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 BEHA 'U'LLAH 
 
 (The Glory of God] 
 
 PART I.
 
 BEHA 'U'LLAH 
 
 ( The Glory of God} 
 
 BY 
 
 IBRAHIM GEORGE KHEIRALLA 
 
 ASSISTED BY 
 
 HOWARD MAcNurr 
 
 " Ye are My witnesses, saith the Lord, and My servant 
 whom I have chosen ; that ye may know and believe 
 Me, and understand that I am He : before Me there was 
 no God formed, neither shall there be after Me." 
 
 " I, even I am the Lord, and beside Me there is no 
 Saviour." Isa. xliii, 10, 1 1. 
 
 "And why even of yourselves, judge ye not what is 
 right ? " Luke xii, 57. 
 
 1 900 
 
 I. G. KHKIRAI.LA, PUBLISHER 
 
 4001 GRAND BLVD. 
 
 CHICAGO
 
 Copyrighted 1899 
 By Ibrahim George Kheiralla. 
 
 All Rights Reserved. 
 
 HOLLISTER BROTHERS, PRINTERS, CHICAGO.
 
 STACK ANNEX 
 
 6P 
 365 
 
 p-f 
 
 DEDICATORY. 
 
 We say unto you, as Philip said unto Nathaniel, 
 "We have found Him of whom Moses in the 
 law, and the prophets did write ; " of whom our 
 Great Master, Jesus of Nazareth did prophesy. 
 
 "The Everlasting Father," "The Prince of 
 Peace," " The Lord of the Vineyard " has come to 
 His people. 
 
 To the Believers of the United States of 
 America, this book is cordially dedicated by the 
 author.
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 Over seven years ago, I began to preach the 
 fulfillment of the truth which Christ and the 
 prophets foretold ; the message of the establish- 
 ment of the Kingdom of God upon earth. 
 
 Since then, thousands of the people of this 
 country have believed and accepted the glad 
 tidings of the appearance of the lyord of Hosts, 
 the Everlasting Father, the Incarnation of Deity, 
 and this glorious message is rapidly spreading 
 throughout the United States. I now consider it. 
 necessary to publish these teachings which have 
 hitherto been restricted to oral delivery. In many 
 cases, through failure to remember them correctly, 
 they have been misrepresented and misquoted. 
 This volume will, I hope, annul such error, re- 
 strict antagonism to facts, prevent further mis- 
 understanding of the truth of God, and benefit 
 souls who seek true salvation, by proving to them 
 this great message of the Manifestation of the 
 Father. 
 
 Concerning myself, be it said that I was' born 
 in Mount Lebanon, Syria, and am now a citizen of 
 the United States. In Cairo, Egypt, where I lived 
 twenty-one years, I met my teacher, Abd-el-Karim 
 Effendi Teharani, who delivered to me the message 
 of this great truth and proved it from the Moham- 
 medan standpoint, which is not sufficient to con- 
 vince one grounded as I was in Christian doctrine 
 
 vii
 
 viii Preface. 
 
 and belief. His earnestness however, commanded 
 my deepest attention and respect. After receiving 
 from him the announcement of the Manifestation 
 of God, I commenced studying this question from 
 a scientific and biblical standpoint, at the same 
 time praying fervently to God for enlightenment 
 and guidance to the truth. 
 
 My prayers were answered and my researches 
 proved fruitful, for I discovered that all Spiritual 
 truths are reasonable and capable of clearer demon- 
 stration than material facts. 
 
 God is One. From Him, proceed all things 
 which exist, and all His laws spiritual and ma- 
 terial are in perfect harmony. Therefore, any 
 proposition or principle not capable of proof by all 
 the laws bearing upon it, or which in any way 
 falsifies or sets aside known laws, cannot be ac- 
 cepted as truth which leads to a knowledge of 
 God. For this reason, every point of these teach- 
 ings, is proved step by step, from the ground of 
 science, logic and common sense ; by laws natural 
 and spiritual and by utterances of the prophets 
 throughout all ages. In discovering these proofs, 
 I was convinced thoroughly that what I had been 
 taught concerning the Manifestation of the Ever- 
 lasting Father, was an evident reality. From this 
 conviction of the truth, I began to teach it, utiliz- 
 ing the proofs and demonstrations which I had 
 originated for my own enlightenment. These are 
 the teachings I have brought to this country. 
 The lessons are delivered according to the system 
 followed in this book.
 
 Preface. i* 
 
 My purpose is to prove to the world, from a 
 biblical as well as from a scientific standpoint, that 
 spiritual facts can be demonstrated logically and 
 scientifically and that the Everlasting Father, the 
 Prince of Peace, has appeared in the human form 
 as Beha 'U'llah and established His Kingdom upon 
 earth. Beha 'U'llah, of whom I preach, is the One 
 mentioned by an American missionary, the Rev. 
 Henry H. Jessup, D. D. of Beyrout, Syria, in an 
 address delivered before the " Parliament of 
 Religions" in Chicago, 1893. 
 
 In " Parliament of Religions " page 640, he 
 says: " In the palace of Behjeh, or Delight, just 
 outside the fortress of Acre on the Syrian coast, 
 there died a few months since, a famous Persian sage 
 the Babi Saint named Beha 'U'llah, the ' Glory 
 of God,' the head of that vast reform party of Persian 
 Moslems who accept the New Testament as the 
 word of God, and Christ as the deliverer of men ; 
 who regard all nations as one and all men as 
 brothers. Three years ago he was visited by a 
 Cambridge scholar, and gave utterance to senti- 
 ments so noble, so Christlike, that we repeat them 
 as our closing words. 
 
 "That all nations should become one in faith, 
 and all men as brothers ; that the bonds of affec- 
 tion and unity between the sons of men should be 
 strengthened ; that diversity of religion should 
 cease, and differences of race be annulled ; what 
 harm is there in this? Yet so it shall be; these 
 fruitless strifes, these ruinous wars shall pass away 
 and the ' most great peace ' shall come. Do not
 
 x Preface. 
 
 you in Europe need this also ? Let not a man 
 glory in this that he loves his country ; let him 
 rather glory in this, that he loves his kind." 
 
 Each prophet of God brought to humanity a 
 cup of the wine of Truth. The followers of the 
 prophets however, did not consider the wine in 
 the cup, but devote^ their attention to the quality 
 and color of the cup itself; that is to say, they 
 respected the individuality of their particular pro- 
 phet, rather than the Truth he brought them. 
 For this reason, although God's messages to hu- 
 manity have always been one and the same in their 
 teaching, yet religious beliefs of mankind have 
 differed on account of the color of the cup which 
 held them. 
 
 The purpose of this new religion is to destroy 
 these differences and put the wine of God's Truth 
 into His cup; to spread the religion of God's 
 teaching, in place of the teachings bearing the 
 name of this or that prophet. By receiving this, 
 all races of mankind will merge into one great 
 human family, realizing that they are one people, 
 one kindred, and united in religious belief. 
 
 Before presenting the evidences and arguments 
 which follow, the attention of the reader is directed 
 to an important point which demands careful con- 
 sideration, and which, if followed to its legitimate 
 conclusion, will reveal the truth. The point is 
 this : before attempting to consider this subject, 
 all religious bias and prejudice should be set aside 
 as completely as possible, in order that reason and 
 judgment may have free exercise. Without a clear,
 
 Preface. *i 
 
 untrammeled and sincerely receptive condition of 
 mind, it will be a waste of time to read this book. 
 The reason is obvious. We seldom encounter a 
 person who is ready to read or discuss a religious 
 idea or doctrine, without prejudice, particularly if 
 that idea or doctrine concerns a fundamental point 
 of creed or Church. People often reject the truth, 
 although it is as clearly proven to them as the light 
 of the sun. This arises from the, fact that they hold 
 their religious ideas as truths beyond question, hav- 
 ing either depended upon somebody else to think for 
 them or treasured their beliefs from childhood. 
 Beliefs implanted fn childhood are particularly 
 difficult to change or eradicate in later years. We 
 must therefore be careful to lay aside everything 
 which savors of pride of intellect, religious an- 
 tagonism, intolerance and bigotry, in order that 
 comprehension of the truth may not escape us. 
 Comprehension is the door or gate by which Truth 
 enters the soul and it frequently happens that pride 
 nails the sign of " no admittance " over that gate- 
 way while the Truth, not comprehended, passes by 
 without entering. 
 
 God the Almighty has made man higher than 
 the brute creation, and endowed him with superior 
 faculties collectively called Mind. These faculties 
 enable us to judge between good and evil, dis- 
 tinguish truth from falsehood. Mind is therefore 
 the lamp or light by which our walk in life must 
 be guided. Man is created perfect in his limita- 
 tion. Upon him alone, God has bestowed the god- 
 power of independence, the will to choose good or
 
 xii Preface. 
 
 evil as he pleases. It follows therefore, that the 
 record of our lives must be good or bad, according 
 to the use we make of this talent, and that we 
 must be judged according to our record, otherwise 
 we would not be responsible for our actions, but 
 would exist under the same blameless conditions 
 as animals and inanimate matter ; no higher, no 
 greater than they. 
 
 In view of this fact, all doctrines, laws and 
 commandments given by God through his prophets 
 and Apostles for our spiritual welfare, must be in 
 strict harmony and accord with Mind, our only 
 light and guide. If we find that commands and 
 teachings said to be from God, are not in harmony 
 with this light, we may be sure that they are in- 
 ventions and teachings of man and not of God. 
 It is then our duty to reject them as spurious. 
 Under such conditions, we are justified in declar- 
 ing that they are not from God, for He never 
 would give and never has given us unjust or un- 
 reasonable commands. As God is just, He will not 
 hold us responsible for violation of] aws which we can- 
 not comprehend, particularly when upon investiga- 
 tion of those laws, we find them in direct opposi- 
 tion to the light of reason, which He has bestowed 
 upon us as our guide toward Him. There would 
 be no evidence of His Love, Justice, and Mercy, in 
 this. Therefore whenever we encounter teach- 
 ings which violate Reason, we are justified in con- 
 cluding that they are not from God, but have had 
 their origin in the ignorance or purpose of men, 
 and should be vigorously rejected.
 
 Preface. xiii 
 
 God the Almighty is Infinite Justice. His 
 Truth must be conformable to Reason, and within 
 the limits of our comprehension. There is no 
 higher utterance predicated of Him than ' ' Come 
 now and let us reason together." 
 
 The attitude of "seeking" Truth, is, after all, 
 the most necessary factor in finding it. Christ and 
 all the God-inspired men urged this continually. 
 People who are so slothful and careless spiritually 
 that they make no effort to understand Gods laws 
 and commands, must take the inevitable conse- 
 quences. Christ likened them to the man whose Lord 
 gave unto him one talent wtiich he hid in the earth. 
 As a punishment for his negligence, the talent 
 was taken from him and given "unto him which 
 hath ten talents"; i. e. to the diligent and earnest 
 seeking, who prefers the world to come, rather than 
 this present and short-lived existence. 
 
 May the Light of the Truth now spreading 
 from the Kingdom of God upon earth, illumine all 
 who seek and knock earnestly at the door of Sal- 
 vation; who lay aside pride and antagonism of 
 belief and have the courage to think for them- 
 selves. 
 
 IBRAHIM G. KHEIRAI,LA. 
 
 January ist, 1900.
 
 CONTENTS 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 Proof of the Existence 
 and Immortality of the 
 Soul, from a Scientific 
 and I/ogical Stand- 
 point . , . . . . 
 Description and Analy- 
 sis of the Nine Facul- 
 ties 
 
 PAGE 
 
 15 
 32 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 The Return of the Soul 
 What is Death .... 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 Evolution .... 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 125 
 
 140 
 
 143 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 Mind 
 
 
 The Purpose of Our 
 Coming Here, Ac- 
 cording to Other Re- 
 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 Life . . . . 
 
 C4 
 
 ligions .... 
 Judaism and the 
 Teachings of Moses 
 
 157 
 
 T5 
 
 Sleep 
 
 60 
 
 Hindoo Religions 
 
 160 
 
 Breathing and the Invol- 
 untary Motions 
 Insanity 
 
 , 
 
 6 3 
 6d. 
 
 Christianity 
 , " Mohammedanism 
 Theosophy . . 
 
 162 
 
 163 
 
 T6=; 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 The Identity of God 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 The Oneness and Single- 
 
 6 7 
 
 Christian Science 
 Spiritism .... 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 The Vicarious Atone- 
 ment . . 
 
 166 
 167 
 
 169 
 
 ness of God 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 Miracles 
 The Bush of Moses . 
 The Stick of Moses 
 and Aaron 
 
 91 
 
 105 
 III 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 Christ and His Mission 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 Salvation . . . 
 
 189 
 
 2OQ 
 
 Jonah and the Whale 
 Joshua Commanding 
 the Sun to Stand 
 Still 
 
 114 
 U5 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 The Necessities of the 
 Soul 
 
 223 
 
 The Tower of Bab-el 
 The Apostles Speak- 
 ing Many lan- 
 
 "5 
 
 t 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 2?t 
 
 guages .... 
 Christ Changing Water 
 into Wine . ;. . 
 
 117 
 118 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 Adam 
 
 2AQ 
 
 The Devils and Swine 
 Raising of Lazarus 
 The Star of Bethlehem 
 
 119 
 1 20 
 
 121 
 122 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 Adam (Cain and Abel) 
 
 275
 
 BEHA 'U'LLAH 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 PROOF OF THE EXISTENCE AND IMMORTALITY OF 
 
 THE SOUL, FROM A SCIENTIFIC" AND 
 
 LOGICAL STANDPOINT. 
 
 Ages have passed since the dawn of human his- 
 tory. Civilizations have followed civilizations, in 
 continuously higher development, and the religious 
 beliefs of mankind have risen with them, from rude 
 barbarism of worship, to the high and varied theo- 
 logical forms of the Nineteenth Century. Through- 
 out all times, human interest and longing have 
 centered in ' ' Know thyself. ' ' The learned and 
 philosophical of every race, have sought along the 
 line of this inquiry, to prove conclusively the ex- 
 istence of the soul and its immortality, but, as yet, 
 no solution of this momentous question has been 
 reached from a scientific and logical standpoint. 
 
 On the contrary, the outcome of all, or nearly all 
 investigation of soul phenomena, has been, that 
 soul existence and immortality cannot be scientifi- 
 cally and logically shown, and human hopes, in 
 consequence, have inclined toward the belief that 
 through occultism, we may, in the future, discover 
 the hidden way to a certainty of proof concerning 
 the life hereafter.
 
 1 6 Immortality of the Soul. 
 
 The Rev. Philip Moxom, in his paper, "The 
 Proof of the Immortality of the Soul," read by him 
 before the Parliament of Religions, in Chicago in 
 1893, page 170, says : " A third consideration is, 
 that a scientific proof of immortality, is, at present, 
 impossible, in the ordinary sense of the phrase 
 'scientific proof " 
 
 A well-known divine of the Church of England 
 (in his book, " The Great Secret," page 4) says : " I 
 venture to claim a hearing, first of all on account 
 of the gravity of my subject. Can Imtnortality be 
 proved by occult science ? Is the survival of the 
 entire personality after the temporary shock of 
 dissolution through death, in any degree demon- 
 strable ? It is the supreme question which every- 
 one must ask, the single great secret in the solution 
 of which we are all equally interested ; and I claim 
 the right, too, because I have devoted so many 
 years of my life to that solution. In the nature of 
 things, I must soon solve the question for myself ; 
 and I should like, before I pass out into darkness, 
 to leave on record, as completely as may be, my 
 gropings toward the light." 
 
 On accoimt of this uncertainty, many of our 
 fellow creatures have been led astray and have 
 renounced their belief in an existence after the 
 dissolution of the body; religious teachings have 
 been discarded; the sacred books cast away and 
 ridiculed. Men have professed agnosticism and 
 followed materialistic theories, saying " There is no 
 God, neither is there a hereafter;" that "the life 
 of man is confined solely to the duration of his ex-
 
 Immortality of the Soul. 17 
 
 istence here upon earth ; " that his body is "simply 
 a combination of material elements, like a machine, 
 and intellectuality is the result of that combina- 
 tion;" that when the "different parts of that 
 machine are perfect, we see the motion which we 
 call life, but when that machine is broken, motion 
 ceases, and there ensues a cessation of its normal 
 functions." "In like manner," they say, "life 
 ceases with the death of the body and there is no 
 further existence." 
 
 Independent of these materialistic views, there is 
 a universal feeling of unrest and absolute uncer- 
 tainty amongst the peoples and religions of the 
 world, concerning immortality. Men believe in 
 God, yet fear death ; hold fast to religion and the 
 promise of eternity, yet tremble in dread at the 
 approach of the grim destroyer. Even the highest 
 exponents of religion, who spend their lives teach- 
 ing and preaching of God, the soul, and immor- 
 tality, are found to shrink under the stress 'of 
 bereavement, when death claims those near and 
 dear to them; their weakness proving, beyond doubt, 
 that faith in the soul's hereafter, when not founded 
 upon knowledge, is of little value in time of need. 
 
 So long as we do not know and cannot prove the 
 existence of the soul and its immortality, we can- 
 not take sufficient or vital interest in our eternal 
 destiny. We fail to search the holy books and know 
 the truth for ourselves, but depend upon some 
 teacher to think and know for us. This teacher 
 is depending upon the testimony of some other 
 teacher, alive or dead. Everywhere we find flocks
 
 1 8 Immortality of the Soul. 
 
 and their shepherds, relying in blindness of faith 
 upon creeds they cannot comprehend, professing 
 beliefs they cannot reconcile with the fact and 
 truth of existence. 
 
 In order to have proper and sufficient interest in 
 spiritual teachings, we must be sure that the soul 
 is immortal; and this certainty, we cannot attain, 
 unless we prove it as conclusively as we prove ma- 
 terial facts. Knowledge of the soul's immortality 
 arouses within us anxiety to know something about 
 our life hereafter; to learn of our relationship to our 
 Creator, especially when we realize that our life 
 here, is but an atom of time in Eternity. We then 
 comprehend that there is an all-wise intention in 
 connection with our life upon the earth ; that God 
 would not allow us to pass through this earth-life 
 of trial and suffering, without purpose. This brings 
 to us the realization, that our sojourn here, em- 
 bodies some great privilege, a greater purpose than 
 mere existence; which purpose, we must under- 
 stand, in order to perform our duties and accom- 
 plish that for which we came. With this enlight- 
 enment of knowledge, we may be ready and happy, 
 when the moment of summons comes to cast aside 
 the body and pass into the spiritual realms. 
 
 As scientific demonstration must have its funda- 
 mental principles, and as no building can stand 
 without foundation, so, the foundation of all true 
 spiritual teachings, must be knowledge that the 
 soul exists and is immortal. From this foundation, 
 we are enabled to build into the light of higher 
 truths, and reach spiritual elevations, otherwise un-
 
 Immortality of the Soul. 19 
 
 attainable. Without stairs, we cannot reach the top 
 floor; without the alphabet, we cannot read Shake- 
 speare ; without knowledge and surety of immor- 
 tality, we cannot live in proper preparation for the 
 summons of death. Socrates defined philosophy to 
 be " a meditation upon and a preparation for death." 
 He who does not know how to prove immortality, 
 is not qualified to preach it, nor can he teach with 
 power, spiritual truth, which is necessarily founded 
 upon the soul's purpose and destiny; although he 
 may be learned, highly cultured, and possess great 
 ability in teaching ethics and moralities. 
 
 As the Causer of all causes, the Creator, is One ; 
 as He created all things after the absolute perfec- 
 tion of His divine knowledge and wisdom; and as 
 He cannot make a mistake, everything created by 
 Him, must be perfect in its limitation. Therefore, 
 all His laws, spiritual and material, are in harmony. 
 Under these laws, we find that spiritual fact can be 
 proved more certainly and plainly than material 
 fact; and that each line of proof confirms the 
 other, as will be shown later. 
 
 We do not need to wait for occultism to prove 
 soul-existence and immortality, nor to heed those 
 who claim that scientific proof of this question is 
 impossible ; for the time of solving the difficulty is 
 at hand, and the remedy for unrest and uncertainty 
 of belief, is within the reach of all who will seek 
 it. The existence and immortality of the soul, can 
 be proved from a logical and scientific standpoint, 
 more surely than the existence and indestructibility 
 of iron can be shown by a scientist or philosopher.
 
 20 Immortality of the Soul. 
 
 As it is one of our fundamental principles, not 
 to believe in anything unless we have sufficient 
 evidence and proof of its being a fact, we must 
 prove the life hereafter, or otherwise we cannot 
 have that certainty of belief in it, necessary for the 
 basis of true spiritual teachings. 
 
 Science teaches us that the earth, air, water, the 
 vegetable kingdom, and animal bodies, are compo- 
 sitions of different material elements. By an 
 element, we mean a simple substance or material 
 essence, which is, so far as we know, not composed. 
 The elements are between seventy and eighty in 
 number, most of them solids, some liquids, some 
 gases. Air is a composition of the two elements 
 nitrogen and oxygen ; water, of hydrogen and 
 oxygen ; the earth, and living forms upon it, repre- 
 sent various compositions of all the elements. The 
 body of a man is a composition of about thirty- 
 three of these elements. 
 
 Let us prove the existence of matter, for in- 
 stance, a rod of iron. If a scientist is asked, " Does 
 this rod of iron exist?" his reply will be : "Cer- 
 tainly." We then ask him : " What is iron ? " He 
 will reply: "Iron is a mineral element, having certain 
 qualities which distinguish it from all other elemen- 
 tary substances, and human intelligence has named 
 it ' Iron,' to express this distinction." " What is the 
 essence of iron ? " " Of what is iron made ? " " We 
 do not know what the essence of iron is, neither do 
 we know what is the essence of any other material 
 element." This is beyond human knowledge, and 
 transcends science. Human knowledge and science
 
 Immortality of the Soul. 21 
 
 stop at this point, because man, although endowed 
 with many great faculties and powers, has not the 
 creative power. Essence is a creative secret. Hu- 
 man knowledge has never created an elementary 
 substance. But although we do not and cannot 
 know what the essence of iron is, we can scien- 
 tifically prove that it exists. The proof is this; 
 that iron possesses attributes or qualities which we 
 sense. It has form, weight and density ; it occu- 
 pies space, it is rough or smooth, malleable, ductile; 
 it can be changed into a liquid or a gas. These 
 qualities prove its existence. That which has no 
 existence, has no qualities, and vice versa, that 
 which has no qualities, has no existence. " Noth- 
 ing" does not exist, therefore it has no qualities. 
 " Nothing " has no qualities, therefore " nothing " 
 has no existence. Science teaches us that no qual- 
 ity or attribute exists, unless there is an essence 
 back of it ; neither can essence exist, unless it has 
 qualities. Therefore we prove the existence of 
 iron by the existence of its qualities, which we 
 cognize through the action of our five senses. 
 
 The next step of proof, is to show that matter is 
 indestructible ; that nothing is lost in the economy 
 of the material universe. Everything in existence 
 is indestructible, for the reason, that although its 
 conditions may be changed and modified in differ- 
 ent ways, yet it has inseparable attributes, which 
 are always present, qualifying it, and proving its 
 existence. The rod of iron has form and weight, 
 which are two of its inseparable qualities. If, 
 through the agency of heat, we change the rod into
 
 22 Immortality of the Soul. 
 
 a ball or cube, both form and weight remain. In- 
 crease the heat, and the iron becomes liquid, still 
 possessing those two qualities. Under heat suffi- 
 ciently intense, the liquid iron becomes a gas, but 
 neither form nor weight have been taken away 
 from it. They are qualities which cannot be sepa- 
 rated from the essence which we call iron. No 
 matter how its conditions are modified or changed, 
 this essence always occupies space, and possesses 
 weight, and the same fact applies to the other 
 inseparable qualities, which cling to the essence 
 wherever it goes. Therefore essence is always in 
 existence, and cannot be destroyed. Scientists 
 concede, after a wide range of exhaustive experi- 
 ments, that there is no waste in nature, and that 
 the essence of matter is indestructible. Recapitu- 
 lating this line of proof, we do not know the 
 essence of matter, yet we know that it has quali- 
 ties. Back of these qualities, must be the essence 
 to which they belong. These qualities are insepa- 
 rable from the essence; they cling to the essence 
 wherever it goes, proving its existence and inde- 
 structibility. 
 
 This is the very strongest scientific proof that 
 could be demanded. In this way, we can prove the 
 existence and indestructibility of all the material 
 elements, and by the same process of logical de- 
 duction, we prove the fact of the surrounding ma- 
 terial existence. It necessarily follows, that there 
 is no waste in nature, although there is constant 
 change, involving endless varieties of conditions 
 and modifications.
 
 Immortality of the Soul. 23 
 
 As we have already shown, all laws of the uni- 
 verse, whether material or spiritual, must work 
 together in harmony, and support each other. All 
 phenomena, therefore, whether material or spiritual, 
 must lie within the same general line of proof. Let 
 us take for our great subject, Man, who comprises 
 in himself, both material and spiritual being. Man, 
 therefore, is the link or bridge of connection be- 
 tween the proof of matter and proof of soul, since 
 he is the embodiment of both. We can prove the 
 existence of his material body, and the indestructi- 
 bility of the elements which compose it, exactly as 
 we proved the existence and indestructibility of 
 iron, but, if we examine him more closely, we find 
 evidence of the existence of nine great powers or 
 faculties, which do not belong to, nor proceed from 
 any of these material elements or from their com- 
 positions. These faculties have no relationship 
 whatever with matter. They are nine, viz: Per- 
 ception, Memory, Abstraction, Imagination, Reason, 
 Judgment, Mental Taste, Will and Consciousness. 
 Has iron, memory, reason, will, or any of these 
 high qualities ? Do any of the material elements 
 or their compositions possess these thinking attri- 
 butes ? Unquestionably No ! Nor can they or their 
 compounds, ever possess them. 
 
 It is known, that the body of man is a com- 
 position of about thirty-three of the material ele- 
 ments. This is proved by the fact that when the 
 body is cremated, the residue of ashes, gases, etc., 
 is the exact equivalent of what once composed it. 
 When death comes, we find this inanimate material
 
 24 Immortality of the Soul. 
 
 body without a trace of intellectuality, although it 
 is still a composition of the same thirty-three ele- 
 ments, just as it was before death. Can we find 
 any of these nine great attributes in that lifeless 
 body ? There is no longer perception in it ; neither 
 memory, reason, will, etc., etc. Why? Because 
 these intellectual qualities do not belong to matter, 
 the dull essence, but belong to that intelligent 
 essence which we call soul. If, as the materialists 
 claim, these intelligent qualities were the result of 
 the combination of material elements, it would 
 follow, that all of them qualified material elements, 
 and were inseparable from them, and that every 
 combination of these material elements, should 
 produce the same results. On the contrary, we 
 find, that intellectuality is not the result of the 
 combination of material elements, because the com- 
 position of the body is precisely the same before 
 and after death ; that is to say, the body, after 
 death, is simply minus the nine intellectual 
 faculties or powers, which were in evidence before 
 the moment of death. To what did these nine 
 powers belong ? What was it that controlled and 
 exercised them? It was that intelligent essence 
 we call Soul. We found, that back of every 
 material attribute or quality, must be material 
 essence. Similarly, back of every intellectual 
 faculty or power, must be an intelligent or spiritual 
 essence. Something cannot come from nothing. 
 Back of intelligence, is something that is intelli- 
 gent ; back of memory, something that remembers ; 
 back of perception, something that sees, hears,
 
 Immortality of the Soul. 25 
 
 feels, smells and tastes; back of thought a thinker. 
 It is an essence. We do not know what that 
 essence is. We call it the "Soul." All terms 
 are arbitrary; and we use " Soul," as it is the term 
 universally adopted. 
 
 As these intellectual faculties or powers belong 
 to the soul, and are inseparable from it, it follows, 
 that when the soul is summoned to leave this 
 house of clay, this body, the nine powers go with 
 it, leaving the body with its inseparable material 
 qualities, behind. For this reason, we cannot find 
 any of the nine intellectual faculties in the body, 
 after death, for they belong to the soul and cling 
 to it wherever it goes. The existence of these nine 
 faculties which qualify the intellectual essence, 
 therefore, prove, according to science and logical 
 reasoning, the existence of the soul. 
 
 As these faculties are inseparable from their 
 essence, the soul, and cling to it wherever it goes, 
 proving its existence, and as it is a scientific fact, 
 that essence is indestructible, we prove the immor- 
 tality of the soul ; ' for immortality and indestructi- 
 bility are one and the same thing, except, that 
 we use the term indestructibility to apply to matter, 
 and immortality, to the soul. 
 
 Recapitulating this proof ; we possess nine in- 
 tellectual faculties. They cannot be the result of 
 the combination of material elements, which com- 
 pose the body. Back of them must be an intel- 
 ligent essence, which possesses and exercises these 
 nine faculties, and which they qualify. Something 
 cannot come from nothing. This proves the ex- 
 istence of the soul.
 
 26 Immortality of the Soul. 
 
 These faculties are inseparable from the soul. 
 They follow it wherever it goes. Essence is 
 indestructible. The soul essence exists. It is 
 immortal. 
 
 In addition to the proof already shown, that the 
 soul and its nine faculties cannot be the result of 
 the combination of the material elements of the 
 body, as materialists claim, we may add,that, accord- 
 ing to science, every substance or essence, possesses 
 qualities which are necessary for the existence of 
 that substance or essence. Soul faculties are not 
 necessary for the existence of matter, consequently 
 they are not properties of the essence of matter. 
 We must, therefore, conclude that the essence 
 back of these faculties, is an essence differ- 
 ing entirely from the essence of matter. As 
 matter is entirely devoid of thinking qualities, 
 and as it is an established scientific fact, that a 
 combination or modification, is always produced 
 by the qualities of the substance combined or 
 modified, therefore, intelligent faculties cannot be 
 the result of the composition of 'material elements. 
 The combination of material elements invariably 
 produces material composition, which must partake 
 of the qualities of those material elements. 
 
 Furthermore, if mentality is the result of 
 material combination, it necessarily follows, that 
 the larger the combination is, the stronger must be 
 the mentality. We are then forced to the con- 
 clusion, that the larger the man, the wiser he is ; 
 and that the elephant, on account of its size, has 
 more mentality than man.
 
 Immortality of the Soul. 27 
 
 Having proved the existence of material essence 
 and of soul essence, it follows, that the attributes 
 and essence of soul, are infinitely higher than the 
 qualities and essence of matter. Soul attributes 
 subordinate matter. They cognize and dominate 
 matter. It is through the attributes of the soul, 
 that we have discovered iron, and the other ele- 
 mentary substances ; that we have recognized their 
 different qualities ; named them ; proved their 
 existence and indestructibility ; analyzed their 
 existing combinations and formed new combina- 
 tions of them. No one would deny, that the 
 faculty of perception is superior to and higher than 
 the quality of weight, or that reason and memory 
 are greater than the attributes of roughness and 
 density, which qualify matter. The soul perceives 
 the rod of iron, remembers its form, imagines its 
 weight, reasons as to its density, and is conscious 
 of its existence. It classifies and distinguishes 
 iron, by its attributes, from all the other elements. 
 More than that, the soul not only knows matter 
 exists, but knows that it knows ; while matter is 
 entirely devoid of knowledge about itself or the 
 existence outside of it. This proves material 
 essence to be inferior to soul essence. If the 
 soul is able to prove, that matter, the inferior 
 essence, exists, and is indestructible, how much 
 stronger is the proof, that the soul itself exists and 
 is immortal. 
 
 Several questions arise : How do we know that 
 the soul or intellectual essence is one simple 
 essence ? Is it not a composition of different intel-
 
 28 Immortality of the Soul. 
 
 lectual essences, just as the body is a composition 
 of various material elements ? How do we know 
 that the soul will not be decomposed at death, and 
 each of its ingredient essences return to its original 
 state, just as the iron, carbon, sodium, etc., in the 
 body, return into the dust of earth? To answer 
 these points, we must show that the soul is a 
 simple essence, and that it cannot be a composition. 
 Scientifically speaking, we must prove that the 
 soul is homogeneous, just as the material essence, 
 iron, is homogeneous. 
 
 First: The soul is simple essence, and not 
 composed, because, every part of a composition 
 performs its special function toward a special pur- 
 pose, independent of every other part. Thus, in a 
 tree, the functions of the leaves are independent of 
 the functions of the roots ; in the human body, the 
 eye performs its particular duty toward objects with 
 which the heart and stomach have nothing to do. 
 The faculties of the soul, however, perform their 
 functions collectively, toward every single impres- 
 sion received. They always work in union, and 
 never work separately. The soul is therefore homo- 
 geneous. One atom of the soul, so to speak, would 
 possess the same attributes as the whole soul, just 
 as one atom of pure iron, possesses the same qual- 
 ities as all the rest of the iron in the world. 
 Essence, whether material or spiritual, is homo- 
 geneous. Homogeneity evidences the perfection 
 of creative power. From this inductive reasoning, 
 we prove conclusively that the soul is a simple 
 essence, and not a composition.
 
 Immortality of the Soul. 29 
 
 Second: We know that man, the soul, is an 
 individual ; that is to say, an identity undivided ; 
 because, if the nine intellectual faculties belonged 
 to different essences which compose the soul, the 
 loss of some of these essences would not impair the 
 rest. We find, however, that if it were possible to 
 destroy the essence which controlled the faculty of 
 perception, all the remaining faculties would be 
 rendered useless, for if we could not perceive, the 
 other faculties would have no capital with which 
 to work, and the individuality of the soul would 
 be destroyed. If we could destroy the essence 
 of memory or consciousness, the soul would 
 be crippled in its other powers, and so on. That 
 is to say, the loss or impairment of one faculty, 
 would mean the destruction of individuality, and 
 this is against the scientific principle that nothing 
 in existence can be destroyed. Therefore, the fact 
 that the individuality of the soul cannot be 
 destroyed, proves it to be a simple essence. 
 
 Third: We know, that as God has created many 
 different material essences, so also, he has created 
 many different spiritual essences, namely, living 
 souls. The soul of man is not of the same essence 
 as that of a dog. They differ in some attributes, 
 and in the degree of their attributes. The soul of a 
 dog differs from the soul of a horse, and so on 
 through every class or race of souls in existence. 
 Each of them possesses attributes of intelligence, 
 which differentiate and distinguish them from all 
 the others, just as the various elements of matter 
 differ from each other. By comparison of these
 
 3 Immortality of the Soul. 
 
 varying essences of soul, we prove the soul to be a 
 simple and homogeneous essence, not composed ; 
 just as simple essences of matter cannot be com- 
 positions. 
 
 Fourth: We know that soul growth is not like 
 the growth of matter, because material growth is 
 accomplished by the addition of other material 
 substance, that is to say, material growth is in 
 size, while growth of the soul is in knowledge, and 
 not in size. 
 
 The body of a child becomes the body of a man, 
 by the addition to it, of material food. It simply 
 grows in size, whereas the soul grows in power of 
 comprehension. Therefore, as the growth of the 
 soul is not in size, but in knowledge, nothing can 
 be added to its size, and if nothing can be added to 
 its size, nothing can be taken from it. For this 
 reason, the soul must be a simple essence and 
 undivided, and after death of the body, it must 
 remain with its inseparable faculties, indestruct- 
 ible, immortal. 
 
 To many, the existence of iron is proved, because 
 we can see it, but belief in the existence of soul, is 
 difficult, or impossible, because the soul cannot be 
 seen. There are two points of consideration in 
 connection with this objection. 
 
 First: We do not see the air, nor the gases, yet 
 we know and prove their existence, because we ex- 
 perience the effects they produce. 
 
 Second : We can see the soul more clearly than 
 we can see the iron, if we understand the real 
 meaning of "sight." To "see" is to perceive,
 
 Immortality of the Soul. 31 
 
 that is, to receive impressions through the organs 
 of sight, by the soul's faculty of perception. When 
 impressions reach this faculty, we have the concep- 
 tion of objects outside of us. The soul "sees" by 
 the power of this faculty, for the material eye has 
 no power to a see" by itself. At the same time, 
 the action of any of our soul faculties, is perceived 
 or seen by the soul, in a stronger and more certain 
 way, than it can see outside objects through the 
 material eye. For instance, memory is perceived or 
 seen by the soul, more surely than a material form 
 the image of which we receive through the eye, 
 for that material form is outside of us, and we can 
 perceive only its qualities. We cannot perceive its 
 essence. In like manner, we can perceive more 
 surely the soul faculties, because they are inherent 
 with us, and inseparable from us, while the impres- 
 sions of outside objects are only transitory. In this 
 way, we " see " our souls, with more proof and cer- 
 tainty, than we see outside objects. The soul is 
 the individual, the man. We do not have souls. 
 We are souls. 
 
 " Has the soul form?" It must have form. Al- 
 though invisible, it is an essence. Every essence 
 must occupy space, and everything occupying space, 
 must have form and body. The essence of matter 
 composes the body of matter, and there is no mate- 
 rial body without form ; so also, the spiritual essence 
 composes the spiritual body, and it necessarily must 
 have form. The soul form is unchangeable, and 
 the highest in the universe, for God created man 
 after His own image. This will be shown in sub- 
 sequent chapters.
 
 32 Immortality of the Soul. 
 
 DESCRIPTION AND ANALYSIS OF THE 
 NINE FACULTIES. 
 
 Although our subject is not psychology, it will 
 not be out of place, to describe and show, in abbre- 
 viation, the action and duty of each faculty of the 
 soul. These faculties, as already stated, are nine 
 in number. They border and impinge closely upon 
 each other, working and interworking in perfect 
 harmony ; each one possessing distinctly separate 
 functions. There are branches and subdivisions 
 of these faculties, mentioned in books on mental 
 philosophy, yet, as these nine are the principal and 
 most important, it will be advisable to describe 
 them, and leave the others, excepting the power of 
 life, which will be considered later. 
 
 Perception : The soul, during our brief stay upon 
 this earth, is confined to the body ; imprisoned in 
 this mold of clay, for a great purpose. The Crea- 
 tor has provided five ways or means, by which the 
 soul-prisoner may communicate with the existence 
 outside of itself. These communications or im- 
 pressions, travel from outside to inside, and from 
 inside \o outside, through the five senses of sight, 
 hearing, smell, touch and taste. Every communi- 
 cation we receive through the senses, must first 
 reach the faculty of perception, because this is the 
 faculty through which we receive impressions, and 
 become cognizant of the surrounding existence. 
 For instance, a friend is sitting beside you. The 
 rays of light which fall upon his body, are reflected 
 to your eye. These rays penetrate the transparent
 
 Immortality of the Soul. 33 
 
 coatings of the eye, pass through the crystalline 
 lens, and imprint a picture or image of your friend, 
 upon the retina or coating over which the optic 
 nerve is spread. The impression of this picture, is 
 then taken by the power of life, which is a power 
 of the soul, running to and fro through the whole 
 nervous system, carrying all communications from 
 the outside to the inside, and from the inside to the 
 outside. The power of life delivers this impression 
 to the soul, through the faculty of perception. The 
 soul then perceives that there is in existence, 
 outside itself, a human being, with certain charac- 
 teristics of size, figure and complexion. Perception, 
 therefore, is that faculty of the soul, by which the 
 soul receives knowledge of the surrounding exist- 
 ence. This knowledge may be received through 
 the senses of hearing, taste, touch and smell, as 
 well as through sight. 
 
 Memory : The impression in the foregoing illus- 
 tration, would not only be delivered to the faculty 
 of perception, but would also be carried by the 
 power of life, to the faculty of memory, where it is 
 registered and preserved. Upon this sensitive tab- 
 let of record, it remains recorded, until, in time of 
 need, after a short or long period, the same im- 
 pression is called up, and carried by the power of 
 life to the other intellectual faculties. In this way, 
 we re-collect past events ; re-call past impressions. 
 Memory is the storehouse, not only of impressions 
 from the outside to the inside, and inside to the 
 outside, but also from inside to inside, for, upon its 
 tablet, all the interworkings of the nine faculties
 
 34 Immortality of the Soul. 
 
 are recorded. The medium of all action and inter- 
 action of the nine faculties, is the power of life. 
 Memory furnishes the capital of the soul. 
 
 Abstraction is the soul faculty which classifies 
 every impression carried to it, puts it into its class 
 or chain, and joins it with its race or kind. When 
 sure of the character of the impression, the faculty 
 of abstraction classifies it at once, but if not quite 
 sure, it will relegate the impression temporarily to 
 the nearest chain, pending further investigation 
 and assurance. Thus, we look upon a man, and 
 the impression of his appearance reaches the fac- 
 ulty of abstraction. Although we have never seen 
 him before, this faculty will at once identify the 
 man with other impressions of men, and without 
 hesitation, the soul knows that he is a man and not 
 a tree. When we see a tree, we know it is not a 
 mountain; when we see a mountain, we know 
 instantly it is not a horse, etc. Why? Because 
 the faculty of abstraction has classified the im- 
 pression received, and put it into its particular 
 chain or kind, without further investigation. 
 Sometimes, however, not being sure of the subdi- 
 vision of an impression, the faculty of abstraction 
 will put it temporarily into the nearest chain, until 
 sufficient evidence is acquired to classify it in its 
 proper subdivision. For instance, the impression 
 of the man was at once classified as man, but we 
 were not able to abstract it into a subdivision, as 
 poet, artist, musician, etc. 
 
 The faculty of abstraction has a great deal to do 
 with intuition or fine perception, especially when
 
 Immortality of the Soul. 35 
 
 it is highly developed. Suppose three persons 
 pass a thief in the street, each one noting his furtive 
 glances, and suspicious actions. One of the three, 
 owing to the weakness of his faculty of abstraction, 
 will have very little idea of the thief's character ; 
 the second will have a strong suspicion that he is a 
 thief; while the third, on account of the very 
 strong development of this faculty, will know at 
 once, and believe positively, that the man is a 
 thief. This is intuition or fine perception. 
 
 Imagination : This is the faculty which takes 
 the capital of knowledge already gained, whether 
 external or internal, and constructs or originates 
 from it, new conditions, combinations or forms. 
 Upon this faculty, we mostly depend for improve- 
 ments, inventions, and discoveries in science and 
 art. If the product of imagination is in harmony 
 and accordance with reason and natural laws, it 
 generally proves to be practical and useful, but if 
 not, it is, as a rule, the exact reverse. For 
 instance, a mechanical invention, to be practical, 
 must be a combination of different parts which 
 work in harmony with each other and with natural 
 laws. Likewise, a spiritual theory or hypothesis 
 constructed by the imagination, must accord with 
 the laws which govern spiritual phenomena, in 
 order that it may be true. Natural law is the 
 highway by which we travel toward the truth of 
 material and spiritual phenomena. Violation of 
 natural law, invariably results in error and mis- 
 take. We find, therefore, that the outcome of 
 imagination is frequently grotesque, fanciful,
 
 36 Immortality of the Soul. 
 
 extravagant and impossible, when it is exercised 
 incorrectly, in connection with the various phenom- 
 ena of existence. Suppose we imagine an animal 
 with the head of a man, neck of a camel, body of 
 a horse, and tail of a bird. This animal does not, 
 and could not exist, although its different parts are 
 practical, and in existence. If there were no man 
 in existence, we could not, in imagination, con- 
 struct the head ; if no camel, we could not imagine 
 the neck, etc. This shows us plainly, that the 
 faculty of imagination is imitative, not creative. 
 It has power, either to combine existing things 
 into useful, practical productions such as the 
 machine, or to produce something of no practical 
 value and possibility whatever, such as the animal 
 mentioned. 
 
 Imagination is frequently the forerunner of fact, 
 and the door to certainty of knowledge. From 
 the ground and standpoint of demonstrable truth, 
 this faculty may project itself forward into the 
 realm of the hidden and unknown, invent theories 
 or possibilities, which the soul, by observation and 
 experiment, may afterward prove to be the truth. 
 In this way, the faculty of imagination, particu- 
 larly when associated with intuition, fine percep- 
 tion, or rather strong power of abstraction, may 
 precede discovery, and anticipate knowledge of the 
 very highest order. 
 
 Reason: This faculty takes every impression, 
 thought, or idea, makes thorough examination of 
 it, weighs it pro and con, compares it with mental 
 and physical realities and premises, as well as with
 
 Immortality of the Soul. 37 
 
 mental and spiritual laws, in order to determine its 
 basis and ground, and decide upon its harmony with 
 fact. Reason is the logical faculty, by which we 
 distinguish truth from falsehood, right from wrong, 
 fact from fiction, etc. 
 
 Judgment is the fiat of reason. It takes full con- 
 sideration of the conclusion of the reasoning power, 
 comprehends its logical standpoints and arguments, 
 then issues final decision concerning the question. 
 This faculty is the governor, or commander-in-chief 
 of our faculties; the arbiter, who issues final sen- 
 tence upon every question submitted. 
 
 Mental Taste is the faculty which examines every 
 external or internal impression, and discovers its 
 beauty, attractiveness, grandeur, perfection, or the 
 reverse. This faculty is the basis of appreciation, 
 inclination, emotion, enjoyment, pleasure and de- 
 sire, or that which is contrary to them. We there- 
 fore find, that those who possess highly developed 
 mental taste, are naturally inclined to be governed 
 by their desires and sense of pleasure. It is the 
 foundation of love of art, and appreciation of the 
 beauties of nature. It underlies the sense of humor. 
 Artists, musicians, poets, possess it in a high de- 
 gree. Mental taste is the basis of culture, which 
 may be defined as the capacity to understand, and 
 willingness to accept that which is true and beau- 
 tiful. 
 
 Will is that faculty which intentionally causes 
 and controls the performance of all our voluntary 
 actions, mental and physical. It is that great gift 
 of independence, with which God has endowed the
 
 38 Immortality of the Soul. 
 
 soul of man, in order that he may be able to choose 
 and do whatever he likes, and be responsible for 
 his actions. In truth, it is the God-power of the 
 faculties, since none but God and man possess it. 
 It has been bestowed upon man, to enable him to 
 become a high creature. By its use, man is fitted 
 to grow and develop from a low limitation, to a 
 higher and wider one. Without it, we would not 
 be capable of development or progress. If we act 
 according to the emotions and desires of mental 
 taste, using our will for the gratification of them 
 contrary to the rulings of reason and judgment re- 
 specting these actions, we usually commit mistakes, 
 and do that which is wrong; but when we har- 
 monize mental taste, reason, and judgment, in our 
 action of will, we incline to the strongest possi- 
 bility of doing right. 
 
 Consciousness is the monitor of the soul. It 
 reports to the soul, every action of the other 
 faculties. By this faculty, we recognize our own 
 existence and the existence of the world out- 
 side of us. By it, the soul not only knows, 
 but knows that it knows. Thus, when we 
 perceive an outside object, consciousness reports 
 at once to the soul, that we are perceiving, 
 and we are cognizant of our own existence, as 
 well as the fact that the outside object exists. 
 When we perceive, remember, classify, imagine, 
 reason, judge, select, or will, the faculty of 
 consciousness reports these actions to the soul. 
 Thus the soul is made aware of all impressions 
 from inside to outside, outside to inside, and
 
 Immortality of the Soul. 39 
 
 inside to inside, and informed of what is going on 
 throughout the circle of its limitations. 
 
 This is but a brief analysis of the functions of 
 the nine faculties, the existence of which, prove 
 the existence and immortality of the soul. They 
 interweave and interwork in the most exquisite 
 harmony of action ; depend upon and support each 
 other in perfect logical sequence, from the founda- 
 tion basis of perception, to the apex of conscious- 
 ness. Having perceived, we can remember ; 
 memory furnishes its capital for abstraction; 
 imagination is then possible ; having these powers 
 in action, we can reason ; judgment is the outcome 
 of reason ; mental taste exercises its function after 
 judgment ; will enables us to seek and do what we 
 wish ; while consciousness, the crown and glory of 
 our nine soul powers, is cognizant throughout. 
 
 With the certainty of a life hereafter, we should 
 strive to understand our relationship to God our 
 Creator, and our duty toward Him ; endeavor to 
 accomplish the purpose of our temporary sojourn 
 here, in order that we may be ready, at any 
 moment, to go to the other side, with happiness and 
 confidence.
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 MIND. 
 
 Mind is a collective name given to the nine fac- 
 ulties of the soul, when they are united in action, 
 for a specific purpose. We are souls. The soul is 
 the individual, the man ; a prisoner in the body. 
 Through the five windows of the senses, impres- 
 sions come and go; through them, the nine faculties 
 work, and the soul gathers knowledge of the sur- 
 rounding existence. The soul knows. Knowledge 
 is the ken of the soul. Mind is the term given to 
 the soul powers when united in action. 
 
 In all psychological investigation, we are con- 
 fronted by the necessity of defining fundamental 
 terms. All terms are arbitrary, but without them 
 there can be no expression of thought. Conflicting 
 opinions among psychologists, arise chiefly from 
 the misunderstanding and nonconformity of terms. 
 
 The definition of mind has always been, and still 
 is, a bone of philosophical contention. Volumes 
 have been written upon it, and definitions have 
 been as many and various as the philosophers 
 themselves. Each one has defined mind, accord- 
 ing to his own standpoint of ideas, and the result 
 is, that scarcely two agree. Some teach that mind 
 is the spirit of man ; others that it is the soul, or 
 some of the faculties of the soul ; we are told that 
 mind is reason ; that it is consciousness ; according 
 
 41
 
 42 Mind. 
 
 to some, it is the cause of ideas, thoughts and feel- 
 ings ; according to others, it is the result of them. 
 
 We quote some of the best authorities upon this 
 subject: Spencer says : Vol. i, p. 145 : " For if, by 
 the phrase ' substance of mind,' is to be understood, 
 mind as qualitatively differentiated in each portion 
 that is separable by introspection, but seems homo- 
 geneous and undecomposable, then we do know 
 something about the substance of mind, and may 
 eventually, know more. Assuming an underlying 
 something, it is possible in some cases, to see, and 
 in the rest, to conceive, how these multitudinous 
 modifications of it, arise. But if the phrase is 
 taken to mean the underlying something, of which 
 these distinguishable portions are formed, or of 
 which they are modifications, then we know noth- 
 ing about it, and never can know anything about 
 it. It is not enough to say that such knowledge 
 is beyond the grasp of human intelligence, as it 
 now exists, for no amount of that which we call 
 intelligence, however transcendent, can grasp such 
 knowledge." 
 
