Page 70 (part 5)

144.) Then why, in this case, should not historical man be the product of a modification on a pre-existent and pre-historical kind of man, even supposing for argument's sake that there is nothing within him to last longer than, or live independently of, his physical structure? But this is not so! For, when we are told that "organic matters are produced in the laboratory by what we may literally call artificial evolution " ( Appendix to " Principles of Biology, " p. 482), we answer the distinguished English philosopher, that Alchemists and great adepts have done as much, and, indeed, far more, before the chemists ever attempted to "build out of dissociated elements complex combinations." The Homunculi of Paracelsus are a fact in Alchemy, and will become one in Chemistry very likely, and then Mrs. Shelley's Frankenstein will have to be regarded as a prophecy. But no chemist, or Alchemist either, will ever endow such a "Frankenstein's Monster" with more than animal instinct, unless indeed he does that which the "Progenitors" are credited with, namely, if he leaves his own physical body, and incarnates in the "empty form." But even this would be an artificial, not a natural man, for our "Progenitors" had, in the course of eternal evolution, to become gods before they became men. The above digression, if one, is an attempt at justification before the few thinking men of the coming century who may read this. But this accounts also for the reason why the best and most spiritual men of our present day can no longer be satisfied with either Science or theology; and why they prefer any such "psychic craze" to the dogmatic assertions of both, neither of the two having anything better to offer than blind faith in their respective infallibility. Universal tradition is indeed the far safer guide in life. And universal tradition shows primitive man living for ages together with his Creators and first instructors -- the Elohim -- in the World's "Garden of Eden," or "Delight." We shall treat of the Divine Instructors in Stanza XII . ------- 45. T HE FIRST GREAT WATERS CAME. T HEY SWALLOWED THE SEVEN GREAT ISLANDS ( a ). ------- 46. A LL HOLY SAVED, THE UNHOLY DESTROYED. W ITH THEM MOST OF THE HUGE ANIMALS PRODUCED FROM THE SWEAT OF THE EARTH ( b ) . [[Vol. 2, Page]] 350 THE SECRET DOCTRINE. ( a ) As this subject -- the fourth great deluge on our globe in this Round -- is fully treated in the chapters that follow the last Stanza, to say anything more at present would be mere repetition. The seven great islands (Dwipas) belonged to the continent of Atlantis. The secret teachings show that the "Deluge" overtook the Fourth, giant Race, not on account of their depravity, or because they had become "black with sin," but simply because such is the fate of every continent, which -- like everything else under our Sun -- is born, lives, becomes decrepit, and dies. This was when the Fifth Race was in its infancy. ( b ) Thus the giants perished -- the magicians and the sorcerers, adds the fancy of popular tradition, but "all holy saved," and alone the "unholy were destroyed." This was due, however, as much to the prevision of the "holy" ones, who had not lost the use of their "third eye," as to Karma and natural law. Speaking of the subsequent race (our Fifth Humanity), the commentary says: -- " Alone the handful of those Elect, whose divine instructors had gone to inhabit that Sacred Island -- ' from whence the last Saviour will come ' -- now kept mankind from becoming one-half the exterminator of the other [as mankind does now -- H.P.B. ]. It (mankind) became divided. Two-thirds of it were ruled by Dynasties of lower, material Spirits of the earth, who took possession of the easily accessible bodies ; one-third remained faithful, and joined with the nascent Fifth Race -- the divine Incarnates. When the Poles moved (for the fourth time) this did not affect those who were protected, and who had separated from the Fourth Race. Like the Lemurians -- alone the ungodly Atlanteans perished, and ' were seen no more . . . . ." -------