were developed the germs of all the sublime
sciences, which were first received by external schools, then clothed
in other forms, and hence degenerating.
This society of sages communicated, according to time and
circumstances, unto the exterior societies their symbolic hieroglyphs,
in order to attract man to the great truths of their interior.
But all exterior societies subsist through this interior one
giving them its spirit. As soon as external societies wish to be
independent of the interior one, and to transform a temple of wisdom
into a political edifice, the interior society retires and leaves only
the letter without the spirit. It is thus that secret external
societies of wisdom were nothing but hieroglyphic screens, the truth
remaining inviolable in the sanctuary so that she might never be
profaned.
In this interior society man finds wisdom and with her-
All- not the wisdom of this world which is but scientific
knowledge, which revolves round the outside but never touches the
centre (in which is contained all strength), but true wisdom and men
obeying her.
All disputes, all controversies, all the things belonging to the
false cares of this world, fruitless discussions, useless germs of
opinions which spread the seeds of disunion, all error, schisms, and
systems are banished. Neither calumny nor scandal are known. Every
man is honoured. Satire, that spirit which loves to make its neighbour
smart, is unknown. Love alone reigns.
Want and feebleness are protected, and rejoicings are made at the
elevation and greatness which man acquires.
We must not, however, imagine this society resembles any secret
society, meeting at certain times, choosing its leaders and members,
united by special objects. All societies, be what they may, can but
come after this interior illuminated circle. This society knows none
of the formalties which belong to the outer rings, the work of man. In
this kingdom of power all outward forms cease.
God himself is the Power always present. The best man of his
times, the chief himself, does not always know all the members, but
the moment when it is the Will of Godthat he should accomplish any
object, He finds them in the world with certainty to work for that
purpose.
This community has no outside barriers. He who may be chosen by
God is as the first, he presents himself among the others without
presumption, and he is received by the others without jealousy.
If it be necessary that real members should meet together, they
find and recognise each other with perfect certainty.
No diguise can be used, neither hypocrisy nor dissimulation could
hide the characteristic qualities of this society, they are too
genuine. All illusion is gone, and things appear in their true form.
No one member can choose another, unanimous choice is required.
All men are called, the called may be chosen, if they become ripe for
entrance.
Any one can look for the entrance, and any man who is within can
teach another to seek for it; but only he who is fit can arrive
inside.
Unprepared men occasion disorder in a community, and disorder is
not compatible with the Sanctuary. This thrusts out all who are not
homogeneous.
Worldly intelligence seeks this Sanctuary in vain, fruitless also
will be the efforts of malice to penetrate these great mysteries; all
is undecipherable to him who is not ripe, he can see nothing, read
nothing in the interior.
He who is ripe is joined to the chain, perhaps often where he
thought least likely, and at a point of which he knew nothing himself.
Seeking to become ripe, should be effort of him who sees wisdom.
But there are methods by which ripeness is attained, for in this
holy communion is the primitive storehouse of the most ancient and
original science of the human race, with the primitive mysteries also
of all science. It is the unique and really illuminated community
which is absolutely in possession of the key to all mystery, which
knows the centre and source of all nature and creation. It is a
society which unites superior strength to its own, and counts its
members from more than one world. It is the society whose members form
a theocratic republic, which one day will be the Regent Mother of the
whole World.[3]
TRANSLATOR'S NOTE.
There is an expression in the third paragraph which is puzzling. The
literal translation would of course be "many worlds," (plusieurs
mondes). The same word is also used in the last paragraph, "it counts
its members from more than one world." I confess I am at a loss to
give the real meaning. Merely translating it, society, circle, set of
people, would at once give it a sense of limitation; "from all
kindreds and peoples" would seem the best way to convey the idea of an
eclectic but universal choice. I can't think it conveys the meaning
that another planet or world would imply.
There is a paragraph in Carpenter's work "From Adams Peak to
Elephanta," which I must here mention; he says a propos of the
rites and ceremonies of a Hindu Temple; "the theory is that all the
ceremonies have inner and mystic meanings- which meanings in due time
are declared to those who are fit- and that thus the temple,
institutions, and ceremonies constitute a great ladder by which men
can rise at last to those inner truths which lie beyond all formulas
and are contained in no creed."