 And again, p. 159: "Mind, as known to the 
 possessor of it, is a circumscribed aggregate of ac- 
 tivities, and the cohesion of these activities, one 
 with another, throughout the aggregate, compels 
 the postulation of a something, of which they are 
 the activities. But the same experience which 
 makes him aware of this coherent aggregate of 
 mental activities, simultaneously makes him aware 
 of activities that are not included in it ; outlying 
 activities, which become known by their effects on
 
 Mind. 43 
 
 this aggregate, but which are experimentally proved 
 to be not coherent with it, and to be coherent with 
 one another." 
 
 Hume says: "Impressions and ideas are the 
 only things known to exist," and that " mind is 
 merely a name for the sum of them." 
 
 Porter (Elements of Intellectual Science, p. 535) 
 says: "We say, then, without reserve, that the 
 mind in sense, perception, knows matter or mate- 
 rial beings as truly and directly, as in consciousness, 
 it knows the ' ego ' or mental being." 
 
 Naturally, on account of this uncertainty, this 
 lack of agreement and wide range of difference be- 
 tween psychologists, concerning the function and 
 definition of mind; and especially, since every 
 opinion advanced, finds many followers, we meet 
 at the end of the Nineteenth Century, a great num- 
 ber and variety of teachings, doctrines, isms and 
 philosophies, widely divergent and mutually con- 
 tradictory. Vague impractical ideas, mystical and 
 impossible theories beset us. Sophistry wages war 
 against science, logic and common sense. If we 
 plod through this maze of theorizing and so-called 
 philosophical teaching, we will find some who di- 
 vide mind into different parts, giving them various 
 definitions peculiar to their theories. For instance, 
 they sometimes speak of the mortal mind as dis- 
 tinct from the immortal ; the subjective mind is 
 considered as different from the objective ; the finite 
 mind is a term employed by some to express human 
 intelligence as separated from the great, the infinite, 
 the universal mind. Some say that God is Mind ; 
 that the. Universe is Mind, and so on.
 
 44 Mind. 
 
 Truth is never complex. There can be but one 
 truth, which never varies, though the terms we use 
 to express it, may conflict. A drop of pure water 
 possesses fixed, invariable qualities, no matter by 
 what name we call it. Truth is as crystalline 
 pure, transparent and unchangeable as the drop of 
 water, but, unfortunately, the limpid purity of 
 truth is often lost in a vast ocean of superstitions 
 and imaginations, beyond the possibility of discov- 
 ery by those who seek it. 
 
 According to the dictionary, the meaning of the 
 verb " to mind " is " to fasten one's thoughts upon," 
 "to occupy one's self with," "pay attention to," 
 "regard with care, concern or as objectionable," 
 "to care for," "obey," "have charge of," "see 
 after," "watch," "to be on guard against," "be 
 wary concerning," " be obedient to," "to have an 
 inclination." As a noun, mind is defined as " that 
 which thinks, feels, and wills," or "the entire 
 physical being of man." From this wide range of 
 definition, we gather, that mind is a term used for, 
 or in place of the nine thinking faculties. There- 
 fore, as the function of these faculties is to take 
 each external or internal impression, think it over, 
 examine it thoroughly, come to a decision about it, 
 and then accept or reject it, it follows, that mind is 
 our protector against mental or physical action, 
 thought or thing; that mind rejects what is harm- 
 ful to us and admits that which is beneficial. In 
 other words, mind is our protector against the 
 harmful, and the receiver of good. This is the 
 consensus of philosophical definitions of mind. To
 
 Mind. 45 
 
 illustrate it, suppose we are asked to undertake a 
 business enterprise. We " mind " the proposition, 
 that is, we think it over pro and con, and reach a 
 conclusion as to its desirability and good prospect, 
 or the reverse. 
 
 The Arabic word for "mind, " is " ackle," which 
 also means "a fort set upon a hill." The term thus 
 mutually employed, is especially significant when 
 we consider the similarity which exists between 
 "mind" and "fort." The "mind" is indeed a 
 fort set upon a hill, the head ; the position from 
 whence it is best fitted to command the defense of 
 the body. A fort is built upon a hill. Its function 
 is protection against attack and invasion by an 
 enemy; at the same time, to receive that which is 
 friendly and assisting. It resists the harmful; 
 admits and shelters the good. The function of 
 mind is precisely similar. It defends us against 
 harm and attack ; it admits that which is beneficial 
 and good to us. Material things, the world in 
 general outside of us, is at war against the soul, 
 and the mind is busy in the soul's defense. Dan- 
 gers threaten injury and destruction to the soul's 
 habitation, disease assails us, harmful conditions 
 beset us, and without the vigilance of the mind to 
 offset and resist their ceaseless attack, the body 
 would be destroyed, and the soul compelled to 
 move out. 
 
 Fort is a collective name for a combination of 
 defensive equipment consisting of building, guns, 
 small arms, ammunition, soldiers, officers and com- 
 mander-in-chief. These collectively, form the fort.
 
 46 Mind. 
 
 No one of them is the fort. Separately, they 
 neither protect nor fortify. The guns cannot be 
 considered the fort ; the soldiers are not the fort; 
 the officers and commander-in-chief do not com- 
 prise the fort. The building itself is not the 
 fort. Unless it is occupied by the various defensive 
 groups and equipment, it is without the power of 
 defense. Therefore a fort is a combination of 
 groups, parties or things, united for the purpose of 
 protection against harm, and for the receiving of 
 good. 
 
 Similarly, no one faculty is the mind. Percep- 
 tion alone is not the mind ; neither is memory nor 
 imagination, but when all the faculties are com- 
 bined to work in union (and they always work in 
 union, never separately), we give them the col- 
 lective name, mind, just as army, house, farm, 
 menagerie, city, etc. , are collective nouns or names. 
 
 Therefore the nine faculties of the soul are 
 behind the performance of every action, mental or 
 physical. You placed your hand unintentionally 
 upon a hot radiator. In an instant you drew it away. 
 Why? Because the impression of heat was car- 
 ried by the power of life through the nerves of 
 sense, to the thinking faculties, causing each one 
 of them to perform its duty toward the action of 
 the hand. In an instant, the decision of judgment 
 was reached, that the hand was in a dangerous 
 position, and suffering injury. Through the agency 
 of the power of life, a command flashed back along 
 another set of nerves which control the motions of 
 the hand, ordering the hand drawn away as quickly
 
 Mind. 47 
 
 as possible, from its position of danger. If you are 
 asked why you drew your hand away so quickly, 
 you will say that you made up your mind to do so. 
 In reality, the faculties of the soul performed it, by 
 operating together to protect the hand from injury ; 
 but instead of naming these faculties in detail, you 
 use the collective term, mind. The same is true of 
 all our actions, whether mental or physical. The 
 faculties are behind them and action is the result 
 of these faculties. 
 
 In addition to this proof that the soul faculties 
 are behind every action we perform, it can be shown 
 that they always work in union, and never sepa- 
 rately, no matter what the mental action may be. 
 Suppose you are walking upon the street, behind a 
 friend. You notice, as he comes to a cross street, 
 that an electric car is bearing down rapidly upon 
 him. He starts to cross in front of it, hesitates a 
 moment as if in doubt, then steps backward, allow- 
 ing the car to pass in front of him. What has hap- 
 pened to cause this action ? If you ask him why 
 he did not cross the street, he will say he made up 
 his mind the car would strike and injure him if he 
 attempted to cross. That is, he " minded " not to 
 cross. Let us examine his mental action. What 
 really happened was this: First, he saw the car, 
 through his faculty of perception ; then his memory 
 recalled cases of accident and injury ; abstraction 
 classified it as a swift-moving electric car ; in im- 
 agination, he saw himself struck, hurled to the 
 ground, perhaps killed ; reason debated whether 
 or not he had time to cross in front of the car;
 
 48 Mind. 
 
 judgment said ' ' No ; ' ' mental taste furnished him 
 the desire to protect himself from injury; will com- 
 manded the voluntary muscles of his limbs to move 
 his body out of danger ; and throughout the whole 
 occurrence, he was conscious of his own action, as 
 well as the action outside of himself. Thus we 
 see, that in reality, all nine of his soul faculties 
 acted in unison ; exercised themselves collectively 
 in the performance of what seemed to be a simple 
 action. So, if we analyze each mental or physical 
 action of our existence, we will find the same evi- 
 dence that the nine powers of the soul are behind 
 that action, and that they always operate collec- 
 tively. They never work alone or separately. The 
 failure or refusal of one faculty to act, cripples the 
 action of all the rest. Had memory failed to sup- 
 ply your friend with the knowledge that the ap- 
 proaching object was a danger, abstraction, reason, 
 judgment, and all the other faculties, would have 
 been unable to perform their various mental duties, 
 and, most probably, he would have been killed or 
 injured. In a similar way, the various functions 
 of a fort, work collectively during an attack or 
 siege. If the ammunition fails, there can be no 
 defense ; if the soldiers refuse to act, the guns and 
 weapons are without power to destroy or repel. 
 The functions of the fort must necessarily be col- 
 lectively employed. No one of them can act alone ; 
 no one of them can fail to act without crippling 
 the collective whole. 
 
 As these faculties or powers are inseparable 
 from the soul, and as soul essence is immortal, it
 
 Mind. 49 
 
 follows, that mind must be immortal, for these 
 nine powers follow the soul, and cling to it wher- 
 ever it goes. We must conclude also, that the 
 mind cannot be divided as subjective and objective, 
 although its action is sometimes subjective, and 
 sometimes objective. 
 
 As each human being is an individual, a soul, 
 entirely separated from other individuals, other 
 souls; and as each soul has its own faculties or 
 powers, distinct from those of other souls, there- 
 fore each individual mind is separated entirely 
 from the mind of all others, and it is an error to 
 claim that mind is universal, for each mind must, 
 by necessity, be separate, distinct, and individual. 
 No one can think for another ; each must think for 
 himself. 
 
 It is likewise incorrect to claim, as some do, that 
 mind is the aggregate of thoughts, ideas and feel- 
 ings, for, in reality, the mind itself is the performer 
 of these results or actions. They are mental prod- 
 ucts, of which mind is the cause. That which is 
 caused, cannot be the causer. The building is not 
 the builder, the invention not the inventor; the 
 sensation of joy cannot be that which rejoices. 
 
 We have shown that mind, like a fort, is con- 
 tinually occupied in warring with the surround- 
 ing existence; protecting us from the assault of 
 injurious physical or mental forces ; defending us 
 against moral, mental and physical harm, and, at 
 the same time, receiving and retaining whatever 
 we deem useful or beneficial. All the nine facul- 
 ties are thus actively employed, except during the
 
 50 Mind. 
 
 period of sleep, and even then, they sometimes 
 work, as in dreams and visions. 
 
 In addition to this general similarity between 
 mind and fort, there is a strong and individual 
 parallelism between the duties of the soul faculties, 
 and the functions of the various parts and belong- 
 ings of the fort. 
 
 Perception, for instance, may be likened to the 
 structure or building of the fort, for, unless we 
 receive impressions of the external world, which 
 can only come to us through this faculty, there 
 will be no capital for the other faculties to work 
 upon ; that is to say, there will be no mind, for all 
 the other faculties must remain inactive and in- 
 operative, from lack of the capital of knowledge. 
 Without this structure, or building, mind cannot 
 exist. The proof of this is, that if it were possible 
 to keep a child from the time of its birth, in a 
 dark room, where not one of its five senses could act 
 (granted for sake of the illustration, that its life 
 could be sustained under these conditions for a 
 long period), we would find, at the end of years, a 
 human being perfectly equipped physically ; a 
 human soul with nine faculties, inhabiting this 
 physical body, yet without a trace of mind, with- 
 out a ray of thought ; because the faculty of per- 
 ception had not been able to gather a single im- 
 pression from the outside world. Similarly, with- 
 out the walls or structure of a fort, the other 
 essential requisites of the fort, could not perform 
 their various functions, and the fort would not be 
 in existence.
 
 Mind. 51 
 
 Memory represents the intelligence office of a 
 fort. It is the repository of records and data ; the 
 department in which the details of past happen- 
 ings are preserved ; for upon the tablet of memory, 
 every mental action, external or internal, is regis- 
 tered, so that in time of need, we may refer to it, 
 re- cognize and re-collect events of the past. 
 
 Abstraction resembles the military system and 
 arrangement of the fort; the division into groups 
 and bodies, in order that action, when necessary, 
 may be effective. 
 
 Imagination is similar to the drill and prepara- 
 tion for possible emergencies ; the combination of 
 various parties and groups, in readiness for sur- 
 prises or unexpected plan of assault. 
 
 Reason may be compared to the officers of the 
 fort, who must be thoroughly versed in all the 
 various methods of military action, and competent 
 to decide between the right and wrong plan, in 
 order to accomplish the most successful result. 
 
 Judgment is the commander-in-chief of the fort, 
 who issues final orders as to what is or is not to be 
 done. 
 
 Mental Taste may be likened to the engineers, 
 whose duties are to examine the condition of the 
 fort and its various component bodies; supervise 
 the equipment of armor, minister to the comfort 
 and necessities of all within the fort, and to correct 
 and improve all details. 
 
 Will is represented by the soldiers, who do the 
 fighting and perform the voluntary action of de- 
 fense, by making use of the various weapons 
 against the enemy.
 
 52 Mind. 
 
 Consciousness is the official staff, whose business 
 it is to keenly observe and report all the move- 
 ments and actions of the enemy, as well as the 
 internal actions of the fort, so that the conditions 
 inside and outside, may be under thorough scrutiny 
 and perfectly understood. 
 
 By this line of comparison, we show clearly, that 
 mind is a collective name given to the nine facul- 
 ties of the soul, when they are united in action, for 
 a specific purpose. 
 
 The question arises "What is the difference 
 between the soul, spirit and mind?" Soul and 
 spirit are often used synonymously, although soul 
 is the intelligent essence, and spirit is the measure 
 of its comprehension. The equivalents of the two 
 terms are found in the oriental languages. In the 
 Hebrew, "nephesh" means breath and is translated 
 "soul;" while "ruach" means "air," and is 
 translated " spirit. " The Orientals sometimes term 
 the intellectual essence ' ' nephesh ' ' and sometimes 
 " ruach," because it is fine and invisible. In an- 
 cient times, before the lighter gases had been dis- 
 covered, they could not find more appropriate 
 terms to represent the intelligent essence in its 
 fineness and invisibility. Undoubtedly also, they 
 associated the soul with the breath, since the 
 action of the soul faculties begins when the breath 
 first enters the physical body, and ceases with its 
 going out at the moment of death. 
 
 Mind is sometimes used figuratively to mean 
 the soul, as for instance, in the expression "his 
 mind is at rest;" exactly as we say the "king has
 
 Mind. 53 
 
 commanded," "the czar has arrived," thus using 
 their titles instead of mentioning their personalities. 
 When a man dies, we say "His soul has departed," 
 "His soul is at rest." We do not say that his 
 "mind" has departed. 
 
 In the figurative expression, "Eyes have they 
 but they see not ; ears have they but they hear 
 not," the meaning is, that there are souls who do 
 not utilize their faculties in the right way, to get 
 understanding. 
 
 Thought is simply the action of the soul facul- 
 ties. Intellect, in one sense, is mind ; in another 
 sense, it is the knowing power of the soul. The 
 human soul, endowed with the nine great faculties 
 or powers, stands next to God in rank and degree, 
 the only difference between God and ourselves, 
 being the essential fact, that He knows more than 
 we are capable of knowing. God is Infinite, and 
 His intelligence is the aggregate of Infinite powers 
 of soul, while we are of finite essence, limited 
 in this existence, to knowledge derived from col- 
 lective action of the nine powers of that essence 
 which powers, when in action, we term Mind.
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 LIFE. 
 
 Life is that power or activity inherent in the soul, 
 which enables the soul faculties to work together 
 in union and affinity. It is the means by which 
 the soul connects itself with its body, and estab- 
 lishes communication with the outside material 
 and spiritual existence. It carries all impressions 
 and messages from the outside to the inside, from 
 the inside to the outside, and from the inside to the 
 inside, and runs to and fro throughout the nervous 
 system, performing all the voluntary motions of 
 man, in harmony with the power of will. 
 
 The word " life " is used in a general sense, to 
 express a great variety of meanings. The life of 
 anything denotes its state of existence. For in- 
 stance, the condition in which a tree, or the body 
 of an animal, has the capability of exercising its 
 natural functions, is termed the life of a tree or the 
 life of an animal body. In reality, however, that 
 power of chemical affinity and mechanical opera- 
 tion which governs the development and maintains 
 the existence of a tree or body, is the power of 
 growth, and not the power of life. The power of 
 life is therefore specifically restricted to the soul, 
 since it is inherent in the soul. The human body, 
 which is but the soul's temporary residence, pos- 
 sesses, like the tree, the power of growth only. 
 
 55
 
 56 Life. 
 
 Man, the combination or partnership of a living 
 soul and a material body, therefore possesses both 
 the power of life and the power of growth ; the 
 former controlling his voluntary motions, the latter 
 exercising control over his motions and functions 
 which are involuntary. 
 
 A further analysis of the power of life, necessi- 
 tates more extended explanation of its peculiar du- 
 ties and action. By it, every impression from the 
 outside to the inside, every communication from 
 the inside to the outside, every introspection from 
 the inside to the inside, is delivered to the faculties 
 of the soul, enabling each one of them to perform 
 its characteristic function toward the thing cog- 
 nized, and, at the same time, to work in union and 
 affinity with the others. The power of life is there- 
 fore the current or medium of cognition. For in- 
 stance, if we see a horse running wildly toward us, 
 the power of life delivers the impression of the 
 condition of the horse, to the faculty of perception, 
 and to all the other faculties as well, so that each 
 one of them may be able to perform its special 
 function concerning the impression, and prepare 
 the mental action by which we may escape from a 
 position of danger. 
 
 The power of life is also the carrier of the action 
 of each faculty to the other faculties, constituting 
 the medium of introspection or inter-action of the 
 faculties. For example, the action of memory is 
 carried by it to all the other faculties ; the action 
 of the other faculties is carried by it to the memory, 
 and so on throughout. This exquisite and har-
 
 Life. 57 
 
 monious interweaving or introspection, this trans- 
 fer of action and flow of intelligence from inside to 
 inside, is accomplished through that current of 
 soul activity, the power of life. By it, the soul 
 kens itself. It is the means by which the soul 
 connects itself with its body, for it carries the 
 changes and experiences of the body, to the soul 
 and its faculties, along the afferent or sensory 
 nerves. By it, the soul controls and performs all 
 the voluntary motions of the body, sending com- 
 munications from the inside to the outside, along 
 the efferent or motor nerves. Through this cir- 
 cuit of the power of life along the nerves, therefore, 
 the soul is made aware of the conditions of its 
 bodily residence, and exercises its intelligence to 
 protect that residence from injury, and keep it in 
 good condition. 
 
 If you put your hand unintentionally in hot water, 
 you draw it out instantly, to save it from being 
 scalded. The impression of heat has been carried 
 by the power of life, through the sensory nerves, to 
 the soul faculties. Each faculty has performed its 
 function toward that impression of heat, until the 
 decision of judgment was reached and issued to 
 the power of life, ordering the hand drawn away 
 from its dangerous position. 
 
 The power of life then executed this command 
 of the soul, utilizing the motor nerves, and the 
 hand was drawn away voluntarily, by the muscles 
 of the arm. In the sensations of cold, hunger, 
 thirst, sickness, pain, etc. , the power of life acts in 
 the same way, by carrying these impressions to the
 
 58 Life. 
 
 soul, and executing the soul's commands to modify, 
 as much as possible, the injury or danger of these 
 inharmonious conditions and changes. It controls 
 speech and song ; the souls of the sculptor, painter 
 and musician find expression through it ; by it, 
 the actor portrays emotions, and the orator thrills 
 with impassioned eloquence. All our thoughts 
 and feelings are conveyed by its mysterious sensi- 
 tiveness; the wishes, hopes, longings and aspira- 
 tions of our souls, flow in its subtle current 
 
 As the power of life is the means by which the 
 soul connects itself with its body; the activity by 
 which the soul uses, controls and protects its body; 
 and, as it runs to and fro throughout the nervous 
 system, we prove that the nerves are the instru- 
 ments through which the soul faculties manifest 
 their functions. For, if the sensory nerves of the 
 hand are cut or paralyzed, the impressions of the 
 sense of touch, will no longer be carried to the 
 thinking faculties, and the hand may be injured or 
 destroyed, without the soul's knowledge of it; yet, 
 at the same time, if the motor nerves are perfect, 
 the hand may be drawn away at the soul's command. 
 If, vice versa, the motor nerves of the hand are 
 injured or destroyed, while the sensory nerves are 
 perfect, the impression of pain, from an injury to 
 the hand, would reach the soul, but the soul's 
 command to draw away the hand, could not be 
 executed by the muscles, and the impression of pain 
 would continue, until the other hand or some 
 agency, was used to carry out the command of the 
 soul, and remove the injured member from its 
 position.
 
 Life. 59 
 
 This proves plainly, that the soul faculties per- 
 form their functions through the fine part of the 
 material body called the nervous system, for, al- 
 though the paralyzed hand may still be in its 
 normal healthy condition of combination, with the 
 exception of its sensory or motor nerves, yet we 
 find that the power of life does not perform its 
 function in that combination, outside of the nerves. 
 
 If any member of the body is destroyed, the soul 
 endeavors, by the power of life, to restore the loss 
 entailed, by giving to some other member of the 
 body, the equivalent of the destroyed function. 
 For example, if an arm be destroyed by amputa- 
 tion, the power of life manifests its energy and 
 activity to strengthen the other arm, and, after a 
 time, we find that the remaining arm is more pow- 
 erful than it had been before the loss of the other, 
 and, to a certain extent, is able to accomplish the 
 function of both. If sight is destroyed, the hearing 
 becomes keener, and touch is rendered more sensi- 
 tive, so that, in a measure, these two senses will 
 replace the function of the destroyed one, enabling 
 the sightless person to read with the fingers, walk 
 confidently in the street, etc. 
 
 If the theory of the materialists is correct, that 
 intellectuality is the result of the composition of 
 the material elements, the loss of one member of 
 that composition, must necessarily cause a propor- 
 tionate loss of intellectuality; but facts prove the 
 contrary of this to be the case, for we find that 
 when a member of that material composition, the 
 body, is lost, the intellectuality displays more
 
 60 Life. 
 
 energy and vigor, endeavoring to restore to the 
 body, the equivalent of the loss sustained. We 
 cannot show that the loss of an arm or a leg, 
 diminishes mentality. If it were possible, we 
 might reduce the body, member by member, until 
 little else remained beside the heart and brain, yet 
 still there would be no diminution of the mental 
 action, no decrease in the intellectuality, so long as 
 the brain was maintained in its normal condition. 
 And, further, it is a well known fact, that when 
 the body is wasted and reduced by sickness, to an 
 extreme extent, the mental action is frequently 
 found to be keener and abnormally acute. 
 
 SLEEP. 
 
 Sleep is the period or duration in which the 
 power of life temporarily ceases to perform its 
 function, in order that that fine part of the material 
 composition, the nervous system, through which 
 the soul faculties manifest themselves, may rest 
 and recuperate from the wear and tear of action. 
 Without this rest or cessation from action, the 
 nervous system would be worn out and destroyed ; 
 death would ensue, thus preventing us from reach- 
 ing our maturity of understanding, and accomplish- 
 ing the purpose of the soul's residence in its body. 
 For this reason, the Almighty, our Creator has laid 
 a wise and natural law, that the power of life must 
 normally cease its action a certain period or dura- 
 tion in the twenty-four hours, in order k> preserve 
 the body.
 
 Life. 61 
 
 If the materialists are right, the action of the 
 power of life along the nerves, would be a contin- 
 uous and unvarying one ; for the material composi- 
 tion is the same during sleep, as when we are 
 awake, and consequently there would be no sleep, 
 for the same action cannot produce two such dif- 
 ferent and contradictory conditions. The necessity 
 of sleep being evident, the materialistic theory is 
 absolutely disproved. If, however, the materialist 
 should hold, that both the conditions of sleep and 
 wakefulness, are the results of material composi- 
 tion, the claim is illogical, because the condition 
 of being awake, is an activity and the result of 
 some action, while sleep is the absence of activity, 
 or passiveness. Sleep cannot be a result, as it is 
 impossible for no activity to produce a result. A 
 result is the consequence of action. Further than 
 this, we know that although a man is asleep, he 
 may be awakened by a loud voice. The voice 
 cannot change his material composition and pro- 
 duce another result. As sleep is the period during 
 which the power of life ceases to perform its func- 
 tion, it follows that there is no mental action what- 
 ever, when sleep is normal and healthy. The 
 phenomena of dreams and visions, lead us into 
 further understanding of the subtle sensitiveness of 
 function possessed by the power of life. Not only 
 does it connect the soul with the outside material 
 existence, but also with the outside spiritual exist- 
 ence, for it is the medium of connection between 
 the souls of the human race, and carries communi- 
 cations from one to another. Mental actions or
 
 62 Life. 
 
 ideas are carried through the five senses by the 
 power of life, from outside souls to the thinking fac- 
 ulties, for consideration, and, by this means, human 
 beings gain knowledge and understanding from each 
 other. This connection and intercourse is not con- 
 fined to the souls which inhabit material bodies, 
 but extends also to the invisible. The power of 
 life carries to the soul, communications from the 
 invisible realm, through revelations, dreams and 
 visions. In this way, the prophets and holy mes- 
 sengers sent from God to teach us the truth, 
 received their knowledge and inspiration. Through 
 revelation, Daniel, Isaiah, Ezekiel, Jesus, and many 
 others received from God, the knowledge of His 
 truth and the power of prophetic utterance. Not 
 only have the souls of the great prophets and holy 
 men, by their susceptibility to divine communica- 
 tions, proved this function of the power of life, 
 but countless proofs of it exist in the record of 
 dreams and visions which have foretold coming 
 events, and in the revelations of knowledge which 
 human souls are constantly receiving from spiritual 
 and invisible sources. 
 
 Dreams, in the ordinary sense, are mere halluci- 
 nations or mental actions, due to disordered func- 
 tions of the body producing excitement of the 
 nervous system, which is communicated to the 
 brain, causing subjective action of the thinking 
 faculties. These differ entirely from dreams or 
 visions which are mental actions caused by the 
 power of life carrying to the thinking faculties, 
 impressions from spiritual sources outside of us.
 
 Life. 63 
 
 This phenomenon of the soul faculties, is a strong 
 evidence of immortality, which materialists cannot 
 reasonably deny, for, as these faculties are insepa- 
 rable from the immortal soul essence, and as the 
 power of life which qualifies the soul, is the means 
 by which communications are carried to the soul 
 essence, the power of life must therefore be the 
 means or tie which connects the soul with the out- 
 side spiritual existence, now and hereafter. 
 
 BREATHING AND THE INVOLUNTARY MOTIONS. 
 
 t 
 
 Breathing, circulation of the blood, and all the 
 involuntary motions of man, are the results of the 
 power of growth, which has already been defined. 
 In a tree, we find no evidence of intelligent essence, 
 yet the circulation of sap, by which it maintains 
 its existence, is precisely similar to the circulation 
 of blood in a human body wherein we find a soul 
 has its residence. Both the flow of sap and flow of 
 blood, are purely mechanical operations. The tree 
 breathes through the pores of its leaves, extracting 
 carbonic acid gas from the atmosphere, while the 
 lungs of the human body, are performing the same 
 function, by utilizing oxygen. These conditions 
 or functions, in both tree and human body, are ac- 
 complished by the chemical affinity of the material 
 elements, and do not depend at all upon the exist- 
 ence of intelligent essence. If the tree is in need 
 of water, it cannot realize that need by mental 
 action, nor can it get water by voluntary effort. 
 Unless nature supplies it with water, it must die.
 
 64 Life. 
 
 It cannot supply itself. Possessing, as it does, the 
 power of growth only, it is limited in its existence, 
 to involuntary motions, such as breathing, circula- 
 tion of sap, etc. As soon as we find evidence of 
 intelligent essence in an organism, we find the 
 power of voluntary action exists, for the power of 
 life always accompanies the intelligent essence we 
 call soul, and wherever the power of life is, there 
 must be voluntary action. 
 
 INSANITY. 
 
 We have found, by progressive diagnosis of man, 
 that the body, a material composition, is occupied 
 by the soul, an intelligent essence, which, through 
 its power of life, is enabled to exercise its faculties; 
 and that the power of life runs to and fro upon an 
 intricate system of nerve wiring, which ramifies 
 and extends to every portion of the soul's habita- 
 tion. All these wires or nerves are connected with 
 the brain, which may be compared to a switch- 
 board, regulating the action of the soul faculties. 
 
 That the brain is a material instrument, is 
 proved by the fact that we can resolve it into the 
 material elements of which it is composed. We 
 are certain that it is the instrument through which 
 the soul acts, because, if it is destroyed, injured or 
 tampered with, we instantly find a corresponding 
 cessation or fault of mental action. For illustra- 
 tion, let us suppose a house to be thoroughly 
 wired and equipped with electricity, which is to be 
 utilized for nine different purposes, such as light-
 
 Life. 65 
 
 ing, heating, bells, etc. Somewhere in the house, 
 is the battery which generates the electric current. 
 If we trace the wiring back, however, we will find 
 that there is no direct connection between the bat- 
 tery and the points at which the current is utilized, 
 but that all the wires lead to and center in a 
 switch-board, from which a main supply wire leads 
 to the battery itself. If we destroy the switch- 
 board, there can be no lighting, the bells will not 
 ring, etc.; tampering with the switch-board, gives 
 faulty action at the extremities of the wires. If 
 the switch-board is insufficiently insulated or worn 
 out, we find a corresponding loss or distortion of 
 the electrical action. Just so we find that injury 
 to the brain, prevents the soul from utilizing its 
 body. The soul is the battery, the power of life is 
 the electric current, the nerves are the wires, and 
 the brain, the switch-board. If we destroy the 
 brain, we destroy mental action ; if we tamper 
 with it or with the nerve wires, we produce faulty 
 mental action. From this, we prove that insanity 
 is a certain abnormal or unhealthy condition of 
 the brain or nervous system, which causes the soul 
 faculties to manifest themselves incorrectly, or 
 prevents them from full performance of their func- 
 tions. By this, we prove also, that each of the 
 soul faculties manifests itself in some particular 
 part of the brain, for an injury to one part of the 
 brain will sometimes cause defect of memory, an 
 injury to another part will entail defect in the 
 power of abstraction, and so on. When the soul 
 faculties cannot, on this account, exercise their
 
 66 Life. 
 
 functions normally, they cannot work in harmony 
 with each other, nor with the outside existence, 
 and this erratic, imperfect, or distorted mental 
 action, is termed insanity. Insanity, therefore, is 
 caused by the unfitness of the instrument of mental 
 action, that is, by the imperfection of the brain. 
 It is not the loss of the soul faculties; it is the loss 
 of their power to act. A man goes into a forest to 
 cut down trees. If his axe is kept sharp and keen, 
 he can cut down the same number of trees each 
 day, but as soon as the axe becomes dull or defect- 
 ive, the results of his work are less. The cause 
 lies in the instrument of cutting, the axe. We 
 cannot say that the man is losing his strength, 
 because his axe is defective; neither can we say 
 a man has lost his faculties, because he is insane.
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 THE IDENTITY OF GOD. 
 
 The Identity, Individuality and Infinite Person- 
 ality of God, the Almighty Creator, is the great 
 underlying, fundamental truth of all truths; the 
 only basis of religious belief which can be estab- 
 lished by thorough analysis in the light of scien- 
 tific, logical and scriptural demonstration. 
 
 If we refer to our reason, the question, " What 
 is the Creator, the Causer of all causes?" we cannot 
 form any conclusion or idea outside of these five, 
 viz. : He must be either the Universe, a Power, a 
 Law, a Principle, or an Identity. To these, may 
 be added the hypothesis that He is non-existent ; 
 that is to say, "there is no God." We strictly be- 
 lieve and teach, that God is an Identity, an Indi- 
 viduality, and Infinite Personality ; this is our 
 positive point. That He is neither the Universe, 
 a Power, a Law, a Principle, nor non-existent, 
 forms our negative point. 
 
 We will first take each division of the negative 
 point separately, and prove its impossibility, after 
 which, the positive point will be considered, and 
 proved conclusively. God, the Alighty Creator, 
 is not the Universe, for the following five reasons, 
 viz. : 
 
 First. The Universe is not God, because no par- 
 ticipation of qualities common to the whole, is 
 
 6?
 
 68 The Identity of God. 
 
 found in it ; that is to say, if we take the various 
 parts of that huge body which is supposed to be 
 God, we will find that each part of it differs from 
 the others, in some qualities. For example, the sun 
 differs from the moon ; the earth from the comets. 
 If we examine the various substances of which our 
 planet is composed, the material elements which 
 we can perceive and analyze by our senses, we dis- 
 cover that each element varies from all the other 
 elements, in its qualities; also that in each terres- 
 trial division or kingdom, are found many points 
 which differentiate it from the others. Man does 
 not possess the qualities of a tree ; the apple those 
 of gold ; nor iron those of a horse. If it be a true 
 supposition, that the Universe is the body of God, 
 the natural and rational conclusion must be, that 
 each particle of that body, possesses all the attri- 
 butes of the whole, otherwise He cannot be abso- 
 lute perfection. God is absolute perfection, and 
 every part of Him must possess all His qualities. 
 A drop from the ocean, will be found to contain all 
 the qualities of the waters of the ocean. As God 
 is perfection, He must be homogeneous, hence the 
 Universe, which is not homogeneous, cannot be 
 God. 
 
 Those who teach that everything in existence is 
 a spark of God, or a part of Him, and that this 
 spark requires a "long procession of ages and 
 cycles to accomplish its Karma, in order that it 
 may regain its original condition," ignore reality, 
 and do not reason deeply enough to reach the 
 truth. But suppose we admit this theory, tak-
 
 The Identity of God. 69 
 
 ing man, the highest among known creatures, as 
 an example. We must conclude, that, if man is 
 a spark of God or a part of Him, man must neces- 
 sarily have all the qualities of God. If we take a 
 small piece from a large lump of salt, we find that 
 the small piece has all the qualities of the large 
 lump, and does not require a "long procession of 
 years and ages" of development, to accomplish its 
 return to the nature of the large lump. Thus we 
 see, that this process is ridiculous and unreasonable, 
 for it is neither necessary nor possible to resalt the 
 salt. If we make the same proposition concerning 
 the lower animals, the vegetables and minerals, en- 
 deavoring to show that they are a part of the 
 essence of the Great Being who is absolute perfec- 
 tion in knowledge and wisdom, the conclusion 
 must be still more ridiculous and impossible. From 
 this reasonable basis, we are obliged to reject the 
 theory that God is the Universe, or the Universe 
 God. 
 
 Second. Where there is division, there can be 
 no perfection. There is, for instance, an entire 
 separation and distinction between the essences of 
 soul and matter. Therefore, if the Universe be 
 God, He is divided, and, as division implies weak- 
 ness in essence and power, it necessarily proves, 
 that He is not the Universe, since He is perfection 
 and cannot be divided. We must remember, that 
 to perfection, nothing can be added, nor can any- 
 thing be taken from it. Many who claim to be ad- 
 vanced thinkers, have left the orthodox church, 
 renouncing its doctrine of the Trinity. They
 
 70 The Identity of God. 
 
 reason correctly, that God cannot be divided and 
 that Three cannot be One, yet, at the same time, 
 are willing to believe that there is a germ of Deity 
 in every soul, thus dividing God into millions of 
 atoms, while refusing to believe that He can be 
 divided into three personalities. Their case is 
 similar to that of the individual, who, finding him- 
 self standing under a leak in the roof, moved 
 outside and stood cheerfully under a waterspout. 
 
 Third. Where there are degrees, there is defi- 
 ciency, and no perfection. A cursory examination 
 of the surrounding existence, will suffice to show 
 us plainly, that the Universe is composed of things 
 varying in degree. The mineral and vegetable 
 kingdoms are dull and inanimate ; the animal 
 kingdom, in its wide classification of species, from 
 lower to higher, possesses varying proportion of in- 
 tellect and power of understanding ; while human 
 beings, the highest intelligent form of which we 
 have knowledge, are endowed with soul faculties 
 for great purposes and possibilities. God cannot 
 be partly dull and partly intelligent ; partly ani- 
 mate and partly inanimate. If this were true, He 
 would not be perfection ; consequently the proposi- 
 tion that God is the Universe, is utterly untenable. 
 
 Fourth. If the totality of the Universe be God, 
 there necessarily must be an affinity of sensation 
 connecting the different component members of 
 that whole. It is impossible, however, from obser- 
 vation of objects around us, to find any such con- 
 necting sensation, between either the various classes 
 and divisions of these objects, or between the dif-
 
 The Identity of God. 71 
 
 ferent members of these classes and divisions. 
 There is evidently no connection of feeling or 
 sensation, between a man and a horse or dog, or 
 even between two men ; for, while the first man 
 may be thinking of America, the thought of the 
 second may be centered upon Africa, and neither 
 cognizant of the mind of the other. This shows 
 that they are not members of a universal God. 
 Admitting such a supposition, we must conclude 
 that every thought, idea, movement, action and 
 change, must be felt by every member throughout 
 the entire Universe. An injury to the finger, af- 
 fects, through sympathetic nerve fibres, the whole 
 body, so, also, if the Universe be God, every object 
 therein would participate in the sensation which 
 follows the injury to the finger. 
 
 Fifth. The strongest, most convincing proof in 
 opposition to this belief, is, that from nothing, 
 nothing can come. According to all logic, science 
 and natural law, there must be a Causer for every- 
 thing, and, as the Universe includes everything, 
 there must be a Causer for the Universe, and that 
 is the Causer of all causes, the Almighty Creator. 
 Who will say that man, although the highest of 
 creation, created his own soul, or put that soul into 
 existence ? Admitting even the possibility of this, 
 we know, that however he may desire to remain 
 here, it cannot be; he may not delay his departure, 
 but must inevitably obey the summons of death, 
 plainly showing that his existence here, is not in 
 his own hands. If the highest of creatures cannot 
 control this, it is evident that the lowest cannot.
 
 72 The Identity of God. 
 
 As that which is caused, cannot itself be the cause, 
 so the Universe cannot be God. From the fore- 
 going statements, the thinker will be led to con- 
 sider the three following points: 
 
 i. Some occult and mental teachers claim, that 
 when man attains perfection, the point of highest 
 intelligent development, his strength of mentality 
 can keep his body from decay, and hold it thus 
 for thousands of years, as they say the Mahatmas 
 can do ; that a time will come when his body will 
 not die, but live forever. To this, it is sufficient 
 to reply, that the claims of these theorists have 
 never been practically proved, nor can they be. 
 
 This theory is in direct opposition to fact, reason 
 and natural law. The animal kingdom is shorter 
 lived than the vegetable, for the reason that there 
 is mentality in the body of the member of the 
 animal kingdom. As this body is a mere tent or 
 residence for the mentality, intelligence or soul 
 which inhabits it, the more that intelligence or 
 soul uses its tent, the sooner the latter is liable to 
 decay and destruction ; and the stronger and more 
 active this intelligence, and the more effective its 
 manifestations, the more destructive will be the 
 effect upon the tent. 
 
 Take, for instance, two men of similarly strong 
 constitutions, but of widely different temperaments; 
 the one nervous and active, the other, quiet and 
 deliberate. At the age of forty, the one will 
 appear to be old, and far in advance of his years, 
 while the other will seem to be in the prime of 
 life.
 
 The Identity of God. 73 
 
 Again, take a representative from each of, the 
 two kingdoms, animal and vegetable, a man and 
 a cedar tree. However strongly the man may be 
 constituted, it is scarcely possible for him to live a 
 hundred years, while the cedar tree may flourish 
 for thousands. Thus, comparing the two kingdoms 
 in a corresponding degree, we find, that existence 
 without mentality, is more enduring, and that 
 where the mentality is active, the sands of life are 
 more quickly run out. This clearly proves that 
 these occult claims are not founded upon truth. 
 
 This theory is also directly opposed to the laws 
 of nature, for we know, that the body of man is a 
 composition of a number of elements, and it is a 
 scientific fact, that a composition is a modification 
 of the nature of the elements of which it is composed. 
 As these elements were in existence before they 
 were formed into that composition, it follows, that 
 the law governing every composition, is, that it shall 
 be decomposed and resolved again into its com- 
 ponent elements. Man's body, as we have said, is 
 a composition ; therefore man's body, in accordance 
 with the perfection of law, must be decomposed, 
 that is to say, it must die, for decomposition is 
 what we call " death." Those who imagine that 
 they can destroy or overcome perfect natural laws, 
 when they become perfect in mentality, would 
 change their belief, if they could reach that exalted 
 state, for then they would realize, that instead of 
 setting natural laws aside, they would be in perfect 
 harmony with the action of those laws. 
 
 2. Some may ask: " If nothing can come from
 
 74 The Identity of God. 
 
 nothing, whence came God ?" The question is not 
 logical, because, as the universe is a creation, there 
 must of necessity, be a Creator or Causer thereof, 
 and that Causer is called the Almighty Creator 
 God. But we cannot say whence God came, 
 because He is a Being, existent through all eternity, 
 and, since He is the Great First Causer of all 
 things, there logically is no place nor cause from 
 whence He could come. If we say He was created 
 by another God, and continue backward to a third, 
 fourth and fifth, or any number of Gods, we must 
 finally exhaust the imagination in an endeavor to 
 discover a time when, and a place where, there 
 was not a God. And if God were not there, what 
 would we find? Nothing! But, from nothing, 
 nothing comes, and we are back at our starting 
 point. Having reached the end of the chain, we 
 are obliged to admit a first Causer of all other 
 causes ; a self-existent, eternal Being, God, the 
 Creator ; the manifestation of whose creative power, 
 brought the universe into existence. 
 
 3. A superficial thinker may ask: "If the uni- 
 verse and everything in existence, is the mani- 
 festation of God's creative power, must they not 
 have come from God, and of necessity be a part of 
 Him?' ' According to science, and to natural and 
 rational laws, this is incorrect reasoning, for that 
 which is manifested, cannot possibly be a part of 
 the manifestor, nor a part of his power, in either 
 matter or mentality. The power of steam is mani- 
 fested in the motion of an engine, but the motion 
 is not a part of the steam, nor of its power, but is
 
 The Identity of God. 75 
 
 a result or product of the power of the steam. A 
 magnet may magnetize a piece of iron, but does 
 not thereby lose a portion of its essence or of its 
 power. This shows, that that which is manifested, 
 is not a part of its manifestor, nor a part of its 
 manifestoes power. So, although God created the 
 universe, still the universe is not a part of God, 
 nor of His power of creation, but simply a mani- 
 festation of that power. If I say, "I am glad to 
 see you," this statement produces in your mind, a 
 certain understanding or idea, but neither the 
 statement nor your understanding of it, is a part of 
 me nor of my power of speech, but is a manifestation 
 of that power. If you teach me a science, I will 
 gain knowledge, but the knowledge I receive, is not 
 a part of your essence nor of your knowledge, be- 
 cause you lose neither a part of yourself nor of 
 your knowledge, by teaching me. You simply 
 manifest your power and I receive the knowledge 
 which you manifest. Thus we prove, that the 
 manifested is not a part of the manifestor, nor of 
 his power, and it therefore follows, that the uni- 
 verse is not a part of God nor of His power, but is 
 a manifestation thereof. 
 
 Many thinkers are struggling with incessant 
 effort, to know and realize how the Creator, by His 
 creative power, has produced the essences of the 
 universe, and how He has endowed them with 
 qualities which are necessary for their existence 
 and indestructibility. This knowledge is beyond 
 our limitation in the present existence, for man, 
 the soul, although endowed with many faculties
 
 76 The Identity of God. 
 
 and powers, does not possess the creative power, nor 
 knowledge of it. This is the creative secret which 
 lies beyond the ken of our understanding, but by 
 earnest search to know God, to become His chil- 
 dren, and be grafted into the Tree of Life, we may 
 attain the privilege of living with Him eternally 
 and understanding His creative laws. 
 
 What has been stated thus far, is sufficient to 
 show the fallacy and unreasonableness of atheism, 
 yet the following facts deserve attention, viz.: 
 " Nothing " cannot be the Causer of all causes, for 
 the reason that " Nothing " has neither powers nor 
 qualities to manifest, and by which to bring any- 
 thing into existence. Besides this, there remains 
 the indisputable fact, that from "nothing," nothing 
 can come ; therefore, the Causer of the Universe 
 necessarily exists, and atheistical argument is an- 
 nihilated. 
 
 The belief that everything in existence is self- 
 existent, without beginning, without end, and 
 without a cause to bring it into existence, is like- 
 wise founded upon lack of knowledge and upon 
 sophistical reasoning, for, upon reflection, it will 
 clearly be seen, that there is no class or race in ex- 
 istence, from the highest to the lowest, any member 
 of which is self-existent. We know that man, the 
 highest visible form in the universe, did not bring 
 himself into existence ; that neither his coming 
 upon the earth, nor his continuance here in- 
 definitely, is under his control. In both, he is 
 wholly dependent upon some other, higher power 
 and is not self-existent. There must therefore be
 
 The Identity of God. 77 
 
 One who is self-existent; One who caused man to 
 exist ; and that self-existent One, is the Great 
 Causer, Being, Creator, God. 
 
 The second article of our negative point, is the 
 belief held by many, that God is an infinite Power, 
 filling the whole universe. This cannot be true, 
 for, although He is most powerful, possessing in- 
 finite, perfect powers, and all-mighty, yet we cannot 
 say that He is a Power, because power is a quality, 
 a faculty, an attribute, or a force, which belongs to 
 an identity or an essence. There is no power without 
 an essence or an identity back of it. Back of the 
 power of gravitation or magnetism, is the earth. 
 Without the earth, there would be neither the one 
 nor the other. Given a power, we prove the ex- 
 istence of an identity. No power can exist alone 
 or without an identity back of it. We ourselves 
 are the possessors of many powers and faculties, 
 but back of them all, is our identity. We have the 
 faculty of memory and of reason, but can we say 
 that we are a memory or a reason ? We have the 
 power of speech, but are we the power of speech ? 
 No ; but we are identities; and even if unable to 
 manifest all, or any of the various powers belong- 
 ing to us as human beings, or if we lose those we 
 have, we never lose our identity. The dumb man, 
 although without the power of speech, never loses 
 his identity or personality. So, we plainly see, 
 that God is not a Power. He is greater than 
 Power. He is the possessor of Infinite Power ; the 
 identity behind it. 
 
 Some teach that God is Law, and if they teach
 
 78 The Identity of God. 
 
 what they cannot prove, what is to prevent people 
 from being led astray ? Law is the uniform rule, 
 condition or method, by which, through the opera- 
 tion of certain powers or faculties spiritual, men- 
 tal, chemical or mechanical, certain definite re- 
 sults are produced. Thus, if we chemically mix 
 two different elements, the resulting compound will 
 be a new substance, differing from either element 
 composing it. As the chemical affinities of these 
 elements unfailingly operate to produce this definite 
 result, the method by which it is accomplished, is 
 termed a "law." 
 
 The seasons of the year are produced by the 
 motion of the earth in its orbit, in conformity with 
 what is termed natural law. Two and two are 
 four; this is the result of the operation of the 
 mental faculties, in accordance with mathematical 
 law, and so on. We therefore conclude, as above 
 stated, that law is the rule or method by which 
 certain powers or faculties operate to produce cer- 
 tain effects or results. Back of a law must be an 
 intelligence which laid that law, an identity con- 
 trolling the action of that law. Therefore God 
 cannot be a Law. 
 
 Some who claim to be spiritual, teach that God 
 is a Principle. They say: "God is Love, therefore 
 Love is God." It is true that Principle is a foun- 
 dation or basis laid by an intelligence, upon which 
 to build, or a source from which to start a certain 
 action for a definite purpose. Thus we say that 
 Love, Mercy, Justice, Benevolence, Meekness, are 
 principles upon which the mind bases its action
 
 The Identity of God. 79 
 
 for certain purposes. Then Love is a principle 
 laid down by the intelligence. God created the 
 human race according to the perfection of His 
 knowledge and wisdom ; His intelligence appre- 
 ciated His perfect action, and this appreciation of, 
 or inclination towards His creatures, is the princi- 
 ple Love. In the light of this meaning, God is 
 Love, that is to say, He is loving toward His 
 creatures, but we cannot properly say that Love is 
 God, because Love is a principle, a foundation, laid 
 down by an Intelligence, and the foundation cannot 
 be the Intelligence which laid it. Back of Love 
 there is Intelligence, and back of both is the Per- 
 sonality. If we say, "Mr. Smith is good," we 
 mean that he is a good man ; but we cannot say 
 "Good is Mr. Smith," because the quality or foun- 
 dation principle cannot be the person who possesses 
 the quality or laid the foundation. Back of his 
 principle is his identity. Mr. Smith is a person, 
 not a principle ; so, also, God is a Personality, not 
 a principle. Besides, there are numerous princi- 
 ples each differing in all respects from the others ; 
 which of them is the God we ought to worship ? 
 
 As God exists, and as He is neither the Universe, 
 a Power, a Law nor a Principle, it necessarily fol- 
 lows that He is an Identity. This is the positive 
 point we believe and prove, as follows viz. : 
 
 i. God, being perfect in His powers and attri- 
 butes, must, of necessity, be perfect in knowledge; 
 hence He knows Himself. As He is known to Him- 
 self, He is limited by Himself to Himself; for 
 everything that is known, is limited, and as He is
 
 8o The Identity of God. 
 
 limited, the conclusion is inevitable that He is an 
 Identity. True, the finite cannot limit the Infinite ; 
 but the infinite knowledge of God extends as far 
 as His other infinite powers and attributes, and thus 
 His unlimited knowledge limits His unlimited 
 powers, for the perfection of knowledge is a line 
 of limit to the perfection of power. 
 
