First let us see what is meant by a sacrament, and why the rites3 of baptism, communion, marriage, and extreme unction are properly so called; then we shall be in a position to understand what sacrilege is and why it is unpardonable.
The Rosicrucians teach, only with more detail, the same doctrine4 that Paul preached in the 15th chapter of 1st Corinthians, starting at the thirty-fifth verse, that in addition to the body of flesh and blood we have a soul body, soma psuchicon, (mistranslated “natural” body), and a spiritual body; that each of these bodies is grown from a different seed atom and that there are three stages of unfoldment for Adam,55 or man. The first Adam was taken from the ground and was without sentient5 life. Soul was added to the second Adam; thus he had life within, a leaven6 laboring7 to elevate the clod to God. When the potential of the soul extracted from the physical body has been raised to the spiritual, the last Adam will become a life giving spirit, capable of transmitting the life impulse to others directly as flame from one candle can be communicated to many without diminishing the magnitude of the original light.
In the meantime the germ for our earthly body had to be properly placed in fruitful soil to grow a suitable vehicle, and generative organs were provided from the beginning to accomplish this purpose. It is stated in Genesis 1:27, that Elohim created them male and female. The Hebrew words are “sacre va n’cabah.” These are names of the sex organs. Literally9 translated, sacr means “bearer of the germ.” Thus marriage is a sacr-ament, for it opens the way for transmission of a physical seed atom from the father to the mother, and tends to preserve the race against the ravages10 of death. Baptism as a Sacrament signifies the germinal urge of the soul for the higher life. Holy Communion, in which we partake of bread (made from the seed of chaste11 plants), and of wine (the cup symbolizing12 the passionless seed-pod), points to the age to come, an age wherein it will be unnecessary to transmit the seed through a father and mother, but where we may feed directly upon cosmic life and56 thus conquer death. Finally, extreme unction is the sacrament which marks the loosening of the silver cord, and the extraction of the sacred germ, freeing it until it shall again be planted in another n’cabah, or mother.
As the seed and ovum are the root and basis of racial development, it is easy to see that no sin can be more serious than that which abuses the creative function, for by that sacr-ilege we stunt13 future generations and transgress14 against the Holy Spirit, Jehovah, who is warder of the creative lunar forces. His angels herald15 births, as in the cases of Isaac, John the Baptist, and Jesus. When he wanted to reward his most faithful follower16, he promised to make his seed as numerous as the sands on the seashore. He also meted17 out a most terrible punishment to the Sodomites who committed sacr-ilege by misdirecting the seed. He even visits the sins of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations, for under his regime Law reigns18 supreme19. Man has not yet evolved to the point where he can respond to love. He requires from his enemies an eye for an eye, and with the same measure that he metes20, it is meted unto him.
Though this seems very cruel to us who are each day evolving more and more the faculties21 of love and mercy, we must remember that this retributive justice relates purely22 to the physical body, which is under the laws of Nature just as much as any other57 chemical composition in the universe. When abuses have weakened it, it is incapable23 of fulfilling its mission and meeting our demands in any respect, just as is the case with any other machinery24 which we have made from the materials around us. There are no miracles such as would be required to generate a sound and healthy body from parents who have transgressed25 the laws of nature by their abuses; therefore that sin cannot be remitted26 but must be expiated27; but when time and care have restored the necessary strength and vigor28, the body will again perform its functions in a normal and healthy manner.
Thus we understand that under the law there is no mercy, for mercy is dictated29 by love. Therefore it was perfectly30 in consonance with cosmic order when Christ, the Lord of Love, said that all things would be forgiven to men which they did against Him, as love is the reigning31 feature in His kingdom; but whatsoever32 was done contrary to the law of Jehovah must meet its full retribution. We cannot be sufficiently33 thankful for the wonderful religion which He gave us, particularly if we compare it with those under which less evolved peoples are now struggling. Take the Buddhists35, for instance: grand and beautiful though their leader was, he saw only sorrow, a constant struggle against the laws of nature. He aimed to teach his followers36 to transcend37 that condition by perfect obedience38 such as that whereby we have conquered the laws of electricity and other forces in58 nature. The Buddhist34 sees nothing but the cold and merciless law; on the other hand, we of the Western World have before our eyes from the cradle to the grave a beautiful picture of One who said, “Come unto me all ye that labor8 and are heavy laden39, and I will give you rest.”
But it may be asked, “What about lost souls; are they a figment of the imagination also?” To this question may be answered, “yes,” although it needs some qualification. We shall best understand the case if we go back into the history of mankind and view the experiences of some who have transgressed, for they will furnish us an example of what may happen. In order to establish the point properly we shall reiterate40 a few of the Rosicrucian teachings regarding the genesis of the earth and of man upon it. Three great stages of unfoldment have preceded the present Earth Period. The Father is the highest Initiate41 of the Saturn42 Period, inhabiting particularly the Spiritual Sun. The Son, the cosmic Christ, is the highest Initiate of the Sun Period, inhabiting the Central Sun and guiding the planets in their orbits by a ray from Himself, which becomes the indwelling spirit of each planet when it has been sufficiently ripened44 to contain such a great Intelligence. Jehovah, the Holy Spirit, is the highest Initiate of the Moon Period and dwelling43 in the physical, visible sun. He is regent of the various moons thrown off by the different planets for the purpose of giving beings who have fallen behind in59 the march of evolution more rigid45 discipline under a firmer law, to awaken46 them and spur them on in the proper direction if possible.
