登陆注册
15709600000027

第27章

"2. And God said, Let good be manifest! and good unfolded and moral-mental germs, ovariums of heavens, descended from the Procedure. And the dome of disclosive magnificence was heaven, and the expanded glory beneath was the germ of creation. And the divine Procedure inbreathed upon the disclosure, and the disclosure became the universe." We will inflict no more of this "undulatory spiral" nonsense on the reader.

He now has both records before him, and can judge for himself which is the more worthy of his regard. There have been Spiritualists who, writing in their normal state, and not yet fully divorced from the influence of their Page 95 former education, have acknowledged the authenticity of the Bible, and the doctrines of Jesus as recorded in the gospels. But these, it is claimed, are to be understood according to a spiritual meaning which underlies the letter; and this spiritual meaning generally turns out to be contrary to the letter, which is a virtual denial of the record itself. But the quotations here given (only a specimen of the multitudes that might be presented)are given on the authority of the "spirits," whose teachings are what we wish to ascertain.

THEY DENY ALL DISTINCTION BETWEEN RIGHT AND WRONG There is implanted in the hearts of men by nature, a sense of right and a sense of wrong. Even those who know not God, nor Christ, nor the gospel, possess this power of discrimination. This is what Paul, in Rom. 2: 15calls "the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the meanwhile accusing or else excusing one another." That this distinction should now be denied by a class in a civilized community, professing to be advanced thinkers and teachers, among whom are found the learned, the refined, and the professedly pious, shows that we have fallen upon strange times. To be sure, many of them talk fluently of the beauty and perfection of divine laws; but in the sense in which they would have them understood, they rob them of all characteristics of law. The first great essential of law is Page 96 authority; but this they take away from it; the next is penalty for its violation; but this they deny, and thus degrade the law to a mere piece of advice. The "Healing of the Nations," an authoritative work among Spiritualists, pp. 163, 164, says: -- "Thus thy body needs no laws, having been in its creation supplied with all that could be necessary for its government. Thy spirit is above all laws, and above all essences which flow therein. God created thy spirit from within his own, and surely the Creator of law is above it; the Creator of essences must be above all essence created. Amid if thou hast what may be or might be termed laws, they are always subservient to thy spirit.

Good men need no laws, and laws will do bad or ignorant men no good. If a man be above law, he should never be governed by it. If he be below, what good can dead, dry words do him?

"True knowledge removeth all laws from power by placing the spirit of man above it." A correspondent of the Telegraph said of this work, "The Healing of the Nations: "According to its teaching, no place is found in the universe for divine wrath and vengeance. All are alike and forever the object of God's love, pity, and tender care -- the difference between the two extremes of human character on earth, being as a mere atom when compared with perfect wisdom." This is a favorite comparison with them,-- that the difference between God and the best of men is so much greater than the extremes of character among men,-- the most upright and the most wicked, -- that the latter is a mere atom, and not accounted of in God's sight. That there is an infinite difference between God and the best of men, is all true; for God is infinite in all his attributes, and man is very imperfect at the best. But to argue from this that Page 97 God is inferior to man, so that he cannot discern difference in character here, even as man can plainly discern it, seems but mad-house reasoning.

What would we think of the man who had the same regard for the thief as for the honest man, for the murderer as for the philanthropist? To ignore such distinctions as even men are able to discern would destroy the stability of all human governments; what then would be the effect on the divine government?

God has given his law -- holy, just, and good -- to men, and commanded obedience. He has attached the penalty to disobedience: "The soul that sinneth, it shall die," "The wages of sin is death." Eze. 18: 20; Rom.

6: 23. And in the judgment, the distinction God makes in character will be plainly declared; for he will set the righteous on his right hand, but the wicked on the left. Matt. 25: 32, 33.

This view of the failure of law, and the absence of all human accountability, naturally leads to a bold denial of sin and the existence of crime. The "Healing of the Nations," p. 169, says: "Unto God there is no error; all is comparatively good." The same work says that God views error as "undeveloped good." A. J. Davis ("Nature of Divine Revelation," p. 521) says: "Sin, indeed, in the common acceptation of that term, does not really exist."A discourse from J. S. Loveland, once a minister, reported in the Banner of Light, contained this paragraph: -- Page 98 "With God there is no crime; with man there is. Crime does not displease God, but it does man. God is in the darkest crime, as in the highest possible holiness. He is equally pleased in either case. Both harmonize equally with his attributes--they are only different sides of the same Deity." In "Automatic Writing" (1896), p. 139, a question was asked concerning evil, meaning sin and crimes among men. The spirit answered that these were conditions of progress, and were so necessary to elevation that they were to be welcomed, not hated. The questions and answers are as follows:

-- " Ques. -- Can you give us any information in regard to the so-called Devil--once so firmly believed in?

" Ans. -- Devil is a word used to conjure with.