 To make this plain, let us illustrate God's per- 
 fect knowledge, by comparing it to an unlimited 
 line extending in the same direction as the unlim- 
 ited lines of His other attributes. We will find, 
 that, although every line is unlimited, yet no one 
 line can go beyond any other, because every line is 
 absolutely perfect. We must therefore conclude, 
 that perfection is a limit to perfection, because 
 whatever is perfect, cannot be more than perfect, 
 perfection being its limit. Therefore God, being 
 known to Himself, is limited to Himself; and the 
 unlimited is a limit to the unlimited. This proves 
 His Identity. 
 
 2. God is an Individuality, because He has 
 powers and attributes. It is a scientific fact, that 
 there is no power or attribute in the whole uni- 
 verse, without an identity or an essence back of it, 
 for every power or attribute is an inseparable 
 quality, qualifying the identity or the essence to 
 which it belongs. There is no density without 
 matter. "Nothing" does not have weight and 
 does not occupy space. Were there no matter, 
 there would be no power of gravitation, no elec- 
 trical force. Man has the powers of memory, of 
 imagination, of speech ; but can we find any of
 
 The Identity of God. 81 
 
 these powers self-existent? Is there not an indi- 
 viduality, a personality, an identity, back of each 
 or all of them ? Invariably ! All attempts to dis- 
 prove this scientific fact are vain. Therefore, we 
 only display ignorance, if we say that God is not 
 an identity, since He is all-mighty, having powers 
 and attributes in the fullness of perfection. 
 
 3. As it is known and proved that the universe 
 is the manifestation of God's creative power, and 
 as that which is manifested must possess more or 
 less of the attributes of its manifestor, so every- 
 thing in existence having been created by God, has 
 this similar quality of God, Identity. A child 
 has qualities similar to its parents ; the young beast 
 is qualified by the attributes of its kind; a tree from 
 the seed of a sweet orange, will bear sweet oranges, 
 and from the seed of a bitter one, will bear bitter 
 oranges. If we search the whole universe, we will 
 find that everything has its identity; no two men 
 are alike; no two trees are exactly like each other ; 
 no two grains of sand are duplicates ; everything 
 has its own peculiar identity, distinguishing it 
 from everything else. Why is this ? It is because 
 God is an Identity. His creatures are the mani- 
 festations of His powers, and as the manifested has 
 qualities and attributes similar to those of the 
 manifestor, this fact of their invariable identity, 
 proves to us that God also is an Identity. 
 
 4. It is a well-established principle that the 
 manifestor is not the manifested ; the Creator is not 
 the created ; the maker is not that which he has 
 made. How can we distinguish the one from the
 
 82 The Identity of God. 
 
 other ? What are the means of distinction between 
 them ? Nothing whatever but identity or person- 
 ality. There is no other distinction, either in 
 heaven or upon earth ; and it is this Identity, this 
 Personality of God, which distinguishes Him from 
 His creatures, His manifestations. 
 
 As disbelief in the Personality of God, is a prom- 
 inent characteristic of modern religious thinking, 
 it would be well, at this point, to consider the 
 most prevalent objections upon which this disbelief 
 is founded. In the sea of knowledge, we find many 
 swimmers, but few divers. Few indeed are those 
 who plunge into the depths and gather the pearls 
 of truth, but many float upon the surface, imagin- 
 ing they have discovered treasures in the light 
 which scintillates feebly from the gems below. 
 
 It is said that the Creator of the universe cannot 
 be a personalized Being, dwelling in a localized 
 heaven ; that such a belief is not consistent with 
 the omnipresence, infinity and other qualities uni- 
 versally attributed to Deity. Some deny His 
 providence, asserting that if He is a personalized 
 Being, man is not responsible for his actions, and 
 would be deprived of his individuality. It is said: 
 "God is Being, not a Being." To meet these ob- 
 jections, it is necessary to have clear understanding 
 as to what constitutes personality. According to 
 science and natural law, the attributes of anything 
 in existence, qualify its existence and distinguish 
 it from all other things. This constitutes its 
 identity. At the same time, when these attributes 
 are intelligent attributes, qualifying intelligent
 
 The Identity of God. 83 
 
 existence, they constitute the individuality or per- 
 sonality of that intelligent existence. Thus the 
 powers or attributes of man, make and form the 
 individuality or personality of man. Nothing ex- 
 ists in the universe, without possessing attributes, 
 either intelligent or non-intelligent. Vice versa, 
 no attributes can exist, without belonging to, and 
 qualifying something in existence. Therefore, all 
 intelligent powers or attributes must belong to and 
 proceed from some intelligent identity; from some 
 personality. The conclusion is irresistible, that 
 God the Creator, the Causer, is a Personality, from 
 the fact that His intelligent attributes and powers 
 are clearly in evidence and existent 
 
 The statement that belief in the Personality of 
 God is a violation of His attributes, is therefore not 
 logical, since the truth is, that He must be a 
 Personality because he possesses attributes. Fur- 
 thermore, it must be admitted that His attributes 
 are Infinite Attributes. They qualify therefore a 
 Personality which is likewise Infinite. Because 
 His attributes are Infinite, we cannot say that He 
 has no Personality, for these Infinite attributes logi- 
 cally prove His Infinite Personality, which cannot 
 be limited by finite creatures. But as He and all 
 His powers are Infinite, He knows Himself and is 
 limited to Himself, but not to us. It is not reason- 
 able to say that the Almighty Creator has no 
 Personality, because we cannot limit that Person- 
 ality. The insect cannot comprehend or limit the 
 personality of man. Shall we say, for this reason, 
 that man has no personality ?
 
 84 The Identity of God. 
 
 We know, that, as finite creatures, we can never 
 comprehend Infinite Personality, yet it is possible 
 for that Infinite to make a way, through which the 
 finite may go and comprehend Him. The way is 
 this, that from eternity, the Infinite decided not to 
 remain forever hidden, secluded from His creatures, 
 and incomprehensible to them, but took unto 
 Himself, an External Face, Appearance, or Manifes- 
 tation, by which He is interpreted to His finite 
 creatures ; and this Form, this Personality of Mani- 
 festation, is the One whom the finite creatures will 
 comprehend, enjoy, and with whom they will live 
 forever in the spiritual hereafter. 
 
 Will this future spiritual state be a " localized 
 Heaven," against which at present, where is such 
 strong opposition of belief? " Heaven " in correct 
 sense of the term, must either imply a supreme 
 condition or a locality. Manifestly there can be no 
 condition or state without position or locality. 
 Locality and state are inseparable and presuppose 
 each other. In the whole Universe, there is no 
 condition without position or place, and as Heaven 
 is a state or condition of supremacy, it must neces- 
 sarily have locality. 
 
 As the intelligent attributes of man, the soul, 
 constitute the personality of man, and prove him 
 an intelligent identity or being, so, the existence 
 of infinite intelligent attributes, constitute the In- 
 finite Personality of God, and prove Him an 
 Infinite Being. The personality of man is his 
 highest possession. It is the outcome of his high- 
 est powers. To deny the Infinite Personality of
 
 The Identity of God. 85 
 
 God therefore, is to deprive Him of His infinite at- 
 tributes and place Him upon a lower level than 
 ourselves. If God is Being, He is necessarily a 
 Being, though infinite. We cannot speak of an 
 existing human creature as man, not a man; of 
 stone, not a stone. Neither is it possible to prove 
 that "God is Being not a Being." This state- 
 ment has no meaning whatever. Incomprehensible 
 statements are the surest evidence of weakness and 
 error. 
 
 5. If we study the scriptural teachings of all 
 ages and races, we will find the Identity and Per- 
 sonality of God distinctly set forth. He appeared 
 to Adam, Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Moses and to 
 nearly all of the prophets. Who of them did not 
 see God and receive commands directly from Him, 
 falling down upon their faces at the appearance of 
 His majesty and glory ? Jesus taught clearly and 
 unequivocally, the Personality of God. He said : 
 " My Father." He taught us to pray " Our Father, 
 Thy will be done." " God made man after His own 
 image." An image is a form, an identity. There 
 can be no speculation as to what was meant by it 
 in Genesis. Image cannot be an abstract idea such 
 as holiness, perfection, innocence or purity, as is 
 sometimes taught. Nothing could be plainer than 
 the teachings of the Bible concerning the Person- 
 ality of God. It is important to establish this 
 point, for the reason that all the religious theories 
 of the present day, are claimed to be proved from 
 the Holy Book. " Ye are my witnesses, saith the 
 Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen that ye
 
 86 The Identity of God. 
 
 may know and believe me and understand that I 
 am He; before me there was no God formed, 
 neither shall there be after me." Isaiah 43-10. 
 
 To some, the Infinite Personality of God, does 
 not seem reconcilable with His Omnipresence. 
 They reason, that a personality cannot occupy 
 more than one place at the same time, conse- 
 quently, as God is Omnipresent, He cannot be a 
 Personality. 
 
 To illustrate that God, although a Personality, is 
 everywhere present, let us imagine the universe to 
 be crystalline throughout ; everything in existence 
 transparent; and that God, the Almighty, is a 
 flame located in some certain place in the universe. 
 We find, that, although the flame is an identity 
 limited to itself, yet it fills the whole universe with 
 its light, until it is impossible to find a place where 
 there is no light from this flame. The light would 
 also shine through everything in the universe, not 
 a single atom existing, through which the light 
 does not penetrate and interpenetrate. More than 
 this ; the light will not be confined, but extend 
 beyond the universe, surrounding it infinitely in 
 every direction. Thus, the Personality of God the 
 Almighty, like the flame, is filling the whole uni- 
 verse with His powers ; penetrating and interpene- 
 trating everything in existence. So we and every- 
 thing in the universe, move and exist, filled and 
 surrounded by His powers. The flame may be 
 likened to His Identity, the light of the flame to 
 His powers and the universe to His creation. Thus 
 we see that the crystalline universe is not the
 
 The Identity of God. 87 
 
 flame, nor the light, nor a part of either of them. 
 Neither can we be God, nor a part of His power. 
 The scriptures teach that we are afforded the priv- 
 ilege of being naturalized, by being born of the 
 spirit and becoming the adopted children of God. 
 God will neither lose a part of His essence, nor of 
 His powers, by that naturalization. We are taught 
 plainly that man is not God. " Put them in fear 
 O Lord, that the nations may know themselves to 
 be but men." Psalms 9-20. 
 
 " Now the Egyptians are men and not God, and 
 their horses, flesh and not spirit. When the I<ord 
 shall stretch out His hand, both he that helpeth 
 shall fall and he that is holpen shall fall down and 
 they all shall fail together." Isaiah 31-3. This 
 same truth is continually stated in the Scriptures; 
 that man is not God, nor a part of Him. 
 
 It may be claimed, that, even according to the 
 illustration of the flame, God is not omnipresent, 
 because, as He is the flame, located in a certain 
 part of the universe, He is not everywhere present ; 
 for, as the flame is the identity ; and as it is the 
 light of the flame, which penetrates everything, 
 the flame itself which represents God, is not omni- 
 present. We must understand clearly what " pres- 
 ence " means. We are in the presence of a person, 
 so long as we are in position and condition to com- 
 prehend that person, to know his thoughts, observe 
 his actions, and come under the operation and in- 
 fluence of his powers. It is not necessary that we 
 must occupy the same space, to be in the presence 
 of another. It is not necessary, therefore, that the
 
 88 The Identity of God. 
 
 Universe and God must occupy the same space ; it 
 is sufficient that His powers penetrate and surround 
 everything in the universe ; that His intelligence 
 is all-comprehending. This constitutes His omni- 
 presence. The whole universe is within the reach 
 and under the control of His powers. 
 
 The word "God" itself, is significant of the 
 illustration given. It is derived, not from ' ' good, ' ' 
 as some suppose, but from the Persian or Indian 
 word " Ghauda," or "Ghaud," meaning "the ab- 
 solute and supreme governor, whose power controls 
 all that is." In this meaning, it strongly resem- 
 bles the illustration of the flame. The words 
 "Allah," "Elohim" and "Eal," in the Arabic, 
 Hebraic and Syriac respectively, mean " the Sur- 
 rounding Power, the Comprehensive " ; equivalent 
 to the light surrounding and interpenetrating 
 everything existing. All terms are arbitrary, and 
 no term can give full significance to the Almighty; 
 nor liken Him to that which has objective exist- 
 ence. Since we are deficient in knowledge of Him, 
 and in power of expression, the word "God" is 
 used to denote His Infinity and Greatness, which 
 are beyond our finite comprehension. 
 
 The Bible teaches specifically, the Personality of 
 God. " I have made the earth and created man 
 upon it ; I, even my hands have stretched out the 
 heavens, and all their host have I commanded." 
 Isaiah 45-12. " In whose hand is the soul of every 
 living thing, and the breath of all mankind. " Job 
 12-10. "Who hath measured the water in the 
 hollow of His hand and meted out heaven with the 
 span." Isaiah 40-12.
 
 The Identity of God. 9 
 
 The universe is in the hollow of His mighty 
 hand ; nothing can be hidden from His presence. 
 The exaltation is to Him, the authority is to Him, 
 and the greatness is to Him, forever and ever. 
 Amen!
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 THE ONENESS AND SINGLENESS OF GOD. 
 
 Although the great religions which were founded 
 upon the inspired utterances of the prophets, such 
 as Zoroaster, Confucius, Moses, Buddha, Jesus and 
 Mohammed, upheld the principle of Monotheism, 
 yet we find in some of them, evidences of Ditheism 
 and Tri theism. 
 
 Zoroaster, for example, taught that the Supreme 
 Being must necessarily be two, one good and the 
 other evil ; this belief being founded upon ob- 
 servation of human actions, which sometime in- 
 cline toward good and sometime toward evil. 
 
 As we are the creations of One Supreme God, 
 endowed by Him with intellectual faculties and 
 possessing the power of independence, which makes 
 us responsible for our actions ; as by this gift of 
 independence, we are elevated above all other 
 visible creations, to resemble Him and be fitted 
 for naturalization into His divinity ; and as our 
 independence enables us to incline either toward 
 right or wrong doing, it is manifestly certain, that 
 sin or evil is not caused by a Supreme Evil Being, 
 but is the result of our own free will of action. 
 Man is always inclined to lay the responsibility for 
 his wrong doing upon some one else, and seek 
 excuse for his failure to do right. For this reason, 
 he has attributed his sins to the temptation of an 
 
 9
 
 92 The Oneness of God. 
 
 evil Being, since God his Creator, who endowed 
 man with faculties and powers, could not reason- 
 ably be charged with causing him to misuse them. 
 God created man perfect. Evil is the consequence 
 of man's independent misuse of the weapon with 
 which God endowed him. 
 
 " Behold, this only have I found, that God made 
 man upright; but they have sought out many 
 inventions." Ecclesiastes 7-29. 
 
 Nearly all the great religions of the world, teach 
 the Divine Triad. According to the Hindoos, 
 1 ' Para-Brahm, the Supreme unrevealed Being, 
 created the universe by self-contemplation ; as Siva, 
 or Mahadeva, he destroyed it ; then, as Vishnu, 
 restored it and sustains it." The Egyptians wor- 
 shipped the trinity of "Isis, Osiris and Horus." The 
 Greek triad was " the heavens above, the earth 
 beneath and the ocean around all things." In the 
 Orthic theology, we find " Light, Life and Coun- 
 cil." According to James Freeman Clark, Plato 
 taught a three-fold God; " First, as the profound, 
 inscrutable substance and cause of all things ; next 
 as manifesting Himself in the ideas, which are the 
 roots in the spiritual world, of all that exists in the 
 natural world ; and third as the life of the universe. " 
 Pythagoras taught, like Plato, that the " first one 
 was above all being, the second one contained the 
 ideas of all being, the third one was the soul of all 
 being." The Gnostics also held to the trinity of 
 " the spirit in itself, the self-conscious spirit and 
 the intelligent reason." 
 
 In these and many other forms of religious belief,
 
 The Oneness of God. 93 
 
 living and dead, it is obvious that the triad really 
 consists of three attributes of one central and 
 Supreme Being, and not of three distinct gods. As 
 we cannot call a man, " nine men " because he has 
 nine intellectual faculties, neither can we call God 
 " three," because He has three powers or attributes. 
 
 The doctrine of the Trinity, is much older than 
 Christianity, and was grafted into the teachings of 
 Jesus, from Egyptian sources. Quoting Clark's 
 "Ten Great Religions," page 138: "There is no 
 doubt that the Christian doctrine of the Trinity 
 was derived from such forms of thought previously 
 existing in Egypt and elsewhere. It grew out of a 
 philosophical attempt to unite the monotheism of 
 the Jews, with the profound tendencies of the Ori- 
 ental and Grecian mind. Philo had led the way in 
 this attempt ; and Alexandria, where he lived and 
 taught, was also the place where the Christian 
 Trinity took its origin. The early Christian think- 
 ers who followed Christ in their faith, took Plato 
 as their master in philosophy. Their object was 
 to see the Divine, in the unity of things and also 
 in their variety. The Supreme Being, One in 
 Himself, is nevertheless the source and author of 
 the infinitely varied world." 
 
 Christianity has gone beyond the ground of be- 
 lief of all other religions, by crystallizing the triad 
 into three distinct personalities ; each a perfect God 
 in Himself, equal to the others in power, glory and 
 majesty; and by teaching that these three are one 
 God. In this doctrine, the Church has gone out- 
 side the circle of Truth, and lost the ground upon 
 which it stood, for the following reasons :
 
 94 The Oneness of God. 
 
 First : It is an indisputable fact, that, according 
 to science and reason, there is nothing in existence 
 in the whole universe, without a cause ; and, as the 
 universe is the collection of all these things, there- 
 fore there must be a first cause for it. As a first 
 cause cannot be two causes or three, so also that 
 first cause which we call God, cannot be three 
 Gods. 
 
 Second : As already shown in the previous chap- 
 ter, God is an Individuality. According to logic 
 and reason, He cannot be three Individualities ; 
 and, as Individuality is an Identity which cannot 
 be divided, so God cannot be three persons or di- 
 visions. 
 
 Third : God is absolute Perfection; therefore He 
 cannot be three persons ; for nothing can be added 
 to Him and nothing can be taken from Him. If 
 each of the three persons is equal to the other, He 
 cannot be perfect in Himself, because it is neces- 
 sary for Him to be added to the other two persons, 
 to make the One Absolute Perfect God ; therefore 
 He cannot be three perfect gods and One Perfect 
 God at the same time. 
 
 Fourth: Three cannot be one and one cannot 
 be three, although the three are equal to each 
 other. Take, for instance, three twenty-five cent 
 pieces. Although each piece is equal to the others 
 in weight, shape, and value, we cannot say that 
 the three are one piece, for it is against the light 
 of reason which God gave us; the only ground we 
 have to stand upon. Everything in a direct line 
 against this light, is not true, because, if we admit
 
 The Oneness of God. 95 
 
 to be true that which is in contradiction to our 
 reason, we attribute to God, deception and in- 
 justice, for giving us thinking faculties which see 
 the wrong right and the right wrong. 
 
 In support of the doctrine of the Trinity, it is 
 sometimes held, that God the Father, to show His 
 absolute perfection, created the Son to be His 
 equal, and as there is no time to be considered, 
 since we are all living in eternity, the Father and 
 Son are equal in every respect. This is illogical 
 reasoning, because it would be necessary for the 
 Son to prove His perfection and equality, by 
 creating a third God, and the third must create a 
 fourth, and so on indefinitely, until there would be 
 Gods innumerable. 
 
 We believe in the Oneness and Singleness of 
 God; that there is no other God beside Him. 
 This is the teaching of the Old and New Testa- 
 ments, and especially of Christ himself. 
 
 In "Ten Great Religions" page 147 "Having 
 thus seen Monotheism in philosophy, we now 
 come to consider it in all the religions. It may 
 surprise us to learn, that Monotheism has existed 
 in all or nearly all religions, and that in the most 
 highly developed Polytheism, there still remains, 
 perhaps in an obscure form, a very real Monothe- 
 ism." 
 
 In Isaiah 46-9, "Remember the former things of 
 old; for I am God, and there is none else; I am 
 God, and there is none like me." Exodus 34-14 
 "For thou shalt worship no other God; for the 
 Lord whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God."
 
 96 The Oneness of God. 
 
 Deuteronomy 4-39 "Know therefore this day, 
 and consider it in thine heart, that the Lord He is 
 God in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath; 
 there is none else." Deuteronomy 6-4 "Hear, 
 O Israel; the Lord our God is one Lord." Deu- 
 teronomy 1017 "For the Lord your God, is 
 God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, 
 a mighty, and a terrible, which regardeth not 
 persons, nor taketh reward." Jeremiah 10-6 
 "For as much as there is none like unto thee, 
 O Lord; thou art great, and thy name is great 
 in might." Also the i6th verse: "The por- 
 tion of Jacob is not like them; for he is the 
 former of all things; and Israel is the rod of his 
 inheritance; the Lord of hosts is His name." 
 Hosea 13-4 "Yet I am the Lord thy God from 
 the' land of Egypt, and thou shalt know no God 
 but me; for there is no Saviour beside me." 
 Isaiah 42-5 "Thus saith God the Lord, he that 
 created the heavens, and stretched them out; he 
 that spread forth the earth, and that which 
 cometh out of it, he that giveth breath unto the 
 people upon it, and spirit to them that walk 
 therein." Isaiah 43-3 "For I am the Lord thy 
 God, the Holy one of Israel, thy Saviour; I gave 
 Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee." 
 Also loth verse: " Ye are my witnesses, saith the 
 Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen; that ye 
 may know and believe me, and understand that I 
 am He; before me there was no God formed, 
 neither shall there be after me." Also nth verse: 
 "I, even I, am the Lord; and beside me there is no
 
 The Oneness of God. 97 
 
 Saviour." Also i4th and i5th verses: "Thus 
 saith the Lord, your redeemer, the Holy One of 
 Israel; for your sake I have sent to Babylon, and 
 have brought down all their nobles, and the Chal- 
 deans, whose cry is in the ships." ' 'I am the Lord, 
 your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King. " 
 Isaiah 44-6 "Thus saith the Lord the King of 
 Israel, and his redeemer, the Lord of Hosts; I am 
 the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is 
 no God." Also the 8th verse: "Fear ye not, 
 neither be afraid; have not I told thee from that 
 time, and have declared it? ye are even my wit- 
 nesses. Is there a God beside me? Yea, there is 
 no God, I know not any." Isaiah 45-5 "I am 
 the Lord, and there is none else, there is no God 
 beside me." Also nth verse: "Thus saith the 
 Lord, the Holy One of Israel and His maker, 
 Ask me of things to come concerning my sons, and 
 concerning the work of my hands, command ye 
 me." Also the i8th verse: "For thus saith the 
 Lord that created the heavens; God himself that 
 formed the earth and made it; he hath established 
 it; he created it not in vain, he formed it to be 
 inhabited; I am the Lord, and there is none else. " 
 According to the teachings of Jesus, as recorded 
 in the four gospels of the New Testament, he him- 
 self made no claim to be God, or of equality with 
 the Father. On the contrary, he taught the Unity 
 of God, and the evidence is historically clear that 
 the doctrine of the Trinity was introduced into 
 Christianity by the Church fathers, centuries after 
 the crucifixion of Jesus. John 14-28: ''Ye have
 
 98 The Oneness of God. 
 
 heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come 
 again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, 
 because I said, I go unto the Father ; for my Father 
 is greater than I." 
 
 John 15-1 " I am the true vine, and my Father 
 is the husbandman. " Also 5th verse : " I am the 
 vine, ye are the branches." Here is a clear ac- 
 knowledgment by Christ, that God, the Lord of 
 the Vineyard, is greater than Christ, the true vine. 
 Mark 13-32 " But of that day and that hour, 
 knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in 
 heaven, neither the son, but the Father." Christ 
 here confessed his own inferiority in knowledge, to 
 that of the Father. If he then is not the equal of 
 God, as he taught, it is impossible for God to be 
 three persons equal to each other, as taught by the 
 Trinitarians. 
 
 Newman, "Phases of Faith," page 47 "I rev- 
 erenced the doctrine of the Trinity, as something 
 vital to the soul ; but felt, that to love the Fathers 
 or the Athanasian Creed, more than the Gospel of 
 John, would be a supremely miserable superstition. 
 Now, in the 5th Chapter of John, when the Jews 
 accuse Jesus 'of making himself equal to God,' by 
 calling himself the Son of God, Jesus even hastens 
 to protest against the inference as a misrepresenta- 
 tion, beginning with ' The Son can do nothing of 
 himself,' and proceeds elaborately to ascribe all his 
 greatness to the Father's will. 
 
 u I at length saw, that the compiler of the Ath- 
 anasian Creed did not understand his own words. 
 If anyone speaks of three men, all that he means is
 
 The Oneness of God. 99 
 
 * three objects of thought, of whom each sepa- 
 rately may be called man.' So also, all that could 
 possibly be meant by three gods, is ' three objects 
 of thought, of whom each separately may be called 
 God. ' Thus the Creed really teaches polytheism. 
 
 " That there is nothing in the Scriptures about 
 Trinity in Unity and Unity in Trinity, I had long 
 observed. But in my study of John, I was now 
 arrested by a text, which showed me how exceed- 
 ingly far from a Tri-unity was the Trinity of the 
 Gospel, if Trinity it be, namely, in his last prayer, 
 Jesus addresses to his Father the words ' This is 
 life eternal, that they may know Thee, the only 
 True God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent. ' 
 
 "The thought crossed my mind, what if we, 
 like Henry Marty n, were charged with polytheism 
 by Mohammedans, and were forced to defend our- 
 selves by explaining in detail, our doctrine of the 
 Trinity ? Perhaps no two of us would explain it 
 alike, and this would expose Christian doctrine to 
 contempt. Then, further, it came across me : 
 How very remarkable it is, that the Jews, those 
 strict Monotheists, never seem to have attacked the 
 Apostles for polytheism. It would have been so 
 plausible an imputation, if there has been any ex- 
 ternal form of doctrine to countenance it. Surely 
 it is transparent that the Apostles did not teach as 
 Dr. Waterland." 
 
 It is a historical fact that St. Athanasius intro- 
 duced the doctrine of the Trinity into the Christian 
 Church, three hundred and twenty-five years after 
 Christ
 
 ioo The Oneness of God. 
 
 Christ, according to his own words, cannot be 
 God, because he said, Luke 13-32: that " in three 
 days I will be perfected." God cannot need per- 
 fecting. Throughout the Gospels, the record is 
 evident, that according to Christ's own words and 
 knowledge of himself, he was not God. No- 
 where does he claim equality with God, but every- 
 where, it is clearly evident, by his own confession 
 of inferiority, that God the Father is greater than 
 Christ, and is One God. 
 
 The Unity of God is distinctly enunciated in 
 the words of Christ, Mark 12-28 to 35: "And 
 one of the scribes came, and having heard them 
 reasoning together, and perceiving that he had 
 answered them well, asked him, which is the first 
 commandment of all ? And Jesus answered him: 
 The first of all commandments is, Hear O Israel ; 
 The Lord our God is one Lord. And thou shalt 
 love the Lord thy God, with all thy heart, with all 
 thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy 
 strength ; this is the first commandment. And the 
 second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy 
 neighbor as thyself. There is none other com- 
 mandment greater than these. And the scribe 
 said unto Him, Well, Master, thou hast said the 
 truth ; for there is one God ; and there is none other 
 but He. And to love Him with all the heart, and 
 with all the understanding, and with all the soul, 
 and with all the strength, and to love his neighbor 
 as himself, is more than all whole burnt offerings 
 and sacrifices. And when Jesus saw that he 
 answered discreetly, He said unto him, Thou art
 
 The Oneness of God. 101 
 
 not far from the Kingdom of God. And no man 
 after that, durst ask him any questions." 
 
 Practically, the only support for the doctrine of 
 the Trinity, is found in the First Epistle of John, 
 5th Chapter, yth verse. According to the St. 
 James Version of the New Testament, we read : 
 " For there are three that bear record in heaven, 
 the Father, the Word and the Holy Ghost ; and 
 these three are one." This verse does not appear 
 in the Revised Version of Scripture, from the fact 
 that it is known to be a spurious addition to the 
 text. Therefore, the only ground of claim for 
 the doctrine of the Trinity, in the Bible, proves 
 to be an interpolation, and upon revision of the 
 original text, this verse has been stricken out. 
 According to the Gospel of John, loth Chapter, 
 29th-3Oth verses, Christ said, when speaking of his 
 believers : " My Father which gave them me, is 
 greater than all ; and no man is able to pluck them 
 out of my Father's hand. I and my Father are 
 one." Christ cannot be said to have assumed 
 equality with God in this statement, because, while 
 assuming oneness of purpose with God, he still de- 
 clares God to be greater than himself. By it, he 
 meant that he was one with God in purpose and 
 teachings ; the way to God, the truth of God, the 
 life in God, but not a part of God. Again in John 
 17-11 : "And now I am no more in the world, 
 but these are in the world and I come to thee. 
 Holy Father, keep through thine own name those 
 whom Thou hast given me, that they may be one, 
 as we are."
 
 io2 The Oneness of God. 
 
 From this, we understand that Christ was ask- 
 ing God to keep his disciples in His name and to 
 grant them the high position of oneness with 
 Christ and with God, just as Christ was one with 
 God the Father. Christ, therefore, did not mean 
 by being "one with the Father," that he is equal 
 to Him, for if that were so, it would follow that the 
 answer to his petition, would make the disciples 
 alsb equal with the Father, and so every follower 
 of Christ would have the same position of equality 
 with God. 
 
 In John 14-8 to nth, Christ again acknowledges 
 the infinite superiority of God, to himself. 
 
 " Philip saith unto Him, Lord, show us the 
 Father and it sufficeth us. Jesus saith unto him, 
 have I been so long time with you, and yet thou 
 hast, not known me, Philip? He that hath seen 
 me, hath seen the Father ; and how sayest thou 
 then, Show us the Father? ' Believest thou not 
 that I am in the Father, and the Father in me ? 
 The words I speak unto you, I speak not of myself; 
 but the Father that dwelleth in me, He doeth the 
 works. Believe me that I am in the Father, and 
 the Father in me ; or else believe me for the very 
 work's sake." 
 
 Christ's teaching here, was to show his "disciples 
 that . the Father had manifested Himself in him. 
 It seems that the disciples, Philip particularly, did 
 not understand this great point. Christ explains 
 to them, that he spoke not the words of himself. 
 He did not claim that he spoke and taught from 
 his own knowledge, but that God the Father spoke
 
 The Oneness of God. 103 
 
 through him; entirely separating himself from God, 
 by the statement, " I speak not of myself, but the 
 Father that dwelleth in me, He doeth the works." 
 Furthermore, in the nth verse, Christ admits that 
 the works he performed, he could not perform 
 unless the Father was manifest in him. It is a 
 clear confession of his own helplessness, unless 
 God spoke and wrought through him. If Christ 
 was equal to the Father, he could have performed 
 these works and spoken this truth from his own 
 power and knowledge. On the contrary, he shows 
 us plainly by his words, the distinction between 
 his personality and the Infinite Personality of God, 
 and also the difference in his position and power. 
 God the Father, the Lord of Hosts, has man- 
 ifested Himself to the human race, many times ; in 
 Christ as well as in Abraham, Moses and the other 
 prophets. The Spirit of God which spoke through 
 Christ, spoke through all the other true prophets. 
 Christ taught his disciples that God had manifested 
 Himself in him. The whole groundwork of evi- 
 dence from scriptural, logical and philosophical 
 proof and consideration, is an overwhelming cer- 
 tainty of knowledge, that God, the Almighty, the 
 Omnipotent Creator, is One, and "He spoke through 
 the lips of His holy prophets, which have been 
 since the world began."
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 MIRACLES. 
 
 We do not accept the miracles of the Old and 
 New Testaments in a literal sense, as they are 
 commonly understood, but interpret and explain 
 them as symbolical expressions of spiritual truth. 
 Our reasons for differing from the belief of 
 Christians, Jews and Mohammedans, in miracles, 
 are as follows: First, Although it is an estab- 
 lished fact that everything is possible with God, 
 and that God can perform whatever He wills and 
 chooses, yet we know that He cannot make a mis- 
 take, nor will He perform an action contrary to 
 the perfection of His knowledge and wisdom. As 
 He created everything according to His perfection, 
 it is a necessary sequence, that whatever He 
 created, must be perfect in its limitation. If per- 
 fect in its limitation, it must be governed by per- 
 fect laws and attributes which are necessary for 
 its existence. 
 
 Therefore, whatever God does, must be in har- 
 mony with everlasting law, which cannot be 
 changed or annulled, having been laid by the per- 
 fect power of God. If He Himself should annul 
 or violate His own laws, it would denote their 
 weakness, and be an evidence that He did not 
 ordain them after His perfection of knowledge and 
 wisdom. 
 
 105
 
 io6 Miracles. 
 
 God, and the laws of God, are unchangeable. 
 Therefore we cannot accept the literal perform- 
 ance of miracles, which, being violations of His 
 laws, are violations of the perfection of God Him- 
 self. 
 
 Second, Where there is infinite power, there 
 is infinite justice, equally apportioned to the human 
 race. Every human soul is therefore afforded the 
 same privilege of development. Every soul has, 
 likewise, the same need of His mercy, His gifts 
 and His blessings, and as all souls are weak and 
 dependent upon Him, it would be injustice, if God 
 should perform, at certain times, and for certain 
 souls, miraculous actions intended to further their 
 development, while depriving other souls, at other 
 times, of that same privilege. As this would be a 
 violation of His perfect and infinite justice, we do 
 not believe in the literal performance of miracles 
 ascribed to Him. 
 
 Third, God the Almighty has bestowed upon 
 man, the God-power of will, that man might be 
 independent in his actions, and responsible for his 
 deeds. The function of this great weapon of in- 
 dependence, is, that man shall, of his own choos- 
 ing, seek God his Creator, accept Him and rise 
 toward Him in knowledge and understanding. If 
 God, by the performance of miracles and the dis- 
 play of His almighty power, should force man to 
 believe in and seek Him, this function of inde- 
 pendence is annulled. Without independence, we 
 could not be like Him, or worthy and fitted to 
 become His children. Therefore, as we know we
 
 Miracles. 107 
 
 have independence to choose God, and as the pur- 
 pose of miracles must be to influence our belief in 
 Him, we cannot reconcile them with His infinite 
 justice. 
 
 Fourth, All or nearly all believers in miracles, 
 believe in them from the fact that they are re- 
 corded in the scriptures as the word of God. This 
 is an acknowledgment that the word of God' has 
 power enough in itself, to influence the soul of man 
 to believe in Him. As the- function of miracles 
 can be no other than that of influencing us toward 
 God, the word of God does not require the assist- 
 ance of these few unreasonable violations of natural 
 law, to make us believe in Him. Therefore, we 
 do not believe in miracles, because they are not 
 necessary. 
 
 Fifth, If we admit, that God, the Almighty, 
 through his prophets and messengers, has per- 
 formed miracles for the purpose of persuading 
 human belief in Him, it is an evident truth, that 
 His intention has not been successfully accom- 
 plished. The wicked, and those who do not seek 
 God, have never been and will never be influenced 
 toward God by miracles. 
 
 The scriptures teach this point plainly. Luke, 
 16-31. "And he said unto him, if they hear not 
 Moses and the prophets, neither will they be per- 
 suaded though one rose from the dead." .' . 
 
 Again in Mark 8-12. "And he sighed deeply 
 in his spirit and saith, why doth this generation 
 seek after a sign ? Verily I say unto you, there 
 shall no sign be given to this generation."
 
 io8 Miracles. 
 
 This is plain teaching by Christ, that there is no 
 use of signs and miracles for the persuasion of peo- 
 ple toward God. As Christ said no sign would be 
 given, we should believe him ; and if, as he said, 
 miracles neither affect nor benefit those who do not 
 wish to believe, and have no influence upon the 
 wicked, the function of miracles is annulled. 
 
 Sixth, The scriptures say, " Not by might, nor 
 by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of 
 Hosts." Zechariah 4-6. We must come to God 
 by the spirit; that is, through our intelligence 
 and understanding, and not influenced or forced 
 by display of His power and strength. God will 
 never force us through fear, to seek Him, since 
 by fear of His power, he would deprive us of the 
 exercise of our independence. What He has done 
 is everlasting law. Our gift of independence is an 
 eternal gift, and depriving us of it, would destroy 
 the perfection of His law and action. Miracles, 
 therefore, as displays of His power to force our 
 wills, are impossible. 
 
 Seventh, Since the miracles, as they are com- 
 monly understood and accepted, are diametrically 
 opposed to the light of our power of reason ; as this 
 power was given us to test all things according to 
 its light, and as it is the only ground of surety 
 upon which we stand, God would never perform 
 actions which violate it. 
 
 The highest utterance predicated of Him, is 
 "Come now and let us reason together." Shall 
 we, at the same time, believe Him capable of per- 
 forming unreasonable actions, and expecting us to 
 believe in them ?
 
 Miracles. 109 
 
 Eighth, God has taught us, through Christ, 
 that "He is spirit," and that we must worship 
 Him "in spirit and in truth." "Spirit" means 
 " the intelligence and understanding." Therefore 
 Christ taught us that God is intelligence, and must 
 be worshiped intelligently. 
 
 Belief in miracles which violate intelligence, 
 cannot be intelligence of worship, and must be 
 contrary to Christ's teachings. 
 
 Ninth, If miracles are necessary to persuade 
 our belief in God, have we not millions of miracles 
 in the universe about us ? Are we not surrounded, 
 materially and spiritually, by the actions and evi- 
 dences of our Almighty Creator, each one more 
 wonderful and miraculous than the few unimpor- 
 tant happenings in scripture ? Do we need these 
 few unreasonable miracles to persuade us toward 
 that Omnipotent God ? 
 
 Tenth, God, in creating the universe, estab- 
 lished everlasting laws to govern it. Everything 
 accomplished, must be accomplished by those laws. 
 Nothing can be accomplished otherwise. Violation 
 of the action of these laws, would imply deficiency 
 in the perfect action of God, and there can be no 
 truth where there is deficiency or lack of perfection. 
 Therefore, as miracles are founded upon violation 
 of God's laws, and imply His deficiency or lack of 
 perfection, we refuse to accept them. 
 
 Eleventh, The proof must be of the nature of 
 the claim. The proof of a prophet must, neces- 
 sarily, be a spiritual one. The teachings of a 
 spiritual messenger are intended to lead the wicked
 
 no Miracles. 
 
 unto righteousness. This is a full evidence of his 
 true message, for it is of the nature of his claim. 
 But to change water into wine, or a stick into a 
 serpent, is not a sufficient argument for his spiritual 
 mission. By changing a knife into a bandage, a 
 physician could not prove his ability to cure 
 disease. 
 
 Having shown the ground for disbelief in viola- 
 tions of natural law, we come to consider the true 
 nature and explanation of the miracles of scrip- 
 tural record. We believe firmly in miracles which 
 are accomplished in harmony and accord with God's 
 created laws. For instance, if the normal power 
 of a human arm, enables its possessor to write ten 
 pages in an hour, an increase of that power which 
 would produce twenty pages an hour, would be in 
 the line of natural law, and justify our reason in 
 accepting the action as miraculous. 
 
 Many events in the Old and New Testaments, 
 have been interpreted and arranged to appear as 
 miracles, when they clearly were not ; the errors 
 arising from misunderstanding or willful misinter- 
 pretation of the text. This has brought endless 
 ridicule upon the Holy Book, subjecting it to venom 
 of attack; and has been a prolific source of unbe- 
 lief in the Word of God. If, however, we explain 
 and understand the scriptural records of miracles 
 rightly, discovering them to be reasonable and great 
 spiritual lessons, instead of violations and impossi- 
 bilities, the effect upon human souls, is precisely 
 the reverse. This is the true power and purpose 
 of the Word of God. The so called miracles are,
 
 Miracles m 
 
 in reality, spiritual teachings, simple and compre- 
 hensible to human understanding, and intended to 
 lead the soul which seeks knowledge, to God, the 
 source of all knowledge. 
 
 THE BUSH OF MOSES. 
 
 In the third Chapter of Exodus, it is recorded 
 that God appeared to Moses in a bush, which, 
 though burning, was not consumed. In the Mo- 
 hammedan scriptures, God appears to Moses in a 
 tree, which is neither above nor below, before nor 
 behind, neither to the right nor to the left. Chris- 
 tians and Mohammedans alike, explain this state- 
 ment by saying ' ' Nothing is impossible with God, 
 it was a miracle." 
 
 The scriptures abound in parables, illustrations 
 and symbols. At the time of Moses, symbolical 
 writing was universal. In order to explain to the 
 Israelites, how God had appeared to him, Moses 
 used the ' ' bush " as a figure of speech to represent 
 his heart. The symbol is a perfect one. As many 
 branches spring from the bush rooted in the earth, 
 so, from the heart, spring the arteries and veins 
 which run through the body. Therefore, God ap- 
 peared to Moses in his heart, in the form of fire. 
 " Fire " is the symbol of the spirit of God, and of 
 His love toward His creatures ; and as every.symbol 
 has two points, positive and negative, so "fire-" 
 means sometimes "love" and sometimes "hatred." 
 
 As it is written, " No one can see God and live," 
 because man cannot stand the glorious and majestic
 
 ii2 Miracles. 
 
 appearance of the Creator, it is therefore necessary 
 that He, from His love and mercy toward us, should 
 give us, by that spirit of love, "fire," the power 
 and strength to stand His majestic appearance and 
 not die. 
 
 We read throughout the Bible, that when God 
 appeared to His prophets and messengers, Isaiah, 
 Ezekiel, Zechariah, Daniel and others, they fell 
 upon their faces as if dead, until God, in His mercy, 
 gave unto them the "fire," the spirit of love, to 
 strengthen them before His presence. So the mean- 
 ing of the appearance of God in the bush, to Moses, 
 symbolizes the presence of God in the heart of 
 Moses, which was strengthened by the fire of His 
 loving spirit, and not consumed. The tree, in the 
 Mohammedan scriptures, is the same symbol of the 
 heart, for the heart is neither above nor below, be- 
 hind nor before, neither to the right side, nor to 
 the left. 
 
 THE STICK OF MOSES AND AARON. 
 
 In scripture, a prophet, messenger, or teacher of 
 the truth, is often symbolized as a shepherd. As 
 a shepherd of flocks must have a stick, so the 
 teacher or prophet must have a rod or stick, to 
 direct his flocks. The stick of the teacher is the 
 "power of logic, " the "power of conviction," be- 
 stowed upon him by God, that he may be able to 
 lead his flocks in the way of truth. When God 
 appointed Moses as the prophet and spiritual shep- 
 herd of Israel, He delivered to him the power 
 or talent of proving the truth of his message
 
 Miracles. 113 
 
 to the people, that they might be convinced 
 and turn to the face of their God and Creator. To 
 show that "stick" or "rod" symbolizes the power 
 of proving the truth, we quote from Ezekiel 21, 
 9-10, "a sword is sharpened, and also furbished; it 
 is sharpened to make a sore slaughter ; it is fur- 
 bished that it may glitter ; should we then make 
 mirth? It contemneth the rod of my Son as every 
 tree." 
 
 The original translation of this passage, reads 
 "The rod of my Son, it contemneth every stick." 
 The meaning conveyed by Ezekiel, is, that the 
 power of argument and conviction, of the Son of 
 God, is greater and higher than any other power 
 of argument. "Sword," or the "stick of iron," 
 which is usually rendered into English as "rod of 
 iron," denotes the power of argument and convic- 
 tion of the teachings of God Himself, as we see in 
 Revelations 1-16 "And He had in His right hand 
 seven stars ; and out of His mouth went a sharp 
 two-edged sword." Also in Revelations 12-5 "And 
 she brought forth a man-child who was to rule all 
 nations with a rod of iron." Thus we see that 
 "stick," "rod" and "sword" are synonymous terms 
 denoting the power of the truth, and therefore the 
 "rod" or "stick" of Moses, was the power of ar- 
 gument possessed by him to prove the truth of his 
 message. 
 
 God also gave Moses, purity of heart and love 
 for his fellow-creatures. We read that God com- 
 manded him to put his hand into his bosom, as a 
 sign, and that when he withdrew it, the hand had
 
 ii4 Miracles. 
 
 become white, symbolizing the purity of his heart. 
 
 Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh. 
 "Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh and be- 
 fore his servants, and it became a serpent. " 
 
 Pharaoh then summoned the wise men and 
 sorcerers of his kingdom, that is to say, the priests, 
 in order that they might argue the truth with 
 Moses and Aaron. The wise men cast down their 
 rods, which likewise became serpents, but the 
 serpent of Aaron swallowed up their serpents. 
 The rods or sticks symbolize the power of argu- 
 ment, which, when laid down, became wisdom; 
 for the symbol of a serpent is and always has been 
 used to denote wisdom. Christ said "be ye wise 
 as serpents." Before Pharaoh, Moses and Aaron 
 displayed greater power of argument and wisdom, 
 which swallowed up the wisdom of the priests of 
 Egypt. 
 
 JONAH AND THE WHALE. 
 
 The terms "mountain" and "hill," are used in 
 the scriptures, to symbolize a "ruler" or a "king." 
 When the ruler or king is a tyrannous one, he is 
 represented by a "whale." In Ezekiel 35-2, we 
 read, "Son of man, set thy face against Mount Seir 
 and prophesy against it and say unto it," etc. In 
 the verses which follow, it is evident that Mount 
 Seir denotes a ruler, for instance, the 5th verse, 
 "Because thou hast had a perpetual hatred and 
 hast shed the blood of the children of Israel by the 
 force of the sword." 
 
 In Ezekiel 32-2, the symbol of "whale" is used
 
 Miracles. 115 
 
 to designate the tyrannous Pharaoh. "Son of 
 man, take up the lamentation for Pharaoh king of 
 Egypt, and say unto him, Thou art like a young 
 lion of the nations, and thou art as a whale in the 
 seas; and thou earnest forth with thy rivers, and 
 troubledst the waters with thy feet, and fouledst 
 their rivers. " 
 
 The whale of Jonah was therefore a tyrannous 
 ruler who cast that prophet into prison, where he 
 remained for a period of three days, which means 
 three years ; after which imprisonment, Jonah was 
 liberated, and went out to deliver the message of 
 God, to the people of Nineveh. 
 
 JOSHUA COMMANDING THE SUN TO STAND STILL. 
 
 It is the custom, particularly in Oriental coun- 
 tries, to give leaders and high personages, such 
 titles as the "Sun," "Moon," "Shining Star," 
 etc. This is a prevalent custom in the Western 
 nations as well, but the Oriental people sometimes 
 give these titles to great men, as a proper name. 
 When Joshua was engaged in battle against the 
 Amorites, the commander of the Amorite forces 
 bore the title of "The Sun." Joshua, by superior 
 military force and skill, commanded " The Sun " 
 to stand still, that is to say, checked his advance 
 and attack, until the Israelites avenged themselves 
 upon, and overthrew their enemies. 
 
 THE TOWER OF BAB-EL. 
 
 As the finite cannot comprehend the Infinite, we 
 find throughout the history of the world, the cease-
 
 n6 Miracles. 
 
 less endeavor of man to comprehend and reach God 
 from his own finite standpoint. In these present 
 years, many are striving to know God through con- 
 centration, or by the performance of special actions, 
 seeking him according to their own ideas and 
 inventions. Christ taught us that we must come 
 to God through "the way," "the door" prepared 
 for us, and that those who seek to come by the 
 fences or windows, are as " thieves and robbers." 
 The interpretation of the Tower of Bab-el narration 
 is, therefore, that in those ancient days, as in these 
 present times, men were trying to build a tower, a 
 way, a spiritual structure, by which to reach God 
 and save themselves ; but as they were not in the 
 way of the truth, but filled with superstitions and 
 imaginations, they were not able to agree in their 
 thoughts and ideas regarding the method of finding 
 God, and so confusion resulted. 
 
 This confusion of ideas, opinions and imagina- 
 tions concerning the way of God, is likened in the 
 scriptures, to speaking in different tongues and not 
 being able to understand each other. The name 
 Bab-el means the "Gate of God." According to 
 Andrew D. White in "The Warfare of Science 
 with Theology" page 170 "All modern scholars 
 of note agree that this was the real significance of 
 the name ; but the Hebrew verb which signifies ' to 
 confound,' resembles somewhat the word Bab-el, 
 so that, out of this resemblance, by one of the most 
 common processes in myth formation, came to the 
 Hebrew mind an indisputable proof that the tower 
 was connected with the confusion of tongues, and 
 this became a part of our theological heritage."
 
 Miracles. 117 
 
 THE APOSTLES SPEAKING MANY LANGUAGES. 
 
 According to the ad Chapter of the Book of 
 Acts, the disciples of Christ were suddenly filled 
 with the Holy Ghost, and ' ' began to speak with 
 other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance ;" 
 every man in the multitude of listeners, hearing 
 them speak in his own language. Lateral belief in 
 this record, is belief in the violation of all the 
 natural laws which govern transmission of thought 
 by the medium of language. Christ and his 
 followers spoke the Aramaic, the language of 
 Palestine. When these disciples received the 
 spiritual power of truth and utterance, they 
 spoke it so strongly and with such convincing 
 force, in the universally understood Aramaic 
 tongue, that every one who heard them, 
 heard them according to his own understanding 
 and conviction. The words and argument of the 
 truth, appealed directly to all, and each one under- 
 stood in his own language, that is to say, the 
 language of his soul-needs and belief. How often 
 we have heard truth in our own soul-language; 
 eloquence of truth which seemed aimed at and 
 exactly fitted to our own needs and condition. F. 
 W. Newman in "Phases of Faith" page 179, 
 says "Is it credible that the Spirit should inspire 
 one man to utter unintelligible sounds, and a 
 second to interpret these, and then give the assem- 
 bly endless trouble to find out whether the inter- 
 pretation was pretense or reality, when the whole 
 difficulty was gratuitous?"
 
 n8 Miracles. 
 
