Chapter II - Imposition and Demonstration
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conquered for them, even while they knew it not; he
conquered for them, even while they knew it not; he
demonstrated purity and Truth, and their power to heal
the sick, and assured others they might give his demon-
stration, but for their disbelief in its science. Though
they saw not his righteousness, they must all gain
the harmony of being from the Truth he taught, and
plant their demonstration on the foundations he laid,
on what he had experienced for them, and poured lib-
erally into their ears. This was the cup drank by the
pioneer of the science of Life, by him who came with
those higher proofs and practices of Truth and Love
unperceived by the age in which they appeared; they
neither understood him, nor his works, and would not
accept his explanation who did understand them.
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Anomalous though it seems, I have no doubt that
Anomalous though it seems, I have no doubt that
Jesus was shunned, and deemed a bad man at the period
of his public labors, by all, save the few unpretentious
ones whose Christianity enabled them to understand
him. This was the cup drank to the dregs, by our
Master; he also spake of those who followed him,
drinking this very cup; which must indeed be the case
if they are in advance of the public sentiment. Refer-
ring to himself as doing nothing beyond the ability of
others to do, he said, "The works I do, ye shall do,
and greater." Before this he had established the plat-
form that "a tree is known by its fruits," indicating,
if they healed the sick on the Principle that he healed,
they must be Christians. Though it is in vain we
stretch our weary wings to the full realization of that
saying to-day, yet in centuries to come I look for its
fulfillment. Whosoever shall triumph over personal
sense, and lay down his earthly all on the altar of the
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science of being, will drink his cup, and be able to give
science of being, will drink his cup, and be able to give
the demonstration of healing the sick, casting out error,
raising the dead, and triumphing over the grave, that
our blessed Master gave for our example. But earth
hath no recompense for such a life; personal sense can
neither give nor receive this reward; the understanding
of God is its only recompense that lifts being above
mortal discord and gives it immortal harmony.
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A person may reward unjustly, but Principle cannot.
A person may reward unjustly, but Principle cannot.
That we receive all deserved punishment on earth, is
quite as false as that all our rewards are mundane; and
who that toils and sacrifices unceasingly bearing the
cross only to see their existence mocked, will say this is
sufficient from the hand of Love? Or again, that those
have suffered all they have to experience, who still gloat-
ing in sensuality and hypocrisy, or murder and rapine,
succeeding in all villainies up to the time they pass sud-
denly from sight in this loathsomeness, are pardoned,
and pushed straight into glory? Their punishment
here was certainly insufficient to reform them, which is
the design of Wisdom, and the good man's heaven
would be to them a hell. How can they find bliss in
purity and Truth, to whom these are the very opposites
of themselves. There is nothing in mercy or Love, that
can pardon the necessity in science for sinners to suffer
after death. To destroy the penalty due to sin, would
be for Truth to pardon error; in which case, the sinner
is no wiser for what he has experienced; for if he
escapes the punishment he deserves, it is not according
to God's government, in which justice is the handmaid
of mercy. For sin to produce suffering is the only way
to destroy it to him who believes in the pleasures of sin.