Chapter III - Spirit and Matter
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of training mind here, to produce good instead of evil,
of training mind here, to produce good instead of evil,
that materialism, which depends wholly on mechanical
construction and matter conditions for cause and effect,
and the evil results from mediumship, may cease for-
ever.
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The Jews' determination to recognize God only as
The Jews' determination to recognize God only as
person and a king, has not forsaken this age; nor have
our creeds and ritualism in other respects quite washed
their hands of Rabbinical error. To-day echoes back
the cry of bygone centuries: "Crucify him that maketh
himself as God," Spirit, and let matter have dominion
over man.
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Because Jesus understood God better than did the
Because Jesus understood God better than did the
Rabbis, he arrived at the conclusion in advance of them
he was Spirit and not matter, and that these never
blend; also, that there is but one Spirit, or Intelli-
gence, therefore but one God, one Life, Love and Truth.
All forms of belief deny this in the main, and contend
that Intelligence is both God and man, that there are
two separate entities or beings exercising antagonistic
powers; also, that matter controls Spirit, that man is
both matter and Spirit, and the supreme Being is God
and man; also, that a third person named devil, is
another Intelligence and power, and that these three
different personages, viz., God, man, and devil blend in
one person. When we possess a true sense of our one-
ness with God, and learn we are Spirit alone, and not
matter, we shall have no such opinions as these, but
will triumph over all sickness, sin, and death, thus
proving our God-being. That we are Spirit, and Spirit
is God, is undeniably true, and judging by its fruits,
(the rule our Master gave) we should say this is not
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only science, but Christianity; but the shocking auda-
only science, but Christianity; but the shocking auda-
city that calls itself God, and yet demonstrates only
erring mortality, surprises us! Some one has said Chris-
tianity must be science, and science Christianity, else
one or the other is false and useless; but neither of
these is proved thus, hence they are inseparable in
demonstration. When looking to mortal man for evi-
dences of Life and Truth, we find sin and death stronger
than either of these, hence we must look away from
body to soul; not in mortality is Spirit that is infinite
and blest. It is impossible to shut up the infinite in
man; we cannot be both Spirit and matter, for these
are opposites. Again, if God is both within and with-
out all things, then all is God. When we say the body
is matter, we say with Paul, then you must certainly be
"absent from the body, to be present with the Lord,"
even Spirit. But to be absent from the body, materia
medica calls death, yet Jesus and Paul knew Life is not
in the body. The belief that Life and intelligence blend
with matter is the foundation of all misapprehensions
of God and man; and we shall prove we are Spirit that
mixes not with matter, when this opposite error or belief
goes down in death, until it is finally destroyed; yet we
shall see, hear, feel, &c., all the same, and independent
of matter organizations, which we now deem indispen-
sable to these faculties of Soul. Sooner or later we
shall all learn the fetters of our infinite capacities are
forged by belief only, and that matter is not substance,
Life, or Intelligence. When we understand Spirit bet-
ter than to think it person or man, or to call it matter
and place Life that is supreme in mortality, we shall
clothe our bodies with immortality, and not until then.