 CHRIST CHANGING WATER INTO WINE. 
 
 According to the second chapter of the Gospel of 
 John, the mother of Jesus came to him at a wed- 
 ding feast in Cana, Galilee, saying, " They have no 
 wine," suggesting the miracle which is said to 
 have followed. If we accept this account literally, 
 the reply of Jesus to Mary, his mother, " Woman 
 what have I to do with thee ? " is a serious blow to 
 our estimate of the Christ character. This appel- 
 lation and style of address is, especially in Oriental 
 countries, a most disrespectful one, and impossible 
 to believe concerning Christ, whose reverence for 
 his mother, in all other scriptural record, is partic- 
 ularly marked. Again, Christ's statement, " mine 
 hour is not yet come," bears further evidence of 
 error. in the record, for immediately afterward, it is 
 said, he called the servants and changed water 
 into wine, proving beyond question, that his time 
 had come. Overlooking these significant points in 
 the question of fact and authenticity of happening, 
 however, and the certain evidence of addition to the 
 text, let us explain the reputed miracle itself. It 
 was the custom, in Oriental countries, at weddings, 
 funerals and feasts, to invite spiritual teachers, who 
 expounded scriptural texts and delivered addresses 
 to the company present. 
 
 This custom prevails to the present day, in 
 Syria, Egypt and Turkey. ..Among the Moham- 
 medans, texts and expositions from the Koran, are 
 a part of the wedding festivities. Christ had been 
 summoned by the master of the wedding feast at
 
 Miracles. 119 
 
 Cana, to entertain and instruct the assembly with 
 his spiritual teaching. Other teachers and priests 
 had been invited for the same purpose. "Water," 
 " wine" and " blood, " in Scriptural symbolism, 
 denote spiritual teachings. 
 
 After the teachers who preceded him, had 
 finished giving the wedding guests spiritual drink, 
 symbolized by the wine, Christ, the Great Master, 
 gave them the strong wine of his truth, until the 
 Governor of the feast "called the bridegroom and 
 saith unto him, thou hast kept the good wine until 
 now;" referring by the comparison, to the weak 
 wine of traditions and superstitions which the 
 Hebrews believed and taught in those days. More 
 than that, Christ not only gave them the strong 
 wine of his truth, but took from the water of the 
 other teachings, whatever of truth was to be found 
 in them, and changed that water into wine. 
 
 THE LOAVES AND FISHES. 
 
 Christ declared that he was the " Bread of Life;" 
 and "bread" is the symbol of the truth he taught. 
 The fish likewise symbolized the truth and teach- 
 ings of God. In some of the ancient religions, God 
 was represented as half man, half fish. In the Cata- 
 combs of Rome, rude sketches of the fish, may still 
 be foUnd, representing Christian truth. Christ 
 taught the multitude, that is, he gave them spiritual 
 food of bread and fishes, more than they could com- 
 prehend or digest. His twelve disciples, however, 
 those near to him, able to receive and comprehend
 
 120 Miracles. 
 
 what the multitude could not, gathered up from 
 the remains of the spiritual food, twelve baskets 
 full. 
 
 THE DEVILS AND SWINE. 
 
 Since no personalized power of evil, working 
 against God the Creator, can exist, "devil" or 
 "Satan" must be terms of expression for the 
 wicked spirit, understanding, or intelligence within 
 ourselves. According to the Epistle of James 1-13, 
 " Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted 
 of God, for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither 
 tempteth He any man ; but every man is tempted 
 when he is drawn away by his own lust and en- 
 ticed." 
 
 The miracle attributed to Christ, of casting out 
 devils from the man, into a herd of two thousand 
 swine, is, for several reasons, a doubtful record. It 
 is a well known fact that in the days of Christ, 
 most of the inhabitants of Palestine, were Hebrews, 
 who were forbidden to eat the flesh of swine. It 
 was even considered a sin against their law, to raise 
 swine. In the whole of Syria, to-day, we could 
 scarcely find two thousand swine, and their number 
 in the days of Christ, would be still less. Again, 
 if Christ had destroyed a herd of two thousand 
 swine, he would have been summoned to the 
 courts, and punished for destruction of property. 
 Literally, the record is far too incredible even for a 
 miracle, whereas the real interpretation of Christ's 
 action, is a strong spiritual lesson. 
 
 The intention of the teaching, therefore, is to 
 show that Christ, finding a man possessed with evil
 
 Miracles. 121 
 
 desires and the devils of his own wicked thinking, 
 taught him, set him straight, drove these devils out 
 of his mind, and in their place, left the strength 
 and peace of the Christ truth, until we find him 
 sitting, " Clothed and in his right mind." As 
 those who are not believers, and who have not 
 received spiritual teachings, were symbolized by 
 Christ as "swine," when he said "Cast not your 
 pearls before swine," so the evil spirits or devils 
 which he had driven out of the man, by his words 
 of truth, were left to the wicked and unbelieving 
 and not to a real herd of two thousand swine. 
 
 RAISING OF LAZARUS. 
 
 It is obvious, that the messages delivered to us 
 by the servants and prophets of God, were intended 
 to teach us spiritually, not materially. This prin- 
 ciple is particularly ignored in these days, by the 
 increased tendency to give the scriptures material 
 interpretation. If we study carefully, the words of 
 Christ, we will find that he spoke of spiritual death 
 continually, and seldom, if ever, spoke of death in 
 a material sense. When one of his disciples begged 
 permission from him to bury his father, Christ 
 answered " Let the dead bury their dead," meaning, 
 let those who are spiritually dead, those whose time 
 is not occupied with their spiritual welfare, attend 
 to the burial, and implying that the disciple, like 
 Christ himself, must devote his time to spreading 
 the gospel. In John 5-24, " He that heareth my 
 word and believeth on Him that sent me, hath 
 eternal life, and cometh not into judgment, but hath
 
 122 Miracles. 
 
 passed out of death into life." Also in John 8-52, 
 " If a man keep my saying, he shall never taste 
 of death. " These are teachings of Christ, concern- 
 ing spiritual death. The unbeliever, not being born 
 of the spirit, is dead, while the believer, like the 
 disciple whom he prevented from burying his 
 father, is spiritually alive. From this we learn, 
 that Christ has raised from death, all who believe 
 in the truth he taught, and that he raised none 
 from physical death. There can be no raising of a 
 material body from death, for it is against all the 
 natural laws of God, which govern life and death. 
 The correct interpretation of the record of Lazarus, 
 is, that after receiving the teachings of Jesus, he 
 became a backslider, and talked bitterly against 
 the truth. This is what is meant by his being 
 dead, and in a state of corruption. It was spiritual 
 death and corruption, not material, for Christ him- 
 self said to the sister of Lazarus, " He is not dead." 
 
 Christ therefore went to him and taught him 
 back to spiritual life in the true faith. Much of 
 the accessory narration has been supplied to sup- 
 port the idea that Christ performed a miracle. 
 
 We 'know that he did perform some cases of 
 physical healing, as, for instance, the daughter of 
 Jairus. He said of her, as he said of Lazarus, that 
 she was "not dead," and therefore did not raise her 
 from 1 material death. 
 
 * V.""* 
 
 THE STAR OF BETHLEHEM. 
 
 In the second Chapter of Matthew, it is stated 
 that certain wise men, beholding a star appear in
 
 Miracles. 123 
 
 the East, traveled to Jerusalem, made inquiries 
 there, then followed the star to Bethelem, where 
 it stood over the infant Jesus. Here again we find 
 a record which is, if taken literally, a violation of 
 the laws of God, and an impossibility, as it neces- 
 sitated the creation and extinction of a planet ; to 
 say nothing of attendant incongruity of happening, 
 such as the local movement of the newly created 
 planet and its stopping over a stable. "Star" de- 
 notes a spiritual leader, a man of learning and 
 renown, just as we say a "star" has appeared in 
 this or that country. The ' 'wise men' ' were the 
 disciples and followers of some noted spiritual 
 leader or ' 'star. ' ' These wise disciples learned from 
 him, that a child of renown was to be born in the 
 land of Judea. They traveled to Jerusalem, the 
 great center of Judea, where their master left them 
 and sought from shepherds, the place of the child's 
 birth. Shepherd means in scripture, a spiritual 
 leader. God Himself said He is our u shepherd. " 
 Receiving from spiritual men or shepherds, in 
 Jerusalem, the necessary information, the master 
 returned to his disciples, led them to Bethlehem 
 and stood over the place where Jesus lay. 
 
 All the miracles of the Old and New Testaments, 
 can be be similarly explained and interpreted, to 
 teach us spiritual truth. The halo of supernatural 
 and miraculous performance with which the records 
 are invested, is 'the outcome of superstition and 
 imagination, which, ever since the world began, 
 have obscured the pure light of God's truth.
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 THE RETURN OF THE SOUL. 
 
 Scripture, science and philosophy clearly prove 
 the impossibility of the resurrection of the body. 
 The souls return to earth in new and different 
 bodies, however, is demonstrable from the light of 
 all inquiry. Furthermore, it can be shown that 
 this is the true resurrection of Scripture. Under 
 no other hypothesis or belief, can soul conditions 
 and environment be explained. Resurrection of 
 the same body is impossible, for the following 
 reasons : 
 
 First. It is against the law which governs the 
 coming of souls upon the earth. Under this law, 
 each soul must take for its habitation, a material 
 body, formed through the natural process of repro- 
 duction. This body, house, or tent, cannot be made 
 otherwise, therefore, if the soul returns again to 
 earth, it must take the flesh according to the law 
 ordained for that purpose. 
 
 It is unreasonable to believe that after a house 
 has been destroyed by fire, it can be rebuilt with 
 the same materials which once composed it. By 
 taking fresh materials and repeating the process of 
 construction, another house resembling the original, 
 can be built. Similarly, after death, the body is 
 decomposed by a slower process of combustion than 
 the fire which destroyed the house, but it is just as
 
 126 The Return of the Soul. 
 
 impossible to reconstruct the body from its original 
 material ingredients, as it is to duplicate the house 
 from its original materials. Therefore, if the soul 
 returns, as we are taught and can prove that it does, 
 a new body must be provided for its occupancy. 
 
 Second. According to the doctrine of the resur- 
 rection of the body, we shall live eternally in the 
 spiritual realms, as souls, re-occupying our material 
 bodies. This belief is contrary to Scripture, I 
 Corinthians 15-50. " Now this I say brethren, that 
 flesh and, blood cannot inherit the Kingdom of 
 God ; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption." 
 It is likewise contrary to science, which teaches us 
 that taaterial composition cannot be perfect, unless 
 it can be decomposed ; and if our bodies, which we 
 know to be material compositions, shall rise to live 
 in a spiritual hereafter, they will be subject to 
 decomposition. It follows, then, that according to 
 scientific reasoning, there would be death and cor- 
 ruption in Heaven. To meet this conclusion, the 
 explanation is made that our bodies will be raised 
 and spiritualized at the resurrection day, and so 
 there will be no more decomposition or death. 
 This is illogical and false doctrine, because it is an 
 established fact that matter cannot be transformed 
 into intelligent essence, for the unchangeable law 
 of God, is, that every essence is endowed with 
 inherent, inseparable and perpetual qualities which 
 are necessary, for its eternal existence. God is 
 absolute 'perfection and unchangeable. Spiritual- 
 izing our material bodies would be directly against 
 His perfection and th.e perfection of His actions, 
 which cannot be.
 
 The Return of the Soul. 127 
 
 Third. We know, that after the dissolution of 
 the body, the material elements of which it is com- 
 posed, return to the earth and atmosphere, from 
 whence, by natural process of growth, they enter 
 into the composition of other living forms such as 
 grasses, grains, vegetables, etc. These living forms, 
 in turn, die and decompose. From them, still 
 other forms are nourished, and the process of assim- 
 ilating these material elements is repeated. Animals 
 feed upon these grasses and herbs ; human beings 
 subsist upon fruits, grains and the flesh of animals. 
 We find, therefore, that the same atoms of material 
 substances, in the course of time, have entered into 
 and composed the bodies of different human 
 beings. Now, if, at the day of resurrection, these 
 bodies are to be raised in their original forms, it 
 will be found that the same atoms have entered 
 into the composition of many different bodies, and 
 confusion must result, since there will be many 
 claimants for the same atoms and there can be no 
 possible solution of the question "to whom do 
 these atoms belong?" The only precaution against 
 this state of affairs, would be a law from the Cre- 
 ative Mind, apportioning a certain amount of 
 material substance to each human body, which, 
 having been used in that body, would be set aside 
 for its rehabilitation at the resurrection day, a sup- 
 position manifestly ridiculous, impossible, and vio- 
 lating all fact and .reason. The resurrection 
 mentioned in the Scriptures, is the return of the 
 soul in new and different bodies. This is the true 
 spirit and intention of Scriptural teaching, for the 
 following reasons :
 
 i28 The Return of the Soul. 
 
 First. As already shown in a preceding chapter, 
 " soul " or " intellectuality," is not the result of the 
 composition of material elements, but is separate 
 and distinct from the body in which it lives and 
 manifests itself. It is a scientific truth that the 
 body, in its elementary ingredients, existed before 
 it was formed into that material composition and 
 connected with the soul. We must therefore con- 
 clude, that the soul likewise existed before it 
 became connected with the body. If the soul 
 existed before this connection, and as the mode of 
 connection between soul and body is the natural 
 and everlasting law of birth from parents, then the 
 soul, in coming again to take a body, as the Scrip- 
 tures teach, must come in the same way it first 
 came, through the process of birth. This is the 
 true return, re-birth, re-embodiment, re-incarnation 
 of the soul, or as the Scriptures designate it, " The 
 Resurrection of the Body." 
 
 Second. As the actions of the Creator are 
 founded upon infinitely wise purpose, therefore the 
 existence of the human race upon this earth, em- 
 bodies His wisdom of purpose. Where there is In- 
 finite Wisdom, there must be Infinite Justice. It is 
 therefore necessary, that all human souls must 
 have sufficient time and opportunity for the accom- 
 plishment of the purpose of their existence here. 
 We know however, that under the workings of 
 natural laws, many souls which take up their 
 residence in bodies, are compelled to leave them 
 before they have had sufficient opportunity to ac- 
 complish their purpose, as in the cases of infants, 
 the insane, idiots, etc.
 
 The Return of the Soul. 129 
 
 It has been, and still is the belief of many, that 
 the souls of children and infants, after death of the 
 body, are cast into "hell" or punishment. It has 
 been maintained that "hell" is paved with the 
 skulls of infants. Others believe and teach that 
 the souls of infants and children pass into heaven 
 or an eternal reward, after their short and irre- 
 sponsible experience here. Neither of these views 
 is reconcilable or consistent with the Infinite 
 Justice of God, for, if God should ordain that the 
 soul of an infant should pass into an eternity of 
 reward, His action would be a gross injustice and 
 wrong to souls which reach their maturity of ex- 
 istence here. If God should so discriminate in 
 favor of the infant soul which departed before it 
 had an opportunity to sin, other souls which He 
 had allowed to remain a long time upon the earth, 
 committng sins and iniquities, could protest 
 against the injustice of God, for His unequal treat- 
 ment of His creatures. 
 
 If, on the other hand, God should commit an 
 infant soul to punishment and doom, that infant 
 soul would have the right to protest, since, not 
 having reached its maturity of understanding, it 
 had not been given the opportunity afforded to 
 souls which lived here longer. Thus, we see that 
 neither punishment nor reward of irresponsible 
 souls such as infants, idiots, insane, etc., is in ac- 
 cord with the justice of God, which must be ad- 
 mitted to exist in perfection. There is but one 
 other course possible; it is necessary that such 
 souls should remain in the spiritual realms, await-
 
 130 The Return of the Soul. 
 
 ing another opportunity of coming to the earth, 
 of taking new bodies, reaching their maturity of 
 understanding and responsibility, and accomplish- 
 ing or failing to accomplish the purpose of their 
 earthly existence. God will, therefore, in His 
 justice, give to infants, idiots, etc., other oppor- 
 tunities, by allowing them to re-incarnate. 
 
 Third. It is evident that the soul of man, dur- 
 ing its imprisonment in this house of clay, has the 
 liberty of ill-using the gifts God has bestowed upon 
 it. Influenced by the desires and temptations of 
 the world, man forgets his duty toward his Creator, 
 and passes into the spiritual realm without accom- 
 plishing the great purpose of his coming here. 
 Where there is Infinite Wisdom, there is Infinite 
 Justice. Where there is Infinite Justice, there is 
 Infinite L,ove and Infinite Mercy. Therefore, if 
 God in His Love and Mercy, allows that soul an- 
 other opportunity of coming again to earth, to re- 
 trieve its wasted opportunity, it is necessary for 
 that soul to re-incarnate, re-embody itself in the 
 natural process of birth. 
 
 'Fourth. Owing to the weakness and ignorance 
 of man, and the various conditions of environment, 
 our race has been divided into many nationalities 
 and classes, differing from each other in position, 
 state of progress and opportunity of development, 
 such as high and low, civilized and uncivilized, 
 rich and poor, etc. As the soul has not the liberty 
 or power to choose for itself the place or condition 
 of its coming into the body, it is necessary that the 
 justice and mercy of our Almighty Creator, who
 
 The Return of the Soul. 131 
 
 controls and apportions the soul's environment, 
 shall regulate this difference in opportunity and 
 soul conditions, by incarnating the soul at different 
 times, and in different places, according to its just 
 deserts. In this way, and by His infinite wisdom, 
 all souls enjoy equal and full privilege of develop- 
 ment, according to the exercise of their own inde- 
 pendence. As the soul succeeds or fails in its 
 development during one incarnation, it is assisted 
 or hampered by the opportunities or obstacles of 
 its next environment ; upon the soul that has pro- 
 gressed, God bestows advantages of time, place or 
 condition ; upon the soul that retrogrades in prog- 
 ress and understanding, the burden of its own 
 record is laid in the corresponding difficulties of 
 its next period of earthly existence. For the just 
 dispensation of opportunities to all, the return of 
 the soul is therefore necessary. 
 
 Fifth. On account of the failure and neglect by 
 man, of his own will and understanding, to seek 
 God, and accomplish his purpose upon earth, God 
 has sent, at intervals, throughout all ages and 
 races, holy souls, shepherds or prophets, to teach 
 man, the Way, the Truth and the Life. These 
 messengers of God, have been born in the flesh, ac- 
 cording to the natural law of all mankind, although 
 it was not necessary for them, in some cases, to 
 come again upon earth, they having fulfilled their 
 duties, in a previous incarnation. 
 
 Sixth. The return of the soul is taught through- 
 out the Holy Scriptures. Numbers 24-17 " I shall 
 see Him but not now ; I shall behold Him but not
 
 132 The Return of the Soul. 
 
 nigh. There shall come a Star out of Jacob and a 
 Sceptre shall rise out of Israel and shall smite the 
 corners of Moab and destroy all the children of 
 Sheth." This is an utterance by the prophet 
 Balaam, the son of Beor, concerning the coming 
 of Shiloh, the incarnation of Deity; at which time, 
 Balaam himself, will come upon the earth and be- 
 hold Him. 
 
 Job 19-25 to 27 : " For I know that my redeemer 
 liveth, and that He shall stand at the latter day 
 upon the earth ; and though after my skin worms 
 destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God ; 
 whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall 
 behold, and not another; though my reins be con- 
 sumed within me." 
 
 This prophet also promised to be upon the earth 
 in the flesh, at the time of the appearance of God 
 the Redeemer of our race, and that with his own 
 eyes, he should see Him. These are plain scriptu- 
 ral teachings of the soul's return in new bodies. 
 
 Psalms 903 : " Thou turnest man to destruction ; 
 and sayest Return, ye children of men." Psalms 
 104-29, " Thou hidest Thy face, they are troubled ; 
 Thou takest away their breath, they die, and return 
 to their dust. Thou sendest forth Thy spirit, they 
 are created ; and Thou renewest the face of the 
 earth." Also Isaiah 26-19: "Thy dead men shall 
 live, together with my dead body shall they arise. 
 Awake and sing, ye that dwell in the dust ; for thy 
 dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast 
 out the dead." All these are plain teachings of re- 
 embodiment.
 
 The Return of the Soul. 133 
 
 Isaiah 24-23 : " Then the moon shall be con- 
 founded and the sun ashamed, when the Lord of 
 hosts shall reign in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem 
 and before His ancients gloriously." 
 
 Here is a clear prophecy that God is to appear in 
 the flesh, as a man, and rule " in Zion and in Jeru- 
 salem before his ancients gloriously." Who are "his 
 ancients " ? They are the prophets and the saints 
 who were promised to be present with Him in His 
 appearance, as we have read in Job and in Num- 
 bers. His ancients are His saints who are men- 
 tioned in the epistle of Jude, 1-14: "And Enoch 
 also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these 
 saying, behold the Lord cometh with ten thousands 
 of His saints." This corresponds with what Christ 
 prophesied in St. Luke, 13-28 : " There shall 
 be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall 
 see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and all the proph- 
 ets in the Kingdom of God, and you, your- 
 selves thrust out." Also the 29th verse, "And they 
 shall come from the east, and from the west, and 
 from the north, and from the south, and shall sit 
 down in the Kingdom of God." All these show 
 plainly, that when God comes to establish His 
 Kingdom upon the earth, all the prophets and saints 
 are promised to be with Him. Christ, our Great 
 Master, said that he would come and renew the cup 
 with his disciples. Matthew, 26-29: "But I say 
 unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit 
 of the vine, until that day when I drink it new 
 with you in my Father's kingdom." If God and 
 His saints are to come upon the earth spiritually,
 
 134 The Return of the Soul. 
 
 as some people understand and explain, their com- 
 ing will be of no use to humanity, for they will not 
 be visible. Furthermore, it is illogical to say that 
 God will come spiritually, when He is spiritually 
 omnipresent. If His kingdom is to be established 
 upon earth, it must necessarily be a visible earthly 
 kingdom. If otherwise, Christ would not have 
 said "they will come from the east and the west, 
 from the north and from the south." There are no 
 points of the compass in the spiritual realms. 
 Again, he would not have said that he would re- 
 new the cup with his disciples, since it is evident 
 that there can be no eating or drinking in an ex- 
 istence that is spiritual. It is clear, therefore, 
 from the words of the prophets, and especially 
 from those of Christ, that the Kingdom to come, 
 is to be a visible Kingdom, and as they are to 
 be present in it, their souls must return in the 
 flesh. According to Daniel, 12-2: "And many 
 of them that sleep in the dust of the earth, 
 shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to 
 shame and everlasting contempt ; " also i3th verse, 
 "But go thou thy way till the end be ; for thou 
 shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the 
 days." Ezekiel 37-12: "Thus saith the Lord God: 
 behold, oh my people, I will open your graves and 
 cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring 
 you into the land of Israel." I3th verse, " And ye 
 shall know that I am the Lord when I have opened 
 your graves, oh my people, and brought you up 
 out of your graves." i4th verse, "And shall put 
 My spirit in you and ye shall live, and I shall place
 
 The Return of the Soul. 135 
 
 you in your own land ; then shall ye know that I 
 the Lord have spoken it, and performed it, saith 
 the Lord." Isaiah, 26-19: "Thy dead men shall 
 live, together with my dead body shall they arise. 
 Awake and sing, ye that dwell in dust ; for thy 
 dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall 
 cast out the dead." According to the new trans- 
 lation of Isaiah, by Prof. Cheyne, page 156, in 
 explanation of this verse, u The late Hebrew for 
 the Resurrection, is 't'khiyyath hammethim,' the 
 4 revival of the dead.' " This exactly expresses the 
 fact, that resurrection, as taught in the Scriptures, 
 means revival of the dead, that is to say, the return 
 and subsequent incarnation of the soul. 
 
 Seventh. The words of Christ, according to the 
 Gospel of John, 8-58, were, " Verily, verily, I say 
 unto you, before Abraham was, I am." Whether 
 we consider that he existed before Abraham, in the 
 flesh or in the spirit, he had, according to his own 
 claim, been in existence before he was born, of 
 Mary, nineteen hundred years ago. Therefore, 
 Christ, our example, fulfilled the natural laws of 
 God, in being born as we were born, and in his 
 promised coming, must return according to the 
 same laws. 
 
 Eighth. The return of the soul to earth, in dif- 
 ferent bodies, and subject to different environments, 
 is a great blessing and justice to the human race, 
 as it annuls entirely all racial inequality and levels 
 pride of nationality, by making us all of one race 
 and one family. 
 
 The question arises "According to Scripture,
 
 136 The Return of the Soul. 
 
 Christ rose from the dead upon the third day, and 
 appeared to his disciples. If Christ is our great 
 example, shall we not rise as he has risen, from 
 the grave, in the flesh?" Christ did not appear to 
 his disciples in his material body. If we read the 
 record of Luke, 24-13, he appeared to Cleophas and 
 another, as they journeyed from Jerusalem to 
 Emmaus. Although he talked with them, they 
 did not recognize him, and it was not until he 
 parted from them, that they began to suspect he 
 was Christ their Master. This shows plainly, that 
 he did not appear to them in the flesh, but in a 
 vision, in his spiritual body, for had he walked 
 and talked with them in the same body they knew 
 so well before his crucifixion, they must have 
 recognized him instantly. 
 
 Jt is clearly evident that he appeared to Paul 
 and others as well, in a spiritual body. In " Phases 
 of Faith," page 181, Newman says : " He (Paul) 
 even recounts the appearance of Christ to him, 
 years after his ascension, as evidence similar in 
 kind to his appearance to Peter and to James, and 
 to 500 brethren at once. I Cor. 15-4 to 8 : And 
 that he (Christ) was buried, and that he rose again 
 th^ third day according to the scriptures ; and that 
 he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve. After 
 that he was seen of about five hundred brethren 
 at once ; of whom the greater part remain unto 
 this present, but some are fallen asleep. After 
 that he was seen of James; then of all the apostles, 
 and last of all he was seen of me also." Also 
 I Cor. 9-1 : Paul asks " have I not seen Jesus 
 Christ our Lord ? "
 
 The Return of the Soul. 137 
 
 In the aoth Chapter of John, it is stated, that 
 while the disciples were gathered together in an 
 upper room, the windows and doors being shut, 
 Christ appeared in their midst, saying ' ( Peace be 
 unto you." This was likewise an appearance in 
 his spiritual body, for it is an unchangeable law, 
 that two material substances cannot occupy the 
 same place at the same time, and Christ's entrance 
 in his material form, through solid walls or doors, 
 was an impossibility. The spiritual body, how- 
 ever, can penetrate matter, as light passes through 
 glass, and thus the appearance of the Master to his 
 disciples, becomes a reasonable phenomenon. It 
 is recorded, that at the time of his appearance to 
 the disciples, Christ asked Thomas to put his 
 fingers in the nail holes and spear wound, to dispel 
 his doubts as to the reality of Christ. Before en- 
 tering the explanation of this event, it is necessary 
 to consider a fact concerning the resurrection of 
 Christ. As the highest exponent of our race, his 
 resurrection would be the pattern and example of all 
 bodies which are to rise from the dead, that is to 
 say, we should rise, as he did, with the defects of 
 the flesh. If Christ appeared with the nail holes in 
 his hands and spear wound in his side, our bodies 
 must rise minus those parts or portions of the flesh 
 which are missing at the time of death. This con- 
 clusion is inevitable. If therefore, a man has lost 
 an eye, he shall appear as a resurrected body with 
 but one eye ; if an arm or leg is missing at the time 
 of his death, he will be minus these members when 
 raised from the dead. There can be no other con-
 
 138 The Return of the Soul. 
 
 dition than this, if resurrection of the body is to be 
 accomplished. If, for instance, the leg and arm of 
 a child be destroyed, and the child grow into ma- 
 turity, its body must either stand at the resurrection 
 day without its leg and arm, or as an adult body 
 with the leg and arm of a child, both of which con- 
 ditions are unreasonable, ridiculous and impossible. 
 As it is evident that no human body will die with- 
 out defects and imperfections, our resurrection would 
 be a most miserable one, and far from desirable. 
 For this reason, we know that Christ's return was 
 in his spiritual body and not in his material form. 
 In addition to this potent argument, let us take the 
 literal record of scripture, which if read aright and 
 correctly understood, furnishes still further proof of 
 this view of the question. In the oriental coun- 
 tries, the idiomatic expression "put your finger 
 upon it," is widely used to denote absolute certainty 
 of proof regarding anything. It is customary to 
 say to any one doubting a statement, ' ' Come and 
 put your finger upon it," which is equivalent to 
 "Come and prove it for yourself." It was in this 
 sense, " Come and prove it for yourself," that Christ 
 spoke to Thomas, for Thomas, after the death of 
 Christ, had begun to doubt the truth, and Christ, 
 reading his wavering thoughts, spoke thus to con- 
 vince him that he had returned to them, though in 
 his spiritual body. 
 
 Upon the basis of the foregoing scientific, philo- 
 sophical and scriptural reasoning, resurrection of 
 the body is impossible, but the return or re-em- 
 bodiment of the soul, is conclusively proved.
 
 The Return of the Soul. 139 
 
 To some, admitting the necessity of the soul's 
 return, belief in it, is difficult, from the fact that 
 we have no memory of the soul's past history. 
 "Why do we not remember our previous incarna- 
 tions?" God, in His Infinite wisdom, has laid the 
 law, that when the soul enters its body, the tablet of 
 memory is sealed and the soul cannot recall any of 
 its previous history. This is necessary for a very 
 evident reason. God has given us the faculty of 
 will, the power of choice and independence, in 
 order that we may be responsible for our actions 
 while in the body and by the correct use of which, 
 we may be fitted to become His children. For 
 this reason, He has bestowed upon us this great 
 weapon, this supreme God-gift, will. Having en- 
 dowed us with it, it is necessary that He must 
 grant us also the opportunity of exercising it. 
 If the tablet of memory was not sealed and cut off 
 from the soul's past, each soul, remembering the 
 circumstances of its coming upon earth, and the 
 purpose of its being here, would fulfill that pur- 
 pose without the exercise of its independence, for 
 it would be influenced by its previous knowledge, 
 and controlled by it to such an extent, that it 
 would not deserve any credit or reward for its 
 actions. Nor could it be fitted to become the 
 child of God, for it would not resemble Him in 
 being independent. For this reason, the tablet of 
 memory is sealed when the soul enters the body. 
 It is likewise a wise and merciful provision of our 
 Almighty Creator, in cutting off the memory of 
 our previous existence, for the brain could not en-
 
 140 The Return of the Soul. 
 
 dure the strain of our accumulated experiences; 
 we would be driven insane by the mental pressure, 
 and the soul's opportunity denied it 
 
 WHAT IS DEATH ? 
 
 The difference between the death of the body, 
 and what may be termed the death of the soul, 
 must be clearly understood and explained. It is 
 self-evident, that the earth is not our permanent 
 place of residence ; no human creature will remain 
 here ; all will pass away at the summons of death. 
 We are sent upon the earth for a short time, to 
 attain a great privilege in our eternal life. For 
 this reason, our bodies, in which we make this 
 short stay, are compositions of material elements, 
 susceptible to the effects of the surrounding nature, 
 and irrevocably destined to undergo decomposition 
 or death. When decomposition ensues, the soul 
 must leave its residence, and pass into the spiritual 
 realms, exactly as one leaves a house that has 
 become uninhabitable, deserts it, and moves to 
 another place. As death of the body does not 
 mean destruction of its material elements, since 
 nothing in existence is destructible, it means the 
 end of the partnership or connection between mat- 
 ter and the soul. Death is the change of abode, 
 the liberation of the soul from the body. There- 
 fore death is not to be feared or dreaded, and we 
 should be happy in the knowledge that the soul is 
 being freed from its imprisonment. For this 
 reason, instead of rejoicing at birth and lamenting
 
 The Return of the Soul. 14* 
 
 at the time of death, these conditions should be 
 exactly reversed ; joy should accompany the de- 
 parture of the soul, and lamentations bewail its 
 coming upon earth. 
 
 The "death of the soul," or the "second death," 
 as it is termed, resembles, in some respects, the 
 death of the body. The soul which accomplishes 
 the purpose of its coming upon earth, will be 
 naturalized into Divinity and adopted as the child 
 of God; while the soul failing to accomplish the 
 purpose of its residence and environment here, will 
 be cast out from the "face of God." This is the 
 "death of the soul," or the "second death," which 
 has no power over believers. It is the corruption 
 of the soul, which, by its unworthiness, is prevented 
 from being naturalized into Divinity, just as the 
 corruption of the material body, renders it unfit as 
 a residence for the soul. As the soul casts its 
 worthless body aside, so the soul itself when cor- 
 rupted, is cast aside to live in the spiritual realms, 
 subject to its former limitations; its opportunity 
 lost; its eternity, an endless regret. This is the 
 death of the soul.
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 EVOLUTION. 
 
 The theory of Mr. Darwin and his followers, who 
 claim that a power of evolution has produced the 
 human species, by slow and almost imperceptible 
 stages, from the lowest form of animal existence, 
 is contrary to natural laws and facts. The true 
 evolution, however, which is the growth or progress, 
 mentally and physically, of existing organisms, ac- 
 cording to natural and spiritual laws which have 
 been established by God for the necessity of their 
 existence and development, is clearly demonstrable, 
 and in harmony with all evidence and conditions. 
 It is a scientific fact, that all the material elements 
 possess chemical affinities and attributes, by which 
 they evince a tendency to be compounded with each 
 other, and so produce other substances or combina- 
 tions. For instance, equal parts of hydrogen and 
 oxygen, unite freely, the result being a compound 
 which we call water. 
 
 Water is, therefore, the product of the chemical 
 affinities of the two gases, hydrogen and oxygen. 
 All material compositions in the animal and vege- 
 table kingdoms, are similarly, a result of the chem- 
 ical affinities of the various material elements. 
 These chemical affinities produce all the modifica- 
 tions and changes in material organisms, known as 
 development or evolution. The laws by which 
 
 143
 
 144 Evolution. 
 
 this, the true evolution, is accomplished, have been 
 laid by the creative wisdom of Almighty God, who 
 has given to material elements, their attributes and 
 affinities, in harmony with His all-wise intention 
 and purpose. 
 
 By partaking of material food, man develops 
 from a state of infancy, into the perfection and 
 fullness of his physical being. Chemical action, 
 through the affinities of the material substances 
 taken as nourishment, transforms this food into 
 blood, which, by mechanical operation, is diffused 
 throughout the body. All parts of the body receive 
 a portion of this blood nutrition, add it to their 
 substance, and grow. In reality therefore, this 
 development is the power of growth, or rather, in- 
 volution, because growth always comes from the 
 outside. The process of mental development is 
 according to the same principle. The spiritual 
 essence is endowed with intelligent qualities or fac- 
 ulties, which, through the agency of the power of 
 life, are exchanged and communicated from one 
 soul to another. 
 
 Thoughts, ideas, and understanding, are thus 
 imprinted upon the tablet of memory, furnishing 
 the capital of knowledge. This is mental devel- 
 opment, mental growth, evolution, or rather, invo- 
 lution, for there is no development mentally, except 
 from the outside ; the inside being endowed by God, 
 with capacity to receive impressions from the out- 
 side, and thus grow or evolve. 
 
 If we admit the Darwinian theory, we must also 
 admit that man was not created by God, but that
 
 Evolution. 145 
 
 he is the result of mental and physical modifica- 
 tions, by " a power of evolution." That is to say, 
 a "Power of evolution " takes the place of a crea- 
 tive Being. As it is an indisputable fact, that no 
 power, force, or attribute can exist without an 
 essence back of it, and, as back of the power of 
 evolution, is the material essence, we must conclude 
 that all the modifications in the animal and vege- 
 table kingdoms, including man, the highest type 
 and production of the former kingdom, are the out- 
 come of the creative power of material essence. 
 Then, as material essence must be the creative 
 cause, and as a creative cause must be self-existent, 
 self independent, and not created, it follows, that 
 matter and all its modifications, whether of the 
 mineral, vegetable or animal kingdoms, are self- 
 existent; which is an untenable position, directly 
 opposed to science and reason. This theory cannot 
 be sustained for many reasons: 
 
 First: Matter is entirely void of intellectual 
 qualities. No trace of intelligence can be found in 
 it, because every substance in the universe, pos- 
 sesses qualities which are necessary for its existence, 
 and intellectual qualities are manifestly not neces- 
 sary for the existence of matter. As it is a scien- 
 tific fact, that all material modifications or com- 
 positions must partake of the nature of matter, and 
 as matter is void of intelligence, we reach the con- 
 clusion, that intelligent organisms, such as man and 
 the animals, cannot be produced or evolved from 
 material substance, which neither needs, possesses, 
 nor is able to produce intelligence.
 
 146 Evolution. 
 
 Second: If matter is self-existent, it is neces- 
 sarily self-independent. We find, however, that 
 every material element depends upon the other 
 material elements, in all its modifications; for 
 all its modifications are simply chemical actions, 
 produced by the affinities of these elements for 
 each other. All members and species of the vege- 
 table and animal kingdoms, depend upon the sur- 
 rounding elements, for their existence and support. 
 Man himself, whose body is the highest known 
 modification of matter, is not fully independent. 
 
 He cannot appoint the time of his birth or 
 death. At the summons of death, he must obey, 
 however unwillingly. If man, therefore, the high- 
 est modification, cannot claim self-independence, 
 the horse, fish, and other lower modifications, cer- 
 tainly cannot do so. According to this scientific 
 reasoning, the theory of Darwin cannot be truth. 
 
 Third: Matter and its modifications cannot be 
 self-existent, because it would then necessarily fol- 
 low, that they must have thorough knowledge of 
 themselves. Man does not possess this high degree 
 of knowledge, for the essence of material and 
 spiritual substance, transcends human understand- 
 ing. Therefore, as man, animals, vegetables, etc., 
 are not dependent upon themselves, but upon some- 
 thing else, they cannot be self-existent; proving 
 the truth, that back of all these modifications, lies 
 the power of Almighty God, who has ordained and 
 systematized their existence. His creative hand 
 and wisdom endowed every essence with qualities 
 necessary for its existence, and the existence of its 
 modifications.
 
 Evolution. 147 
 
 Fourth: As already shown in the chapter upon 
 "Return of the Soul," matter existed before its 
 connection with the intellectual essence, in the 
 being of man. It necessarily follows, that the 
 intellectual essence existed before it united with 
 matter. This union or connection between soul 
 and matter, in the being of man, is a modification. 
 As every modification is characterized by the 
 qualities of its component substances, and as mat- 
 ter is entirely devoid of intelligent qualities, and 
 cannot produce an intelligent combination, it is 
 necessary that back of this connection between 
 soul and body, there is an intelligent source from 
 whence it came, and by which it was planned. 
 This source is the All-wise, All-knowing and Self- 
 existent Cause and Creator, God. 
 
 This Creative Cause cannot be the "power of 
 evolution," which, as already shown, is without 
 intelligence in itself. The definition of "evolu- 
 tion," according to the high priest of this theory, 
 Herbert Spencer, is as follows : " Evolution is an 
 integration of matter and concomitant dissipation 
 of motion, during which the matter passes from an 
 indefinite, incoherent homogeneity, to a definite, 
 coherent heterogeneity, and during which the re- 
 tained motion undergoes a parallel transformation." 
 Mr. Ruskin's parody upon this definition, is " Evo- 
 lution is a change from a knowhowish, untalka- 
 boutable, allalikeness, to a somehowish and in 
 general talkaboutable, not allalikeness, by continu- 
 ous something elsefications, and sticktogethera- 
 tions."
 
 148 Evolution. 
 
 It has recently been announced, that Mr. Spencer, 
 after relying for years upon an incomprehensible, 
 undemonstrable "cause," has evolved into a sound 
 believer in an Infinite and Eternal Being, from 
 whom all things proceed. 
 
 Fifth: We know that our intellectual develop- 
 ment depends entirely upon impressions received 
 through the senses and delivered to the faculties of 
 the soul. If the soul is prevented from receiving 
 these impressions or experiences, we can have no 
 capital of knowledge for the exercise of the soul 
 faculties. This has been demonstrated by an ex- 
 periment made in Paris, where an infant, artificially 
 nourished, was confined in absolute seclusion for a 
 long period. The proof is positive, that, under 
 such conditions of confinement, a human being, 
 although physically developed, would be minus 
 knowledge, and after fifty years of existence, would 
 possess only the intelligence of a new-born babe. 
 Intellectual growth must, therefore, come from the 
 outside. If there is a "power of evolution," as 
 claimed, it would naturally perform its action or 
 prove its existence by making the confined human 
 creature know something at least. 
 
 Sixth: If we study the development of the 
 vegetable kingdom, we will find that seeds are pro- 
 duced by the plant or tree, and that there is no seed 
 unless a parent organism has produced it. like- 
 wise, in the animal kingdom, there is no offspring 
 without a mother, no egg without a bird, etc. As 
 the theory of evolution claims that every organism 
 originated from a germ, every tree from a seed,
 
 Evolution. 149 
 
 every mother from a baby, every bird from an egg, 
 etc., the facts would be reversed, which, we can 
 see at a glance, is impossible. There is absolutely 
 no proof that the egg was first ; that the seed pre- 
 ceded the plant, etc. When proof of this is at- 
 tempted, the connecting link of reason, is obscured 
 in words and conglomeration of terms, and produc- 
 tive of no sensible conclusion. 
 
 Proof that the bird must precede the egg, is 
 clearly demonstrable. As it must be admitted that 
 neither the bird nor the egg is self-existent, it 
 follows that one or the other was created in the 
 beginning. 
 
 The egg is equally as wonderful as the bird, and 
 the all-powerful Creator could have produced 
 either according to His will. If the egg was 
 created first, we must conclude, according to the 
 operation of natural laws, that there is not the 
 evidence of His perfection of knowledge and 
 wisdom in its production, since the egg could 
 not incubate and evolve a bird of itself. The 
 care and attention of a parent bird, is neces- 
 sary for incubation. Even if the egg, of itself, 
 had produced a young bird, the attention and 
 assistance of a parent bird, would be necessary 
 to feed it and sustain its life, until it became able 
 to provide for itself. Therefore, if God created 
 the egg, it was necessary that His providence 
 should take the place of the parent bird's function, 
 before and after incubation. This supposition is 
 against the perfection of His wisdom, whereas the 
 creation of the bird, which naturally produced the
 
 i5 Evolution. 
 
 egg, cared for it, and reared its young, is in har- 
 mony with natural laws and reason. 
 
 By analogous reasoning, we must conclude that 
 the mother preceded the babe; that the tree pre- 
 ceded the seed, etc. When advocates of the theory 
 of evolution are able to prove that the mother 
 developed from the infant, then, and not till then, 
 can their claims be admitted. 
 
 Seventh : There is absolute geological evidence, 
 in the strata of the earth, that many species of the 
 animal and vegetable kingdom, appeared after 
 man. Furthermore, we know that many of the 
 cereals, fruits and plants, require human cultiva- 
 tion, without which they retrograde and disappear 
 entirely; lacking, as they do, the power of self- 
 propagation. This is a strong argument that such 
 species were created for human needs, and be- 
 stowed upon man by the wisdom and providence 
 of God. 
 
 Eighth: According to the theory of evolution, 
 we possessed at some remote period of the past, the 
 same amount of intellectuality now possessed by 
 the horse; that is to say, the horse, after passing 
 through an equal experience of time and develop- 
 ment, will evolve into, and attain our present con- 
 dition of mentality and knowledge. 
 
 If this theory is correct, it necessarily follows, 
 that a baby must be superior in intelligence to the 
 foal of a horse; but facts are plainly opposed to 
 this conclusion. The foal, three days after birth, 
 is greatly superior in intelligence to the baby at 
 six months; a convincing evidence that a "power 
 of evolution" cannot exist.
 
 Evolution. 151 
 
 According to Professor Huxley, " There is be- 
 tween man and all lower animals, even the highest, 
 a difference so wide that it cannot be measured; an 
 enormous gulf; divergence immeasureable; practi- 
 cally infinite." 
 
 Max Miiller says "Man alone employs lan- 
 guage; he alone comprehends himself; alone 
 possesses general ideas ; he alone believes in God." 
 
 Ninth : By study and comparison of the differ- 
 ent genera of the animal kingdom, we determine, 
 without doubt, that each species is distinct and 
 separate from the others, and that no connection 
 exists between them. If genera evolved from 
 genera, all would be of the same race, though sub- 
 divided into species. Union between species, 
 would therefore be productive and progressive, if evo- 
 lution is a correct theory. We find, however, that 
 as every race or genera has been created separate 
 and distinct from all the others, union of different 
 species, when it happens, is either non-productive, 
 or results in offspring which is sterile. The mule 
 is an illustration of this violation. This is the law 
 which protects races or genera of the animal king- 
 dom. This is Nature's safeguard against violation 
 of natural law. This is the Creator's fiat against 
 evolution. There can be, therefore, no link of con- 
 nection or evolution, between genera. 
 
 The failure to find the missing link between man 
 and lower animals, lies in the simple fact that the 
 missing link never did, and never could exist. 
 Darwin himself stopped at the question of the male 
 and female and the link of connection between 
 genera.
 
 i5 2 Evolution. 
 
 By comparison between the human race and the 
 nearest approach to man among the lower animals, 
 we discover many additional facts and conditions 
 which fortify the proof that the theory of " evo- 
 lution," as formulated by Mr. Darwin and his 
 associate thinkers, is an impossibility. The pre- 
 ponderance of evidence supports the action of 
 natural laws and creative wisdom, while so-called 
 proof that man is the result of progressive develop- 
 ment from the lowest forms of animal existence, 
 violates these laws, antagonizes the supreme pur- 
 pose of God, and is, according to the admissions of 
 evolutionists themselves, simply hypothesis. The 
 power of speech, consciousness, and religious 
 instinct of man, are insurmountable obstacles in 
 the path of the evolutionist, either one of which 
 proves the reverse of his theory and annuls the 
 question. 
 
 In " Hours With the Bible," by Geikie, Mr. 
 Wallace, a Darwinian, is quoted to show that evo- 
 lution is not proved by science, as follows : " It is 
 a curious circumstance, that, notwithstanding the 
 attention that has been directed to the subject in 
 every part of the world, and the numerous excava- 
 tions connected with railways and mines which 
 have offered such facilities for geological discov- 
 eries, no advance whatever has been made for a 
 considerable number of years, in detecting the 
 time or mode of man's origin * * and amid the 
 countless relics of a former world that have been 
 brought to light, no evidence of any one of the 
 links that must have connected man with the
 
 Evolution. 153 
 
 lower animals, has yet appeared. Professor Huxley 
 said about one of the two skulls, supposed to be 
 the oldest as yet found, that it may have belonged 
 to a philosopher, or may have contained the 
 thoughtless brain of a savage. Dr. Pruner Bey 
 said about the other that it surpasses the average 
 of modern European skulls. Heer says 'the 
 doctrine of the transformation of species is most 
 decidedly contradicted by facts * such is the testi- 
 mony of one of the acutest observers and most 
 accomplished geologists of the day." 
 
 Hard wick says " It is necessary to my argu- 
 ment that certain other points shall be established. 
 One of them has reference to the question touch- 
 ing the unity of the human race. For if it be in 
 any measure probable that all varieties of men 
 originated in a single pair, I shall be pro tanto 
 justified in urging this important fact, as one 
 medium of accounting for traditions which were 
 afterwards diffused through all the human family. " 
 
 In "Christ and Other Great Masters," by 
 Hardwick, p. 40, " Psychological proof of the 
 unity of the human race," quotes as follows: 
 
 "This argument depends entirely on the fact 
 that, notwithstanding every minor variation in 
 feeling or capacity in taste or temperament, by 
 which we are enabled to distinguish one people 
 from another, there are certain moral, spiritual and 
 mental elements, inherent in humanity itself and 
 underlying all the national types and local charac- 
 teristics. At first, indeed, when our attention is 
 directed to the subject, a picture meets us not of 
 unity but of diversity.
 
 154 Evolution. 
 
 We everywhere encounter groups of human 
 beings, each betraying some peculiar tendencies, 
 with manners as dissimilar as their physical con- 
 formation ; with intellectual habits indicating all 
 degrees of power and culture ; with sentiments in 
 one case harsh and barbarous, in the second, gentle, 
 tender and refined ; a class of variations warrant- 
 ing, as we might judge, the supposition that each 
 separate group is radically independent and has 
 always formed an independent species. But more 
 thoughtful observation leads us to abandon this 
 hypothesis as crude and superficial. It enables us 
 to see that very many of these wide diversities 
 exist at present and have long existed in the same 
 country, being multiplied in homogeneous popula- 
 tion or at least in populations where the races of 
 men have been comparatively unaffected by foreign 
 admixtures. Some diversity, therefore, is not 
 utterly incompatible with unity of origin ; and 
 thus we are admonished to carry our analysis still 
 deeper in the hope of separating what is merely 
 special in the mind of man, or accidental in the 
 phases of society, from broader and more funda- 
 mental characteristics. To the latter class we shall 
 more reasonably assign whatever has been held in 
 common by the various families of nations, be 
 their state of culture what it may ; those great 
 specific properties of mankind, the aspirations, 
 faculties and sentiments, which have in every 
 period, been distinguishing the human from the 
 brute creation. 
 