When we look into space, we perceive that some planets have a number of moons and others have none; but as there are laggards47 in any large company, and as moons are required to aid these stragglers to retrieve48 their lost estate if possible, we may be sure that these planets which have no moons now have had them in the past. Those Great Beings of whom the Rosicrucian Cosmo-Conception speaks as “Lords of Venus” and “Lords of Mercury” were, in fact, stragglers from those two planets. In the dim distant past they inhabited moons which encircled their respective planets, and were successful in retrieving49 their loss in a large measure under the discipline given them there. Later they received the opportunity to serve the humanity of our earth, and by that service to secure a return to the home planet whence they had been exiled. They were lost under the law, but redeemed50 by love; and thus we may infer that opportunities for service will also bring to other beings, who may become “lost,” the opportunity to retrieve the past.
Since it may puzzle the student as to what becomes of the moons upon which such beings dwell for a time, we may say that the solar system is to be regarded as the body of the Great Spirit whom we call God, and as any growth caused by an abnormal process pains us60 when it occurs in our body, so also such crystallizations as moons are sources of discomfort51 to that Great Being. Furthermore, as our own systems endeavor to eliminate such abnormalities as growths, so also the universe endeavors to expel moons which have served their purpose. While the beings who have been exiled to a moon are there, the Planetary Spirit of the primary planet by his care for these beings, holds the moon in its orbit, and we speak of his love for them as the Law of Attraction; but when they have returned to the parent planet, the Planetary Spirit has no further interest in their cinder-like habitation. Then slowly the orbit of the vacated moon widens, it commences to disintegrate52, and it is finally expelled into interstellar space. The asteroids53 are remnants of moons which once encircled Venus and Mercury. There are also other seeming moons and lunar fragments in our solar system, but the Rosicrucian Cosmo-Conception does not concern itself with them as they are outside the pale of evolution.
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1
elucidate
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| v.阐明，说明 | |
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formerly
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| adv.从前，以前 | |
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rites
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| 仪式，典礼( rite的名词复数 ) | |
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doctrine
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| n.教义；主义；学说 | |
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sentient
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| adj.有知觉的，知悉的；adv.有感觉能力地 | |
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leaven
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| v.使发酵；n.酵母；影响 | |
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laboring
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| n.劳动，操劳v.努力争取(for)( labor的现在分词 )；苦干；详细分析；（指引擎）缓慢而困难地运转 | |
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labor
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| n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦 | |
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literally
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| adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实 | |
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ravages
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| 劫掠后的残迹，破坏的结果，毁坏后的残迹 | |
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chaste
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| adj.贞洁的；有道德的；善良的；简朴的 | |
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symbolizing
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| v.象征，作为…的象征( symbolize的现在分词 ) | |
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stunt
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| n.惊人表演，绝技，特技；vt.阻碍...发育，妨碍...生长 | |
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transgress
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| vt.违反，逾越 | |
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herald
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| vt.预示...的来临，预告，宣布，欢迎 | |
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follower
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| n.跟随者；随员；门徒；信徒 | |
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meted
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| v.（对某人）施以，给予（处罚等）( mete的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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reigns
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| n.君主的统治( reign的名词复数 )；君主统治时期；任期；当政期 | |
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supreme
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| adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的 | |
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metes
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| v.（对某人）施以，给予（处罚等）( mete的第三人称单数 ) | |
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faculties
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| n.能力( faculty的名词复数 )；全体教职员；技巧；院 | |
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purely
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| adv.纯粹地，完全地 | |
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incapable
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| adj.无能力的，不能做某事的 | |
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machinery
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| n.(总称)机械，机器；机构 | |
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transgressed
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| v.超越( transgress的过去式和过去分词 )；越过；违反；违背 | |
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remitted
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| v.免除（债务），宽恕( remit的过去式和过去分词 )；使某事缓和；寄回，传送 | |
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expiated
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| v.为（所犯罪过）接受惩罚，赎（罪）( expiate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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vigor
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| n.活力，精力，元气 | |
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dictated
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| v.大声讲或读( dictate的过去式和过去分词 )；口授；支配；摆布 | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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reigning
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| adj.统治的，起支配作用的 | |
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32
whatsoever
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| adv.（用于否定句中以加强语气）任何；pron.无论什么 | |
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sufficiently
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| adv.足够地，充分地 | |
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Buddhist
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| adj./n.佛教的，佛教徒 | |
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Buddhists
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| n.佛教徒( Buddhist的名词复数 ) | |
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36
followers
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| 追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件 | |
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transcend
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| vt.超出，超越(理性等)的范围 | |
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obedience
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| n.服从，顺从 | |
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laden
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| adj.装满了的；充满了的；负了重担的；苦恼的 | |
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40
reiterate
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| v.重申，反复地说 | |
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41
initiate
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| vt.开始，创始，发动；启蒙，使入门；引入 | |
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Saturn
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| n.农神，土星 | |
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43
dwelling
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| n.住宅，住所，寓所 | |
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44
ripened
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| v.成熟，使熟( ripen的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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45
rigid
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| adj.严格的，死板的；刚硬的，僵硬的 | |
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46
awaken
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| vi.醒，觉醒；vt.唤醒，使觉醒，唤起，激起 | |
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47
laggards
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| n.落后者( laggard的名词复数 ) | |
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48
retrieve
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| vt.重新得到，收回；挽回，补救；检索 | |
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49
retrieving
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| n.检索（过程），取还v.取回( retrieve的现在分词 )；恢复；寻回；检索（储存的信息） | |
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50
redeemed
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| adj. 可赎回的，可救赎的 动词redeem的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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51
discomfort
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| n.不舒服，不安，难过，困难，不方便 | |
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52
disintegrate
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| v.瓦解，解体，（使）碎裂，（使）粉碎 | |
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53
asteroids
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| n.小行星( asteroid的名词复数 )；海盘车，海星 | |
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