the Universe--they are submitted to the most
careful tests.

There may even be found souls that tread this path,[37] bearing within
themselves[38] some old surviving residue which has not yet been
finally thrown into the physical plane, and must consequently appear
for the last time before falling away and disappearing for ever.[39]
Mankind, incapable of seeing the man--the divine fragment gloriously
blossoming forth in these beings--often halts before these dark spots
in the vesture of the great soul, these _excreta_ flung off from the
"centre," belonging to the refuse of the vehicle, not to the soul, and
in its blindness pretends to see, in its folly to judge, loftily
condemning the sins of a brother more evolved than itself!

The future will bring men greater wisdom, and teach them the greatness
of their error.[40]

At the conclusion of this important chapter, let us repeat that
Karma--divine Will in action--is Love as well as justice, Wisdom as
well as Power, and no one ought to dread it. If at times it uses us
roughly and always brings us back to the strait way when folly leads
us astray, it is only measuring its strength against our weakness, its
delicate scales balance the load according to our strength, and when,
in times of great anguish or terrible crisis, man is on the point of
giving way, it suddenly lifts the weight, leaves the soul a moment's
respite, and only when it has recovered breath is the burden replaced.
The righteous Will of God is always upon us, filling our hearts with
its might; His Love is ever about us, enabling us to grow and expand,
even through the suffering he sends, for it is ourselves who have
created this suffering.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 10: Fortunately, this is a fact only in the imagination of
those who are blinded by faith.]

[Footnote 11: Before men had sinned individually on earth.]

[Footnote 12: _De corruptione et gratia_, chap. 7, No. 19; _Cont. Jul.
Pelag._, Book 4, chap. 3, No. 16, et _De Peccat. merit. et remiss._,
Book 3, chap. 4, No. 7.]

[Footnote 13: "Omnes illae unus homo fuerunt." _De Peccat. merit. et
remiss._, Book 1, chap. 10, No. 11.

Theologians pass over St. Augustine's adoption of this theory, giving
one to understand that he abandoned his error shortly before his
death. (_Dictionnaire de Theol._, by Abbe Berger; volume viii.,
article x., "_Traduciens._")]

[Footnote 14: See also, on this subject, his letter to Sixtus, before
the latter became Pop