 Men are like each other and unlike the rest of
 
 Evolution. 155 
 
 animated nature, not only as endowed with simi- 
 lar feelings and affections or impelled by similar 
 appetencies and aversions, but as speaking, reason- 
 ing and reflecting creatures. Wherever man is, 
 there we find these marks of his superior dignity. 
 If we grant that in so far as our domestic instincts 
 are concerned, a parallel is found among the other 
 orders of creation, it is no less obvious, that wher- 
 ever such exist in man, their character is uniform, 
 their operation is identical; while in that loftier 
 province of his being, where he is immediately 
 connected with the "God of the spirits of all flesh," 
 the traces of a common nature are peculiarly dis- 
 cernible. It is a fact that all varieties of men ex- 
 hibit the same kind of spiritual perceptions, much as 
 these may vary, both in sensibility and clearness. 
 But in urging facts like these to prove the radia- 
 tion of the human family from one common point, 
 we meet with some objections. It is said, for in- 
 stance, that identity of disposition may exist with- 
 out implying an identity of origin. Thus in the 
 large group of cats, including the leopard, tiger, 
 lion and other species, the same general tempera- 
 ment and habits are everywhere observable, and 
 yet it is alleged such animals were originally made 
 to constitute distinct varieties. To this it is suf- 
 ficient to reply, that man, as we may gather from 
 the faculties of speech and reason, from his moral 
 susceptibilities, his spiritual nature, and his vast 
 capacity of progress, must be treated as a being sui 
 generis; or at least, that where differences like 
 these exist, we are not justified in reasoning so
 
 156 Evolution. 
 
 completely to his case from that of the inferior 
 animals. It is not, of course, denied that with 
 regard to what are called the animal appetencies 
 and aversions of his nature and even to the class of 
 sensuous habits, such analogy may be adduced 
 with justice and pursued into its consequences. 
 But in doing this we must not overlook the fact 
 that all varieties of men are far more intimately 
 related than the class of animals in question. 
 The various species of the feline genus either 
 intermingle very seldom, or evince a strong re- 
 pugnance to such union. If hybrids be occasion- 
 ally produced, and if they threaten by their propa- 
 gation to commence an intermediate or degenerate 
 race of animals, the wayward tendency is soon 
 arrested by their absolute sterility, and thus the 
 species do not lose their original characteristics. 
 On the other hand, such intermixtures are both 
 possible and permanent among the different families 
 of man. The "races" which are thought to be 
 peculiarly distinct from each other (the Caucasian 
 and the Negro) are most ordinary examples of this 
 law; alliances between them issuing in a fruitful 
 progeny and what is especially worthy of remark, 
 the nobler type ere long predominating and absorb- 
 ing the degraded."
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 THE PURPOSE OF OUR COMING HERE, ACCORDING 
 TO OTHER RELIGIONS. 
 
 The purpose of the soul's existence upon the 
 earth, is a fundamental question in all religions, 
 the solution of which has given rise to a wide 
 range of beliefs and doctrines. As differences of 
 belief exist, it is spiritually instructive to examine 
 and compare those most widely accepted, and dis- 
 cern by the light of reason, what percentage of 
 truth each may contain. 
 
 All the prophets, and especially our Great Mas- 
 ter, Jesus Christ, taught plainly in the messages 
 they bore to humanity, the purpose of the soul's 
 coming upon the earth. This life of short dura- 
 tion, less than the wink of an eye in comparison 
 with the endless cycles of eternity, implies, by the 
 very brevity of its continuance, a distinct purpose, 
 bearing the sanction of our God and Creator, and 
 intended for the accomplishment of some privilege 
 by the soul. If we study the messages of the holy 
 souls whom God has sent to open our spiritual eyes, 
 we will find in them a unanimity of teaching upon 
 this one particular point, and that they considered 
 it to be a foundation truth of the very highest im- 
 portance to the human race. Unfortunately for us 
 however, in every case, misinterpretations, misquo- 
 tations and additions to the original messages, in 
 process of time, so obscured the truth they con- 
 is?
 
 158 Other Religious Theories. 
 
 tained, that the reality of the purpose of our life 
 upon earth has been lost sight of. Confusion and 
 contradiction of opinion therefore exist, in the 
 maelstrom of which, the soul is overwhelmed, and 
 Seeks the simple truth vainly. 
 
 We know that the All-Mighty never performs an 
 action, unless it embodies an All-Wise purpose. 
 From the lowest and least important of His crea- 
 tions, to the highest and greatest, all proclaim an 
 absolute certainty of purpose in their existence. 
 Man, the highest visible form in the universe of 
 God ; the exquisite combination of spiritual and 
 material substance; man, the masterpiece of the 
 Creative Hand, embodies in his being, Divine Wis- 
 dom, and exists here for a supreme purpose. If we 
 therefore, should remain thousands of years upon 
 the earth, delving into the secrets of nature, accu- 
 mulating knowledge of science, and progressing in 
 civilization, yet not comprehending the great pur- 
 pose of our coming and stay here, we would still 
 be groping in darkness and ignorance, lacking the 
 most essential of all truths. Without this knowl- 
 edge, we could not follow the example of Christ's 
 teachings, for he said, " I say the truth, because I 
 know whence I came and where I am going." 
 Through him and many others, God has sent this 
 knowledge to us, and the soul's highest attainment 
 is that of seeking and securing it. 
 
 JUDAISM AND THE TEACHINGS OF MOSES. 
 
 If we study the Pentateuch, to discern what 
 Moses taught the Israelites, and what essential
 
 Other Religious Theories. 159 
 
 truth lies at the foundation of Judaism, we learn 
 that it consists solely of the promise of material re- 
 wards and punishments for obedience or disobedi- 
 ence to the commandments of God ; that the pur- 
 pose of our being here, is to obey these command- 
 ments and live in harmony with each other. The 
 teachings of Moses contain no mention whatever 
 of an eternal existence. 
 
 In the 28th Chapter of Deuteronomy, ist-i3th, 
 it is recited that if the Israelites hearken unto and 
 obey the commandments of God, they will be 
 " blessed in the city," " in the field," " in the fruits 
 of the cattle," "in the basket," "in the store," 
 "in coming in and going out," etc., etc. Follow- 
 ing this, is the recital of punishments for disobedi- 
 ence to the commandments of God: " If thou wilt 
 not hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God 
 to observe to do all His commandments and His 
 statutes, these curses shall come upon thee and 
 overtake thee." "Cursed shalt thou be in the 
 city," in "the field," in "thy basket," in "thy 
 store," in the "fruit of thy body," in the "fruit 
 of thy land," the "increase of thy kine," in the 
 "flocks of thy sheep," " the Lord will smite thee 
 with the botch of Egypt and with the emerods 
 and with the scab, and with the itch," with " mad- 
 ness, blindness, astonishment of heart," "op- 
 pressed," "spoiled," and "no man shall save 
 thee," etc., etc. If earthly reward and punishment 
 comprise the purpose of our being here, man is no 
 higher than the animals, and less enviably situated, 
 since they obtain their food more easily and with
 
 160 Other Religious Theories. 
 
 less anxiety than we do. There would be no jus- 
 tice in the action of God in allowing us to come 
 upon the earth, endowed with higher faculties and 
 powers than the animals, yet relegated, as they are, 
 to mere temporal accomplishment. Under such 
 conditions, although superior in endowment, we 
 would be most miserable in destiny ; subject to 
 pain and suffering, both mental and physical, from 
 birth to death, and capable only of accomplishing 
 an amelioration of the unfortunate circumstances 
 by which we are surrounded. As these conditions 
 would be directly against the justice of God, it is 
 evident that our purpose in being here, is vastly 
 more than the question of mere temporal rewards 
 or punishments, and the fact of the soul's immor- 
 tality proves and presupposes this belief. 
 
 HINDOO RELIGIONS. 
 
 Brahmanism and Buddhism agree generally, in 
 the essential belief, that our purpose in being here, 
 is to escape and be delivered from this world of 
 sense and time ; to be absorbed into the rest of eter- 
 nity, annihilated in the Supreme Existence, as a 
 drop of water taken from the ocean, finds its way 
 back and is absorbed. The difference between the 
 two religious beliefs, lies in the method of attain- 
 ing this desired deliverance and absorption into 
 Deity, yet both concur in a total loss of personal 
 identity, when " Nirvana " is reached. 
 
 If God, the Supreme Existence, is perfection, no 
 human soul can be added to Him, nor annihilated
 
 Other Religious Theories. 161 
 
 in Him. If it is possible to be annihilated in Him, 
 He is not perfection and cannot be God. Neither 
 can He be a Supreme State or Existence. If their 
 God has no existence, implying " the negation of 
 action," then "annihilation" means destruction. 
 But nothing in existence can be destroyed, and 
 this position is likewise untenable. If all our 
 struggles and moral instinct to do right; if all our 
 development and progress, merge into obliteration 
 and the loss of personal identity, every human 
 creature would prefer to remain undeveloped. As 
 the idealists believe that no motive can be ascribed 
 to the Perfect, the Absolute, without rendering 
 Him imperfect, their logical deduction must be 
 that existence is delusion, and our purpose in be- 
 ing here, is the " play of the Infinite." The 
 Brahmanists, in fact, do not believe that their God 
 Brahama created the universe, but that it was cre- 
 ated by " Avidya," ignorance. Therefore, accord- 
 ing to the Hindoo philosophies, our existence here 
 is not a purpose or motive, but is " delusion " and 
 "play." This is a misunderstanding and inver- 
 sion of the true meaning of the Absolute Perfec- 
 tion. Whereas, the Absolute Perfection denotes 
 the All-Powerful, All-Knowing, All-Activity, in- 
 finite in attributes, they have subverted its mean- 
 ing to be " Negation," which must imply the Ab- 
 solute Imperfection, powerless, unknowing, with- 
 out attributes, and therefore without motive. If 
 this construction be true, it follows, as they claim, 
 that the creation of the universe, without motive, 
 must be the " play of the Infinite." " Play," how-
 
 1 62 Other Religious Theories. 
 
 ever, is an important motive, and "Avidya" ig- 
 norance, the creator of the universe must be in- 
 finitely superior to " Negation." The true essence 
 of the spiritual teachings of Brahama (Abraham) 
 and Buddha, concerning annihilation in God, and 
 the state of Nirvana, which have been corrupted 
 by philosophical interpretation, will be explained 
 in the "Mission of Christ." "The etymological 
 signification of the word ' annihilation ' does sig- 
 nify 'nothingness' or 'extinction;' not (Max 
 Miiller says) annihilation of the individual, but a 
 complete cessation of all pain and misery. Miiller 
 shows that Siddartha used Nirvana as synonymous 
 with Moksha, Niroritti, and other words, all desig- 
 nating the highest state of spiritual liberty and 
 bliss, but not annihilation." 
 
 CHRISTIANITY. 
 
 Christian theologians, although voluminous in 
 their expositions of Christianity, have scarcely 
 mentioned, specifically, the purpose of our coming 
 upon the earth for such short duration. The 
 light they furnish upon this particular question, 
 may be condensed in the statement that we are 
 here "to worship God and glorify Him forever." 
 This consensus of expression, by comparison with 
 other religious teachings, is unmistakably loftier in 
 idea and nearer the truth, yet it does not need 
 much reasoning to show that man's creation and 
 existence, embody a purpose especially directed 
 toward his own intrinsic and personal develop-
 
 Other Religious Theories. 163 
 
 ment. It is our manifest duty to worship God 
 and glorify Him, not because He needs worship 
 and glorification, but in order that we may be 
 benefited and spiritually increased. It is thus that 
 we obtain powers, blessings and gifts, and draw 
 nigh unto Him, yet this cannot be the great aim of 
 our existence. Wherever we may be, whether in 
 this existence or in the hereafter, we have this 
 same duty of worshiping God and may obtain 
 spiritual growth in return; therefore our specific 
 term of life upon the earth cannot be for that 
 alone. We must conclude that our specific exist- 
 ence implies a specific and not a general purpose. 
 Furthermore, it would be cruelty on the part of 
 God to send us here, subject to pain, suffering and 
 death, for the purpose of worshiping and glorifying 
 Him. As He is loving and merciful to an infinite 
 degree, this is impossible, for we could worship 
 and glorify Him to much better advantage under 
 conditions where pain and death do not exist. 
 Throughout the Old, and especially in the New 
 Testament, from the lips of Christ, the purpose of 
 our existence is clearly set forth, but dogma and 
 doctrine have obscured the light of the simple 
 truth he taught, and most of its benefit to the soul 
 has been lost. 
 
 MOHAMMEDANISM. 
 
 Mohammed, the prophet of Arabia, accepted and 
 continued in the noble religion he taught, the es- 
 sential truths of Judaism and Christianity. He 
 recognized that Moses, Christ, and all the true
 
 1 64 Other Religious Theories. 
 
 prophets were messengers sent from God to teach 
 the truth to the human race ; that there is but one 
 God, to whom all must bow in submission ; and 
 that good will toward others, is a necessary and 
 practical religious duty. Unfortunately however, 
 soon after his death, dissensions arose among his 
 followers, the result of which was the adoption of a 
 false Koran, and the rejection of the collec- 
 tion of Mohammed's teachings made by his son-in- 
 law and cousin, AH. From the history of this 
 event, we know that the present Koran is a cor- 
 ruption of the truth which Mohammed taught, 
 and that the light of his utterance and teaching, is 
 greatly obscured by interpolation and dogma. 
 
 The Mohammedan religion as it exists today, 
 teaches that Allah is the only Force in the uni- 
 verse ; that He rules by arbitrary will ; that man is 
 entirely under His control ; that belief in absolute 
 predestination is essential ; that Allah is inclined 
 to punish rather than to reward; to inflict pain rather 
 than to bestow pleasures, and to ruin rather than 
 to build. Mohammedanism therefore, instead of 
 inculcating the foundation of sincere conviction in 
 religious duty, as Mohammed taught, has become, 
 through the incorporation of error and dogma, the 
 instrument of worldly purpose, and temporal ac- 
 complishment. According to its exponents, the 
 purpose of human existence, is "predestination" 
 or the "will of Allah." 
 
 From this standpoint of the soul's purpose upon 
 earth, human responsibility ceases, and God alone 
 is responsible for all human action, a deduction
 
 Other Religious Theories. 165 
 
 which the existence of the soul's independence, 
 completely disproves. 
 
 THEOSOPHY. 
 
 Theosophy teaches that the purpose of our 
 coming here, is to accomplish our u Karma," by 
 sufferings and experiences through successive re- 
 incarnations, until absorbed into Deity from whence 
 we came. The foundation principle of this teach- 
 ing, is, that the soul is a part of the essence of 
 Diety, and has been separated from Him, as a 
 spark from the sun. Furthermore, it is shown, 
 that as soon as the soul was separated from Deity, 
 it became dull and lifeless, necessitating its progress 
 through a circle of life, consisting of seven 
 divisions, in order to accomplish its development 
 or Karma, and be absorbed into Deity from whence 
 it was separated. These divisions are known as 
 the cycle of Adam, the cycle of Jesus Christ etc., 
 signifying, that at the time of Adam, the human 
 soul was less developed than at the time of Christ, 
 and formulating the idea of progressive develop- 
 ment. 
 
 A reasonable consideration of theosophical teach- 
 ing, shows its impossibility, for several reasons. 
 We know that it is impossible for Deity to be 
 divided or split up into the atoms or parts of Deity 
 which are said to form souls, without destroying 
 the perfection of Deity. Also, if we are a part of 
 God, we are unchangeable, and do not need to come 
 upon earth to become God again, just as there is no
 
 1 66 Other Religious Theories. 
 
 need of resalting salt. Again, it is sophistry, to 
 claim that when we are nearer to God, newly 
 separated from Him, we become dull and unintelli- 
 gent, and that by going far away from Him, we 
 begin to develop, when we know that all develop- 
 ment is accomplished by drawing near to Him. 
 The purpose of our coming here, is, therefore, not 
 to accomplish a " Karma " of development toward 
 Deity of which we are a part, for Deity and soul 
 essence are forever separated and different. 
 
 CHRISTIAN SCIENCE. 
 
 Although Christian Scientists claim to follow the 
 teachings of Christ, it is impossible to reconcile 
 their statement of belief, with the truth Christ 
 taught. The central doctrine of this code of 
 teaching, is the assumption, that the soul of man 
 contains the germ of Divinity, and that our duty 
 here, is to awaken and develop that germ, to the 
 degree of perfection, in order that we may have no 
 needs, disease or sickness; in short, that the pur- 
 pose of man's existence, is to declare and awaken 
 his Divinity. There is no need of repeating the 
 fact that Divinity cannot be divided, but even tak- 
 ing for granted that it is possible, we must admit, 
 that it is a very poor Divinity which depends upon 
 the effort of man to awaken and develop it. Such 
 a quality of Divine essence can be of no use to us, 
 since, under these conditions, we are superior to it 
 Besides this, it is easily apparent that our purpose 
 upon the earth, is vastly more than the attainment
 
 Other Religious Theories. 167 
 
 of a state of harmony with the surrounding con- 
 ditions and existence. While Christian Science 
 and other kindred psychic teachings, may accom- 
 plish the amelioration of these conditions, and 
 create a spiritual atmosphere, in which the soul 
 subordinates bodily ills and ailments, they do not 
 go deep enough to discover the soul's real and 
 specific purpose while in the body. Christian 
 Science may stimulate the soul toward a recogni- 
 tion of its duty and purpose, but it does not deal 
 directly with soul duty, soul purpose, or soul 
 destiny, as Christ taught. 
 
 SPIRITISM. 
 
 According to .the prophecies of Scripture, the 
 Spirit of God will be poured abundantly upon the 
 human race, in the latter days. As shown in the 
 Chapter upon " Life," the soul is susceptible to 
 messages and revelations from the invisible world, 
 and the prophetic promise is given us, that God 
 will, through this medium of communication, 
 enlighten the human race with knowledge. In 
 Joel 2-28, " And it shall come to pass afterward, 
 that I will pour out My spirit upon all flesh ; and 
 your sons and your daughters shall prophecy; your 
 old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall 
 see visions." The purpose of these revelations 
 and communications from the Infinite, will be to 
 teach mankind the truth, and warn us against the 
 error of seeking knowledge from other sources 
 than God Himself. As belief in Spiritism
 
 1 68 Other Religious Theories. 
 
 implies communication with the spirits of the 
 dead, and dependence for knowledge upon the 
 messages received from them, it follows, that 
 according to its claims, our purpose in being here 
 is to seek enlightenment from other sources than 
 God Himself, which is clearly wrong. This is 
 expressly forbidden in Scripture, Isaiah 8-19 
 " And when they shall say unto you, seek unto 
 them that have familiar spirits, and unto wizards 
 that peep and that mutter ; should not a people 
 seek unto their God for the living to the dead." 
 If God, who is Infinite Knowledge, is accessible to 
 the soul, and has promised to reveal Himself to us, 
 what purpose or benefit can possibly be had from 
 finite souls like ourselves, with whom we shall 
 soon be in eternal communication? Unmistakably 
 this cannot be the purpose of human existence. 
 
 Having shown briefly, what other religions and 
 beliefs teach concerning the purpose of our life 
 upon earth, and realizing their insufficiency under 
 the conditions which surround us, the true purpose 
 of the soul's environment in the body, will be con- 
 sidered and proved according to scripture, science 
 and the light of reason, in the chapter upon Adam 
 and the Garden of Eden.
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 THE VICARIOUS ATONEMENT. 
 
 The purpose of this chapter, is to show con- 
 clusively to all who have the disposition and 
 courage to think for themselves, why the dogma 
 of the church, which teaches that there is no sal- 
 vation without the shedding of blood, no for- 
 giveness of sins without the crucifixion of our 
 Great Master, Jesus, is not entitled to belief. Is it 
 credible ? Is it in harmony with reason and in 
 accord with justice? Is it right to punish the 
 innocent for the guilty, and, forgiving the latter, 
 set him free ? It is neither credible, reasonable, 
 just nor right. 
 
 The teachings of the Great Master Himself, and 
 of all the prophets, proclaim that forgiveness of 
 sin is from the simple mercy of our loving God, 
 and that He does not desire payment for His 
 mercy, even had His creatures anything to give in 
 return, which they have not. 
 
 It can be clearly proved that vicarious atonement 
 is not the law of God, but that it is an idea or 
 doctrine originated and accepted by misguided 
 people who have either established it for their per- 
 sonal interests, or ignorantly and carelessly followed 
 it, depending upon the statement of others, and 
 not using their talent of reason. 
 
 We believe thoroughly, that Jesus, our Great 
 169
 
 17 The Vicarious Atonement. 
 
 Master, was sent to this world to teach the Mes- 
 sage of God, through which, we may accomplish 
 the purpose of our coming upon the earth. Christ, 
 and all the other prophets, brought us the true 
 knowledge of God our Creator, as He is, and as 
 we ought to know Him. The death of Jesus Christ 
 was the necessary sequence and proof of his life 
 and mission ; his " at-one-ment " with the salvation 
 and spiritual needs of humanity. The cross proved 
 to the world his true and divine mission, the spirit 
 and life of his teachings for the truth of which, 
 millions and millions have followed him. Christ 
 was the "Way" to God. He came for the salva- 
 tion of the world, but his death was not, and can- 
 not be, the means of salvation. The dogma that 
 his blood was a ransom paid to God for the sins of 
 those who believe in his sacrifice, was not the 
 teaching of Christ himself. It is historically and 
 accurately evident, that this doctrine of atonement, 
 was borrowed from the religion of the Egyptians, 
 through the connecting link of Greek philosophy, 
 which first moulded the creed of Christianity. See 
 Clarke's u Ten Great Religions," vol. i, page 253 : 
 " In the space which we have here at command, 
 we are unable to examine the question of doctrinal 
 influences from Egypt upon orthodox Christianity. 
 Four doctrines, however, are stated by a learned 
 Egyptologist, Samuel Sharpe, to be common to 
 Egyptian mytholgy and church orthodoxy. They 
 are these : 
 
 i. That the creation and government of the 
 world is not the work of one simple and undivided
 
 The Vicarious Atonement. 171 
 
 Being, but of One God, made up of several 
 persons. 
 
 2. That salvation cannot be expected from the 
 justice or mercy of the Supreme Judge, unless an 
 atoning sacrifice is made to Him by a Divine 
 being. 
 
 3. That among the persons that compose the 
 godhead, one, though a god, could yet suffer pain 
 and be put to death. 
 
 4. That a god or man, or a being half god 
 and half a man once lived on earth, born from an 
 earthly mother without an earthly father. And 
 again u The death of Osiris, the supreme god of 
 all Egypt, was a central fact in this mythology. 
 He was killed by Typhon the Egyptian Satan and 
 after the fragments of his body had been collected 
 by the 'sad Isis,' he returned to life as a king of 
 the dead and their judge." 
 
 " The earliest form of the Christian doctrine of 
 the atonement, was that the Devil killed Jesus in 
 ignorance of his divine nature. The Devil was 
 thus deceived into doing what he had no right to 
 do, consequently he was obliged to pay for this by 
 giving up the souls of sinners to which he had a 
 right. The Osiris myth of the death of a God, 
 which deeply colored the mysteries of Adonis and 
 Eleusis took its last form in this peculiar doctrine 
 of atonement." 
 
 Many of the reputed teachings of Christ, are 
 simply inventions and interpolations by leaders and 
 Church fathers, and therefore, not essential truths 
 of Christianity. The doctrine of vicarious atone-
 
 i7 2 The Vicarious Atonement. 
 
 ment is one of these erroneous additions, and, as 
 such, should be rejected by all true believers in 
 Christ and Christ's truth. 
 
 For a long time, the early Christian church be- 
 lieved that the blood of Jesus was a ransom paid to 
 the devil for the souls of sinners. This belief was 
 clearly an outcome of the religion of Zoroaster, 
 who taught that by natural inclination toward evil, 
 the souls of men belonged to the god of evil, to 
 whom a ransom or sacrifice must be paid in order 
 to free them. In this form, the idea of vicarious 
 atonement prevailed in the Church for about one 
 thousand years, or during the period between St. 
 Irenaeus and St. Anselm, uoo A. D. 
 
 St. Anselm formulated and taught the new and 
 present doctrine of atonement, which holds that 
 the blood of Christ is a ransom paid to God for 
 the sins of mankind; that Christ's death was a 
 sacrifice necessary to satisfy the exacting justice of 
 God the Father. 
 
 Christ neither taught nor claimed this. It is not 
 the truth of God. It had its origin in the igno- 
 rance and superstitious error of men, and violates 
 the word and teaching of Christ Himself. 
 
 F. W. Farrar, Dean of Canterbury, in his book 
 "The Bible, Its Meaning and Supremacy," pages u 
 and 12 of the introduction, says "All Christians 
 alike believe in the Atonement and the forgiveness 
 of sins. Particular theories of the atonement, and of 
 the manner in which sins are forgiven, have been 
 prevalent in every age, and have sometimes united 
 the suffrages of most Christians. Yet if they have
 
 The Vicarious Atonement. 173 
 
 been formally sanctioned they are opinions only, not 
 matters of faith. Thus in early days, some lead- 
 ing Fathers and teachers seized upon the metaphor 
 of ransom, used in the Scripture to express the 
 result of forgiveness to guilty men, needlessly 
 pressing the metaphor into spheres to which it was 
 not intended to apply, and which transcend the 
 ken of man's reason, and asked to whom was the 
 ransom paid? They decided, most erroneously 
 and unwarrantably that it was paid to the devil. 
 That opinion prevailed in the Church all but 
 universally for a thousand years, from the days of 
 St. Irenaeus to the'days of St. Anselm. St. Anselm 
 in his book 'Cur Deus Homo?' decisively re- 
 jected it, and though it had been held so long and 
 so all but universally, yet being an opinion only 
 and not a doctrine of faith, it rapidly crumbled 
 into dust; it now finds not one defender; and the 
 faith of Christians was left exactly where it was." 
 
 The vicarious atonement by Christ for the sins 
 and souls of men, is opposed to the justice of God, 
 for the following reasons: 
 
 First: As God is the perfection of wisdom and 
 justice, the idea that He should perform any action 
 not in accord therewith, is wholly untenable. 
 Wisdom and justice, in their perfection, are in- 
 separable. It is, therefore, a violation of reason to 
 attribute injustice or oppression to God, who is 
 this perfection. The punishment and death of a 
 sinless, innocent Christ, for the sins of humanity, 
 would be a direct and evident injustice of God, 
 which is impossible.
 
 174 The Vicarious Atonement. 
 
 Second: According to the claim of another 
 church doctrine, Jesus Christ was not only a per- 
 fect man, but also the perfect God Himself; that 
 he appeared in human form, of his own free will, 
 suffered voluntarily, and was crucified to show his 
 love, justice and mercy toward men. The im- 
 possibility of this position is apparent, in the fact 
 that God, the exacting ruler, and God the victim, 
 being one, God would be sacrificing Himself to 
 Himself. To accept this as a spiritual truth, is 
 unreasonable and impossible. 
 
 According to Scripture, when the time of death 
 drew near, Christ withdrew from his disciples in 
 the Garden of Gethsemane, and prayed earnestly, 
 saying, "Father, if Thou be willing, remove this 
 cup from me, nevertheless, not my will but Thine 
 be done." 
 
 This shows plainly, that he did not will to 
 drink the cup of death, and did not offer himself 
 for it. "And being in an agony, he prayed more 
 earnestly, and his sweat was, as it were, great 
 drops of blood falling down to the ground." If 
 Christ was thus anxious to escape the death of 
 atonement, how can it be shown that of his own 
 free will, he was crucified for the sins of mankind ? 
 
 The Church explains this by the statement, that 
 "Christ's prayer came from his human personality 
 and not from his divine nature, for the latter 
 could not suffer pain or crucifixion; that in the 
 flesh he was weak at the crucial moment, just as 
 we are weak." 
 
 This doctrine is likewise untenable, for it repre-
 
 The Vicarious Atonement. 175 
 
 sents Christ as weaker than many of his disciples, 
 who offered themselves in triumphant martyrdom, 
 willing and eager sacrifices to the truth Christ 
 taught. According to Church doctrine, Christ was 
 of celestial parentage, while the disciples were of 
 human paternity. By comparison, therefore, their 
 glorification in death, makes the weakness of 
 Christ in face of death, an apparent inconsistency; 
 and if he was of divine paternity, this reflection of 
 weakness is a serious stigma upon his nature and 
 mission. Furthermore, if his coming upon the 
 earth, was the salvation of millions of human 
 souls, he must have known it. Is it reasonable 
 then, that when the great moment for the accom- 
 plishment of his mission confronted him, he should 
 shrink from it, beg with intense agony that the 
 cup of death should pass from him, and his mission 
 be not fulfilled ? If Christ, even from his human 
 nature, was weak, and yielded to that weakness, 
 we must conclude that he committed a graver sin 
 than ours. All our sins and mistakes are the 
 direct consequence of our human weakness. If 
 Jesus possessed divine nature, which we do not, he 
 must have had more help and strength than we 
 have, and therefore, his sin in yielding to human 
 weakness, proves him not a Savior of mankind. 
 Furthermore, if he knew that he was to redeem 
 sinners by his death, and rise, after the third day, 
 into eternal glory, " sitting at the right hand of 
 God to judge the quick and the dead," can we be- 
 lieve it possible that he wept and prayed to escape 
 the death by which he would receive his eternal
 
 i7 6 The Vicarious Atonement. 
 
 glory ? Did he regret having offered himself as a 
 sacrifice for humanity, and fear death, which he 
 knew would only last three days ? Impossible ! 
 Without doubt, there are many men, any one of 
 whom would be willing to undergo death upon the 
 cross, for no greater reward than that of knowing 
 what death is, provided the assurance were given 
 them, that in three days thereafter, they should re- 
 turn to life in better physical condition than be- 
 fore. How much greater this inducement, if he 
 who suffered death, was assured that he would 
 thereby become the Redeemer of the world, and be 
 destined, as the Son of God, to sit forever at the 
 right hand of God the Father. 
 
 Fourth: A careful reading of the teachings of 
 Jesus, as they appear in the four Gospels, does not 
 show that the special object of his coming into the 
 world, was the redemption of mankind by his 
 death. 
 
 That his disciples were entirely ignorant of this 
 teaching, is plainly shown in the record of two of 
 them who asked Jesus that they might sit, the one 
 upon his right hand and the other upon his left, in 
 his kingdom. Had Peter known that his Master's 
 purpose was to die for sinners, he would not have 
 drawn his sword in Christ's defense, when he was 
 surrounded in the garden. If redemption was the 
 aim and purpose of Christ's coming, he would cer- 
 tainly have explained it to his followers, just as all 
 the prophets and messengers sent from God, taught 
 their followers clearly and unequivocally, the pe- 
 culiar character of their missions. Jesus repeatedly
 
 The Vicarious Atonement. 177 
 
 announced his special purpose and mission, but it 
 was not the redemption of mankind by his death. 
 It is clear then, that neither Jesus nor his disciples 
 knew that redemption was his mission, but, two 
 centuries after his death, the Church fathers dis- 
 covered it, for we know from absolutely sure his- 
 torical evidence, that at that time, a new system 
 of Christianity was invented, and a new plan of 
 salvation adopted for the human race, which plan 
 has no support whatever in the teachings of Christ 
 himself. 
 
 Fifth : Some theologians furnish the explana- 
 tion that Jesus, under the stress of approaching 
 death, was overwhelmed by the great weight of 
 punishment which fell upon him for the sins of 
 the human race; that he felt he was separated 
 from God, and cursed as the scapegoat ; that this 
 realization was sufficient to induce the agony, in 
 which he begged that the cup might pass from 
 him. This explanation cannot be accepted, for 
 the following reasons : 
 
 (a) The doctrine that the weight of punishment 
 fell upon Jesus when he suffered crucifixion, and 
 that our sins were nailed to his cross, precludes the 
 idea that it could have fallen upon him in Geth- 
 semane, for had Jesus by any means been rescued 
 from his captors and saved from death, his suffer- 
 ings in the garden, would have availed nothing 
 toward the redemption of humanity. 
 
 (b) If the doctrine of redemption is true, the 
 realization of approaching death could not have 
 been a surprise to Jesus, and therefore, could not
 
 178 The Vicarious Atonement. 
 
 have produced such an overwhelming effect upon 
 him. 
 
 He must have realized it long before, understood 
 the nature of the sufferings he had voluntarily of- 
 fered to undergo, and have come upon the earth 
 for the very purpose of experiencing them. If his 
 realization of these sufferings became apparent for 
 the first time in Gethsemane, it would prove first, 
 that his offer to save mankind was not genuine, 
 having necessarily been made in ignorance, and 
 without full or proper realization; and second, that 
 he could not be divine, since God is perfect in 
 knowledge of the future as well as of the past. 
 
 (c) If Jesus in reality felt that he was separated 
 from the Father, the doctrine of redemption cannot 
 be true, for, as the second person in the Godhead, 
 he could not possibly be separated from God. 
 
 If Christ is " One with God," they cannot be 
 separated, and his feeling of separation was an er- 
 ror of imagination. If his feeling arose from an 
 actual separation, he cannot be ' ' One with God," 
 and the doctrine of the Trinity fails. 
 
 Again, if by separation is meant the separation of 
 his human from his divine nature, and that his 
 sufferings were purely human sufferings, the con- 
 clusion must be that they were valueless, since no 
 one by ordinary human suffering, can save or be 
 saved from everlasting punishment. 
 
 Jesus Christ wept in agony when his death drew 
 nigh, but not on account of the weight of punish- 
 ment about to fall upon him for the sins of the 
 human race; nor under the weight of condemnation
 
 The Vicarious Atonement. 179 
 
 as the scapegoat. He wept for a higher, more 
 glorious and more Christlike reason. God the 
 Father manifested Himself in Christ. Christ said 
 that the Father "abode in him," and that the 
 " Father who abode in him was doing the work." 
 Christ knew that his separation from the Father, 
 was approaching, in the sense that God would not 
 be manifest in Christ after his death. For this 
 reason, he wept bitterly; for this reason, his soul 
 poured out its plaint in tears of love to God the 
 Father, while he bowed in submission to the divine 
 will. 
 
 Sixth: It is a reasonable principle, that he who 
 offers himself to redeem another, must take upon 
 himself the sentence and punishment of the re- 
 deemed. If the doom of sinners is everlasting 
 punishment, we must conclude, as a matter of 
 justice, that if Jesus really came to save sinners, he 
 should have assumed that same punishment, in- 
 stead of which, it is claimed he rose from the grave 
 upon the third day and ascended into heaven to sit 
 upon the right hand of God. 
 
 Seventh: If we give unprejudiced consideration 
 to the doctrine that Jesus is ' ' Very God of Very 
 God," and from his love for mankind, found no 
 other means of saving us from sin than that of 
 offering himself upon the cross as "a curse" (Gala- 
 tians 3-13), we must acknowledge that this plan of 
 salvation is entirely inconsistent with reason. Ac- 
 cording to it, God the Infinite is creditor, and 
 human beings debtors, for whom God in His mercy, 
 love and desire to forgive, could find no other plan
 
 i8o The Vicarious Atonement. 
 
 than that of punishing and crucifying Himself, in 
 order to release us from the condemnation of our 
 indebtedness. 
 
 The impossibility of this doctrine, must be ap- 
 parent to all, and its very impossibility emphasizes 
 the truth that salvation for the souls of men, can 
 only be found in the exercise of the simple mercy 
 of God. 
 
 Eighth: If Christ came to redeem us from eter- 
 nal punishment for our sins, we must clearly under- 
 stand the nature of those sins. 
 
 Under the doctrine of redemption, Christ came 
 to free us from the consequences of violating the 
 commandments of Moses. These violations con- 
 stitute sin. As already stated, the teachings and 
 commandments of Moses, contain nothing what- 
 ever concerning eternal reward or punishment, but 
 are confined to temporal consequences for obedience 
 or disobedience. This being the case, why was re- 
 demption necessary ? 
 
 Christ certainly did not come to relieve us from 
 the calamities of this world, nor to save us from 
 death of the body, nor to acquire for us, by his 
 sacrifice, a plenteous store of flocks, herds and 
 worldly possessions. The commandments of Moses, 
 if obeyed, promise these rewards, and none other. 
 If disobeyed, they threaten the lack and depriva- 
 tion of the same things. Redemption implies sal- 
 vation from eternal consequences of sin. If the 
 punishment for sin is merely temporal deprivation, 
 there is no need of redemption from eternal conse- 
 quences.
 
 The Vicarious Atonement. 181 
 
 Ninth : Another fundamental doctrine, which 
 in reality necessitated the origination of the doc- 
 trine of redemption, is, that every human being is 
 a sinner by heritage ; that from Adam, sin has de- 
 scended to us, and the soul commences its existence 
 here under the taint and incubus of a sin not its 
 own. If this be true, it is necessarily true that 
 Jesus was a sinner, like all the human race, for he 
 was the son of Adam as well as of David, and by 
 nature, inherited the same sin we inherit. If Jesus 
 was a sinner by hereditary taint, he could not be a 
 Saviour. One false doctrine necessitates other doc- 
 trines equally false, to support it. The fathers of 
 the Church, who fabricated the idea of inherited 
 sin, found it necessary to deprive Jesus of an 
 earthly father, in order to free him from this stain, 
 but unfortunately for the credibility of their story, 
 they left him a mother, through whom he must 
 have inherited whatever sin Adam bequeathed to a 
 helpless and innocent posterity. But the truth is, 
 that no such thing as original or inherited sin ex- 
 ists. The just God, through His prophets, has 
 taught us that every soul is responsible for its own 
 action and choosing; no soul can assume or accom- 
 plish the responsibilities of another soul. Ezekiel 
 18-20, "The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The 
 son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither 
 shall the father bear the iniquity of the son ; the 
 righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him 
 and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon 
 him." The same, in substance, is taught by the 
 Mosaic Law, and by other prophets. From this,
 
 182 The Vicarious Atonement. 
 
 the truth of God, we are forced to conclude that we 
 cannot bear the sin of Adam, nor could the wick- 
 edness of the wicked afflict the righteous Christ. 
 
 Tenth : Suppose we take for granted that Jesus 
 came to redeem the world ; that he who believes 
 in Jesus, will attain salvation through his blood, 
 and that he who does not believe, will be cast away 
 into eternal punishment. Allowing this, we arrive 
 at the following conclusions: 
 
 (a) As salvation is only achieved by those having 
 faith and leading a life of righteousness, the blood 
 of Jesus does not save the whole world, but only a 
 part of it. 
 
 (b) In itself alone, the blood of Jesus has no real 
 value, and no one could possibly be saved by it, as 
 salvation depends entirely upon belief and the per- 
 formance of good deeds. Had the blood itself 
 possessed the value attributed to it, all mankind, 
 whether good or evil, would have been saved. 
 
 (c) Salvation could not be freely obtained by the 
 blood of Jesus, because it wholly depends upon 
 faith, and consequent good deeds. Faith being no 
 more than a moral inclination, salvation depends 
 entirely upon good deeds. God has promised us 
 salvation gratuitously, and without price, yet under 
 the doctrine of redemption, He claims two prices 
 for it, the blood of Jesus and our own good deeds. 
 Salvation, under these conditions, is not free, and 
 if not free, God has not fulfilled His promise 
 to mankind. Likewise, God has not dealt justly or 
 mercifully with His Son, for we must conclude 
 that He required from Jesus the price of his blood
 
 The Vicarious Atonement. 183 
 
 for human salvation, and unpityingly offered him 
 to death. 
 
 Eleventh: A prevailing doctrine of the Church, 
 asserts that the Almighty God, in the form of the 
 second personality of the Son, descended to earth 
 and took the flesh as man, that He might sympa- 
 thize with us, understand our conditions, gain the 
 experience of our weakness and defects, and by 
 suffering, learn obedience. This implies that God 
 was not perfect in knowledge and mercy, since He 
 came to gain this lesson of experience and ability 
 to sympathize with us. 
 
 Another inference we may properly draw from 
 this teaching, is, that in learning obedience through 
 suffering, He perfected Himself and became in 
 reality a perfect God, as it is stated in the spurious 
 Epistle to the Hebrews, 5, 8-9, "Though he were 
 a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things 
 which he suffered ; and being made perfect, he 
 became the author of eternal salvation." From 
 these verses, it appears that God was so much 
 benefited and elevated by His coming to earth, 
 that, after His departure, He merited a position 
 higher in honor and degree than that of His 
 servants, the angels Heb. 1-4, " Being made so 
 much better than the angels, as He hath by inher- 
 itance obtained a more excellent name than they." 
 The presumption must be that before coming to 
 earth, He was disobedient, and in position lower 
 than the angels. 
 
 Twelfth: To prove that Jesus died for the whole 
 world, the Church teaches that we were crucified
 
 1 84 The Vicarious Atonement. 
 
 with him ; that his body was the nucleus of all the 
 bodies of mankind, from the time of the creation to 
 the day of judgment, and that " whosoever believeth 
 on him, shall not perish, but have everlasting life." 
 They declare that Jesus was God and that God is 
 in all, hence everybody was crucified with Jesus. 
 
 From this theory, it appears that every in- 
 dividual is a part, or member of the body of Jesus, 
 and that all would have been saved, if all had be- 
 lieved in him. But the Scriptures state that the 
 greater part of mankind have failed to believe in 
 him, and therefore have perished. 
 
 Hence we are forced to conclude that one part 
 of the body of Jesus is saved in heaven, while 
 a greater part of it has perished and is in an 
 everlasting hell; that his death was ineffectual 
 and incomplete, inasmuch as he was unable to 
 save all mankind (his own body). 
 
 If it be true that Jesus is God, the Almighty ; 
 that "He is in all and through all ;" that he "came 
 to this earth, took our flesh and suffered agony, 
 even the bitter death, the death of the cross," 
 to save his body, i. e., the whole human race, we 
 must conclude, inasmuch as he saved but a small 
 portion of it, that he undertook an enterprise 
 greater than he could accomplish, and, after strug- 
 gling earnestly to save his whole body, by his 
 failure proved his weakness. 
 
 Such doctrines and teachings are clearly the 
 invention of man, and contrary to the record of 
 Christ's teachings in the four gospels. 
 
 Thirteenth: It is claimed, that the sacrifice and
 
 The Vicarious Atonement. 185 
 
 offering of animals for the forgiveness of sins, as 
 recorded in the Old Testament, were prophetic and 
 typical of the sacrifice and death of Jesus for us. 
 
 A careful study of the Bible, fails to show that 
 God, through His prophets, ever commanded sac- 
 rifices of animals or burnt offerings. 
 
 On the contrary, He did command His prophets 
 to teach that such oblations were not required; 
 that they were not pleasing to Him and were for- 
 bidden. The command and sanction for sacrifices, 
 originated with the priesthood, and reflect other 
 motives than the God-inspiration of the holy men 
 whose teachings they were represented to be. 
 
 Isa. i, 10-14: "Hear the word of the Lord, ye 
 rulers of Sodom ; give ear unto the law of our 
 God, ye people of Gomorrah ; To what purpose is 
 the multitude of your sacrifices unto Me ? saith the 
 Lord ; I am full of the burnt offerings of rams and 
 the fat of fed beasts and I delight not in the blood 
 of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he-goats. 
 
 ' 'When ye come to appear before Me, who hath 
 required this at your hand, to tread my courts? 
 Bring no more vain oblations ; incense is an 
 abomination unto Me ; the new moons and sab- 
 baths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away 
 with ; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting." 
 
 "Your new moons and your appointed feasts My 
 soul hateth ; they are a trouble unto Me ; I am 
 weary to bear them." Psa. 4, 5: "Offer the 
 sacrifice of righteousness and put your trust in the 
 Lord." 
 
 Psa. 40, 6 : "Sacrifice and offering Thou didst
 
 1 86 The Vicarious Atonement. 
 
 not desire, mine ears hast thou opened ; burnt 
 offering and sin offering hast Thou not required." 
 Psa. 51, 16-17: " For Thou desirest not sacrifice, 
 else would I give it ; Thou delightest not in burnt 
 offerings. The sacrifices of God are a broken 
 spirit ; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, Thou 
 wilt not despise." Psa. 107, 22: "And let them 
 sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare 
 His works with rejoicing." Jer. 6, 20 : "To 
 what purpose cometh there to me incense from 
 Sheba and the sweet cane from a far country? 
 Your burnt offerings are not acceptable, nor your 
 sacrifices sweet unto me." 
 
 The history of Oriental nations, explains the in- 
 troduction of sacrificial customs into religious cere- 
 monies. From the earliest times, kings and rulers 
 celebrated their victories and military achievements, 
 by slaying their prisoners of war, upon entering 
 the captured cities. These prisoners were ranged 
 upon either side of the city gate, and were executed 
 at the moment the conqueror put his foot within 
 the walls. In time of peace, the arrival of a dis- 
 tinguished person, was celebrated by the sacrifice 
 of animals, which were afterward prepared for food, 
 the visitor partaking of their flesh as a compact of 
 peace with the city or house entertaining him. A 
 trace of this ancient custom prevails in the East at 
 the present time. When the Khedive of Egypt 
 deigns to visit a city or some high personage, ani- 
 mals are sacrificed in celebration of the occasion. 
 
 History records the unending conflict between 
 Monarchy and Priesthood, for the control of gov-
 
 The Vicarious Atonement. 187 
 
 eminent. To advance and strengthen their power 
 and craft over the lives and possessions of the peo- 
 ple, the priests introduced sacrifices of animals into 
 their religious observances. Not satisfied with sac- 
 rifices of animals, as time progressed, they came to 
 include the sacrifice of human beings. This en- 
 dowed the priesthood with almost unlimited author- 
 ity and absolute despotism over the lives of men, 
 and furnished a means for the gratification of re- 
 venge and the indulgence of personal hatred. The 
 Gods were appeased by sacrifices of those opposed 
 to the domination of the priesthood. 
 
 Thus human sacrifice became the means of pro- 
 pitiation for sin; the method of satisfying the 
 demands of a wrathful and exacting deity. 
 
 This mode of sacrifice and atonement clearly led 
 up to and foreshadowed the doctrine of atonement, 
 in which Jesus was the central figure and victim, 
 the same idea having existed in pagan religions, 
 thousands of years before Christ was born. 
 
 It is a condition, that those who are elected to 
 herald the law and command of God to the human 
 race, must be ready to sacrifice four things, namely, 
 life, family, wealth and pride. Many prophets 
 and messengers of God, preceded Moses. Symbols 
 and hieroglyphics were used to portray what lan- 
 guage afterward expressed. The symbol of life was 
 the heifer or bull ; of wealth, the she-goat or cow ; 
 of family, the ram ; and of pride, the peacock. 
 The latter, on account of its scarcity, was afterward 
 changed to the dove or pigeon, thus making it 
 easier for the people to add to the priests' stores. 
 
 The prophets unvaryingly taught that spiritual
 
 1 88 The Vicarious Atonement. 
 
 sacrifice alone was potent with God, but the He- 
 brews, like all the other races, corrupted this 
 requirement into oblations of material -significance, 
 partly through desire for gain, and partly through 
 misunderstanding of the symbols. Thus it is that 
 we find in the Old Testament, the continual record 
 of. material sacrifices, which God did not require, 
 and which, by the mouths of His holy prophets, 
 he stigmatized as vain oblations. The idea or doc- 
 trine of sacrifice is therefore, erroneous, and a cor- 
 ruption of the truth of God. It had its origin in 
 priestcraft and misinterpretation. Reason repudi- 
 ates it. The Word of God condemns it. Christ's 
 assent to the words of the scribe, gives us clear 
 comprehension of the true sacrifice which will 
 benefit the soul. 
 
 Mark 12, 33: "And to love Him with all the 
 heart, and with all the understanding, and with all 
 the soul, and with all the strength, and to love his 
 neighbor as himself, is more than all whole burnt 
 offerings and sacrifices." 
 
 In " Right and Wrong Uses of the Bible," by 
 Rev. Heber Newton, page 88, "In a cruise last 
 summer we dropped anchor in a lovely little out-of- 
 the-way harbor of Buzzards Bay, which proved to 
 be near Pocasset; where, not long ago, a pious 
 man, reading the Hebrew tradition of Abraham 
 and Isaac, as a real command of the Most High, 
 and having this word of the I/>rd borne on his 
 mind, as spoken to himself, murdered his child in 
 sacrifice to God no angel interfering to stay his 
 knife: He simply made a reductio ad absurdum 
 of this use of the Bible."
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 CHRIST AND HIS MISSION. 
 
 All the Truth is in the Bible, but all the Bible 
 is not the Truth. 
 
 In determining the mission of Jesus Christ, we 
 have practically no other historical guidance than 
 the record of the New Testament, which supple- 
 ments in its form and narration, the scriptures of 
 the Hebrews. 
 
 The authenticity of biblical record is, therefore, 
 pre-eminently the important question of investiga- 
 tion and proof upon which we must decide, before 
 code or creed, doctrine or belief can be securely 
 founded. Truth need not fear the light, nor the 
 analysis of human reason. 
 
 Investigation and higher criticism, in the true 
 sense of spiritual inquiry, cannot fail to fortify fact, 
 and reveal the essence of inspiration which under- 
 lies scriptural record. We have no higher duty 
 than that of seeking the light of this inspiration, 
 and probing, with merciless scrutiny, whatever 
 savors of error and superstition. 
 
 The claim of infallibility for the scriptures, can 
 no longer be maintained. In " Right and Wrong 
 Uses of the Bible," page 82, Rev. Heber Newton 
 says " I want today to make more distinct, certain 
 wrong uses of the Bible which grow out of the old 
 view of it ; wrong uses from which great mischiefs
 
 190 Christ and His Mission. 
 
 have come to the cause of true religion, and great 
 trouble to individual souls ; abuses which fall away 
 in the light of a more reasonable understanding of 
 the Bible. The Bible, viewed as a book let down 
 from heaven, whose real ' Author ' is God, as the 
 Westminster Catechism affirmed ; a book dictated 
 to chosen penmen and written out by their amanu- 
 enses under a direction which secured them against 
 error on every subject on which they treated ; a 
 book thus given to the world to be an authoritative 
 and infallible oracle for human information on all 
 the great problems of life, naturally calls for uses 
 which, apart from this theory, are gross and super- 
 stitious abuses." Also quotation on page 161: 
 " Few, if any, of the books of the Bible stand now 
 as they came from the original authors. Nearly 
 all have been re-edited ; most of them many times. 
 Some of them have been worked over by so many 
 hands, and have undergone so many and serious 
 changes that the original writer would scarcely 
 identify his work." 
 
