he great
systems of philosophy elaborated by the Christian thinkers in modern
times." And, yet, the Church continues to repeat the now meaningless
words, "I believe in the Resurrection of the Body." And while
practically no one now believes it, still the recital of the words,
and the statement of one's belief in them, forms a necessary requisite
for admission into the Christian Church to-day. Such is the persistent
hold of dead forms, and thoughts, upon living people.

And, so you can readily see from what has been said, why the early
Christians, about the close of the first century A.D., attached so
much importance to _the physical conception and birth_ of Jesus. To
them the physical body of Jesus was Jesus Himself. The rest follows
naturally, including the Virgin Birth and the Physical Resurrection.
We trust that you now understand this part of the subject.

We have heard devout Christians shocked at the idea that Jesus was
born of a human father and mother, in the natural way of the race.
They seemed to think that it savored of impurity. Such a notion is the
result of a perverted idea of the sacredness of natural functions--a
seeing of impurity--where all is pure. What a perversion, this
regarding the sacredness of human Fatherhood, and Motherhood, as
impure! The man of true spirituality sees in the Divine Trinity of
Father, Mother and Child, something most pure and sacred--something
that brings man very close indeed to God. Is the beautiful babe, held
close in its mother's fond embrace, a symbol and type of impurity? Is
the watchful care and love of the Father of the babe, an impure result
of an impure cause? Does not one's own heart tell him the contrary?
Look at the well known picture of the Journey to Egypt, with Mary
carrying the babe, and both guarded and protected by the husband and
father--Joseph--is this not a beautiful symbol of the sacredness of
Parenthood? We trust that the majority of those who read these pages
have advanced spiritually beyond the point where The Family is a thing
of impure suggestion and relationship.

And, now, what are the Occult Teachings--the Secret Doctrine--regarding
the Real Virgin Birth of Jesus? Just this: that the Spirit of Jesus
was fresh from the bosom of the Absolute--Spirit of SPIRIT--a Virgin
Birth of Spirit. His Spirit had not traveled the weary upward path of
Reincarnation and repeated Rebirth, but was Virgin Spirit fresh from
the SPIRIT--a very Son of the Father--be