DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.636#0504
494 Modern Theism. Rammohtm Roy's successors.
their infallibility, while others rejected them as abounding in
error. A serious conflict of opinion continued for some time.
In the end it was decided by the majority, that neither Vedas
nor Upanishads were to be accepted as an infallible guide.
Only such precepts and ideas in them were to be admitted as
harmonized with pure Theistic truth, such truth resting on
the two foundations of external nature and internal intuition.
In short, the religion of Indian Theists was held to be a
religion of equilibrium—neither supported wholly by reason
on the one hand, nor by blind faith on the other.
This took place about the year 1850, by which time other
Samajes had begun to be established in the provinces, such
as those at Midnapur, Krishnagar, and Dacca. Raj Narain
Bose was minister of the Midnapur Samaj for many years,
when he was Head-master of the government Zillah (county)
school of that place.
A new Theistic Directory was then put forth by Debendra-
nath, called Brahma-Dharma, or ' the Theistic Religion.' It
contained a statement in Sanskrit of the four fundamental
principles of Indian Theism, together with the seven declara-
tions revised, and approved extracts from the Veda, Upani-
shads, and later Hindu scriptures, as, for example, from the
Isopanishad, Satapatha-Brahmana, and Manu. Selections
from these works were thought to have the advantage of
national association as an instrument for the dissemination of
truth. Otherwise they were not regarded as possessing any
peculiar inspiration, or even any inherent superiority over
extracts from other good books.
Any one who examines the whole compendium with im-
partiality must come to the conclusion that, although the
quotations it gives are pervaded throughout by a strong
aroma of Vedantic and Pantheistic ideas, it marks an advance
in the Theistic movement. It presents us for the first time
with a definite exposition of Indian Theistic doctrine, which
may be held by those who reject Vedantism. Its four funda-
their infallibility, while others rejected them as abounding in
error. A serious conflict of opinion continued for some time.
In the end it was decided by the majority, that neither Vedas
nor Upanishads were to be accepted as an infallible guide.
Only such precepts and ideas in them were to be admitted as
harmonized with pure Theistic truth, such truth resting on
the two foundations of external nature and internal intuition.
In short, the religion of Indian Theists was held to be a
religion of equilibrium—neither supported wholly by reason
on the one hand, nor by blind faith on the other.
This took place about the year 1850, by which time other
Samajes had begun to be established in the provinces, such
as those at Midnapur, Krishnagar, and Dacca. Raj Narain
Bose was minister of the Midnapur Samaj for many years,
when he was Head-master of the government Zillah (county)
school of that place.
A new Theistic Directory was then put forth by Debendra-
nath, called Brahma-Dharma, or ' the Theistic Religion.' It
contained a statement in Sanskrit of the four fundamental
principles of Indian Theism, together with the seven declara-
tions revised, and approved extracts from the Veda, Upani-
shads, and later Hindu scriptures, as, for example, from the
Isopanishad, Satapatha-Brahmana, and Manu. Selections
from these works were thought to have the advantage of
national association as an instrument for the dissemination of
truth. Otherwise they were not regarded as possessing any
peculiar inspiration, or even any inherent superiority over
extracts from other good books.
Any one who examines the whole compendium with im-
partiality must come to the conclusion that, although the
quotations it gives are pervaded throughout by a strong
aroma of Vedantic and Pantheistic ideas, it marks an advance
in the Theistic movement. It presents us for the first time
with a definite exposition of Indian Theistic doctrine, which
may be held by those who reject Vedantism. Its four funda-