 According to the evidence of the Bible itself, 
 many of the sacred writings and prophecies be- 
 queathed to us by the messengers of God, have 
 been omitted from its pages or excluded as un- 
 canonical. Joshua 10-13, " Is not this written in 
 the book of Jashar? " ; also II Sam. 1,18 : " Be- 
 hold, it is written in the book of Jashar." I 
 Chron. 29, 29 : " Now the acts of David the King, 
 
 behold, they are written in 
 
 the book of Nathan the prophet, and in the book 
 of Gad the seer." II Chron. 9, 29: "Now the
 
 Christ and His Mission. 191 
 
 rest of the acts of Solomon are they not 
 
 written in the book of Nathan the prophet and in 
 the prophesy of Ahijah the Shilonite and in the 
 visions of Iddo the seer, against Jeroboam the son 
 of Nebat? " and 12, 15 : " Now the acts of Reho- 
 
 boam are they not written in the book 
 
 of Shemaiah the prophet and of Iddo the seer con- 
 cerning genealogies?" also 20, 34: "Now the 
 
 rest of the acts of Jehosaphat behold, 
 
 they are written in the book of Jehu the son of 
 Hanani," etc. 
 
 Judel, 14-15 : (Revised Version) "And to these, 
 also, Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied 
 saying : ' Behold, the Lord cometh with ten 
 thousand of His holy ones, to execute judgment 
 upon all and to convict all the ungodly of all their 
 works of ungodliness which they have ungodly 
 wrought and of all the hard things which ungodly 
 sinners have spoken against Him. ' " 
 
 We have plain testimony in the words of 
 Christ, that at his time, dogma and error had been 
 substituted in the scriptures, for the command- 
 ments of God: Matt. 15, 6-9. (Revised Version) 
 "Ye have made void the word of God because of 
 your tradition. Ye hypocrites! Well did Isaiah 
 prophesy of you, saying : 'This people honoreth 
 me with their lips, but their heart is far from me ; 
 but in vain do they worship me, teaching as their 
 doctrines the precepts of men ;'" and 22, 29: " Ye 
 do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power 
 of God." Also in Mark 7,9: "Full well do ye 
 reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep 
 your tradition."
 
 i9 2 Christ and His Mission. 
 
 As Christianity is founded upon the assump- 
 tion that Christ was the fulfillment of the prophecies 
 of the Old Testament, the record of his life, mis- 
 sion, and teachings, contained in the New Testa- 
 ment, must be considered the focus of spiritual 
 interest, and the battleground of conflicting 
 opinion. 
 
 Concerning the origin and authenticity of the 
 books of the New Testament, Doellinger says: 
 "The first to narrate the life and teachings of 
 Jesus, was St. Matthew. He wrote his gospel in 
 the Hebrew (i. e. Aramaic) language primarily 
 for the Christians of Palestine. " 
 
 "This Aramaic original has long been lost. 
 From the second century at least, the Church 
 knew and used only a Greek translation, the 
 authorship of which was unknown even in ancient 
 times ; how far it is an exact or a free rendering of 
 the Aramaic text, it is impossible to say. The 
 quotations from the Old Testament, frequently 
 differ both from the Alexandrian version and the 
 Hebrew text. St. Matthew is certainly the oldest 
 gospel that he wrote first and wrote in Hebrew, 
 is the tradition of the ancient church represented 
 by a line of witnesses stretching far back into 
 Apostolic time and commencing with Papias (who 
 was a hearer of John and a companion of Polycarp), 
 which was never questioned by any ancient 
 authority. A quarter of a century passed from 
 the Ascension, before anything was written at all, 
 and those who then began to write, were led to do 
 so from special circumstances and had no idea of
 
 Christ and His Mission. 193 
 
 leaving behind them religious documents or full 
 confession of faith. None of the apostles held it 
 necessary to collect and put on record in one or 
 more written documents, a summary of his oral 
 teaching nor have any done so ; still less could 
 there be any design of the writings of separate 
 apostles being made to supplement each other and 
 combine into a general statement of Christian 
 doctrine. Every one wrote as particular circum- 
 stance or local need required to supply the want 
 of personal intercourse, to confirm what he had 
 taught already by word of mouth, to answer ques- 
 tions, resolve doubts, denounce errors etc. St. 
 Paul attached greater weight to his oral teaching 
 than to his writings. The apostles wrote to recall 
 what had been orally taught, and the contents of 
 these epistles are chiefly practical. The writings 
 which make up what afterward became the New 
 Testament, were composed between 54 and 98 A. D. 
 The church, therefore, had been guided by oral 
 teaching under the immediate ; influence of Christ 
 and the Apostles, for more than twenty years be- 
 fore a word of it was written. It was nowhere 
 said or assumed in these most ancient documents, 
 that men were to take the writings of the apostles 
 and their disciples, for the sole rule of faith and 
 discipline and to seek in them alone, the knowl- 
 edge of God's revelations." 
 
 " Neither was it anywhere said or hinted that 
 the Apostles had written down all that was essen- 
 tial for believers or all that they had taught by 
 word of mouth. At the end of his earthly course,
 
 194 Christ and His Mission. 
 
 St. Paul referred to his disciple, Timothy, not to 
 his epistles or the writings of the other Apostles, 
 but to what he had heard him teach orally ; that 
 teaching he was to hand on to trustworthy men to 
 be faithfully preserved and imparted. II Timothy 
 2f 2 : "And the things that thou hast heard of me 
 among many witnesses, the same commit thou to 
 faithful men, who shall be able to teach others 
 also." It was then, this oral tradition which ap- 
 peared to Paul the fittest means for securing Chris- 
 tian doctrines pure and genuine, to after generations, 
 when the first - generation of disciples were passed 
 away. Even when he referred to an earlier Epistle, 
 (II Thessalonians, 2, 15: "Therefore, brethren, 
 stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have 
 been taught, whether by word, or our epistle"), he 
 did not forget to .mention jirst what they had been 
 taught by "word," as the richer source of informa- 
 tion." . , 
 
 The two . great reasons which influenced the 
 early Christians in corrupting- the New Testament, 
 were, first, attributing the salvation of mankind 
 to the shedding of Christ's blood, and, second, 
 mistaking his personality. It is clearly evident 
 that many interpolations exist which were added 
 to make the original text conform to the dogma 
 that salvation is obtainable >nly through the blood 
 of Jesus. 
 
 According to John 3, 3 : (Revised Version) 
 Christ said "Except a man be born 'again," etc. 
 In the 5th verse the addition is made, ' ' Except a 
 man be born of water and the spirit.?
 
 Christ and His Mission. 195 
 
 John 6, 51 : (Revised Version) " I am the liv- 
 ing bread which came down out of heaven; if any 
 man eat of this bread, he shall live forever; 
 yea, and the bread which I will give, is my flesh, 
 for the life of the world." 
 
 To any ^reasonable mind, it is manifest that the 
 last statement in this quotation, is an addition to 
 the original text. We know that the flesh of Jesus 
 was matter, not spirit, and that it came from the 
 earth, not from heaven. The real spiritual "bread" 
 is the truth which Jesus received from the Father, 
 for the nourishment of our souls. 
 
 By receiving and accepting it, we shall live for- 
 ever. In the 63d verse of the same chapter, Jesus 
 explained this fact to his disciples, by saying: "It 
 is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth 
 nothing ; the words that I have spoken unto you, 
 (they) are spirit and (they) are life." 
 
 The question is often asked, " Since both genu- 
 ine and spurious teachings are found in the Gospel, 
 sometimes side by side in the same verse, how are 
 we to distinguish them?" As an appeal to the 
 original utterance or record is impossible, there 
 can be no other way of separating the truth from 
 error, than by the exercise of reason and common 
 sense. Of two statements in exact opposition, we 
 should accept the one which is in harmony with 
 reason, and reject the other. 
 
 The commandment of God unto Moses, in Deu- 
 teronomy 18, 20-22, sanctions this, " But the prophet 
 which shall presume to speak a word in my name 
 which I have not commanded him to speak, or that
 
 196 Christ and His Mission. 
 
 shall speak in the name of other gods, even that 
 prophet shall die. And if thou say in thine heart, 
 how shall we know the word which the Lord hath 
 not spoken? When a prophet speaketh in the 
 name of the Lord, if the thing follow not, nor 
 come to pass, that is the thing which the Lord 
 hath not spoken, but the prophet had spoken pre- 
 sumptuously. Thou shalt not be afraid of him." 
 
 The second great reason which led to the cor- 
 ruption of the New Testament scriptures, was the 
 endeavor to prove that Jesus of Nazareth fulfilled 
 the prophecies of the Jews; that he was the 
 Messiah, Shiloh, The Everlasting Father, The 
 Prince of Peace, long promised and expected. 
 
 In "Christ and Other Masters," page 91, 
 Hardwick says, " F. W. Newman informs us that 
 the Christian church has been crippled ever since 
 the first century by its acquiescence in the follow- 
 ing proposition, viz. that the Jewish teacher 
 Jesus, fulfilled the conditions requisite to constitute 
 him the Messiah of the ancient Hebrew prophets. " 
 He adds page 225 "That the heavy yoke im- 
 posed upon Christians of the present day, arises 
 from our claiming Messiahship for Jesus." 
 
 Also page 92, quoted from Newman page 194 
 " One of the first passages in which both Jews and 
 Christians of all times have recognized the promise 
 of a personal Messiah, is Gen. 49, 8-10 (Shiloh 
 prophecy). Whether the word means 'Man of 
 Rest,' the Rest-Bringer corresponding to the Prince 
 of Peace, in Isa. 9, 6, or the plain Shiloh, the fulfil- 
 ment of Jacob's language, is in every case removed
 
 Christ and His Mission. 197 
 
 into a distant future. The same is equally true 
 of the next important prophecy mentioned in 
 Numbers 24, 17, for whether the "Star Out of 
 Jacob " be an image of the Israelitish royalty in 
 general, or of an actual king like David, or of 
 Christ himself, the King of Israel, a mighty inter- 
 val exists between the date of the prediction and 
 the earliest fulfillment of it. Other instances are 
 the 2nd and 7 2nd Psalms, the latter of which, 
 Newman urges, u was never fulfilled by any his- 
 torical king." 
 
 Jesus Christ is the central figure of history and 
 humanity. Had we no other evidence of the para- 
 mount greatness of his personality than the devo- 
 tion of his life to the elevation of the human race, 
 this alone were sufficient to command our belief in 
 him and in his mission. The claims made for him 
 by his followers ; claims which find no substantia- 
 tion in his estimate of himself, have been fiercely 
 and justly assailed, but not one drop of the venom 
 of attack and abuse have sullied the purity and 
 lustrous perfection of his personality. Opinion is 
 a unit concerning the perfection of the Christ char- 
 acter. Concerning his function and mission to 
 humanity, however, there is a strong divergence of 
 opinion. Generally speaking, we may say that 
 Jesus was either the incarnate God, or a prophet 
 Practically, all Christendom inclines toward the 
 former conception of him, while the actual facts 
 and proofs are overwhelmingly in support of his 
 mission as a prophet and teacher. Christ himself 
 dealt vigorously and unsparingly with error. His
 
 198 Christ and His Mission. 
 
 teachings, impregnable in defense, glowed with 
 the power and purpose of attack. He never tem- 
 pered or qualified the truth. His words abound 
 with such stinging epithets as "hypocrites," 
 "whited sepulchres," "generation of vipers," 
 "swine," "thieves," and "blind guides." His 
 blows were sledge-hammer blows ; his inspiration 
 fearless. As he exercised no leniency toward error 
 and false doctrine, we should likewise seek out 
 and denounce all falsity of teaching and interpreta- 
 tion, particularly in connection with the mission 
 and function of Christ himself. Jesus was, as he 
 claimed to be, divinely illumined by the powers of 
 God, but he was not of the essence of God. The 
 claim that he was God in essence, cannot be sup- 
 ported inside or outside the Bible. 
 
 Nowhere in the Scriptures, does Jesus Christ 
 claim to be God. Belief that he was divine in soul 
 essence, is rapidly giving way to the certain and 
 more reasonable truth that God manifested Him- 
 self in Christ, and that the God-powers of illumina- 
 tion shone through him as a prophet, messenger, 
 teacher or manifestation of God. In fact, this, the 
 correct estimate of Christ, is almost universally 
 held, although the majority of Christian believers 
 are without the courage to acknowledge it openly. 
 If analyzed, however, this belief in the divinity of 
 Christ, resolves itself into the confession that he 
 was not God in essence, but in manifestation. It 
 has been shown that the perfection of God cannot 
 be divided. This impregnable truth annihilates 
 the claim that Christ was God in essence. We
 
 Christ and His Mission. 199 
 
 must acknowledge it, and when we do, there is no 
 longer any question. 
 
 If Christ was God, he knew it. He does not 
 claim it. It could not be possible to find more ab- 
 solute and irresistible proof than this, that Jesus 
 was not God, but a prophet of God. He was a 
 prophet as Moses was a prophet. Moses foretold 
 the coming of Christ. Christ repeated and verified 
 the prophecy of Moses when he said' John 5, 46- 
 47, " For had ye believed Moses, ye would have 
 believed me ; for he wrote of me. But if ye be- 
 lieve not his writings, how shall ye believe my 
 words?" This is a clear confession from the lips 
 of Christ, that he was the prophet promised and 
 foretold by Moses, Deut. 18, 15-19, "The Lord 
 thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the 
 midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me ; unto 
 him ye shall harken. According to all that thou 
 desiredst of the Lord thy God in Horeb in the day 
 of the assembly, saying, let me not hear again the 
 voice of the Lord my God, neither let me see this 
 great fire any more, that I 'die not. And the Lord 
 said unto me, they have well spoken that which 
 they have spoken. 
 
 " I will raise them up a Prophet from among 
 their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my 
 words in his mouth ; and he shall speak unto them 
 all that I shall command him. And it shall come 
 to pass that whosoever shall hot hearken unto my 
 words which he shall speak in my najne, I will re- 
 quire it of him." 
 
 That Christ was the fulfillment of this prophecy,
 
 200 Christ and His Mission. 
 
 is evidenced in Acts 3, 22 : "For Moses truly said 
 unto the fathers, a prophet shall the Lord your 
 God raise up unto you, of your brethren, like unto 
 me : him shall ye hear in all things, whatsoever 
 he shall say unto you. " 23d verse, "And it shall 
 come to pass that every soul which will not hear 
 that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the 
 people." Also in Hebrews 3, 1-3 "Wherefore, 
 holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, 
 consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profes- 
 sion, Christ Jesus : Who was faithful to Him that 
 appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all 
 his house. For this man was counted worthy of 
 more glory than Moses." 
 
 In further proof and confirmation that Christ 
 was a prophet, and so declared himself to be, we 
 find John 4, 43-44, " Now after two days he de- 
 parted thence and went into Galilee. For Jesus 
 himself testified that a prophet hath no honor in 
 his own country." Also Mark 6, 3-4, "Is not this 
 the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of 
 James and Joses, of Juda and Simon, and are not 
 his sisters here with us ? And they were offended 
 at him. But Jesus said unto them, a prophet 
 is not without honor but in his own country, and 
 among his own kin, and in his own house." Also 
 Luke 4, 24 : " And he said, verily I say unto you, 
 no prophet is accepted in his own country." Also 
 John i, 45 : " Philip findeth Nathaniel and saith 
 unto him, we have found him, of whom Moses in 
 the law and the prophets did write, Jesus of 
 Nazareth, the son of Joseph."
 
 Christ and His Mission. 201 
 
 Even to the end of his days, he taught that he 
 was a prophet ; Luke 13, 33: "Nevertheless, I must 
 walk today, and tomorrow, and the day following, 
 for it cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusa- 
 lem." 
 
 In the chapter upon the "Unity of God," we 
 have seen that Christ bore witness that God the 
 Father was greater than he, and continually 
 acknowledged himself subordinate to the Father. 
 While he lived, no claim that he was the Messiah, 
 was made for him or by him. This assumption 
 was a later outcome. In the "History of Chris- 
 tianity of the Apostolic Age," by McGiffert; 
 u There is no hint in our original sources that 
 John the Baptist knew while he was still preaching 
 that the Messiah was already come, or that he had 
 any idea when he would appear. It is significant 
 that though, perhaps some of John's disciples later 
 became followers of Jesus, not all of them did. 
 Indeed, they continued to maintain their separate 
 and independent existence as a sort of Johannine 
 sect for many years, and almost a generation after 
 their leader's death, some of them at least were 
 still expecting the Messiah of whom he had 
 spoken." And again, "In fact, his thought re- 
 specting the Messiah and his work, moved wholly 
 along traditional lines. His conceptions were 
 based apparently not upon a special revelation of 
 his own, received directly from God, nor upon any 
 personal knowledge that he had of Jesus. This 
 substantiates the record in the Book of Acts, 19, i; 
 Paul found certain disciples "and he said unto
 
 202 Christ and His Mission. 
 
 them, have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye be- 
 lieved? And they said unto him, we have not so 
 much as heard whether the Holy Ghost was given. 
 And he said, into what then were ye baptized? 
 and they said into John's baptism." 
 
 It being clearly evident that Jesus was a prophet, 
 we come now to consider his special mission upon 
 the earth. If it was not redemption, what was it ? 
 There is no stronger answer to this question than 
 his own words Luke 4, 43: (Revised Version) 
 "But he said unto them, I must' preach the good 
 tidings of the Kingdom of God to the other cities 
 also, for therefore was I sent." His special mis- 
 sion, therefore, was to proclaim the coming of the 
 Kingdom of God upon the earth. At the very 
 commencement of his . ministry, he announced 
 this Matthew 4, 17: ''From that time, Jesus 
 began to preach, and to say repent ! for the King- 
 dom of Heaven is at hand." 
 
 His function as a prophet sent to announce 
 this great event, is enunciated in the Book of 
 Revelations i, i: ''The revelations of Jesus 
 Christ which God gave unto him, to show unto 
 His servants things which must shortly come to 
 pass." What are these "things?" Unmistak- 
 ably, the signs and events which shall precede and 
 herald the coming of the Kingdom, and which are 
 specified in .prophetic detail throughout the whole 
 book of Revelations. The Revelations of Jesus, 
 ar,e therefore, the .prophecies of Jesus ; the mes- 
 sage sent through him to the world, by God, who 
 is to come. Rev. i,<4: "Grace to you, and peace,
 
 Christ and His Mission. 203 
 
 from Him which is, and which was, and which is 
 to come; (i. e. God, the Father,) and from the 
 seven spirits which are before His throne, and from 
 Jesus Christ, the Faithful Witness." Plainly, the 
 One "which is, was, and is to come," is not the 
 third party Jesus, the Faithful Witness, but 
 God, the Father, Himself. 
 
 Abundant scriptural proof exists that Jesus pro- 
 claimed this to be his special mission Matt. 4, 23: 
 (Revised Version) "Jesus went about in all Gali- 
 lee, teaching in their synagogues and preaching 
 the gospel of the kingdom," *etc., Matt. 6, 33: 
 "Seek ye first His (God's) Kingdom, and His 
 righteousness," etc., Matt. 13, n: "Unto you it is 
 given to know the mysteries of the kingdom pf 
 heaven, but to them it is not given. " Matt. 24, 
 14: "And this gospel 'of the kingdom shall be 
 preached in the whole world, for a, testimony to 
 all the nations," etc. Lube 8, i : " . . . He 
 went about through cities and villages, preaching 
 and bringing the good tidings of the kingdom of 
 God." Luke 9, 2 : "And he sent them forth to 
 preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick." 
 Luke 9, ii : "And he welcomed them, and spake 
 to them of the kingdom of God." 
 
 It may be contended that the Kingdom of God 
 and that of Jesus, are identical ; that the Kingdom 
 of God was established upon the earth by Jesus. 
 Against this theory, there is the potent fact that 
 Jesus in Matt. 6, 10: taught his disciples to pray 
 " Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth 
 as it is in heaven." If the spiritual dominion of
 
 204 Christ and His Mission. 
 
 Jesus was identical with the Kingdom of God, he 
 would not have uttered this prayer for its coming. 
 There could be no need of praying for that which 
 had already come. Again in Matt. 26, 29 : " But 
 I say unto you, I will not henceforth drink of this 
 fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it 
 new with you in my Father's Kingdom." 
 
 These words of Christ's, established the addi- 
 tional fact and truth, that the Kingdom of God 
 should be set up on earth, for there can be no vines 
 and no drinking in a spiritual Kingdom. Again 
 in Luke 14, 15: (Revised Version) "And when 
 one of them that sat at meat with him heard these 
 words, he said unto him, blessed is he that shall eat 
 bread in the Kingdom of God." 
 
 From this and other abundant testimony, we 
 arrive at the conclusions, first, that the Kingdom 
 of Jesus was not the promised Kingdom of God; 
 second, that the Kingdom of God has not yet been 
 established; third, that the Kingdom of God would 
 not be a spiritual kingdom, but would be estab- 
 lished upon the earth. 
 
 Christ prophesied of the latter fact in Luke 21, 
 31: "So, likewise ye, when ye see these things 
 come to pass, know ye that the Kingdom of God 
 is nigh at hand." By this prophetic utterance, he 
 taught that the Kingdom of God would be estab- 
 lished upon earth after certain signs had appeared 
 and certain events had transpired ; adding the 
 warning, "Watch, therefore, for ye know not 
 when the Lord of the house cometh. " 
 
 Christ therefore clearly announced and explained
 
 Christ and His Mission. 205 
 
 his mission, which was to preach the glad tidings 
 of the coming of the Kingdom of God. His teach- 
 ings and prophecies in relation to it, are in direct 
 harmony and conformity with the Old Testament 
 prophecies which proclaim with absolute certainty, 
 the Kingdom of God the Everlasting Father. 
 
 Isaiah 9, 6 : " Unto us a Child is born, unto us 
 a Son is given, and the government shall be upon 
 His shoulder, and His name shall be called Won- 
 derful, Counsellor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting 
 Father, the Prince of Peace." 
 
 By no possible means, can it be shown or proved 
 that Jesus was the Everlasting Father, the Mighty 
 God. All prophecy is in harmony upon the point 
 of announcement that God Himself was to come 
 in His Kingdom. If Jesus failed to fulfil prophecy 
 in any one point, he failed in all ; and, since he re- 
 peated the proclamation of prophets who preceded 
 him, it is evident that he could not have been the 
 fulfillment of the prophecy he himself uttered. 
 
 In his parable of the vineyard, this is clearly 
 proved; Mark 12, 1-9, (Revised Version) "And 
 he began to speak unto them in parables : A man 
 planted a vineyard and set a hedge about it and 
 digged a pit for the winepress and built a tower 
 and let it out to husbandmen and went into another 
 country. And at the season he sent to the hus- 
 bandmen a servant, that he might receive, from 
 the husbandmen, of the fruits of the vineyard. 
 And they took him and beat him and sent him 
 away empty. 
 
 u And again he sent unto them another servant ;
 
 206 Christ and His Mission. 
 
 and him they wounded in the head and handled 
 shamefully. And he sent another; and him they 
 killed. And many others ; beating some and kill- 
 ing some. He had yet one, a beloved son; he 
 sent him last unto them saying: they will rever- 
 ence my son. But those husbandmen said among 
 themselves: this is the heir; come, let us kill 
 him, and the inheritance shall be ours. And they 
 took him and killed him and cast him forth out of 
 the vineyard. What therefore will the Lord of the 
 vineyard do ? He will come and destroy the hus- 
 bandmen, and will give the vineyard unto others." 
 
 In this inspired teaching, the vineyard symbol- 
 izes the human race; the husbandmen are the 
 priests and expositors of religion ; the servants sent 
 to receive the fruits of the vineyard, are the prophets 
 and apostles ; the Son is Jesus Christ ; and the Lord 
 of the vineyard, , is God the Almighty Father. 
 This parable teaches us five important points: 
 
 First: The prophets and messengers whom God 
 has sent to lead humanity to Him, have been har- 
 assed and persecuted by the priesthood, symbol- 
 ized by the wicked husbandmen. History shows 
 this conclusively. They have been beaten, stoned, 
 crucified and otherwise martyred for teaching the 
 truth of God, which has always been at variance 
 with the superstitions of the priesthood. 
 
 Second: God sent Jesus, His Son, to the vine- 
 yard, as a prophet, upon the same mission and 
 purpose. 
 
 Third: The son was not sent to redeem the 
 vineyard, therefore Jesus was not sent to redeem
 
 Christ and His Mission. 207 
 
 the world. By this parable, Jesus plainly confessed 
 that his mission, like the missions of all the other 
 prophets, had proved a failure. The son of the 
 Lord of the vineyard was not able to secure the 
 fruit of the vineyard, or save it from the hands of 
 the husbandmen, but like all the other messengers 
 who preceded him, was killed, and, in addition, 
 cast out of the vineyard. 
 
 Fourth: No one but God Himself, the Ever- 
 lasting Father, the Lord and Creator of the vine- 
 yard, has power to save it. Shall we, after this 
 confession by Jesus that his mission was a failure, 
 dare to assume that he is the Saviour of the world, 
 the vineyard ? Shall we not rather accept his own 
 words and teaching, that God is the Saviour of the 
 vineyard? Jesus was not the Redeemer of the 
 world, and did not, of his own will, offer himself 
 to die for the redemption of the world, The wicked 
 husbandmen, the priests, killed him as they kiljed 
 the other messengers of God. 
 
 Fifth : God the Father will come, destroy these 
 wicked husbandmen, and deliver the vineyard to 
 others. In this way, God Himself will save His 
 vineyard, because He is the only One who has the 
 power to accomplish it, the only One whose pur- 
 poses -never fail. God alone is the Saviour of 
 mankind. Isaiah 45, 15: "O God of Israel, the 
 Saviour." Isa. 45, 22: " Look unto me, and be ye 
 saved, all the ends of the earth ; for I am God and 
 there is none else." Isaiah 43, n : "I, even I, am 
 the Lord; and besides me there is no Saviour." 
 
 We therefore are taught by God Himself, through
 
 208 Christ and His Mission. 
 
 Christ and all the other prophets, that He, the 
 Everlasting Father, the Creator and L,ord of the 
 Vineyard is the Saviour of mankind, and shall 
 Himself come to save us. God is therefore the 
 Messiah, Shiloh, Prince of Peace, Redeemer; and 
 Jesus Christ was the greatest of His prophets.
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 SALVATION. 
 
 What is salvation ? How shall we be saved, and 
 what are the means whereby we may obtain for- 
 giveness for our sins ? 
 
 These are questions which follow recognition of 
 the truth that Jesus Christ was not the Saviour of 
 the world. Salvation is not escape or exemption 
 from the everlasting torture of hell. True salva- 
 tion is the victory of accomplishment by the soul ; 
 the attainment of a privilege afforded us by God, in 
 allowing us to come upon the earth. 
 
 Hell is eternal regret for the loss of that privi- 
 lege ; hell is the soul's failure to accomplish. 
 
 To understand this thoroughly, we must find out 
 what sin is, and what particular sin will cause the 
 loss of the opportunity granted us. In our earthly 
 environment, from the weakness of our human 
 nature, sin is inevitable. The Scriptures teach 
 this Psa. 14, 3 : " They are all gone aside ; they 
 are all together become filthy ; there is none that 
 doeth good, no not one." 
 
 Sin is the performance of any action harmful to 
 ourselves or to others. There are three kinds 
 of sin. 
 
 First: Mistakes and ignorances. 
 
 Second: Violations of moral laws. 
 
 Third: Neglect of spiritual duties. 
 209
 
 210 Salvation. 
 
 To illustrate and make clear the distinction 
 between these three kinds of sin, we will take for 
 example, a gymnastic performer who walks from 
 point to point upon a tightly stretched wire or 
 rope. As he goes, we notice his wavering, his 
 constant struggle to maintain his equilibrium, in 
 spite of which he may, by persistent care and 
 effort, reach the other side. So long as he main- 
 tains his position upon the wire and persists in his 
 progress forward, he will be successful. His jour- 
 ney from point to point, symbolizes the accomplish- 
 ment of our spiritual journey. We start at birth 
 and finish at death, our journey to God. Failure, 
 through ignorance, to make this journey, is the 
 first kind of sin, which God, in His justice, cannot 
 excuse. If we ignorantly neglect our opportunity 
 to seek and reach God, we must bear the conse- 
 quences of failure. 
 
 The constant waverings of the performer, from 
 side to side, which threaten to destroy his balance 
 and cast him to the earth, represent our sinful 
 violations of moral laws. These sins continually 
 threaten to overthrow our spiritual accomplish- 
 ment. When they do, they destroy our opportunity 
 of reaching God, yet as we have seen, it is possible 
 for us, in spite of them, to maintain our equilibrium 
 and progress sufficiently to accomplish our spiritual 
 journey and duty. 
 
 Refusal to seek and reach God, is the sin of 
 neglecting our spiritual duties ; the paramount sin 
 of human independence, the consequences of which 
 are final. This sin determines the conditions of
 
 Salvation. 211 
 
 our existence in the hereafter. Violations of 
 moralities are a continual drag and check upon our 
 spiritual duties. The way to God is a pure way, 
 and the perfect Christ-journey is an unwavering, 
 unfaltering progress from birth to death, toward 
 God. Although moral violations are not neces- 
 sarily final in their consequences ; although we 
 may reach God after many waverings and falls 
 from uprightness, yet this fact does not allow us 
 latitude in our obedience to moral laws. 
 
 Christ is our pattern. In him, we find the per- 
 fection of moral and spiritual accomplishment. 
 No immoral man can be thoroughly spiritual. 
 Our spiritual duties, therefore, exact the highest 
 moralities. Human nature is weak, and our incess- 
 ant violations of moral laws, are the drag upon 
 our spiritual development. They are the waver- 
 ings which threaten to prevent us from reaching 
 God. 
 
 The Almighty Creator does not punish sinners 
 upon this earth or hereafter. The sinner punishes 
 himself; pays the penalty of the law he violates, 
 and reaps what he has sown. The scriptures 
 teach this continually. The reasons for it are as 
 follows: First No one can sin against God, be- 
 cause God cannot, as He is perfection, be affected 
 by the sins of a finite creature. If our sins could 
 affect God, He would not be Infinite and Perfect. 
 Our sins, however, affect us and those who are 
 finite like us. 
 
 Second: If we commit sin, we will be punished 
 and suffer for it. There is no escape from the
 
 212 Salvation. 
 
 consequences of violating moral, physical or spirit- 
 ual law. The law punishes, and the sinner 
 suffers for his action. As we suffer for these viola- 
 tions, it is unreasonable to claim that God will 
 inflict double punishment upon us. We cannot 
 attribute cruelty to Him who is infinite in mercy. 
 Third: It would degrade God to torture us by 
 punishment He is just as well as merciful. His 
 laws are everlasting laws. He has given us inde- 
 penden.ce to attain a high privilege or to reject it 
 If we reject it, we must, under the ruling of His 
 justice, lose that privilege eternally. This con- 
 stitutes our punishment. To many, this eternal 
 loss of opportunity, would seem to savor of cruelty 
 on the part of God. In reality, however, if God 
 did not enforce this just punishment upon the 
 soul which rejects Him, He would be neither just 
 nor firm, but changeable and unreliable, and if 
 He saved us today, He might refuse us tomorrow. 
 For instance, suppose a father should promise 
 each of his two children, a reward for the per- 
 formance of certain actions, and that one of them 
 earns the reward, while the other forfeits it. 
 Would the father show himself just and reli- 
 able if he rewarded the two children equally? 
 Likewise, God in His justice, cannot reward 
 equally a soul which seeks Him and a soul which 
 rejects Him. We read in the scriptures, that the 
 punishment of sin is severe, and in reality it is so, 
 but it is divinely just, and administered with the 
 same impartiality as reward. We have seen, in 
 considering the " Return of the Soul," that the
 
 Salvation. 213 
 
 justice of God affords to all souls an equal oppor- 
 tunity of accomplishing the privilege of reaching 
 Him. 
 
 The Bible teaches us that salvation, entrance into 
 the Kingdom of Heaven, can only be obtained by 
 coming to God, whose spirit, working in our souls, 
 will naturalize them, causing them to be born 
 anew. This is the meaning of " born again," "born 
 from above," " born of the Spirit," " the new man," 
 "baptism," "regeneration," etc., all of which are 
 different expressions for the same thing. 
 
 John's Gospel, 3rd Chapter, 3rd verse, reads 
 "Verily, verily I say unto you ; except a man be 
 born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God." 
 Verse 6: "That which is born of the flesh, is 
 flesh ; and that which is born of the spirit is 
 spirit." Matt. 19, 28: " And Jesus said unto them, 
 Verily I say unto you that ye which have fol- 
 lowed me in the regeneration, when the Son of 
 man shall sit in the throne of his glory, ye also 
 shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve 
 tribes of Israel." 
 
 Thus we see that salvation, eternal happiness, or 
 entrance into the Kingdom of God, cannot be 
 gained by any means other than being born of the 
 spirit. According to Christ's teaching, salvation 
 is not through his death. Therefore the death 
 of his body cannot save any of the human race. 
 From the words of Jesus, it is obvious that no 
 man can be saved, unless born anew of the spirit ; 
 regenerated ; otherwise he will not have the privi- 
 lege of being one with Jesus. Now, let us ask,
 
 214 Salvation. 
 
 what is meant by regeneration ; by being born of 
 the spirit ? This condition is approached when a 
 man, after honest and careful self-examination, 
 finding himself weak, ignorant, selfish in action, 
 and unjust in his dealings, having no real knowl- 
 edge of his Creator, and fully realizing his miser- 
 able condition, seeks a remedy that will give him 
 permanent relief. To gain this, he must seek with 
 as much persistence, as the hungry and thirsty 
 seek for food and drink. 
 
 On finding, as he will, that in this respect, nobody 
 can give him help (for every one is as needful as 
 himself), he will be constrained to go to his 
 Creator, realizing that He is the only Saviour ; the 
 only source of all life, and of all spiritual gifts. 
 God, the merciful Creator, the All-Bountiful, the 
 All-Generous one, will grant to each soul thus 
 seeking Him, the grace of regeneration, which will 
 naturalize that soul into a spiritual state. Thus 
 the seeker is born of the Spirit 
 
 Until we know God in reality, we cannot claim 
 to be His children. Those who do so claim, and 
 yet, in reality, do not know God, are claiming that 
 which is not true ; their claim being based upon 
 an occasional feeling or emotion, the result of 
 excitement of the nerves, produced by eloquence 
 or fear, and usually soon passing away, leaving no 
 permanent result. True regeneration, as described 
 above, is that of which Jesus taught ; and through 
 it, only, can we live with God and enjoy His Glori- 
 ous Presence. This is the "Tree of Ivife" which 
 is in the midst of the "Paradise of God." Thus
 
 Salvation. 215 
 
 are we naturalized into the Divine State, by the 
 power of the Spirit of God, as iron is magnetized 
 by the power of the magnet. 
 
 This great gift from our Heavenly Father, is 
 from His infinite bounty and beneficence. Since 
 we are already indebted to Him for everything we 
 have, what can we offer Him for His mercy? 
 Suppose a rich and generous man should promise 
 abundance to every needy person who would come 
 and humbly beg for help. Could we truly say that 
 the suppliant paid the value of the gift by coming 
 to receive it ? 
 
 Shall we say that because he begged for and re- 
 ceived assistance, that it was given to him because 
 of his merit? So, also, if we come to God, we 
 will be born from above, our sins and iniquities 
 will never be mentioned, and we will be forgiven 
 freely. He has promised this in the words of His 
 Holy Prophets and messengers. Hos. 14,4: "I 
 will heal their back - sliding, I will love them 
 freely." Isa. 55-7: "Let the wicked forsake his 
 way and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let 
 him return unto the Lord, and He will have mercy 
 upon him." II Chron. 7,14: "If My people, 
 which are called by My name, shall humble them- 
 selves and pray, and seek My face, and turn from 
 their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven, 
 and forgive their sins, and will heal their land." 
 Jer. 31, 34: " And they shall teach no more every 
 man his neighbor, and every man his brother, say- 
 ing, know the Lord ; for they shall all know Me, 
 from the least of them unto the greatest of them,
 
 216 Salvation. 
 
 saith the Lord; for I will forgive their iniquity 
 and I will remember their sin no more." Matt 
 18, 32-33: "Then his Lord, after that He had 
 called him, said unto him, thou wicked servant! I 
 forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst 
 Me ; shouldst not thou also have had compassion 
 on thy fellow servant, even as I had pity on thee?" 
 Luke 6, 36-37 : " Be ye therefore merciful, as your 
 Father also is merciful. Judge not, and ye shall 
 not be judged; condemn not, and ye shall not be 
 condemned ; forgive and ye shall be forgiven." 
 
 To understand this question more thoroughly, let 
 us carefully consider the teachings of the Master, 
 Jesus, in reference to it; his doctrines are our 
 standard ; the ground upon which all true Chris- 
 tians stand. Mark n, 25: u And when ye stand 
 praying, forgive, if ye have aught against any; 
 that your Father also which is in heaven, may for- 
 give you your trespasses." Matt. 6, 12: "And 
 forgive us our debts as we also forgive our debtors^ ' ' 
 Luke n, 4 : " And forgive us our sins, for we also 
 forgive every one that is indebted to us." Had 
 salvation come through redemption, through the 
 death of Jesus, he should have taught us to pray 
 thus: "And forgive us our debts, through the 
 death of Thy Son, as we forgive our debtors by 
 killing our children and sacrificing them for our 
 debtor's sakes." 
 
 That salvation, forgiveness of sin, is wholly and 
 entirely, a free gift from our loving Father, is 
 plainly taught by Jesus and all the other prophets. 
 Neither the blood of Jesus nor our meritorious
 
 Salvation. 217 
 
 deeds are required as a price thereof; and from this 
 we learn, that we, also, should freely forgive those 
 who have wronged us, imitating the Father by 
 not asking reward for forgiving others. 
 
 From this we learn also, that not only is salva- 
 tion free, but that whatever God grants to us, 
 whether forgiveness, grace, or eternal happiness, is 
 granted freely. Were this not so, where would be 
 His mercy ? Can we properly call Him merciful, 
 if He demanded for His mercy, the sacrifice of Jesus, 
 our elder brother ? 
 
 To further elucidate this condition, let us liken 
 the Almighty God who is above any similitude 
 to a magnet ; and man to a piece of iron. When 
 the piece of iron moves toward the magnet, the 
 magnet attracts it, drawing it nearer and nearer to 
 itself. So, if we move one step toward God, He 
 will come toward us, miles and leagues. And, as 
 the iron, while approaching the magnet, gains 
 more and more of the magnet's peculiar qualities, 
 until, at the moment of contact, it becomes fully 
 magnetized, so the soul, drawing nearer unto God, 
 becomes more and more imbued with His Spirit, 
 until, reaching the exalted state of soul-contact 
 with Him, it is then fully born of the spirit and re- 
 generated. 
 
 When we reach this state of naturalization, we 
 will be fitted to be grafted into God, the Tree of 
 Life, that is to say, ready to be adopted as His 
 children and become like him. Then we shall 
 have the right to say that we are gods and the 
 children of God ; exactly as the magnetized iron,
 
 *i8 Salvation. 
 
 when fully naturalized into the nature of the mag- 
 net, is itself a magnet. So also, when we are fully 
 naturalized into the Divine nature, and grafted 
 into Him by adoption, we will be like Him, and 
 one with Him, as Christ taught us in St. John 17, 
 11-20-21. "Holy Father, keep through Thine 
 own name, those whom Thou hast given me, that 
 they may be one as we are. Neither pray I 
 for these alone, but for them also which shall be- 
 lieve on me through their word ; that they all 
 may be one ; as thou Father art in me, and I in 
 Thee, that the world may believe that Thou hast 
 sent me. ' * 
 
 This is the unity of which Christ taught ; that 
 every believer will be one with God ; that is to 
 say, every one who reaches this high condition, 
 will lose his finite nature with its defects and de- 
 ficiencies, and will have the nature of God, which 
 is perfect and without defects. This teaching 
 corresponds with the teachings of all the other 
 great religions. 
 
 Our religion teaches us, that our high elevation 
 is "Al fana bima indana wal backa bima inda 
 Ullah ;" which translated, is, "To die for what we 
 have and live for what God has." It means that 
 when we reach that exalted state, we will cast 
 away our finite nature and have the Divine Nature; 
 become like our Father, and be one with Him. 
 
 " Fana," means annihilation or death, and when 
 we attain the Divine Nature, our human nature 
 will be annihilated. This is the meaning of 
 "Nirvana" in the Brahamanical writings ; spirit-
 
 Salvation. 219 
 
 ual liberty and bliss. In Buddhism, "annihila- 
 tion in Nirvana," means the loss of all per- 
 sonal consciousness and identity, which is con- 
 trary to what Buddha himself taught. We will 
 never lose our identity ; we will never lose our 
 personality. God gave them to us, and whatever 
 He does is an everlasting law. He will never, 
 therefore, regret what He has given us, and take 
 it away from us. The Buddhists have corrupted 
 the teachings of their master Buddha, just as other 
 religions have been corrupted by interpretation 
 and dogma. 
 
 "Ten Great Religions," page 161-162-163. 
 " There has been much discussion among scholars 
 concerning the true meaning of Nirvana, the end 
 of all Buddhist expectation. Is it annihilation? 
 Or is it absorption in God? The weight of 
 authority, no doubt, is in favor of the first view. 
 Bournouf s conclusion is, * For Buddha theists, it 
 is the absorption of this individual life in the noth- 
 ing. But for both it is deliverance from all evil, it 
 is supreme affranchisement.' In the opinion that 
 it is annihilation, agree Max Miiller, Tumour 
 Schmidt and Hardy. And M. Saint-Hilaire, while 
 calling it 'A hideous faith' nevertheless assigns to it 
 a third part of the human race. But, on the other 
 hand, scholars of the highest rank deny this view. 
 In particular, Bunsen (Gott in der Geschichte), calls 
 attention to the fact that in the oldest monuments 
 of this religion, the earliest Sutras, Nirvana is 
 spoken of as a condition attained in the present 
 life. How then, can it mean annihilation? It is
 
 220 Salvation. 
 
 the state in which all desires cease, all passions 
 die. Bunsen believes that Buddha never denied 
 or questioned God or immortality." Bunsen was 
 right. Buddha had too much wisdom to believe 
 and teach that the object of man's existence upon 
 earth and his hope and aspiration to develop and 
 progress to a high condition, could be annihilation. 
 
 The teachings of Buddha reflected the same 
 wisdom as those of Christ. Both taught our unity 
 with God, by becoming naturalized into His 
 Nature. 
 
 This is also the truth of the Old Testament. 
 Psalms 82, i and 6, (Revised Version) "God 
 standeth in the congregation of God ; He judgeth 
 among the gods." 
 
 " I said ye are gods, and all of you sons of the 
 Most High." 
 
 The Egyptians taught plainly that every human 
 soul, after death, must take the name and symbols 
 of Osiris, and then all the souls must come to the 
 under-world (or rather this earth), to be judged by 
 him. 
 
 This corresponds with the teachings of Christ, 
 not only that we must become like God, and be 
 naturalized into His nature, but also that the judg- 
 ment of our race will take place upon the earth. 
 Matt. 25, 31-32-33: "When the Son of Man shall 
 come in His glory, and all the holy angels with 
 Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His 
 glory. And before Him shall be gathered all na- 
 tions : and He shall separate them one from another, 
 as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats :
 
 Salvation. 221 
 
 and He shall set the sheep on His right hand, but 
 the goats on the left." 
 
 By what means may we gain this great and high 
 condition of salvation ? 
 
 Although every spiritual man must necessarily 
 be moral, and although we have certain duties to- 
 ward each other, yet these are not our spiritual 
 duties. Moralities affect spirituality ; they assist 
 or retard us in our spiritual duties, but are separate 
 and distinct from them. Only by the performance 
 of spiritual duties, can we attain a high attitude 
 before God, accomplish our salvation, become His 
 children and receive His blessings forever. Our 
 spiritual duties are these 
 
 First: To believe in all the manifestations of 
 God, especially in His last and greatest appearance 
 to us as Himself in Himself. This is the real 
 knowledge of God, that is required of us. We must 
 know God as He is. Our own theories concerning 
 Him, avail us nothing. 
 
 Second : To be characterized by His attributes 
 and draw nearer to Him in being taught by Him. 
 All knowledge is from God. 
 
 Third: To confess His oneness and singleness. 
 
 If we attain these three requirements, we will 
 be fitted for adoption, and be grafted to the Tree 
 of Life, as promised by Christ in Rev. 2, 7: "He 
 that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith 
 to the churches: to him that overcometh will I 
 give to eat of the Tree of Life which is in the 
 midst of the Paradise of God." 
 
 To understand more clearly this naturalization
 
 222 Salvation. 
 
 into divinity, through the working of the Spirit of 
 God in our souls, we must know the difference be- 
 tween the Spirit of man, the Holy Spirit, and the 
 Spirit of God. The Spirit of man is that intelli- 
 gent essence called soul. The Holy Spirit, or the 
 Holy Ghost, is that high degree of knowledge and 
 illumination possessed by souls which are in a 
 nearer relationship with God, such as the soul of 
 our Great Master, Jesus Christ. Such also are the 
 " Seven spirits before the throne," mentioned in 
 Revelations. 
 
 The Spirit of God is the God-power Itself, which, 
 working in our souls, will naturalize us into His 
 Divinity. It is the power of the magnet, which 
 magnetizes the iron into its own nature. 
 
 We fully believe in our Great Master, Jesus the 
 Christ, and in all his teachings. He is the highest 
 among all the creatures in the great universe ; the 
 first begotten Son of God, and His Agent; the 
 Creator is his God, and he is His dearest Son. 
 But we know that our salvation is not through his 
 death, but through the great mercy of the Father. 
 We also know that all the iniquities of mankind 
 are as nothing in comparison with the infinity of 
 God's mercy, because the heavens of His charity 
 and the oceans of His bounty, are so vast, that He 
 has never rejected those who begged of Him, nor 
 disappointed those who willed to come unto Him. 
 To Him the majesty and the glory ! And to His 
 Son, the greatness and the exaltation, for ever and 
 ever ! Amen.
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 THE NECESSITIES OF THE SOUL. 
 
 We know that the earth is not our permanent 
 place of abode. It is self evident that we cannot 
 remain here. The body is but the temporary 
 residence of the soul. As a traveler crossing a 
 desert or forest, man journeys from birth to death ; 
 from the cradle to the grave. Generations preced- 
 ing us have come and gone as we have come and 
 as we shall go. The summons of death cannot be 
 refused. To it, all mankind is alike subject. The 
 dust of earth enshrines our weaknesses and our 
 heroisms ; the splendor of kings and burdens of the 
 slave lie mingled beneath its pall. Evicted by 
 death, their habitations destroyed, all soul-tenants 
 of these bodies must stand alone before God. 
 Death levels all earthly distinctions, and in the 
 presence of God, we are equal supplicants for His 
 mercy. The life of man is but an atom of eternity. 
 God would be unjust if He allowed us to come 
 upon this earth so short a time and live here sub- 
 ject to sorrow and suffering, without purpose. The 
 nature of our existence here, the conditions to 
 which we are subject, indicate the accomplishment 
 of certain action for the attainment of a high 
 privilege. The life of man, therefore, reflects the 
 will of God, and human destiny is haloed by 
 Divine solicitude. 
 
 323
 
 224 The Necessities of the Soul. 
 
 Our necessities here, are of two kinds, material 
 and spiritual. Material necessities, or the needs of 
 the body, are food, drink and protection. These 
 bodily requirements do not affect the soul, except 
 in the matter of condition and repair of its material 
 habitation, yet two points in connection with them, 
 demand consideration. 
 
 First: Although soul necessities are of eternal 
 consequence to us, and the necessities of the body 
 are merely temporal requirements, we find that the 
 latter occupy most of our time and attention. After 
 sleeping the body for the recuperation of its 
 physical strength, we bathe it and prepare it for 
 the work of the day; supply it with food, labor 
 with it at our daily vocation, again renew its vigor 
 with food, then rest it in sleep, completing the 
 circle of twenty-four hours. A little reflection will 
 show us that nearly all our time is spent in caring 
 for the body, while the soul's necessities receive 
 little or no attention. As the body is perishable, 
 and the soul is immortal, should not this be exactly 
 reversed ? Should we not minister to the needs of 
 the soul, supply it with its food, develop its 
 spiritual power to the very limit of our time; only 
 giving to the body the attention that is actually 
 needful? Under the stress of human conditions, 
 bodily needs are many, and necessarily make 
 strong demands upon our time and attention, but 
 the fact remains that the soul's welfare is, pre-emi- 
 nently, our highest and greatest concern, and every 
 moment spent in providing it with sustenance, is 
 an eternal gain. Shall the immortal soul starve,
 
 The Necessities of the Soul. 225 
 
 while the transitory residence in which it lives, is 
 carefully nourished, ornamented and beautified, 
 only to crumble into dust at the touch of death ? 
 
 Second: God in His All-Wisdom knew what 
 the necessities of our bodies would be, before His 
 Creative Hand fashioned us. Therefore, before 
 the race of man came upon earth, He provided 
 those necessities in limitless abundance. Having 
 done this, He established natural laws which 
 govern us, and under the operation of which we 
 obtain the food, drink and protection, necessary for 
 our material existence. Animals, grains, fruits, 
 vegetables, etc., are provided in abundance for our 
 food; water is plentiful, and the materials and 
 facilities for clothing, shelter and safety, are every- 
 where about us. God has created the earth rich in 
 resources, and endowed us with ability and intelli- 
 gence to supply all our earthly needs, at a minimum 
 expenditure of time. Man, however, by the inven- 
 tion of his own laws, and for the gratification of 
 his own sordid desires, has surrounded himself by 
 conditions which debar the great mass of humanity 
 from free access to these bounties of our Creator, 
 hence the difficulty in supplying ourselves with 
 material necessities. The urgency and stress of 
 these conditions do not result from the action of 
 God, but are entirely the consequences of man's 
 violations of God's perfect laws. If we destroy the 
 forests of our country, and drought and agricultural 
 impoverishment follow, the calamity is due to us, 
 not to God. If famine, pestilence and horrors fol- 
 low in the wake of war, God cannot be justly criti-
 
 226 The Necessities of the Soul. 
 
 cized for it. If the necessaries of life, such as 
 wheat, coal, etc. , are beyond the power of the poor 
 to purchase, owing to combinations of capital and 
 control of their output, such distress of conditions 
 can only be attributed to man, and not to God. 
 
