Theos-Talk Archives (April 2000 Message tt00046)

Just as many of Mrs Blavatsky's followers who took occult pledges to her 
were victims of pledge fever & turned against HPB, so Mr Crosbie was victim 
of pledge fever, turned against his teacher Mrs. Tingley & wrote negative 
things against one of the "immortal three."  Here are the facts in Mr 
Crosbie's words-------

In 1898, Mr Crosbie in a letter to Mrs Tingley recounted his 1st
personal encounter with her in these words-----

"I remember that the day I first saw you, I recognized you as the
O[outer] H[ead] without hint or instruction as such, and in spite of the
fact that I was not looking for a woman's form in that connection.
During that day you and I were the only ones in the E.S. room, and you came 
and sat down at the table at which I was working, and told me a
great many things, saying that you did not know why you told me these
things but that it was doubtless for some purpose. . . ."

The next year, on May 22, 1897, Mr Crosbie & a few other E.S. members took 
pledges of "unquestioning loyalty, devotion and obedience" to Mrs Tingley. 
Did Mr Crosbie take such a momentous oath to a person about whom he knew so 
very little (as he later claimed)?

The pledge reads----

"I . . . recognizing the person called Purple [Mrs Tingley] as being the
agent of the Master I serve . . . do hereby unreservedly pledge myself,
by my Higher Self, to unquestioning loyalty, devotion and obedience to
her and to her support and defence as such agent, under any and all
circumstances and conditions to the extent of my available means, utmost 
exertion, and with my life if need be. . . .

So Help me my Higher Self.       (Signed) Robert Crosbie

Witness my hand, this 22d day of May, Eighteen hundred and
Ninety-seven."

But he turned against her in 1904 and blamed his teacher.  Who was the 
unfaithful one?  He assigns the blame to his teacher Mrs. Tingley.  His 
words were written after 1904 & include 5 significant words:  "I had begun 
to doubt." Read Mr Crosbie's words.


"The attitude assumed by Mrs. T. soon began to estrange those members who 
were brought in close touch with her in New York, but those at a distance 
had no inkling of the true state of affairs and kept on in full confidence. 
Those who found that they had made a mistake in the first place in foisting 
Mrs. T. upon the organization were in too doubtful a position to attempt 
explanations; one of them only -- Mr. Neresheimer -- (who had introduced her 
to Judge) -- remaining her supporter...his support was sufficient to offset 
any withdrawal of the others in New York."

"Mrs. T. took advantage of the situation, and most plausibly and
shrewdly strengthened her position for two years after her advent, then
formed the "UNIVERSAL BROTHERHOOD" with herself as absolute dictator; 
carrying with her by far the greater number of the members throughout the 
country. A year later she went to Point Loma and established the institution 
there."

"As to my part in it--I was in Boston, and saw no reason to doubt the
statements of those in N.Y. whom I believed to be sincere and of good
training and judgment. I should have known by other means the true
state of affairs...when Judge passed out of life, I lost touch with him;
doubtless I relied on him too much, and had not exercised my own
intuition; from later events my comprehension is, that this loss of
touch was purposely done in order that I might strengthen my weakness in 
that direction. I went to Point Loma at Mrs. T's urgent request to assist in 
the proposed work, and was there two years, helping to prepare the way for 
the expected developments, before I began to get back the touch I had lost. 
I am prone to excuse inconsistencies and deviations in others, so that 
although I had begun to doubt, and to see, it was more than a year 
afterwards I saw so clearly and unmistakably that I took occasion to tell 
Mrs. T. the facts as I saw them, and to state my intention to withdraw from 
all connection with her. She tried of course in every way to change my 
determination, but finding me unchangeable, she let me go, and as I 
afterwards heard, gave out that she had sent me away for 'bad conduct'--just 
what I do not know."









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