同类推荐
  • 联灯会要

    联灯会要

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 四分比丘尼羯磨法

    四分比丘尼羯磨法

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 剪胜野闻

    剪胜野闻

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 50 Bab Ballads

    50 Bab Ballads

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 光化戊午年举公见示

    光化戊午年举公见示

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 瞬间一眼看透人心

    瞬间一眼看透人心

    具有一眼看透人心的本领,就意味着你可以在瞬息之间,一眼看透周围发生的人与事,看清一个人的真伪,洞察其内心深处潜藏的玄机。能以不变应万变,顺利地窥探出情绪变化的温差,辨别出气色蕴藏的内涵,使你在人生的旅途上左右逢源;具有一眼看透人心的本领,就可以看透他人的长短优劣,辨人于弹指之间,察其心而知其人,现人于咫尺之内,识其言而审其本,做人做事抢占先机,把主动权牢牢地掌握在自己的手中。
  • 傲娇小姐:管家不好欺

    傲娇小姐:管家不好欺

    《傲娇小姐:管家不好欺》是尹祎的新作品哦,希望大家可以喜欢!落魄男孩遇见富家小姐,温柔帅气的他能否招架得住魅力四射的她的百般刁难。富家小姐遭遇破产,一向厌恶贫穷百姓的她,为了治愈父亲的疾病,天性善良的他会如何帮助她?经历了风风雨雨,有情人终正眷属,却发现他们竟是……
  • 我家开的武侠客栈

    我家开的武侠客栈

    被自己开发的游戏附身,有了一家自己的客栈。做了老板的同时,还赠送了一个武侠之门。经营自家客栈,过上安逸生活,结交各路豪侠,领悟经营之道。我的厨娘是黄蓉,我的伙计是盗圣,我的员工是五绝,我的司机是四大恶人。马尚呵呵一笑,本店正规经营,收据发票是要加印盖章的。
  • 心经

    心经

    《心经》作为般若经的浓缩本,“缘起性空”是其核心思想,但又进一步从“对外扫相”和“对内破执”两个角度去讲“空”。《心经》是以“色不异空,空不异色;色即是空,空即是色;受想行识亦复如是。”来对外破五蕴身,以“心无挂碍”来破心执。
  • 解读自身的人体科学

    解读自身的人体科学

    科学普及是一项关系国家发展和民族兴盛的基础性工作。通过科学教育、传播与普及,帮助青少年一代树立科学思想、培养科学精神、了解科技知识、掌握科学方法,提升科学素质,就能够有力地推动创新型国家的建设进程。本书紧紧围绕人们生活身边的科学,以及青少年普遍感兴趣的科学知识,涵盖了物理、化学、植物、动物、人体和生活等各个方面的知识点,能够使广大青少年在轻松的阅读中,增强对科学技术的兴趣和爱好,开阔眼界,启发思维,拓宽知识面,增强科学意识。
  • 泣血沧溟

    泣血沧溟

    天降异物,雨落山一夜之间化为火焰山,少年奉师命率门下弟子前往查看,不曾想遭小人暗算,被大火困于山里,九死一生,等到火焰熄灭,本以为会脱离苦海,不曾想却被毁去容貌,搅碎心脏,挑落山底。死之日,新之始,少年苏醒之后,面目全非,形如厉鬼,一路上寻找治病良医,终于恢复了记忆,身边的亲人却已惨死,披荆斩棘,饱受痛苦,终蜕化,得大道,成帝君,可惜世事无常……
  • 道刑

    道刑

    晋元大陆,斗魂当道,实力为本。斗魂师醒五行,控自然。体魂师修斗气,淬肉身。漫漫斗魂大道,何来修?没资本没实力,何来敬?且看觉醒奇异斗魂的少年如何颠覆晋元大陆。
  • 我是90后后妈

    我是90后后妈

    从痴情于富家帅公子的萌妹子到霸道总裁的妻子,她经历了感情的跌宕起伏,以为这就是结局,没想到才刚刚开始,面对调皮捣蛋,从中作梗的儿子,又会上演怎样的爆笑故事呢?后妈难当???
  • 倾世绝宠:惹火娇妻好诱人

    倾世绝宠:惹火娇妻好诱人

    她,来自21世纪的金牌杀手,冷血无情;一朝穿越成古语大陆苍穹国慕容家的花痴草包嫡小姐,风华蜕变,绝色倾城。他,宛如地狱修罗般的存在,人称“血主”,邪肆冷魅,俊美无双,残忍嗜血,却对她给予万千宠爱,无耻无赖,一生一世一双人……“小熙儿,我想你了!”他说。某女满头黑线:“别这样叫我,我跟你不熟!”“不熟?熙儿当真如此绝情?呜呜~我的心好痛~”
  • 明星男友的铁杆儿粉丝

    明星男友的铁杆儿粉丝

    她,活泼开朗的上官千金,为他与夫立下赌约,以男生身份进入他所在的学校。他,凌氏集团未来的继承人,狂傲不羁的背后又有怎样的执着与坚持。他们的缘分,是自有安排,还是命中注定?无数的羁绊又会引出怎么的故事?