 Under His laws, is clearly visible the Divine 
 intention of making material necessities compara- 
 tively easy to obtain, and so enabling us to devote 
 the greater part of our time to spiritual development. 
 
 We see, then, that material necessities and the 
 ability to obtain them, having been bountifully 
 supplied us by our Creator, we have no further 
 need of His help in that direction. Had He in- 
 tended to continue to provide these things for us, 
 He would not have endowed us with the power 
 and strength to obtain them for ourselves. Shall 
 we, therefore, kneel to Him and ask the gift of 
 food or clothing, when He has already provided for 
 us? The stress of material conditions, therefore; 
 the thousand and one ills, woes and troubles which 
 confront our lives; the numberless grievances 
 which spring from aggrandizement of wealth and 
 residence in communities; the consequences of 
 greed and gain ; practically all that makes the 
 getting of our daily bread difficult and irksome, 
 can be directly traced to our violation and misuse 
 of the harmony of material conditions by which 
 God has surrounded us. 
 
 The luxury of civilization is an abnormal con- 
 dition which brings its corresponding demands 
 upon our time and effort. The simple necessities 
 of man, as a natural, normal creature, therefore,
 
 The Necessities of the Soul. 227 
 
 reflect our Creator's intention; our complex wants 
 and surroundings which minister almost exclusively 
 to bodily needs and starve the soul, are human 
 inventions and demand the price of human failure 
 to reach God. 
 
 Christ taught diligence, but only to the limit of 
 natural necessities. When the tax gatherer came 
 to him, he did not kneel down and ask God the 
 Father to provide the money. He said at once to 
 a disciple who was a fisherman, Matt. 17, 27: u Go 
 thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the 
 fish that first cometh up ; and when thou hast 
 opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money; 
 that take and give unto them for me and thee." 
 By this he meant that when the fish was caught by 
 a hook in its mouth, it could be sold, and the 
 money used for paying the taxes. In this way, the 
 disciple supplied the need. In the Sermon upon 
 the Mount, Christ made material needs entirely 
 subordinate to the necessities of the soul, summing 
 up his magnificent exhortation by saying, Matt. 6, 
 33: "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His 
 righteousness and all these things shall be added 
 unto you." 
 
 As an intelligent, intellectual essence, the soul 
 has its necessities and requires food of its own 
 kind. No amount of material food can keep the 
 soul from starvation. Those who teach that we 
 progress or retrograde spiritually, according to 
 the character of our material food, are mistaken. 
 The theory is advanced by them that the quality 
 or character of food we eat, is transmitted to us ;
 
 228 The Necessities of the Soul. 
 
 that by eating the flesh of animals we become like 
 them. For this reason, abstinence from meat is 
 commanded, and vegetable diet indicated. If we 
 admit their theory to be true, it is certainly better 
 to eat the flesh of animals and gain somewhat of 
 their intelligence, than to acquire the dull, inani- 
 mate characteristics of fruits and vegetables. Any 
 one must prefer being an ox to being a potato. It 
 is one of God's laws that animals shall subsist upon 
 animals. Man is no exception to this law. If 
 meats are forbidden, how would it be possible for 
 people of the Arctic Zones to exist? Besides this, 
 it is practically an impossibility to avoid eating 
 and drinking microscopic animal life, even with 
 the most extraordinary precautions. Millions of 
 vegetarian Hindoos are governed by a handful of 
 flesh-eating English. 
 
 The negative ideas and physical weakness of the 
 Hindoo people, constitute the chief obstacles to 
 their development. They are inferior morally, 
 mentally and physically, to Americans and Eu- 
 ropeans. Their country is swept by most terrible 
 plagues, and progressive influences which amelio- 
 rate human conditions in all other parts of the 
 world, gain no impetus among them. Paul in his 
 First Epistle to Timothy 4, 1-2-3 : Sa 7 s > " Now the 
 Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times, 
 some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to se- 
 ducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; speaking 
 lies in hypocrisy ; having their conscience seared 
 with a hot iron; forbidding to marry, and command- 
 ing to abstain from meats, which God hath created to
 
 The Necessities of the Soul. 229 
 
 be received with thanksgiving of them which be- 
 lieve and know the truth." 
 
 Knowledge is the food of the soul. It is the 
 soul's first and greatest necessity. Learning and 
 education are not Knowledge. They are mental 
 acquisition of material fact and data, whereas Knowl- 
 edge implies spiritual comprehension. Knowledge 
 is the ken of the soul. Wisdom implies Knowledge 
 in action and use. Knowledge is intuitive soul 
 illumination. It is the only thing that will benefit 
 the soul in eternity. By the measure of its posses- 
 sion, the soul shall be judged. Learning and edu- 
 cation, stored up statistics concerning material 
 things, cannot benefit the soul in eternity, any 
 more than remembering the dimensions of a dun- 
 geon could benefit a prisoner after his release. 
 
 Learning and education are of the earth, earthy. 
 Knowledge is of God and concerning him. Secur- 
 ing it, is development toward God. Specifically, 
 Knowledge is knowing God, comprehending our 
 relationship to Him, the purpose of our residence 
 upon earth, and our destiny in eternity. Without 
 Knowledge of God, our existence will be of no con- 
 sequence, either here or hereafter. 
 
 The second soul necessity is Faith. Material 
 food produces thirst. Soul Knowledge produces 
 Faith. After we know, we have Faith. True Faith 
 must be founded upon Knowledge; if not, it is 
 useless and of no value to the soul in eternity. 
 Knowledge of the truth, produces conviction. If 
 we know, and are convinced, we must believe. If 
 we reject or disbelieve a truth after being con-
 
 230 The Necessities of the Soul. 
 
 vinced, our souls will die thirsty, because we have 
 prevented them from quenching their thirst with 
 Faith. Faith is the spiritual water of the soul. If 
 we wish to stand upon a sure religious foundation, 
 we must believe only in that which is fully proven. 
 Without proof, our belief would be as the house 
 built upon sand, for when we reason over it, doubts 
 must arise. True Faith does not admit of doubt. 
 
 Paul says Heb. u, i: "Now faith is the sub- 
 stance (ground or confidence) of things hoped for, 
 the evidence of things not seen." 
 
 By this he clearly shows that we must have the 
 substance or confidence of Knowledge before we 
 may have Faith. 
 
 The third necessity of the soul is Love. Knowl- 
 edge is the soul's "Food;" Faith is " Water;" 
 Love is "Protection." The soul's protection is to 
 love God. Let us consider life as a journey through 
 a forest. Commencing at birth, it is our duty and 
 privilege to reach God at death. As we cross 
 the forest, difficulties and obstacles beset us ; sins 
 divert us from a straight course, and delay our 
 progress forward. Beautiful oases appear to the 
 right and to the left of our path, lovely vistas of 
 world-pleasures beckon us to come aside, rest and 
 recuperate, for the forest journey is difficult and 
 our feet are weary. Here is temptation. If we 
 have Love for God in our souls, we will press 
 forward with renewed effort and stronger determi- 
 nation to meet Him at the journey's end. With- 
 out that Love for Him, we yield weakly to the 
 worldly beckonings, turn aside from our path, lose
 
 The Necessities of the Soul. 231 
 
 precious time, and enjoy that which proves to be 
 but wormwood and ashes, while the eternal reward 
 escapes us. To reach God, therefore, we must 
 press continually onward through life's forest, with 
 Love for Him as the soul impetus. 
 
 Thus Love is the soul's protection against the 
 temptations which lie in the path of life and its 
 impulse toward God. 
 
 It must not be inferred that all worldly delights 
 should be shunned, all pleasures avoided, all 
 material impulse abnegated. God created this 
 world as the scene of human action, the theater of 
 human accomplishment. He beautified it by the 
 glory of His wisdom, and bestowed upon us the 
 intelligence to enjoy its beauty. It is by making 
 world delights obstacles to our spiritual journey, 
 and by bestowing upon them all our time, that we 
 fall into error and proceed contrary to His purpose. 
 Instead of making the beauties and delights of 
 earth, our temptations, they should repeat and em- 
 phasize to us, the bounty of God and His infinite 
 love for us. 
 
 Finally, we must know God as He is, and as He 
 wants us to know him. To many, He is unknown 
 and unknowable, and therefore they have neither 
 Knowledge, Faith nor Love. If we are true seekers 
 of God, we must follow the steps of the Great 
 Master, Jesus, who said, " Knock, knock, and the 
 door will be opened to you ; seek and ye shall 
 find." By this, Christ meant that our independ- 
 ence must first bring us to seek God, and gain 
 Knowledge of Him. From Knowledge of Him, we
 
 232 The Necessities of the Soul. 
 
 gain Faith ; then knowing Him, and believing in 
 Him with strong Faith, we reach the exalted con- 
 dition of loving Him. Christ said " Thou shalt 
 love the Lord thy God with all thy soul, with all 
 thy heart and with all thy mind ; this is the greatest 
 of all commandments." To Love Him therefore 
 with all our intelligence, is our highest duty and 
 accomplishment, but this Love must be founded 
 upon Faith in Him, and Faith springs from 
 Knowledge, which is the basis of all soul ac- 
 complishment. 
 
 This progressive order cannot be reversed. We 
 cannot begin by loving God to establish Faith in 
 Him, and then acquire Knowledge. 
 
 This is unnatural, illogical and impossible. The 
 clear logical order and progressive spiritual jour- 
 ney to God, is first, to Know Him ; second, to 
 have Faith in what we Know; third, to Love Him 
 in confidence and devotion.
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 PRAYER. 
 
 As God is the source of all Knowledge, and as 
 Knowledge is the food of the soul, we must now 
 consider the means of obtaining it. There is no 
 other medium than that of prayer, which may be 
 comprehensively defined as the soul's attitude in 
 seeking and asking God for its vital necessities. 
 
 It is plainly our duty and privilege to pray, yet 
 a characteristic of these present years, is a growing 
 disbelief in the function and efficacy of prayer. 
 Men do not pray with the faith and fervor of their 
 forefathers. To prove the error of this neglect, we 
 must consider the various reasons advanced by 
 those who deem prayer useless and unprofitable; 
 after which we will show why prayer is necessary, 
 and when it is productive of good to us. 
 
 Men do not pray, for the following reasons, 
 viz. : 
 
 First They do not believe in the Personality of 
 God. If they admit the existence of an Infinite 
 Creative Cause, they believe it to be a Power, 
 Force, Energy or Law, to which, appeal by prayer 
 is useless. In answer to this objection, it has been 
 conclusively shown in a previous chapter, that the 
 Creative Cause must exist, and that God must be 
 an Infinite Personality. It is therefore necessary 
 for us to ask Him to help us. Prayer to a Force, 
 
 333
 
 234 Prayer. 
 
 Vibration or Energy, would be profitless. Prayer 
 to the Infinite Personality of God, is a logical out- 
 come of His existence as God, and our existence as 
 His creatures. 
 
 Second Many believe that the soul of man is a 
 germ of Divinity ; and therefore, as God is within 
 us, we do not need to pray to Him. This view is 
 sometimes supported by the statement that Christ 
 said "the Kingdom of God is within you." 
 
 Concerning this objection to prayer, it is neces- 
 sary to review the fact that the Divine Essence can- 
 not be divided into innumerable germs constituting 
 human souls, without destroying its Perfection. 
 Nothing can be added to God, nothing can be 
 taken from Him. If the soul is a germ of the 
 Divine Essence, it must possess the full powers of 
 Divinity, for Divinity must be homogeneous. 
 Although it is possible for the soul to reflect and 
 to be illumined by the powers of God, it cannot 
 partake of the intrinsic essence of God. According 
 to revised versions of the New Testament, Luke 
 17, 21 is rendered u The Kingdom of God is among 
 you" or "in your midst" It would have been 
 unreasonable and inconsistent for Christ to say that 
 the Kingdom of God is "within you" and at the 
 same time, teach us to pray for the coming of that 
 Kingdom. The application of this statement to 
 support belief that our souls are of the essence of 
 Divinity, is so vague and general, that it demands 
 little attention. 
 
 Third Some believe that God, having created 
 the world, established sufficient laws to govern
 
 Prayer. 235 
 
 and sustain it ; and that all human accomplishment 
 is subject to these laws, without further interest or 
 interference upon the part of God Himself. For 
 this reason, they deny His bounty and cease to 
 pray. It must be admitted, in answer to this ob- 
 jection, that God has ordained perfect laws to gov- 
 ern us. Under these laws, however, we find that 
 man is the highest visible creation, and the only 
 creature possessing the power of independence. 
 The function of independence is to choose knowl- 
 edge of God. Choosing evil, refusing to seek God, 
 is simply misuse or neglect of this high function. 
 As finite creatures seeking knowledge of the In- 
 finite, we must assume an attitude of will toward 
 Him. To receive knowledge from Him, He must 
 be accessible to us. A God inaccessible to creatures 
 whom He has endowed with independence to seek 
 Him, is a logical impossibility. A God bound 
 and restricted in His attitude toward us, by His 
 own laws, is not as high as an independent human 
 being, nor is He our highest conception of Divinity. 
 God is higher and greater than His own laws. 
 Although we are amenable to them, they cannot 
 render Him inaccessible to us, for He is the intelli- 
 gence behind those laws. Our necessities are 
 knowledge of Him ; our appeal is to Him and not 
 to His laws. This is prayer, and prayer is a neces- 
 sity. We must also conclude, in this connection, 
 that the perfect laws of God are intended to help 
 us, to assist our development, and reward the cor- 
 rect use of our weapon of independence. The 
 function of every law of God, is distinctly that of
 
 236 Prayer. 
 
 protection and assistance toward harmony with 
 Him. That they are obstacles to right attainment, 
 is illogical, and a belief which violates the laws 
 themselves. 
 
 Fourth It is sometimes stated in self-defence, by 
 those who do not pray, that God the All-Mighty is 
 All-Knowing, and cognizant of our condition, there- 
 fore it is not necessary for us to mention our needs 
 or ask Him to help us. 
 
 The fact that He has given us independence to 
 seek Him, disproves this argument completely. 
 We cannot exercise that power of will to choose 
 God, except by coming to Him and asking for 
 help and guidance. He is rich ; we are poor. He 
 has knowledge ; we need it. How shall we obtain 
 it ? By no other means than that of asking. This 
 use of our independence is our duty. Praying to 
 Him is acknowledgment of His power and appre- 
 ciation of His bounty. Prayer is therefore our 
 duty. 
 
 Fifth The theory of the fatalists, is, that every- 
 thing is predestined and beyond the possibility of 
 change or alteration, therefore there is no need of 
 prayer. 
 
 To this it may be said that although the history 
 and destiny of man lies written in the Mind of God, 
 independent human action evolves and reveals it. 
 God's actions are arbitrary. Human actions, which 
 govern human destiny, are free and untrammeled. 
 The fact that God is cognizant of human action, 
 does not restrict human action in the least. Fate 
 and independence never meet. Our use of the gift
 
 Prayer. 237 
 
 of independence, determines our fate. Fate is the 
 outcome of our own action, which God never ham- 
 pers. He apportions the soul's environment, but 
 thereafter, the soul, subject to His perfect laws, 
 accomplishes its own destiny. The Omniscience 
 of God is nowhere shown in greater perfection than 
 in this, that although human action makes human 
 history, He has all-knowledge of it beforehand. As 
 His knowledge of our outcome does not restrict us, 
 we must pray to Him, if we wish to attain the privi- 
 lege He has granted us. 
 
 Sixth Many have abandoned prayer for the 
 reason that their prayers have never been answered. 
 They reason, therefore, that prayer is non-effective 
 with God. Whatever degree of failure attends our 
 petitions to the Infinite God, we may conclude 
 with certainty that the fault is our own. Prayers 
 innumerable have been answered. If our petitions 
 fail, it is well to consider some of the reasons 
 which render prayer valueless and of no avail. 
 It may be that we do not pray in the right spirit. 
 Christ said that we must worship God " in spirit 
 and in truth." Prayer that is unintelligent and at 
 variance with truth, can profit nothing. Remind- 
 ing God of His duties ; dictating to Him ; impor- 
 tuning Him with the egotism of our demands, 
 preclude the possibility of answer. Again, it may 
 be that we pray for things which God has already 
 provided for us. Prayer for material necessities, 
 worldly advancement, etc., come within the cate- 
 gory of profitless petitions to our Creator. Not 
 only do we pray for things which He has already
 
 238 Prayer. 
 
 provided, but we also voice our supplications to 
 Him, in petitions for things, which, if we did 
 receive, would prove to be of injury and disadvan- 
 tage to us. Knowing this, His Infinite Wisdom 
 denies the answer to our prayer. In one of the 
 Oriental legends, it is said that Moses (the 
 "Speaker with God") when passing through a 
 desert region, stopped at the cave of a hermit, who 
 recognized him and received him with much hos- 
 pitality. In the evening, the hermit, who had 
 prayed all his life for the power of raising the 
 dead, begged Moses to intercede with God, in 
 his behalf, and obtain this gift for him. When 
 morning came, Moses announced that God had 
 refused to grant the hermit's prayer, for the reason 
 that the power of raising the dead, instead of 
 benefiting him, would bring him harm and injury. 
 The hermit nevertheless insisted that Moses should 
 again ask God for it. Moses did so, and brought 
 him the same answer upon the second morning. 
 The hermit was not satisfied, and a third time be- 
 sought Moses to urge God to grant him the power 
 of raising the dead. Upon the third morning, 
 Moses announced to the hermit, that the Almighty 
 had answered his petition and granted unto him 
 the power he desired. After the departure of 
 Moses, the hermit while walking in the desert, 
 came to a place where a number of bones lay scat- 
 tered upon the ground. Remembering that God 
 had granted him the power of raising the dead, he 
 stood over the dry bones, commanding that they 
 gather themselves together and be restored to life.
 
 Prayer. 239 
 
 Immediately the bones were joined one with an- 
 other, clothed with flesh, and there appeared an enor- 
 mous hungry lion, which devoured him. This illus- 
 trates the uselessness of praying for things which, 
 according to our limited judgment, are beneficial, 
 yet are denied us by the Omniscient God, whose 
 ways are higher than our ways, and whose thoughts 
 are higher than our thoughts. There are many 
 vitally important reasons why we should pray. 
 
 First: We are living upon the earth, subject to 
 environment and limitation, for the purpose of 
 attaining a higher spiritual attitude in eternity. 
 This reward, the gift of these higher blessings and 
 powers, is not ours by right. We do not deserve 
 them ; they are offered to us by our Creator, from 
 the boundless ocean of His love and mercy. We 
 must therefore strive for them, and our first neces- 
 sity toward their accomplishment, is to seek them 
 by prayer. If a fellow man owes me a sum of 
 money and I ask him for it, my request is founded 
 upon my right and ownership to it. If he is rich, 
 and I, being poor and needy, ask him for money, I 
 receive it from the impulse of his sympathy and 
 generosity, without having any claim whatever upon 
 it. Where my right exists, my demand is just, and 
 must be recognized. Without my right, all voli- 
 tion rests with him. God has knowledge and 
 power ; we need it, yet have no right to it. From 
 His love and mercy, He will endow us with these 
 higher gifts and blessings, but we must show 
 appreciation and acknowledge our need, by asking 
 for them. This is a fundamental necessity of 
 prayer.
 
 240 Prayer. 
 
 Second: It is necessary that we should know 
 God and come nearer to Him, in order that we 
 may attain higher spiritual development, and 
 accomplish the purpose of our coming upon earth. 
 If we fail in this, our lives are of no more conse- 
 quence than the lives of animals. 
 
 To know God, we must commune with Him. 
 By prayer we become acquainted with Him and 
 attain knowledge of Him. If we pass a fellow- 
 man in the street every day of the year, we obtain 
 little or no knowledge of him. By conversing 
 with him ; by acquaintance, we come to know him, 
 understand his nature and estimate his intelligence. 
 Likewise, knowledge of God demands acquaint- 
 ance with God, through the medium of communion 
 or prayer. 
 
 Third: We should pray in gratitude to God for 
 His bounty, and in acknowledgment of His inex- 
 haustible generosity to His creatures. 
 
 He is the Creator of the Universe, the Supreme 
 Source of all blessings and power. It is therefore 
 our duty to confess His greatness, in prayer and 
 praise to Him. As He has enriched us, it is sin 
 and ingratitude upon our part, not to recognize 
 and acknowledge His bounty. 
 
 Fourth: The privilege of prayer and communion 
 with God, is the highest honor conferred upon us. 
 By the use of this privilege, we are elevated in His 
 esteem, and enjoy supreme importance in the eyes 
 of the celestial hosts. The opportunity of con- 
 verse with a King, Queen, Czar, or any high 
 earthly ruler, is an honor. How much greater the
 
 Prayer. 241 
 
 honor and privilege of unlimited communion with 
 the Lord of Lords and King of Kings, our Creator 
 and Everlasting Father. 
 
 Fifth: Prayer is worship. We worship God 
 and petition Him for our own interests and bene- 
 fits ; for powers, gifts and higher development. 
 
 He does not need our worship. He is Perfec- 
 tion, worshiped and glorified in Himself. Our 
 actions and prayers will add nothing to His Majesty 
 and Glory, but are the means by which we attain 
 the nature of Divinity, as His Children ; sharing 
 His Power and Glory. If we do not pray, we are 
 the losers. 
 
 Sixth: Like soldiers upon the battlefield, we 
 are at war against surrounding conditions, striving 
 to gain the privilege for which we came upon 
 earth. As the soldier needs a fort or shelter to 
 protect him in time of need, and as we in our finite 
 nature, are needy, it is necessary that we should 
 seek the protection and shelter of God, in order 
 to overcome and win the victory. Seeking His 
 protection, knocking at the gate of Heaven as 
 Christ taught us, is prayer. We therefore should 
 perform this, our highest duty, with eagerness and 
 sincerity. At the same time, we should know how 
 to pray. A soldier must give the pass- word in order 
 to gain admittance to the fort. A pass- word of his 
 own invention will not suffice him. So also, when 
 we pray, we must present proper petitions to God 
 the Almighty Commander-in-Chief. We must 
 make use of prayers which have been taught us by 
 His prophets and messengers. This will insure
 
 242 Prayer. 
 
 answers to our supplications ; the gate of His mercy 
 will open to us, and we shall be admitted to His 
 Love and Protection. 
 
 Although we are not forbidden to express our 
 thoughts and petitions to God, in our own lan- 
 guage, it is manifestly more effective to commune 
 with Him in the words revealed to us by His 
 Manifestations. In the use of them, prayer 
 assumes its highest function and value to us. We 
 have a great number of these sacred tablets and 
 communes, one of which follows: 
 
 "Oh my God, give me Knowledge, Faith, and 
 Love. Adorn my head, oh God, with the crown 
 of Thy Providence ; my heart with the light of 
 knowing Thee; my tongue with the utterance of 
 Thy Greatest Name; and my ear with listening to 
 Thy Holy Word ; for Thou art the Only One whose 
 action was, is, and ever shall be glorified, and 
 whose command shall ever be obeyed. 
 
 " Oh my God, help me to be just ; lift me up from 
 the ocean of superstitions and imaginations, and 
 grant me an Iron Sight, to see and realize from the 
 surrounding existence, Thy Oneness and Thy 
 Truth." 
 
 This Commune, which contains twelve distinct 
 " words " or petitions, is, as its text implies, for 
 daily use. "Adorn my head oh God, with the 
 crown of Thy Providence," is equivalent to the 
 prayer of Jesus, ' ' Give us this day our daily bread." 
 The sixth " word " or sentence, adorn ' ' my tongue 
 with the utterance of Thy Greatest Name," is a 
 petition to God for the great privilege of knowing
 
 Prayer. 243 
 
 His Greatest Name, which will be given to every 
 believer, with the understanding of how and when 
 it may be mentioned in worship, or for protection. 
 The Scriptures promise, that in the latter days, we 
 will be given His Name. Zech. 13, 9 "And I 
 will bring the third part through the fire, and will 
 refine them as silver is refined, and will try them 
 as gold is tried ; they shall call on My Name and 
 I will hear them: I will say It is My people ; and 
 they will say, The Lord is my God." 
 
 The tenth "word" is "Help me to be just." 
 This petition embodies a supreme human need ; 
 for selfishness and injustice constitute the source 
 of nearly every mischief and misery. " Serve 
 God," and "love your fellow-man," although two 
 equal factors in our religious duty, are in reality, 
 but one and the same thing, since it is impossible 
 for us to serve God aright, unless we "do unto 
 others as we would have others do unto us." The 
 necessity of being "just" to our fellow-creatures, 
 is a foundation principle in all religious truth. We 
 should therefore pray earnestly for this soul ac- 
 complishment and supreme blessing. 
 
 The eleventh " word " is "Lift me up from the 
 ocean of superstitions and imaginations. ' ' Human 
 souls are voyaging upon an ' ' ocean of superstitions 
 and imaginations," in search of anchorage in the 
 Truth. We see them everywhere about us; soul 
 ships, soul craft ; some without rudder or compass, 
 some without latitude or longitude; many idly 
 drifting, careless of time, distance and direction. 
 We see some bent with the utmost determination
 
 244 Prayer. 
 
 upon certain courses, and others, with just as much 
 determination, pursuing precisely opposite courses. 
 If we scan the horizon of humanity, we will find 
 these soul-ships sailing toward every conceivable 
 point of the compass. It cannot be that the Truth 
 lies in such a myriad of directions. There is but 
 one God, and there can be but one Truth; one 
 direction toward it, one anchorage in it. The 
 Truth founded upon the perfect laws of God, must 
 be practical. Human ideas concerning the Truth, 
 are mere superstitions, imaginations and chimeras, 
 simply because they are not practical. If it was 
 announced that Christ had come upon the earth, in 
 fulfillment of his promise ; that he had been born 
 naturally of parents, according to God's laws, and 
 now lived among us in the human form, scarcely 
 one in a thousand would believe in him, although 
 teaching and expecting his second coming. If, 
 however, it was reported that Christ had appeared, 
 soaring in the clouds, his stature gigantic, his 
 apparel glistening and glorious, and his voice like 
 the roll of thunder, millions would believe the 
 statement, because such a Christ and such a 
 coming of Christ, would be an impossibility. We 
 need, therefore, the practical truth, and it is our 
 duty to ask God to "lift us above the ocean of 
 superstitions and imaginations," which are but 
 human inventions and worthless to the soul. 
 
 The twelfth "word" is "And grant me an Iron 
 Sight, to see and realize from the surrounding 
 existence, Thy Oneness and Thy Truth. " 
 
 By the "Iron Sight" is meant the clear inner vision
 
 Prayer. 245 
 
 of the soul ; the intuitive perception and knowledge 
 of the Truth. According to the prophet Joel 2,28: 
 "And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will 
 pour out my spirit upon all flesh ; and your sons and 
 your daughters shall prophesy ; your old men shall 
 dream dreams; your young men shall see visions." 
 In asking God for the Iron Sight, we petition Him 
 for the spiritual condition which enables us to 
 receive knowledge from Him, through revelations, 
 visions, and "dreaming dreams." 
 
 This blessing and great gift is bestowed upon 
 the human race in these present days, more 
 abundantly than it was given to the followers of 
 Christ, in the early Christian period. 
 
 The following Tablet is used as a morning 
 prayer: 
 
 "Praise to Thee, O my God, for Thou hast 
 awakened me after my sleep, made me appear after 
 my absence, and raised me after my death. I arose 
 this morning, facing the light of the dawn of Thine 
 appearance, which lightened the horizon of the 
 heavens of Thy Power and Majesty, confessing 
 the truth of Thy Word, believing in Thy Book, 
 and holding to Thy Robe. I beg of Thee, by the 
 power of Thy Will and the performance of Thy 
 Wish, to make what Thou didst show me in my 
 vision, a solid foundation for the house of Thy 
 Love in the hearts of Thy Redeemers and the best 
 cause for the manifestation of Thy Generosity and 
 Providence. 
 
 " O my God, ordain to me by Thy Supreme 
 Pen, the good of the world to come and the present 
 one.
 
 246 Prayer. 
 
 " I hereby bear witness that in Thy hands are 
 the reins of all things, and Thou changest them 
 according to Thy Will, and that there is no God 
 but Thee, for Thou art the One, the Almighty and 
 the Faithful. 
 
 " Thou art the One who changest by Thy Com- 
 mand, the dishonored to the highest stage of honor, 
 the weak to be strong, the failing to have power, 
 the confused to be in peace, and the doubting to 
 have strong faith. 
 
 " There is no God but Thee, who art Mighty 
 and Generous. 
 
 "The heavens of Thy Charity and the oceans 
 of Thy Bounty are so vast, that Thou hast never 
 disappointed those who beg of Thee, and never 
 refused those who willed to come unto Thee. 
 
 "Thou art Most Powerful and Mighty." 
 
 The word "Redeemer" in this tablet, signifies 
 a spiritual title given to those who obey their mis- 
 sion in the Cause of God, even to death, thereby 
 accomplishing their own redemption. The follow- 
 ing tablet is to be used especially when leaving 
 the house : 
 
 " By Thy generosity, O my God, I come to this 
 morning, and I leave this house depending on 
 Thee and delivering all my concerns to Thy Hand. 
 Therefore send down upon me from the heavens of 
 Thy Mercy, a special blessing from Thy Presence; 
 bring me back in peace and righteousness as Thou 
 hast sent me out. 
 
 " There is no God but Thee ; for Thou art the 
 One who has all the Knowledge and all the Wis- 
 dom."
 
 Prayer. 247 
 
 Having realized the necessity and efficacy of 
 prayer, it is for our eternal interest to practice it 
 diligently, in the spirit of humility and earnest- 
 ness. As God has promised to hear and answer 
 our petitions thus presented, our benefit is abso- 
 lutely certain, for He never fails in the fulfilment 
 of His promises.
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 ADAM. 
 
 Pre-existence of the soul, the purpose of its im- 
 prisonment in the body, and the conditions of its 
 existence hereafter, have been divinely revealed to 
 us in the story of Adam and the Garden of Eden. 
 Whence came we? What is our purpose here? 
 Whither going ? These are the all-important ques- 
 tions of human existence. They cover the history 
 and destiny of the soul. In their solution, is 
 knowledge of the Truth of God, whose All-wise 
 intention has preserved scriptural record, until this 
 present age of the world, when human understand- 
 ing is fitted to receive the message of its interpreta- 
 tion and the revelation of its teaching. 
 
 Theologians and religious thinkers have failed 
 to understand whether the earliest records in the 
 book of Genesis, relative to the Garden of Eden, 
 the Fall of Man and longevity of the human race, 
 are historical accounts of real events, or simply 
 myths and traditions, which had their origin in the 
 earliest dawn of civilization. Is the story of Adam 
 but the product of human imagination? Is it 
 allegory founded upon man's observation of the 
 working forces of nature ; or is it the record of 
 actual happenings, symbolically written by prophets 
 inspired of God, to teach the human race the his- 
 tory of the beginning and earliest condition of 
 man?
 
 250 Adam. 
 
 The majority of theologians maintain that the 
 story of Adam is the Word of God, containing an 
 underlying spiritual significance, but confess their 
 inability to give it specific and definite interpreta- 
 tion. However they may differ in opinion as to 
 its exact teaching, they must coincide in admitting 
 its ultra importance, inasmuch as it concerns the 
 most remote epoch of human history, and upon its 
 narrative as a foundation, rests entirely, the doc- 
 trine of * ' original sin. " Belief in this doctrine, or 
 proof of it, depends solely upon the history of Adam 
 and the story of Eden. If we cannot prove the 
 nature of Adam's transgression, or discover the 
 reality of an act of disobedience which holds all 
 mankind in the thraldom of its consequences, the 
 whole scriptural basis of original sin is destroyed, 
 man's absolute independence of action and supreme 
 individual responsibility established, and the doc- 
 trine of redemption proved to be unnecessary and 
 impossible. The importance of this record in 
 Genesis is therefore apparent from the fact that it 
 contains the only data upon which the doctrine of 
 original sin can be founded. All other citations 
 and elaborations of this point, in scripture and out- 
 side of scripture, proceed from the Story of the 
 Garden of Eden. 
 
 While numberless theories and explanations ad 
 infinitum have been evolved concerning it ; while 
 the result of human effort to understand its real 
 significance, has been confusion and contrariety of 
 opinion, the fact remains that this record is a 
 revelation from God to mankind ; intended by Him
 
 Adam. 251 
 
 to teach a great spiritual truth which is essential 
 to every human soul. The certain evidence of this 
 intention of revelation, is found in the fact that the 
 prophets, Christ especially, taught the same spiritual 
 truth embodied in the story of Adam and the Gar- 
 den of Eden. 
 
 Much of the difficulty in understanding and 
 interpretation, arises from the reason that scrip- 
 tural mode of expression is symbolical. All the 
 prophetic language of scripture employs symbols. 
 Christ taught in parables and allegorical illustra- 
 tions. The earliest records in the book of Genesis, 
 were written in idiographic language, which pre- 
 ceded the use of characters representing sounds. 
 Centuries later, they were translated into Hebrew. 
 The original Hebrew writings suffered many 
 changes through successive transcriptions, at long 
 intervals and different periods. 
 
 According to Dr. Heber Newton in " Right and 
 Wrong Uses of the Bible," "We must also take 
 into consideration this fact, that the languages are 
 constantly changing ; words and expressions that 
 were in use a hundred years ago, are now obsolete 
 or convey a different meaning and it is often neces- 
 sary for us to take their meaning in a figurative 
 sense and not literally, as we do at the present 
 time." 
 
 Upon this point, Origen (Vol. i, p.~3i5) wrote 
 as follows : 
 
 "The Scriptures contain many things which did 
 not actually occur. For who that hath under- 
 standing, will suppose that the first and second and
 
 252 Adam. 
 
 third day, and the evening and the morning 
 existed without a sun, moon and stars ? and that 
 the first day was as it were without a sky ? and 
 who is so foolish as to suppose that God after the 
 manner of a husbandman planted a paradise in 
 Eden toward the East and placed in it a tree of 
 life visible and palpable, so that one taking of the 
 fruit by the bodily teeth, obtained life? And if 
 God is said to walk in the paradise in the evening 
 and Adam to hide himself under a tree, I do not 
 suppose that anyone doubts that these things, 
 figuratively, indicate certain mysteries, the his- 
 tory having taken place in appearance and not 
 literally. Cain also when going forth from the 
 presence of God, certainly appeals to thoughtful 
 men as likely to lead the reader to inquire what is 
 the presence of God, and what is the meaning of 
 going out from Him ? The Gospels are filled with 
 the same kind of narratives. " 
 
 One of the greatest difficulties in coming to a 
 real knowledge of this lesson, is the misunder- 
 standing of the location of Eden. Scholars and 
 theologians confess the impossibility of locating it 
 accurately. Martin Luther said " No one knows." 
 Geikie, " Hours with the Bible" says: " It would 
 be wearisome to quote at length the widely con- 
 trasted opinions which offer themselves in the long 
 list of writings, more or less fully devoted to this 
 subject for it embraces not fewer than 80 treatises; 
 Palestine, Syria, Armenia, Mesopotamia, Persia, 
 the Delta of the Indus, Cashmere, one of the South 
 Sea Islands, the Canary Islands, St. Gothard in the
 
 Adam. 253 
 
 Alps and even the shores of the Baltic have been 
 zealously advocated as the seat of Paradise." 
 
 The consensus of learned opinion favors the 
 idea that its real locality was somewhere in Asia, 
 near the great rivers Euphrates and Tigris, from 
 the fact that the former is named in the Genesis 
 narration, together with the Hiddekel which was 
 the ancient name of the Tigris. The rivers Gihon 
 and Pishon have never been found, nor is there 
 any evidence past or present, of the existence of 
 the great river from which these four proceeded, 
 and of which they were the "heads" or "branches." 
 
 In point of geographical existence, it is clearly 
 evident that the Garden of Eden has never been, 
 and could not be a spot or locality upon the earth's 
 surface. Added to this, is the weight of scriptural 
 demonstration that the story itself is symbolical of 
 an existence in the spiritual realms ; that this is 
 the true meaning of the location of the Paradise 
 of God. 
 
 Still further, in the light of physical science, it 
 can be shown from the description of Eden, that an 
 earthly location for it, is impossible. According to 
 the biblical record, there grew " out of the ground, 
 every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good 
 for food; the tree of life also, in the midst of the 
 garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and 
 evil." From a scientific standpoint, it is impossi- 
 ble to admit that there grew from the soil of the 
 earth, trees which produced fruits of "life" and fruits 
 of the knowledge of "good" and "evil." The material 
 elements cannot nourish our souls with life and the
 
 254 Adam. 
 
 knowledge of good and evil ; they nourish and 
 sustain the body, which partakes of their nature 
 and qualities. According to science, therefore, and 
 upon the basis of literal facts, the Garden of Eden 
 could not have existed upon the earth. In Reve- 
 lations 2, 7, the symbolism and imagery of the 
 Eden story is utilized to prove this point more 
 clearly. u He that hath an ear, let him hear what 
 the Spirit saith to the churches ; to him that over- 
 cometh, will I give to eat of the tree of life, which 
 is in the midst of the Paradise of God." Here, 
 Christ teaches us that by coming to this earth and 
 accomplishing victoriously the purpose of our com- 
 ing, we shall enter into the Paradise of God, eat of 
 the Tree of Life and live forever with God. From 
 this teaching, we learn that the Garden of Eden is 
 the Paradise of God ; for the Tree of Life grew in. 
 Eden. We certainly do not understand that our 
 eternity of reward for victory in this life, will be 
 to live with God our Creator, between the two 
 rivers Euphrates and Tigris. Christ taught also 
 in the Gospels, that we came from our Father's 
 house and that we shall return to Him. This will 
 be thoroughly explained later. In the " Secrets of 
 Enoch " Chapter 8, we meet the same description 
 of Eden, with slight change in the symbolism. 
 
 "And these men took me from thence, and 
 brought me to the third heaven, and placed me in 
 the midst of a garden, a place such as has never 
 been known before for the goodliness of its appear- 
 ance and I saw all the trees of beautiful colors and 
 their fruits ripe and fragrant, and all kinds of food
 
 Adam. 255 
 
 which they produced, springing up with delightful 
 fragrance, and in their midst (there is) the tree of 
 life, in that place, on which God rests when He 
 comes into Paradise, and this tree cannot be 
 described for its excellence and sweet odour and 
 it is beautiful more than any created thing. And 
 on all sides in appearance it is gold and crimson 
 and transparent as fire and it covers everything. 
 From its root in the garden there go forth four 
 streams which pour honey and milk, oil and wine, 
 and are separated in four directions, and go about 
 with a soft course. And they go down to the Para- 
 dise of Eden, between corruptibility and incor- 
 ruptibility. And thence they go along the earth, 
 and have a revolution in their circle like also the 
 other elements. And there is another tree, an olive 
 tree always distilling oil, and there is no tree there 
 without any fruit, and every tree is blessed, and 
 there are three hundred angels very glorious, who 
 keep the garden and with never ceasing voices and 
 blessed singing, they serve the Lord every day. 
 And I said 'What a very blessed place this is.'" 
 
 The " Tree of Life upon which God rests when 
 He comes into Paradise," is the Manifestation of 
 God the Infinite, to His creatures. "From its 
 root, there go forth four streams." The "olive 
 tree always distilling oil ' ' is the Tree of Knowl- 
 edge of Good and Evil, the cause of our leaving 
 the Paradise of God and coming upon the earth. 
 
 The other trees in Paradise, represent the souls 
 of the human race. Christ used this symbolism 
 when He said John 15, " I am the vine, ye are the
 
 256 Adam. 
 
 branches; my Father is the husbandman." In 
 the parable of the Vineyard, Luke 20, 9-16, Christ 
 taught us the same truth ; that God " planted a 
 vineyard, and went into another country for a long 
 time," leaving it to the care of husbandmen. 
 Human souls are therefore, the trees in the Garden 
 of Eden, which are watered by the four rivers 
 branching from God the Tree of Life or the Great 
 River, in the midst of the Garden. 
 
 The Tree of Knowledge is likewise a symbol of 
 the Manifestation of God to His creatures. This 
 teaching is not confined to the Bible, but is found 
 in the scriptures of other religions. Wherever the 
 symbols of the two trees are found, they represent 
 the image of the Supreme God manifested to His 
 creatures. Geikie " Hours with the Bible " page 
 98. " The trees of life and the knowledge of good 
 and evil have been no less widely remembered. 
 The Indian tradition speaks of the tree Kalpank- 
 sham, whose fruit gave immortality ; among the 
 Persians a similar tree was called Horn ; among 
 the Arabs the Tuba ; among the Greeks the Lotus. 
 On the Assyrian sculptures the tree of life is con- 
 stantly seen, and its high importance cannot be 
 doubted. It sometimes appears alone, sometimes 
 worshiped by royal figures, at other times guarded 
 by winged forms in attitude of adoration ; but is 
 always incontrovertibly one of the loftiest of re- 
 ligious symbols, for we often see it surmounted by 
 the winged disk, the symbolic image of the Supreme 
 God, with occasionally a human bust above it. 
 Alike on the bas-reliefs of Assyrian palaces, and on
 
 Adam. 257 
 
 both Babylonian and Assyrian cylinders, it recurs 
 with striking constancy." 
 
 Also in the Book of Enoch, 25, 3 and 4 " And 
 he answered me by saying ' This high mountain 
 which thou hast seen, whose summit is like the 
 throne of God, is the throne where the holy and 
 great God of Glory, the Eternal King will sit when 
 He shall descend to visit the earth with goodness. ' 
 And this tree of beautiful fragrance cannot be 
 touched by any flesh until the time of the great 
 judgment ; when all things will be atoned for and 
 consummated for eternity; this will be given to the 
 just and humble." 
 
 The same truth is found in the prophecies of 
 Ezekiel 17, 22 and 23, "Thus saith the Lord 
 God ; I will also take of the highest branch of the 
 high cedar and will set it ; I will crop off from the 
 top of his young twigs a tender one, and will plant 
 it upon a high mountain and eminent. In the 
 mountain of the height of Israel will I plant it ; 
 and it shall bring forth boughs and bear fruit, and 
 be a goodly cedar, and under it shall dwell all fowl 
 of every wing; in the shadow of the branches 
 thereof shall they dwell." 
 
 If the location of the Garden of Eden is sym- 
 bolical of a spiritual existence, what of the action 
 recorded ? It is evident that the souls in the 
 Paradise of God, ate of the fruit of the Tree of 
 Knowledge, knowingly. That is to say, they par- 
 took of it independently. The inevitable deduction 
 is that they received it by asking for it. In the 
 narration it is said that u the serpent" tempted
 
 258 Adam. 
 
 them to eat, after which they were driven out of 
 Paradise. As the Garden of Eden had no material 
 existence, we must conclude that no actual serpent 
 existed there. The serpent, since the most ancient 
 times, has been and still is the symbol of "wis- 
 dom." Christ said, Matt. 10, 16 "Be ye therefore 
 wise as serpents." Among the Chaldeans, Egyp- 
 tians, Hebrews and Greeks, this significance of the 
 serpent symbol was universal. The brazen serpent 
 set up by Moses to represent wisdom, was destroyed 
 by Hezekiah, when he found it had become an ob- 
 ject of idolatry. Afterward it became the symbol 
 of evil, and was incorporated into early Christian 
 belief, to typify the devil or Satan. 
 
 "Secrets of Enoch" p. 14 (Note by R. H. 
 Charles). 
 
 "The serpent was anciently a symbol of wisdom 
 and healing, among the Greeks, the Egyptians 
 (Brugsch Rel. and Myth pp 103-4) an ^ the He- 
 brews, (Num. 21, 8-9; II Kings 18, 4; Matt. 10, 16; 
 John 3, 14); Hezekiah's destruction of the "brazen 
 serpent" as associated with idolatry may have caused 
 the symbol to bear almost without exception an 
 evil significance in later times, so that at last it 
 became a designation of Satan." 
 
 As the serpent symbolizes wisdom, and as the 
 human race of souls existing in Paradise, asked for 
 the knowledge of good and evil, we establish the 
 fact that their own knowledge or wisdom impelled 
 them to take this great step, for which they were 
 banished from Paradise to "till the earth." The 
 knowledge of good and evil is distinctly the power
 
 Adam. 259 
 
 of independence which is possessed only by God and 
 Man. The function of independence is to choose 
 good. Choosing evil is misuse and violation of its 
 true function. We cannot possibly hold that the 
 function of our independence is to choose evil. A 
 horse grazing in a field, will eat of many herbs, 
 leaves and grasses, but refuse others. The power 
 of selection, the instinct which governs the horse 
 in this discrimination between nutritious food and 
 poisonous plants, was not given him for the pur- 
 pose of enabling him to eat the poison. The func- 
 tion of his power of selection is distinctly to choose 
 that which is good and refuse that which is 
 detrimental and injurious. Similarly, the power 
 of independence, the knowledge of good and evil, 
 possessed by man, is intended for his elevation and 
 development. We therefore came upon the earth 
 to gain knowledge ; tempted or persuaded by the 
 wisdom we already possessed, to take upon our- 
 selves the process of earth life, in order to increase 
 our knowledge. The real "fall of man" was, 
 therefore, the consent and willingness of the race 
 of human souls to undergo a process, a period of 
 trial and testing in the environment of the flesh, 
 in order to attain a higher attitude of knowledge 
 before God our Creator. In the universe of God, 
 there is no accomplishment without process. If 
 we wish to reach the top floor of a building, we 
 must climb the stairs ; to read Shakespeare, we 
 must study the alphabet. Process is inevitable, 
 materially and spiritually. 
 
 In "Chaldean Genesis" G. G. Smith says
 
 260 Adam. 
 
 "Judging from the fragments discovered, it appears 
 probable that there were in the royal library at 
 Nineveh over ten thousand inscribed tablets, includ- 
 ing almost every subject in ancient literature. By 
 far the greater number of the tablets brought from 
 Nineveh belonged to the age of Assurbanipal who 
 reigned over Assyria B. C. 670 and every copy of 
 the Genesis legends yet found was inscribed during 
 his reign. It is stated that these tablets are not 
 the originals, but only copies from earlier texts. 
 The date of the original copies is never preserved. 
 The Assyrians acknowledged that this literature 
 was borrowed from Babylonian sources. The 
 Izdubar legends containing the story of the flood 
 were probably written B. C. 2000. These legends 
 were, however, traditions before they were com- 
 mitted to writing and were common in some form 
 to all the country. It seems from the indications 
 in the inscriptions that there happened in the 
 interval B. C. 2000 to B. C. 1850 a general collect- 
 ing and development of the various traditions of 
 the Creation, Flood, Tower of Babel and other 
 similar legends. The Assyrians state that these 
 documents were copied from ancient Babylonian 
 copies, and in some cases state that the old copies 
 were partly illegible even in their days. 
 
 " There is nothing in the present fragments (p. 
 88) indicating a belief in the Garden of Eden or the 
 Tree of Knowledge; there is only an obscure allu- 
 sion in lines 16 and 22 to a thirst for knowledge 
 having been a cause for man's fall." 
 
 In "Book of Enoch" 32, 6, "Then the holy
 
 Adam. 261 
 
 angel Rufael, who was with me, answered and said 
 to me: * This is the tree of wisdom from which thy 
 old father and thy aged mother, who were before 
 thee; etc. and they learned wisdom, and their eyes 
 were opened and they learned that they were naked 
 and were driven out of the garden." 
 
 We read in the Bible that after the expulsion 
 from Paradise, God placed a " Flaming Sword " be- 
 tween Adam and the Tree of Life, to prevent him 
 from reaching it. It is obvious that God is willing 
 that man shall eat of the Tree of Life, but not 
 until he is fitted for and justly deserves it by the 
 accomplishment of a certain process or purpose. 
 This purpose must be accomplished and attained 
 upon the earth, and, as it is a hardship, a difficulty, 
 a state of pain and suffering, it resembles passing 
 a "flaming sword" to reach the Tree of Life. 
 The flaming sword symbolizes the place of suffer- 
 ing, pain and death, which must be passed through 
 before the privilege of eating the fruits of the Tree 
 of Life can be attained. The earth is therefore the 
 "flaming sword." Our race of souls came upon 
 the earth from the Paradise of God, for a short 
 duration of time, either to be fitted for everlasting 
 life with God or to be cast out from His Face, by 
 rejecting Him. 
 
 The idea and teaching of the "flaming sword," 
 expressed in different symbolism, is found among 
 the beliefs of nearly all the races of the world. In 
 "Ten Great Religions" p. 320, James Freeman 
 Clark says "We learn that the Greeks supposed 
 that every soul must cross the river Styx in Charon's
 
 262 Adam. 
 
 boat ; that the Persians thought the departed must 
 cross above the abyss of woe on the arch of the 
 rainbow; and that the Koran teaches that they 
 must go over on the bridge El Sirat, whose blade 
 is sharp as a cimitar ; and even Christians speak of 
 passing over a mythical Jordan. 
 
 "The missionaries were told by the Hurons and 
 Iroquois that the soul after death must cross a deep 
 rapid river on a bridge made of a slender and ill- 
 poised tree; another tribe believed in crossing a 
 river in a stone canoe, another in going over a 
 stream on a bridge made of an enormous serpent 
 The Indians of Chili, the Aztecs and the Esqui- 
 maux had similar legends. All these notions 
 sprang up naturally, among primitive people, be- 
 fore bridges were built, the chief difficulty a trav- 
 eler encountered was in crossing a river or a branch 
 of the sea. They naturally thought that in the 
 long journey from this world to the next, some 
 similar difficulty would be found." 
 
 It is a mistake to suppose that these difficulties 
 are to be passed through after death. Only upon 
 this earth can we accomplish the privilege of eating 
 of the Tree of lyife ; for this is the place appointed 
 by God to be the testing-ground of human action. 
 If it were possible to attain this privilege elsewhere, 
 there would be no object in our existence here. 
 Therefore, as we cannot attribute to God the All- 
 wise, the performance of any action without pur- 
 pose, especially this great action, the creation of 
 this wonderful earth and the coming of the highest 
 race in the universe, upon it, we must conclude
 
 Adam. 263 
 
 that the flaming sword, the bridge of El Sirat, the 
 River Jordan and kindred symbols, represent " the 
 earth." 
 
