Blavatsky on Christian Roots in Egyptian Esotericism

In a letter from 1887 Helena P. Blavatsky to the Egyptologist Gerald Massey (1828-1907) differentiates her position from him on the origins of Christianity, explaining that Egyptian esotericism is significant in understanding its origins. This letter was reprinted in The Agnostic Journal (London, October 3, 1891, p. 214) and is a reaction to his lectures and his book Natural Genesis. Blavatsky had critiqued, that Massey’s knowledge of Egyptology comes from the British Museum primarily, but that even his work on the Seven Souls of Man and their Constitution in Christ is evidence of the Theosophical teachings. She stated, that because she knows the secret symbolism of the Hindu Buddhists, that his renderings of the constitution of the human-being in ancient Egyptian esoteric systems are correct. Massey is also correct in his position about the Gnostic Christ, who is not an Avatar, but a purely divine-metaphysical principle, which has been conceptualized into a carnal manifestation and dogma of the Christians. Massey and others through intuition have intimated these esoteric systems beneath the nose of conceited Egyptologists to extract from their ancient symbolism and papyri the essence of the esoteric teaching of the primordial Wisdom-Religion.

Gerald Massey is often used in research as a criticism of Theosophy, because of his disenchantment with them. However, here Blavatsky seeks reconciliation despite differences in the last lines of her letter:

“Never mind that you differ from us and our views. What matters it that your conclusions are opposed to ours, when all your fundamental premises are identical and the same; and when, moreover, they (these conclusions) are only with regard to the aspect, or the version, of the archaic Esoteric Wisdom of one nation, the Egyptian, now radiating in so-called Christianity in a thousand broken rays.  Let us, then, work in peace, harmony, and alliance against our common foe — the modern enemy and curse of humanity — Exoteric Christianity — though we may (in appearance only) be working on two different lines. Forgive us our mistakes, as we forgive you your exuberance of science and its strict methods.”