This is exactly the argument of Eckartshausen, with the exception
of the last phrase, as, au contraire, he would say that creeds are
quite different to formulas- creeds being synthetic enunciation of
verities, so shorn of all but the absolutely necessary words that no
one but masters of theology can at all correctly enlarge them.
However, the interesting part is the similar view of the importance of
the outer ceremony on the part of the Hindu priests. It would be
insulting the understandings of my readers if I were to point out the
obvious fact that though Eckartshausen speaks so constantly of the
Church rites and ceremonies he is not alluding to any special church.
In the next letter, which is an extremely interesting one, the word
Temple is substituted for Eglise. A Church properly speaking means a
body of worshippers. A Temple means a building containing a shrine.
This distinction is of importance. In France the R.C. Community call
the Protestant places of worship Temples, which according to their
views they cannot be, as they would not consider that the Protestants
have the Sacred Vessels or offices, or anything really pertaining to a
shrine.
Nevertheless, it is also clear that Eckartshausen speaks with so
much respect of rites and ceremonies, symbols and hieroglyphics, which
he may take otherwise than necessarily Egyptian, of course, that one
feels that he must have thought with more respect of those Churches
that have kept a larger amount of rite and ceremony than than those
who deliberately docked them. These latter emulated too soon the
exalted condition of being "beyond formulas," and so fell below it,
the tendency of mankind in a natural condition being towards outer
manifestahon. This, of course, is but a preliminary stage, but a long
way ahead of the condition of not feeling any desire for such
manifestation.
In speaking of the "Elect" we cannot be sufficiently careful not
to fall into any error of thought on this matter by being influenced
by any dregs of Calvinistic limitation. We cannot exalt our ideas on
of the subject high enough, for in fact we do not know anything at all
about who and what are the Elect. Our mystic is
certainly not writing on ordinary lines, neither to ordinary people.
One may be inclined then to say, "Oh, then it does not concern us,"
but it does, for we never know when we may turn from the ordinary into
the extra-ordinary. All we have to do is- our best. We certainly shal1
be in the right if we exalt all theology especially as conveyed
through mystic writers (who seem to have the power of exalting the
gold into still purer sublimation, only it is only in appearance) as
high as our imagination will go. The possibility of reaching
this region will always be open to us, if we do not fall into the
snare of imagining that we can easily experimentally arrive at this
altitude. All the letters of Eckartshausen point to a region of
thought and action quite beyond recognised theology. We therefore
infer that he and other mystics give us some of the information known
to the inner Sanctuary, and not taught generally in the outer circles,
that is, in the Churches of Christendom. We must certainly read the
words "Christian Mysteries" between the lines. If we said they mean
the Sacraments, especially of the Holy Supper, we should limit these
mysteries to those that are acknowledged as such and given generally
to Christian Europe. We must all of us see an advanced grade beyond
the one which we many of us can achieve, a grade of high initiation
which will open these mysteries to us, an attitude of thought which at
least must command our respect, and which certainly if faithfully
maintained would in itself do much to advance us. The fear of
God is the beginning of Wisdom. Wisdom, as Eckartshausen points out,
being something truly comprehensive.
[1] I Can't but think here that the words interior and exterior are
transposed in translating from the original German to the French from
which I translate it, but I put it as I find in the text of the very
valuable edition to which I have access.- I. de S.
[2] Civiliser in French, coming also from "civilis," does not mean
literally civilise, but it is difficult to find an English equivalent
expressive of reducing things to civil or ordinary practice.- I. de S.
[3] Capitals are rarely employed. I always quote them, but
occasionally use them in other places when the sense requires them, so
as not to confuse the cases and genders, for instance, esprit
evidently requires to be written occasionally Spirit, not spirit.
Scanned from "The Unknown World", Vol. II - No. I, Feb. 15, 1895, and
corrected by hand.