 In order to understand and simplify the records 
 of the book of Genesis, it is necessary to determine 
 the meanings of the names Adam, Eve, Cain and 
 Abel. Every proper name has a meaning or sig- 
 nificance in the language which gave it origin. In 
 all languages, proper names originate from common 
 nouns and are founded upon some natural object, 
 circumstance or event. By tracing a name back- 
 ward, we find its natal source to be a language in 
 which it has an intrinsic meaning. The words 
 Adam, Eve, Cain and Abel have no significance in 
 English, Hebrew, Egyptian, Arabic, etc. It has 
 been found, however, that they have a definite 
 meaning in the Accadian language, which is 
 spoken by the Kurds, a people of Kurdistan, in 
 Asia Minor. This conclusively proves that the 
 earliest language of which we have trace or record, 
 is the Accadian or Kurdish. 
 
 In this language, "Adam" or "Adeem " means 
 " the cover of the thing," its " surface " or rather 
 "skin ;" and as the body of a man is the "tent" 
 or "cover" in which the soul lives, it was called 
 "Adeem " or the " skin." Those who claim that 
 it applies to the red color of soil or earth, are mis- 
 taken. "Eve" or "Hhowaa," is "life" or a 
 "living soul." The union or combination of 
 "Adam" the " body " or " tent " and "Eve "the 
 "living soul," which perfectly expresses the creation 
 of man, is set forth in Genesis 2, 7 "And the
 
 264 Adam. 
 
 Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground 
 and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life ; 
 and man became a living soul." 
 
 In Job 19, 26 The body of man, or " Adam " is 
 rendered as " skin " " And though after my skin 
 worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see 
 God." " Cain " or " Ca-in " means "earthly pos- 
 session," "material," and sometimes a "mineral 
 that is used for a spear head." In the latter sense 
 we find Tubal-Cain, Gen. 4, 22, was " the forger of 
 every cutting instrument of brass and iron." 
 " Abel " or " Abeel " means the " Son of God." 
 With this knowledge of the true significance of 
 these proper names, the interpretation of the sym- 
 bolism thus far proves as follows: Our race, or 
 Adam (which is a term applied not only to our first 
 earthly parents, but also to the whole human race, 
 as we frequently find it used in the Bible), was in 
 the Garden of Eden, or the Paradise of God ; a race 
 of souls perfect in the limitation in which God had 
 created them. In this spiritual plane, they existed 
 without sorrow, pain or death ; without the knowl- 
 edge of good and evil ; incapable of rising above 
 their limitation, yet possessing knowledge or wis- 
 dom which gave them thirst or desire to rise into 
 a higher attitude before God than the limitation in 
 which they had been created. The "serpent," 
 that is to say, the wisdom they gained when they 
 learned that God the Infinite, the Creator, had 
 decided from eternity, to take unto himself a Form, 
 an Image, in order that His finite creatures might 
 comprehend the Invisible through the Visible Mani-
 
 Adam. 265 
 
 festation; and that He had appointed this globe to 
 be the place where He would manifest Himself in 
 this Image: the "serpent" Wisdom urged them 
 to ask their Creator that they might take an Image 
 like His Own and rise higher toward the State of 
 Divinity. In this, they sought to be like Him ; to 
 attain His characteristics, knowing good from evil. 
 This grafting into His Own Image, is eating the 
 fruit of the Tree of Knowledge ; for if we were not 
 made after His Image, we could not be fitted to 
 live with Him and be adopted as His children. 
 The horse is not fitted to live with man and partici- 
 pate in human accomplishment, for the reason that 
 the horse is not " after the image " of man. To live 
 with God and be naturalized into Divinity, we 
 must undergo the process of a life upon earth, in 
 His Own Image. God granted this petition of our 
 race of souls, upon the conditions to which we now, 
 as human beings upon the earth, are subject. 
 Under these conditions, we must come here, im- 
 prisoned in this mold of clay, which is the Image 
 of God ; our tablets of memory sealed and locked, 
 in order that we may not remember our previous 
 existence and thus have free exercise of our power 
 of independence, which is the knowledge and 
 choice of good and evil ; our existence hampered 
 and beset upon every side with earthly hindrances 
 and trials, in order that through all our probation 
 and testing, we may prove our worthiness for re- 
 ward, by clinging with love to God, acknowledging 
 Him in pain and sorrow as well as in earthly hap- 
 piness, to be our God, Father and Almighty Creator.
 
 266 Adam, 
 
 The difficulty of these apparently simple conditions, 
 is realized by looking at humanity about us. To- 
 day, millions are denying their Creator ; millions 
 are entertaining false and ridiculous ideas as to 
 how our race and all living creatures originated. 
 The prophet Jeremiah 2,27 says " They say to a 
 stock, Thou art my father, and to a stone, Thou 
 hast brought me forth ; for they have turned their 
 back unto me and not their face ; but in the time 
 of their trouble they will say, Arise and save us." 
 
 God has bestowed upon us the gift of independ- 
 ence, the God-power of will, that we may perform 
 our duties toward Him and toward ourselves, from 
 our own wish and accord. Those who fulfill these 
 conditions, will be grafted into the Tree of Life and 
 live with Him forever, while those who fail in their 
 fulfillment, will be shut out from the Paradise of 
 God, prevented from eating the food of that 
 blessed Tree, and cast out from His Face. This, 
 as we shall see later, is the condition of u Cain " 
 in the land of Nod, to which land, souls not com- 
 petent to fill the high position of reward as the 
 Children of God, must go in punishment. 
 
 " Secrets of Enoch " 30, 15 " And I gave him 
 his will, and I showed him the two ways, the light 
 and the darkness. And I said unto him ' This is 
 good and this is evil;' that I should know whether 
 he has love for Me or hate ; that he should appear 
 in his race as loving Me." Jesus taught the same 
 point in Matt 12, 30 " He that is not with me is 
 against me." 
 
 We see, therefore, that God gave us our in-
 
 Adam. 267 
 
 dependence to choose or refuse Him, in order that 
 we may be like Him, independent as He is in- 
 dependent. If we were not independent, we could 
 not attain the attitude of Divinity. The fact that 
 our tablet of memory is locked, proves that we 
 shall be judged by the use we make of this God- 
 power of independence, during our earth-life. We 
 are being tested in its use or misuse, to show 
 our fitness or unfitness for grafting into Him as 
 His sons and children. For this reason, we are 
 able to sin, while the angels, or other races of 
 souls who are not so tested, who are without the 
 power of independence, cannot commit sin. As 
 they are not independent, they are not responsible. 
 They are controlled by God, and He is responsible 
 for them. 
 
 Cyril of Jerusalem said "A free agent alone can 
 commit sin." Therefore the souls which show 
 their standard by loving God while upon this earth, 
 will pass the " Flaming Sword" victoriously, return 
 to the Paradise of God, eat of the Tree of Life as 
 Gods and the adopted Children of God forever. 
 
 This is the cause of the coming of man upon 
 earth, and the true meaning of the " Fall of Man." 
 We did not " fall " by eating of the Tree of Knowl- 
 edge ; we did not commit sin by partaking of that 
 blessed fruit, but in reality performed an action 
 highly beneficial to ourselves, by which we may 
 accomplish an immeasurable "rise." The "Fall 
 of Man " was therefore the passing out of our race 
 of souls from the spiritual realms of the Garden of 
 Eden, to attain a great privilege and be fitted to
 
 268 Adam. 
 
 become Gods. Eternal glory and gratitude to 
 "Eve" the "woman," instead of the stigma of re- 
 sponsibility laid upon her by those whose eyes are 
 blinded to the truth. 
 
 The temptation of Adam (the race of souls in 
 the Garden of Eden), by the serpent Wisdom, is 
 further set forth and the scriptural truth clarified, 
 in the sacred narrative in Genesis 3 3-5. 4 ' But of 
 the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the 
 garden, God hath said ye shall not eat of it, neither 
 shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent 
 said unto the woman Ye shall not surely die ; for 
 God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, 
 then your eyes shall be opened ; and ye shall be as 
 gods, knowing good and evil." 
 
 This teaches that our race of souls, after arguing 
 with the serpent and thinking over the opportunity 
 for attaining a higher and supreme limitation be- 
 fore God, realized the greatness of it, overcame 
 hesitation, and consented willingly to undergo the 
 process of trial in the body, the end whereof is 
 death. And, although realizing that death was the 
 culmination of this process, we knew also that by 
 it, we should attain unto everlasting life as gods. 
 
 Having taken this great step, by consenting will- 
 ingly to undergo the process of life upon the earth, 
 the souls of our race found themselves " naked " in 
 the Garden of Eden, that is to say, deprived of the 
 privilege they sought by eating of the Tree of 
 Knowledge, and unable to accomplish it through 
 their own efforts. This condition of helplessness is 
 symbolized by the efforts of Adam and Eve to 
 cover their nakedness with fig leaves.
 
 Adam. 269 
 
 " And the I/ord God made for Adam and for his 
 wife, coats of skins, and clothed them." Genesis, 
 
 3,2i. 
 
 God the merciful and loving Creator came to the 
 assistance of these naked, helpless souls, and tailored 
 by His Mighty Hand, two "coats of skins," one 
 male and the other female ; and into these two 
 skins, bodies or " Adeems," entered, by His com- 
 mand, the first two souls from Paradise. This 
 wonderful body of man is a product of the creative 
 wisdom of God. It is the material form, made 
 after the Image of God Himself. "And God said, 
 let us make man in our image, after our likeness." 
 Genesis i, 26. Thus Adam, by accepting God's 
 conditions, left the Garden of Eden, " driven from 
 it," and came upon the earth to accomplish the 
 purpose of befitting himself for the higher position 
 of a god ; knowing beforehand, that he must 
 endure sorrow, suffering and death, for God had 
 said unto him, u The day you eat, death you shall 
 die." 
 
 At the same time, God placed between him and 
 the Tree of L,ife, a " Flaming Sword," the Bridge, 
 the Sirat, this earth, with its hardships and diffi- 
 culties, that he might learn to use rightly the 
 weapon of independence which God gave him, and 
 attain from his own free will, the great blessing of 
 becoming a god. 
 
 Concerning the scriptural record that God formed 
 woman from a rib taken out of the man's body, we 
 are taught by it, that as rib means a support, so 
 God the Almighty, made Adam of two sexes, male
 
 270 Adam. 
 
 and female, to support each other during their ex- 
 istence upon the earth. Upon each sex, he laid 
 special duties and functions, through which other 
 human bodies should be brought into existence. 
 The sexes therefore are equal materially and spir- 
 itually. 
 
 Having created these human bodies or skins, one 
 male, and the other female, He endowed them with 
 the power of growth, the power of reproduction, 
 like unto a factory composed of two parts, by which 
 other tents or bodies should be woven, into which 
 the rest of our race of souls might come, take the 
 form after the image of God, and attain the same 
 privilege. According to the same plan, He also 
 made the races of beasts, birds, fishes and some 
 species of the vegetable kingdom. In all these, 
 God created the first pair, and endowed them with 
 the power of reproduction. The child comes from 
 the mother, the seed from the tree. It is not nec- 
 essary, therefore, for God to create a new human 
 body for each soul that comes upon the earth. 
 From our first parents, came the whole human race, 
 likewise from a single tree, or in some cases from 
 two trees, came all the forests of the earth. 
 
 The third Adam or Adam the Man, received his 
 name as a title of honor, for he bore the image of 
 God His Creator, the Form of the manifestation of 
 the Supreme Being. Adam the Man was endowed 
 with faculties and powers which enabled him to 
 understand the operation of natural laws and con- 
 ditions of the surrounding existence. By this en- 
 dowment of knowledge, he was made capable of
 
 Adam. 271 
 
 applying the material existence to his benefit. We 
 have sufficient evidence to believe that God the 
 Creator revealed to our first parents, many things 
 material and spiritual, to increase the capital of 
 their knowledge and experience, thus enabling 
 them to fulfill their material and spiritual duties 
 and transmit their knowledge to their offspring. 
 As these revelations of intelligence came direct 
 from God, Adam was a prophet. We know that 
 the cereals, many herbs, fruits, etc. appeared upon 
 the earth with the coming of man, for according to 
 geological evidence, there are no traces of their 
 existence before that period. Furthermore, we 
 know that most of the above mentioned products 
 of the earth, were distinctly intended for man's 
 sustenance, since without human cultivation, they 
 retrograde in quality and ultimately disappear. 
 
 Our first parents, in the weakness of their human 
 natures, sinned against the perfect laws of God. 
 No human creature can live without committing 
 sins and mistakes. Surrounded by the attractions 
 of earthly existence, which tempted him to gratify 
 his material desires, Adam, as a finite creature, 
 failed to comprehend the will of God and neglected 
 the way of knowing Him through human compre- 
 hension. God promised him help, and revealed to 
 him that through his offspring should come one 
 who would lift up the fallen race and guide 
 men to the real knowledge of their Creator, 
 the Infinite. God revealed His intention of mani- 
 festing Himself to His creatures, in fulfillment of 
 the promise our race of souls had received in the
 
 272 Adam. 
 
 Garden of Eden ; that He Himself would guide 
 and teach men to know Him. Christ taught this 
 truth in the parable of the " Prodigal Son," when 
 He said the Father came to the help of His son. 
 The sins and mistakes of Adam and Eve, the 
 first human pair, did not cause the " Fall of Man," 
 the expulsion from the Garden of Eden, as is gen- 
 erally taught and believed. Their sins were the 
 consequence of imprisonment in this body of dust. 
 This imprisonment is typified by the symbol of the 
 serpent cursed, condemned to crawl upon the 
 ground and eat dust all the days of its life. The 
 interpretation of this symbol shows us that, as 
 through the serpent wisdom, our own knowledge, 
 we came from the spiritual realms to undergo a 
 process of trial and suffering upon the earth, that 
 same serpent or soul-knowledge was cursed or sent 
 upon the earth, to undergo the process with us. 
 As we were cast downward from a high plane of 
 existence to the dust of an earthly environment, to 
 live in this prison of clay, so the serpent, our soul 
 wisdom, was sent with us, imprisoned as we are 
 imprisoned and forced to communicate only through 
 the material avenues of the five senses in gaining 
 knowledge and understanding. In this way, the 
 serpent should " eat the dust of the earth all the 
 days of its life. " 
 
 "And I will put enmity between thee and the 
 woman, and between thy seed and her seed ; it 
 shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise its 
 heel. " Genesis 3, 15. The meaning of this enmity 
 between man and the serpent, is, that when we
 
 Adam. 273 
 
 perform good actions and make rightful use of the 
 faculties given us during our earth life, the serpent 
 wisdom will have nothing to say against us, re- 
 maining silent, without rebuke, as if its head were 
 bruised ; but if we ill-use these gifts and act 
 wickedly, the serpent wisdom will "bruise our 
 heel," that is condemn our transgressions. No 
 man commits sin unless condemned by his reason 
 and judgment, and as our life is likened to a jour- 
 ney upon the road to eternity, so our actions form 
 the steps of that journey. If we walk crookedly, 
 the serpent wisdom by its reproach and condemna- 
 tion, will bruise or bite our heels to straighten our 
 steps, rebuking us, that we may correct our actions 
 and do rightly.
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 ADAM (CAIN AND ABEL,). 
 
 We read in the Fourth Chapter of Genesis, that 
 the first children of Adam and Eve, were two sons, 
 Cain and Abel ; that " Cain was a tiller of the 
 ground and Abel a keeper of sheep ; " that " Cain 
 brought of the fruit of the ground, an offering unto 
 the Lord, and Abel he also brought of the first- 
 lings of his flock and of the fat thereof;" that 
 " the Lord had respect unto Abel and his offer- 
 ing, but unto Cain and to his offering He had not 
 respect." On this account, the jealous Cain slew 
 Abel and while God rebuked him, Cain expressed 
 the fear that "Whosoever findeth me shall slay 
 me." To protect Cain from harm, God gave him 
 a mark or sign, after which, Cain " went out from 
 the presence of the Lord, and dwelt in the land of 
 Nod, on the east of Eden." 
 
 The record of Cain probably contains more dif- 
 ficulties of interpretation and contradictory state- 
 ments, than any other narration of scripture. In 
 the fourteenth verse of the fourth chapter of 
 Genesis, it is said that Cain was " driven out from 
 the face of the ground; "that he should be a 
 ' ' fugitive and a wanderer in the earth ; ' ' that he 
 should be " hid from the face of God " and "slain 
 by whosoever found him." If Cain, after Abel's 
 death, was the only human being upon the earth 
 
 375
 
 276 Adam (Cain and Abel). 
 
 besides Adam and Eve, there could be no reason 
 for Cain's fear, neither could Cain be " driven out 
 from the face of the ground " and still be a " fugi- 
 tive in the earth ;" nor could he be " hid from the 
 face" of the omnipresent God. 
 
 Cain and Abel were figurative personages, and 
 not literally two sons of Adam and Eve. Through 
 this allegory, we understand that our race knew 
 from God, what would be our condition if we did 
 not " overcome " during the process of our earth 
 life. The fact that we consented to undergo the 
 process, notwithstanding this knowledge and warn- 
 ing, shows that we acknowledged the justice of 
 God's conditions. Therefore, in the earth life, 
 mankind is to be divided into two great parties, the 
 party of Cain and the party of Abel. The party of 
 Cain is represented by those who set their hearts 
 upon the possession of earthly things, neglect their 
 spiritual duties toward God, and worship Him with 
 outward show and ostentation, instead of worship- 
 ing Him in spirit and in truth, as Christ taught. 
 Cain is therefore a symbol of materially-minded 
 humanity. The evidence of this is found in Cain's 
 offering to God an offering of the " fruit of the 
 ground," which God rejected. 
 
 Abel was a "shepherd," the "Son of God" or 
 "he whose father is God." "Shepherd" is a 
 symbol employed in the Bible, to designate a spirit- 
 ual leader or spiritual man ; a shepherd of spiritual 
 flocks and herds. The party of Abel therefore 
 symbolizes the spiritually-minded division of hu- 
 manity ; those who worship God in spirit and in
 
 Adam (Cain and Abel). 277 
 
 truth. God Himself said "I am your shepherd." 
 As Abel offered unto God " an offering of the first- 
 lings of his flocks," God had respect unto his 
 spiritual offering and accepted it. 
 
 For this, it is said, Cain hated his brother Abel, 
 and slew him. Since the beginning of human his- 
 tory, the party of Cain has hated the party of Abel. 
 The beliefs and actions of the spiritually-minded 
 man have ever been a sting and rebuke to his ma- 
 terially-minded brother. The hatred of the wicked 
 and ungodly toward the good and righteous, has 
 always been apparent, and the history of all ages 
 shows that Cain has been the persecutor and mur- 
 derer of his brother Abel. The lives of the proph- 
 ets and messengers sent from God, testify to the 
 violence of the Cain hatred. Persecuted, im- 
 prisoned, stoned, beheaded, crucified, their martyr- 
 dom in the cause of God has been the martyrdom 
 of Abel, and the voice of their blood " crieth unto 
 God from the ground," against the sin of Cain the 
 murderer. 
 
 The fear of Cain was not fear of people of the 
 earth. Cain's fear of punishment was the symbol 
 of his terror in the spiritual realms. As he said, 
 he was " driven out from the face of the ground," 
 therefore nobody upon the earth could do him 
 harm. He was afraid of the inhabitants of the 
 land of Nod, into which he was to be cast away for- 
 ever. The land of Nod was " on the east of Eden," 
 and therefore symbolizes a spiritual existence out- 
 side the Paradise of God. It is an appointed place 
 in the spiritual realms, for those of our race, who,
 
 278 Adam (Cain and Abel). 
 
 having come upon the earth with the opportunity 
 of choosing God our Creator, willingly reject Him. 
 Their judgment, after their last opportunity has 
 been thrown away and refused, will be to live 
 eternally in the land of Nod, the land of aimless 
 wandering, deprived forever of the privilege of 
 being grafted into the Tree of Life and naturalized 
 into Divinity. For their sin and failure, they will 
 not be allowed to enter into the glorious existence 
 where the Manifestation of God will live with His 
 children, the Abels, forever and forever. This is 
 the meaning of Cain being cast out from the Face 
 of Almighty God. The Cains will live through- 
 out eternity, among other races of the hosts of 
 heaven ; with those who have not had the privi- 
 lege of becoming Divine and the adopted children 
 of God. 
 
 Of these hosts, Cain was afraid, realizing that 
 they would know he had been afforded this high 
 privilege and had willingly rejected it. For this 
 reason, he believed they would harm him, but God 
 the Creator gave unto Cain a "sign" or "mark" 
 of protection, "least any finding him should kill 
 him." That "mark " is the human form in which 
 all our race of souls must be tested ; the body 
 of man, formed by God the Almighty "after His 
 own Image. " God would not take away from Cain, 
 the glory of that image, but gave him the " mark " 
 of it forever, and although the hosts of heaven 
 knew that Cain, the party of darkness, had rejected 
 the opportunity of becoming Divine, and deserved 
 punishment, would not dare to harm him, out of
 
 Adam (Cain and Abel). 279 
 
 respect for the mark or memory of God's Own 
 Image which he bore. By this, we are also taught 
 that God will neither punish Cain, nor allow him 
 to be punished. Cain's rejection of God, will not 
 affect the love and justice of God toward him. 
 Cain punishes himself eternally by self-reproach 
 and regret for the loss of his opportunity. God's 
 rebuke to him expresses the judgment He will 
 issue when man, of his own independence, rejects 
 Him in the last opportunity offered. 
 
 Abel, the son of God, the party of righteousness 
 and light, symbolizes those who fulfill their duty 
 toward God and toward themselves. By this vic- 
 tory of earthly existence, they will cross the 
 " Flaming Sword " in triumph, enter the gates of 
 Heaven, and live in that glorious realm appointed 
 to be the residence of the Manifestation of God, 
 the Face of God. In His Presence, they will live 
 forever, enjoying His Glory, Majesty, Powers and 
 Blessings, divine in nature, and ruling the universe 
 with Him. 
 
 From the lesson of Cain and Abel, we learn that 
 the purpose of man's existence upon the earth, is 
 to become the Son of God by adoption. Romans 
 8, 14, "For as many as are led by the spirit of 
 God, they are the sons of God. " 16 " The Spirit 
 itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are 
 the children of God." 22 "For we know that 
 the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain 
 together until now." 23 "And not only they, 
 but ourselves also, which have the first fruits of the 
 spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves,
 
 280 Adam (Cain and Abel). 
 
 waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of 
 our body." The last verse shows us plainly that 
 although they had the first fruits of the Spirit at 
 the time of Christ, even they were groaning within 
 themselves, " waiting for adoption, to wit : the re- 
 demption of the body." 
 
 In the third chapter of the First Epistle of John, 
 second verse, we are told that God shall appear; 
 that we shall see Him as He is and be His adopted 
 children. " Beloved, now are we the sons of God, 
 and it doth not yet appear what we shall be ; but 
 we know that when He shall appear, we shall be 
 like Him, for we shall see Him as He is." See also 
 John i, 12 " But as many as received him, to them 
 gave he the right to become children of God, 
 even to them that believe in his name. " It is evi- 
 dent therefore, that we cannot be adopted as the 
 children of God, until the time of His appearance 
 upon earth, after the fulfillment of which, all who 
 receive Him and believe in His name, can claim 
 full adoption, for they have become in reality the 
 Sons of God. 
 
 Genesis 6, 2 " The sons of God saw the 
 daughters of men that they were fair; and they 
 took them wives of all which they chose." 
 
 Job i, 6 " Now there was a day when the sons 
 of God came to present themselves before the Lord, 
 and Satan came also among them." 
 
 Psalms 82, i and 6. "God standeth in the con- 
 gregation of the mighty ; he judgeth among the 
 gods." " I have said ye are gods ; and all of you 
 are children of the most High. "
 
 Adam (Cain and Abel). 281 
 
 Isaiah 45, n "Thus saith the Lord, the Holy 
 One of Israel, and his Maker, Ask me of things to 
 come concerning my sons, and concerning the work 
 of my hands command ye me?" 
 
 There are three symbols of Adam. The first 
 Adam is the Tree of Knowledge and Wisdom, the 
 first Manifestation of the Infinite. God the Creator 
 of the universe, differs in the substance of His 
 essence, from the substance of the material and 
 spiritual essences which He created. He is invisi- 
 ble to and beyond the comprehension of His crea- 
 tures ; forever outside the circle of their finite limi- 
 tations. He alone is Infinite. All His creatures 
 are finite. It is more possible for an insect to com- 
 prehend a man, than for any of the highest crea- 
 tures, angels or archangels, to comprehend the 
 Mighty Infinite, Creator of the Universe. If we 
 were of the same essence as God, we would possess 
 the creative power of God, whereas we know that 
 He alone is Creator. John i, 18 "No man hath 
 seen God at any time ; the only begotten Son, 
 which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath de- 
 clared Him." In "Literal Translation" by Roth- 
 erham, it reads " No one hath seen God at any 
 time; an Only-Begotten God, The One existing 
 within the bosom of the Father. He interpreted 
 (Him)." 
 
 This is the teaching of the highest authorities in 
 the Christian Church. Origen, Vol. i, page 16, 
 " Invisibility of God," says " Not as some sup- 
 pose, that the nature of God is visible to some and 
 invisible to others; for the apostle with unvarying
 
 282 Adam (Cain and Abel). 
 
 constancy, pronounces on the nature of God in 
 these words : "The image of the Invisible God." 
 " Moreover, John in his Gospel, when asserting that 
 'No one hath seen God at any time,' manifestly 
 declares to all who are capable of understanding, 
 that there is no nature to which God is visible ; 
 not as if He were a Being who was visible by na- 
 ture and merely escaped or baffled the view of a 
 frailer creature, but because by the nature of His 
 Being, it is impossible for Him to be seen." 
 
 As God is invisible to all His creatures, it is 
 necessary that He should manifest Himself in a 
 finite Image, in order that His finite creatures may 
 know the Invisible, through the visible Manifesta- 
 tion. This Manifestation is called the "Face of 
 God," the "Image of God," the "Servant of the 
 Being," the "Son to be Given," the "Everlasting 
 Father," the "Prince of Peace," the "Lord of 
 Hosts," "My Shepherd David," "The Man that 
 is My Fellow," the " Tree of Life," and the " Tree 
 of Knowledge." If God chose to remain hidden, 
 secluded, unmanifested from His intellectual crea- 
 tures in the material and spiritual realms, His 
 creatures would not be able to know, love or wor- 
 ship Him. 
 
 We would then be led to deny His existence. 
 Our life here or hereafter would be of no conse- 
 quence whatever, if we were to be deprived of 
 knowing and enjoying Him and gaining powers, wis- 
 dom, and knowledge from the All-Knowing, the 
 All-Wise. Furthermore, it would be cruelty and 
 injustice on His part, to deny us His Manifestation.
 
 Adam (Cain and Abel). 283 
 
 Therefore, from all eternity, He has that "Face," 
 that "Begotten God," that "Image" or "Form" in 
 His Bosom, through which He will manifest Him- 
 self and appear to interpret the Invisible Infinite. 
 
 Isaiah 43, 10 " Ye are my witnesses, saith the 
 Lord and My Servant, whom I have chosen : that 
 ye may know and believe me, and understand that 
 I am He: Before Me there was no God formed, (or 
 nothing formed of God), neither shall there be after 
 me." 
 
 God has taught us by His prophets, that we 
 shall understand Him through that Form or Mani- 
 festation. He has called that Form "His Servant" 
 Prof. Cheyne has pointed out that the "Chosen 
 Servant " mentioned in the 5 ad and 53d chapters 
 of Isaiah, is the " Manifestation of the Being." 
 
 This is the "Word" secluded behind the "Veils 
 of Might," which descended to earth, taking the 
 image in which man was created. This is the 
 Tree of Knowledge or the First Adam, the symbol 
 of our grafting into God by knowing good from 
 evil. This is the first Manifestation of God in 
 Himself (in His Chosen Image), which appeared 
 upon earth in the person of Melchisedek. 
 
 It may be asked why He is called the first 
 Adam, when He appeared upon earth in the human 
 form, long after the creation of man. He is called 
 the first Adam because God the Almighty, from 
 eternity, had determined to manifest Himself in 
 this form and therefore as we are made after His 
 Image, the design or pattern of this Image, which 
 existed in the mind of God, must be considered as
 
 284 Adam (Cain and Abel). 
 
 first. The human creature, moulded according to 
 this pattern, must be second. Furthermore, as 
 His appearance was to be a Manifestation of God 
 to His creatures, He must appear after the creation 
 of man, in order to be a Manifestation to our race. 
 
 Other important questions arise, as God is One, 
 invisible and incomprehensible to His creatures, 
 will not He the Infinite and His visible Manifesta- 
 tion, be two Gods ? If we are to consider both as 
 the One God, is not the Infinite limited to His 
 Manifestation ? As God is omnipresent, how is it 
 possible for the omnipresent Infinite to be thus 
 limited, confined, and comprehensible to His crea- 
 tures ? 
 
 The Manifestation of God in human form, is 
 the Face of the Infinite which can be seen, but 
 the Infinite is neither confined to the Face, nor 
 separated from it. Everything in existence has 
 an appearance or face, which makes it known and 
 visible, yet it cannot be confined to its face, nor 
 can its face be separated from it. They are one. 
 Man is known by His face or external appear- 
 ance. The real entity, the internal man is not 
 known to us. As this entity or internal being 
 cannot be termed one and his face another, so also 
 the Infinite and the Manifestation or Face of the 
 Infinite, are One and not two. Likewise the In- 
 finite is not confined to His Manifestation. The 
 Infinite is the internal Being back of the Mani- 
 festation, not confined, not limited, not compre- 
 hensible, but Almighty, Omnipresent and Illimita- 
 ble, yet One with the Manifestation. The Infinite
 
 Adam (Cain and Abel). 285 
 
 may be likened to a light, and the focus of that 
 light is the human form of His Manifestation, 
 through which His Powers, Blessings, Gifts, and 
 Greatness are revealed to His creatures. 
 
 This lesson teaches us that the souls of our race 
 were in existence before their coming to earth, and 
 that from their will and accord, they undergo the 
 hardships of environment in the flesh, in order to 
 attain Divinity. Their coming is termed the " Fall 
 of Man ; " " cast downward ' ' from the Paradise of 
 God. 
 
 Origen, Vol. i, p. 256 "The Scriptures have 
 called the Creation of the world, by a new and pe- 
 culiar name terming it "Ka-ta-bon" which has been 
 very improperly translated into Latin by " consti- 
 tutio" for in Greek "Ka-ta-bon" signifies rather 
 "dejicere" i. e. "to cast downward," a word which 
 has been improperly translated into Latin by the 
 phrase " constitutio mundi," as in the Gospel of 
 St. John where Jesus says "And there will be 
 tribulations in those days, such as was not since 
 the beginning of the world " in which passage is 
 rendered by beginning (constitutio) which is to be 
 understood as above explained (i. e. there will be 
 tribulations such as was not since the world was 
 cast downward). The Apostle also in the Epistle 
 to the Ephesians i, 4 "According as he hath 
 chosen us in him before the foundation of the 
 world, that we should be holy and without blame 
 before him in love," has employed the same lan- 
 guage. He calls foundation "Ka-ta-bon" to be 
 understood in the same sense as before. I am of the
 
 286 Adam (Cain and Abel). 
 
 opinion that as the end and consummation of the 
 saints will be in those (ages) which are not seen 
 and are eternal, we must conclude that the rational 
 creatures had also a similar beginning, they existed 
 undoubtedly from the very beginning in those 
 (ages) which are not seen and are eternal, and if 
 this is so, then there has been a descent from a 
 higher to a lower condition, and for the sake of 
 those for whom the arrangement was necessary 
 this visible world was also called into being. 
 From this it follows that by the use of the word 
 "Ka-ta-bon" a descent from a higher to a lower con- 
 dition, shared by all in common, would seem to be 
 pointed out. We are, indeed, to suppose that the 
 world was created of such quality and capacity as 
 to contain not only all of those souls, but also all 
 those powers which prepared to attend and serve 
 and assist them." 
 
 Pre-existence of the soul can be logically proved. 
 Furthermore, it can be shown that we came upon 
 the earth by our own choice and consent. God has 
 given us the three ways of reason, revelation and 
 record, by which to convince ourselves of a truth. 
 Reason is older than record. Jesus said L,uke 
 12,57 "Yea and why even of yourselves judge 
 ye not what is right?'* In "Conflict of Ages" 
 Beecher says ' ' But there have been and still are 
 those who think so much more of the verbal revela- 
 tions of God than of any other, that they almost 
 overlook the fact that the foundation of all possible 
 knowledge has been laid by God in the conscious- 
 ness and the intuitive perceptions of the mind
 
 Adam (Cain and Abel). 287 
 
 itself. Forgetful of this fact, they have often, by 
 unfounded interpretations of Scripture, done vio- 
 lence to the mind and over-ruled the decisions 
 made by God Himself through it, and then sought 
 shelter in faith and mystery. " 
 
 Careful consideration of the question of soul pre- 
 existence, and willingness to undergo the process 
 of environment in the body, will show that human 
 life must come under one of three possible con- 
 ditions. 
 
 First: That the soul, by its own choice and 
 consent, came into the body from a previous state 
 of existence. 
 
 Second: That the soul, without choice or con- 
 sent, came into the body from a previous state of 
 existence. 
 
 Third: That the soul, without knowledge or 
 choice of its own, was created and placed in the 
 body at the time of birth. 
 
 No other conditions are conceivable. The ques- 
 tion, in reality centres upon the third named con- 
 dition, since the other two imply pre-existence. 
 Was the soul created and placed in the body at the 
 time of birth ; without knowledge or choice of its 
 environment? The impossibility of this condition 
 can be shown as follows : 
 
 A Man alone, of all visible creation, possesses 
 the knowledge of good and evil. The function of 
 this gift is unmistakably to enable him to rise 
 above his limitation. His existence upon earth 
 therefore, is to accomplish elevation to a higher 
 attitude before God his Creator. As his earth life
 
 288 Adam (Cain and Abel). 
 
 is the process by which his victory or failure is 
 determined, man is clearly responsible for his 
 actions. In this fact, he differs from all other crea- 
 tures, which not possessing the knowledge of good 
 and evil, are unable to rise above their limitations 
 and therefore are not responsible. God the Creator 
 is responsible for them. 
 
 God is infinitely just. As this earth life is a 
 process of hardship and suffering, it is not reason- 
 able to believe that He would force us against our 
 wills or without choice, to undergo it. The fact 
 that we are independent creatures, therefore proves 
 that we were not created and placed in the body at 
 the time of birth, but came from a previous exist- 
 ence into the body, by our own choice. 
 
 B If souls were created and forced to come into 
 the body at the time of birth, God has imposed 
 upon us a process of suffering, pain, distress and 
 death, which the greater part of humanity would 
 refuse if they had the power of choosing, even 
 though the purpose of this process is to rise to a 
 higher attitude before Him. As we could not at- 
 tribute to God, any action of injustice or cruelty 
 toward His creatures, we cannot believe that He 
 forced us to come here without the knowledge or 
 choice of coming. 
 
 C The purpose of our existence here, being that 
 of attaining Him, God would not force us to come 
 helplessly, to accomplish that which He could 
 accomplish for us by a word of His Almighty Com- 
 mand. There would be no reason or justice in His 
 action of condemning us to suffering and death,
 
 Adam (Cain and Abel). 289 
 
 when He could accomplish His purpose in us, with- 
 out it. 
 
 D If we were forced to come here or given no 
 choice in our coming, God is responsible for all the 
 sin, wickedness and inhumanity of this world ; 
 which is an impossible belief to sustain. Our in- 
 dependence disproves it His Infinite Justice, Love 
 and Mercy would be destroyed by such an assump- 
 tion. As sin, suffering, and all ills which assail us, 
 are consequences of our own actions, and as we are 
 clearly responsible for them, there is no possible 
 condition except that we existed before, and chose 
 to undergo this difficult process, responsible for our 
 actions and willing to be judged according to the 
 "deeds done in the body." 
 
 E As the material ingredients of that composi- 
 tion known as the body, were in existence before 
 the body was formed, and as birth is the union or 
 partnership between soul and body, it is evident 
 that the soul likewise must have existed before it 
 was conjoined to make man. Furthermore, the 
 soul must have possessed its powers or attributes 
 before its environment in this house of material 
 substance. Unquestionably it possessed the power 
 of will, endowed by the creative hand. As every 
 action of God is good, and a law of perfection, it 
 follows that He would not violate His law by de- 
 priving us of the power of will ; that is to say, 
 forcing our souls to come upon the earth, either 
 against our wills or without volition upon the 
 question of coming. 
 
 From the foregoing reasonable arguments, we
 
 290 Adam (Cain and Abel). 
 
 must logically conclude that in view of our intel- 
 lectual endowment, which reflects God's purpose in 
 human existence ; in view of the conditions which 
 surround us in our earthly environment, and accord- 
 ing to the administration of the Infinite Justice of 
 God, which must be admitted to exist, our souls 
 were not created and placed in the body at the time 
 of birth. Upon the same basis of consideration, it 
 is clearly shown that the soul was not forced to 
 come into the body against its will. By elimina- 
 tion, therefore, we reach the only remaining con- 
 dition and prove its truth ; that the soul by its 
 own choice and knowledge, came from a previous 
 existence, to undergo the test and process of incar- 
 nation. 
 
 This conclusion explains all human conditions; 
 establishes the independence of man, sustains his 
 evident responsibility and is the only conceivable 
 belief in harmony with the Wisdom and Justice of 
 God. It supports Scriptural record, is the very 
 strongest evidence of soul immortality, and proves 
 that we shall be judged according to our use or 
 misuse of the God power of independence, as 
 worthy or unworthy of being grafted to Him and 
 attaining knowledge of His creative secrets. 
 
 Christ taught the pre-existence of the soul and 
 its willingness to undergo probation upon earth, in 
 the parable of the so-called " Prodigal Son." Luke 
 1 5th. The ordinary incorrect understanding of 
 this parable, arises from the error of its title. For 
 this, we must thank our English translators. The 
 original Greek has no title, and the word "prodi-
 
 Adam (Cain and Abel). 291 
 
 gal " is not once used in the parable. On account 
 of the term " prodigal," we have considered the 
 younger son as a sinner, when in reality the Father 
 preferred him in love and honor. 
 
 In this divine revelation by Christ, the younger 
 son represents Adam, our race. Every human 
 soul is therefore a " younger son," and God is the 
 Father, from whose house the soul "journeyed 
 into a far country " taking its " portion " or inheri- 
 tance of goods. We read that the son asked for 
 this portion, of his own accord, and received it. 
 This portion or share of inheritance, was the means 
 or capital of endowment by which he meant to in- 
 crease himself and become like his Father. After 
 receiving it, he left his Father's house, exactly as 
 Adam left the Garden of Eden, and journeyed into 
 a far country, the earth, to accomplish his purpose. 
 He failed. Being finite, he could not attain with- 
 out the help of his Father. He committed sins, 
 fell into mistakes and lived riotously, until we find 
 him eating husks with swine, typifying a soul's 
 miserable existence and association with wicked- 
 ness and spiritual depravity. When in this low 
 state, he examined himself honestly, realized the 
 poverty of his condition, his own helplessness, and 
 understood that none could help him into a higher 
 state, but his Father. " And he arose and came to 
 his Father. But when he was yet a great way off, 
 his Father saw him and had compassion and ran 
 and fell on his neck and kissed him." When we 
 realize our helpless condition and turn one step to 
 God, He comes toward us miles and leagues. This
 
 292 Adain (Cain and Abel). 
 
 teaches us, however, that from our own independ- 
 ence, we must take that first step. The Father 
 commanded His servants to put " the best robe " 
 upon His penitent son ; a "ring upon his hand," 
 " shoes upon his feet;" and u a fatted calf" to be 
 killed. The " robe " is the garment of the Glory 
 and Majesty of God, which we shall share with 
 Him; the "shoes" symbolize endurance, firmness, 
 steadfastness, or rather, justice enabling us to 
 walk confidently withoiit sin, making us just and 
 firm, as He is. The "ring " is the symbol of adop- 
 tion. We are promised as children of God, that we 
 shall share His dominion over the universe. This 
 is the meaning of Romans 8, 17 "And if children, 
 then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, 
 if so be that we suffer with him, that we also be 
 glorified together." The "fatted calf" typifies the 
 blessings, powers and gifts which God the Father 
 will give unto all, who, like Abel, render Him the 
 sacrifice of a spiritual life. 
 
 " Now His elder son was in the field." By this, 
 Christ taught that there is a race of souls in the 
 Paradise of God, created before our race. " In the 
 field " denotes that this race of angels is engaged 
 in the work of messengers in the spiritual realms. 
 " Angel " means " messenger." This race of 
 angels, realizing that our race had attained the 
 greatest blessings and highest position in the 
 Father's house, is represented as expressing dis- 
 satisfaction. The Father's rebuke, however, proved 
 the justice of His action toward our race. "Son, 
 thou art ever with Me, and all that I have is thine.
 
 Adam (Cain and Abel). 293 
 
 It was meet that we should make merry and glad ; 
 for this thy brother was dead and is alive again, 
 and was lost and is found. " 
 
 We learn from this, that the angels, not having 
 ventured like man, did not merit the high position 
 and honor conferred upon our race for our trial and 
 victorious return. It is meet, therefore, that they 
 should rejoice for the salvation of man, who "was 
 dead and is alive again, was lost and is found." 
 By the Father's statement "all that I have is 
 thine," we do not understand that the angels are 
 equal with God and have all the possessions of God 
 in unlimited perfection, but that they possess and 
 enjoy everything belonging to God in that limita- 
 tion wherein He created them. God would not 
 create anything imperfect in its limitation. This 
 would violate His absolute perfection. The angels 
 therefore possess all which God created for their 
 particular limitation. If they possessed all that 
 God the Father possesses, the elder son in the 
 Christ parable would not have complained "and 
 yet thou never gavest me a kid. " 
 
 Although our race, man, is the younger son, we 
 shall rise above the angels older and greater than 
 we were. This explains the 8th Psalm 4 to 6 
 "What is man that Thou art mindful of him ? For 
 Thou hast made him a little lower than the angels 
 and Thou hast crowned him with glory and honor. 
 Thou madest him to have dominion over the works 
 of Thy hands ; Thou hast put all things under his 
 feet." 
 
 It will be observed that in the Christ parable,
 
 294 Adam (Cain and Abel). 
 
 our race and the other races of angels, are termed 
 the "Sons of God." The question arises "how 
 shall we become ' Sons of God ' as a reward for vic- 
 torious earth life, if we are already His sons ? " 
 Man and the angels are the sons of God, and God is 
 the Father, figuratively, upon the ground that all 
 are the production of His creative power, just as a 
 son of earthly parents, is the outcome of their power 
 of reproduction. The substance or essence of 
 finite creatures, however, is not the same as that of 
 God. If it were, we would be self-existent, self- 
 independent, perfect and uncreated as He is. The 
 "Son-ship " of reward, is not figurative, but is the 
 naturalization of our essence into the nature of His 
 essence, by being born of the Spirit and grafted 
 into Him. This is the reality of our becoming the 
 "Sons of God;" the adoption, the grafting into 
 the Tree of Life. This high position of reward is 
 only afforded to the race of man and cannot be 
 attained by the other races of the hosts of heaven, 
 who have not ventured as we did, to be tested and 
 proved worthy. 
 
 As already explained concerning Adam, the tab- 
 let of memory is locked and sealed, so that in 
 coming upon the earth, we do not remember our 
 former existence. This is necessary, in order that 
 we may exercise our independence and show our 
 standard of love for Him, of our own will and 
 accord. If we remembered prenatal conditions, 
 our independence would be influenced and its exer- 
 cise destroyed, nor could our mortal being endure 
 the knowledge of our former state. We would be
 
 Adam (Cain and Abel). 295 
 
 overwhelmed by its greatness, and death would 
 ensue. We could not even endure the strain of 
 our experiences in different incarnations upon this 
 earth. Although memory is locked, yet our intel- 
 lectual powers prove that we are here for a great 
 purpose. Innumerable earthly cares and pleasures 
 make us negligent in seeking to know and accom- 
 plish that purpose, by enchaining the soul until 
 it becomes oblivious to the vital question of earthly 
 existence. 
 
 If the soul of man was created perfect in its 
 limitation, why should we desire anything more ? 
 Why should we wish to rise above that limitation ? 
 The creatures of God are divided into two classes, 
 intellectual and inanimate. The inanimate crea- 
 tures have no intelligence and must forever remain 
 perfect in their limitation, without knowledge or 
 .consciousness of their existence. The intellectual 
 creatures are given intelligence, by which they 
 comprehend the fact and extent of their limitation, 
 otherwise they would not be perfect in that limita- 
 tion. It follows that they must have the realiza- 
 tion that they are limited; the consciousness that 
 there is greater knowledge and less limitation 
 beyond them. This produces desire and longing to 
 to attain that which is beyond; an unrest inherent 
 in the soul of man; an aspiration common to all 
 our race. From it, developed the courage we dis- 
 played in consenting to endure the hardships of 
 our earthly process. Without this courage, we 
 would have remained forever contented in our 
 former limitation. These two conditions express 
 our present state and the state of the angels.
 
 29 6 Adam (Cain and Abel). 
 
 In support of the soul's pre-existence, we quote 
 from " Secrets of Enoch " 23, 4-5 "AndVretil 
 said to me, All the things which I have told thee, 
 thou hast written down. Sit down and write all 
 about the souls of men, those of them which are 
 not born and the places prepared for them forever. 
 For every soul was created eternally before the 
 foundation of the world." 
 
 Summing up the three great points of this and 
 the preceding chapter, we arrive at the solution of 
 the all-important questions, Whence came we? 
 What is our purpose here ? Whither going ? 
 
 We have learned that we were a race of souls, liv- 
 ing in the spiritual realms, the Paradise of God ; 
 created by God, subject to limitation, perfect in 
 that limitation ; incapable of rising higher, yet 
 possessing an endowment of knowledge which en- 
 abled us to realize our condition of limitation. 
 Our race of souls was without sin, suffering or 
 death ; without knowledge of good and evil. We 
 asked God our Creator to allow us to rise higher 
 in knowledge of Him. He granted us that privi- 
 lege, upon condition that we should undergo life 
 upon earth, imprisoned in these bodies of flesh, 
 taking with us the gift of the knowledge of good 
 and evil, to be judged according to the use we made 
 of it. Under this condition imposed upon us by 
 our Creator, if we lived according to the spirit, 
 making the sacrifice of love for Him, we should 
 return to Paradise to eat of the Tree of Life and be 
 naturalized into Him as His children. If, on the 
 contrary, we sought evil, neglecting our spiritual
 
 Adam (Cain and Abel). 297 
 
 duties, we should return as Cain returned, to live 
 in the land of Nod, forever deprived of adoption 
 into the Divine Nature of God. Under this con- 
 dition, we must be either Cains or Abels. There 
 is no middle ground of accomplishment. "He 
 who is not for me is against me." Christ, our ex- 
 ample, was the Prince of Abels. 
 
 The longevity of the patriarchs, as recorded in 
 Genesis, has proved a puzzle to many who read the 
 Holy Book literally. It is said that Adam lived 
 nine hundred and thirty years ; Methusaleh nine 
 hundred and sixty-nine years, etc. A great variety 
 of opinion has been advanced concerning this ex- 
 treme length of life. It is claimed that the human 
 body, in those far off times, possessed greater 
 vitality than in later years ; that simple methods of 
 living prolonged existence; that the ages men- 
 tioned were not individual ages, but aggregated the 
 years of important men in their particular tribes ; 
 that the year was originally but three months in 
 length, etc. etc. The length of the year and the 
 coming of the seasons, caused by the revolution of 
 the earth about the sun, has always been and will 
 always be the same. This is proved by the instinct 
 of birds and animals. In Genesis 8, 22 "While 
 the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and 
 cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day 
 and night shall not cease." Science shows that 
 the human body is not adapted to an existence 
 much beyond one hundred years. For these rea- 
 sons, we must conclude that men, in ancient times, 
 did not live beyond the present normal period. It
 
 298 Adam (Cain and Abel). 
 
 is said in Genesis 6, 3 " My spirit shall not always 
 strive with man, for that he is also flesh ; yet his 
 days shall be an hundred and twenty years." 
 Many of the great ages are recorded in Genesis, 
 before this verse, but even after it, we read that 
 " The days of Noah were nine hundred and fifty 
 years," while many others bear the statement of 
 extreme longevity. (See Genesis n, loto 32.) 
 
 The ages of these ancients are not to be taken 
 literally, but must be understood in their special 
 significance. Orientals have always reverenced 
 old age and esteemed it as associated with wisdom. 
 The greatest compliment a young man can receive 
 in the Bast, is to be told that he is u very old." 
 Upon this principle, the patriarchs and prophets 
 commanded the highest veneration and respect; 
 and the great age ascribed to them, was a measure 
 of their wisdom instead of their actual length of 
 years. Looming up in importance as they did 
 above their fellow-men, their influence and knowl- 
 edge extended over great periods, connecting them 
 with important and illustrious men who lived after 
 them. From this, we see that such personages 
 bore a renown for wisdom, which represented the 
 experience of many centuries, although their lives 
 in reality were of normal length. The age of their 
 importance was therefore recorded of them, as we 
 see in the mythology of the Ancient Chaldeans and 
 Egyptians, as well as in our Bible. In Revelations 
 20, 6 " Blessed and holy is he that hath part in 
 the first resurrection, on such the second death hath 
 no power, but they shall be priests of God and of
 
 Adam (Cain and Abel.) 299 
 
 Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand 
 years." Here a " thousand years " means a dura- 
 tion of life full of the knowledge and wisdom of 
 God; an expression of honor and respect. The 
 longevity ascribed to the ancient men is, therefore, 
 a title of honor and respect, given to them as godly 
 personages, possessing superior knowledge and 
 wisdom.
 
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