Certain it is, we find sufficient that is divine in his life and teachings, without professing to believe in the fables of Page 84 theologians respecting his birth and parentage. We are content to take the simple record as it stands, and to regard him as the son of Joseph and Mary, endowed with such purity and harmony of character as fitted him to be the Apostle and Revelator of the highest wisdom ever taught to man. It is the fundamental article in the creed of modern Christianity, that Jesus was divine in his nature, and of miraculous origin and nativity.
Now, no human being of ordinary intelligence, unwarped by educational bias, would ever profess to believe in such a monstrous figment, which only shows the blindness of superstitious prejudice." Here is something twenty-four years later. A séance reported in the Banner of Light, Oct. 9, 1886, gives the following questions and answer: -- " Ques. -- Do 'spirits' generally believe in the divinity of Jesus Christ; that he was the Son of God; that he was crucified, dead, and buried, and rose again the third day for the saving of all who should believe in him?
" Ans. -- No; spirits generally -- advanced spirits, those who are intelligent, having studied deeply into the principles of life -- do not accept the theory of the divinity of Jesus Christ; they do not believe that he was crucified for mankind, in the accepted understanding of that term." Some years ago a class was formed in New York City for the purpose of investigating what is called the spiritual philosophy. Before that class, Dr. Weisse said: -- "Friend Orton seems to make rather light of the communications from spirits concerning Christ. It seems, nevertheless, that all the testimony received from advanced spirits only shows that Christ was a medium and reformer in Judea; that he now is an advanced spirit in the sixth sphere;but that he never claimed to be God, and does not at present. I have had two communications to that effect. I have also read some that Dr. Hare had. If I am wrong in my views of the Bible, I should like to know it, for the spirits and mediums do not contradict me." Page 85 The peculiar insult here purposely offered to the Saviour will be appreciated when it is noted that at about the same time the spirits located Thomas Paine, the well-known skeptic, in the seventh sphere, one sphere above that of Christ. He must therefore have progressed very rapidly, seeing he so quickly surpassed Christ, who had over 1700 years the start of him.
Before the same class Dr. Hare is reported to have spoken as follows, which we give without assuming any responsibility for the spiritual grammar therein exhibited: -- "He said that he had been thus protected from deception by the spirits of Washington and Franklin, and that they had brought Jesus Christ to him, with whom he had also communicated. He had first repelled him as an impostor; but became convinced afterward that it was really him.
He related that he had learned from that high and holy spirit, that he was not the character that Christendom had represented him to be, and not responsible for the errors connected with his name, but that he was, while on earth, a medium of high and extraordinary powers, and that it was solely through his mediumistic capabilities that he attained so great knowledge, and was enabled to practice such apparent wonders." When Christ was upon earth, it was envy, jealousy, and malice that moved the Pharisees against him (Matt 27: 18); and it seems that he is followed by the same feelings in the spirit world. This is natural; for he who fired the hearts of the Pharisees with their malignant spirit, is the same one, as we have seen, who is working through the powers of darkness in the unseen world to-day. Any way to degrade Christ in the minds of men to a level with, Page 86 or below, the mediums of our time, and make it appear that they can do as great wonders as he, seems to be the object in view.
There is plainly manifest an irrepressible desire on the part of spirits and mediums to show Christ to be inferior to the leaders of other great religions of the world, as Buddha, Confucius, Zoroaster, etc. Thus, at a séance held in 1864 (Banner of Light, June 4), the spirits were questioned as follows: -- " Ques. -- Have you ever seen Confucius or Zoroaster?
" Ans. -- Yes, many times.
Q. -- In the order of degree, which stands the higher in moral excellence --Jesus Christ, Confucius, or Zoroaster?
" A. -- Confucius stands in morality higher than the other two.
. . . Jesus himself claims to have been inspired to a large extent, by this same Confucius. And if we are to place reliance upon the records concerning each individual, we shall find that Jesus spoke the truth when he tolls us that he was inspired by Confucius." Indeed! Where are the records referred to? Where and when did Jesus "speak"the words attributed to him? And where does he tell us ,that he was inspired by Confucius? So we are to believe, are we, that the gospel of Jesus Christ, is only a rehash of what was originally wrought out in the brain of Confucius, and not words fresh from the fountain of light given him by his Father in heaven, to speak, as he claimed them to be?
Yet he was a high and holy medium. We wonder what standard of holiness and perfection the spirits can have.
But still later, in 1896, we find the spirits putting forth the same teaching in reference to Jesus Christ. In "Automatic, or Spirit Writing,"pp. 148, 149, we have this: -- Page 87 " Ques. -- Do you accept Jesus as the model of spiritual knowledge?
" Ans. -- Shall you give us a better example?
" Q. --Well, we are willing to accept him as one of many, but not as chief.
" A .--Change the name. Call him by other names-- Buddha, Krishna, or Mohammed, the spirit is one -- is ever and ever the same. Spirit is one, not many, however often the name is changed.
" Q. -- Were not Jesus, Buddha, and Mohammed distinct personalities?
