The Quimby Manuscripts - Chapter 14



CHAPTER 14
CHRIST OR SCIENCE

[The articles published under this head constitute Vol. I of the Quimby
writings. They are published here in the order in which they were copied
from the originals, as written, save for a few changes made under Quimby's
supervision, and slight condensations. They are printed in this order
instead of being arranged in connection with other pieces on the same
topics, because they were the first papers containing a statement of the
general theory, and the copybook containing them was sometimes loaned to
patient- students, including the one who made liberal use of their
contents.

In these studies Qumby speaks of mind, in the ordinary sense of the term,
as a "substance" which can be changed, in which thoughts are sown as
seeds. Mind is put in contrast with intelligence or Wisdom. Thus
intelligence is said to possess an "identity" or reality which mind does
not have. The next step is to show that the human soul has clairvoyance or
intuition, independent of the natural senses. This fact Quimby had proved
by repeated experiments in diagnosing the sick.

The term "matter" is used in a peculiar sense throughout, to cover the
processes of change attendant upon suggestion and taking place
subconsciously. "Thoughts are things," later writers have said.

One of the copybooks containing these studies has emendations in pencil,
made under Quimby's directions by Miss Sarah Ware, in preparation for a
book. The following introductory note by Dr. Quimby is written on the page
opposite the first article. It is given here word for word as written.]

It will be necessary to give the reader some idea of what suggested the
following article, headed Mind is Spiritual Matter. I found that by the
power of my own mind I could change the mind of my patient and produce a
chemical change in the body, like dissolving a tumor. Now the word mind is
not the substance, only the name of the substance that can be changed. The
world makes mind intelligence, i.e., direction. I put no intelligence in
it, but make it subject to intelligence. The word fire, for instance,
doesn't mean the substance to be consumed but the process of consuming it.
So mind is the name of spiritual substance that can be changed. We speak
of a cold fire or a hot fire, yet we do not mean that the fire itself is
cold or hot, only that we make it hotter or colder; yet it is fire,
subject to our direction. Wisdom I do not use in this piece. I call the
power that governs mind, spirit. But you will see that I recognize a
Wisdom superior to the word mind, for I always apply the word mind to
matter, but never apply it to the First Cause.

MIND IS SPIRITUAL MATTER

Thought is also matter, but not the same matter, anymore than the earth is
the same matter as the seed which is put into it. Thought like the seed
germinates and comes forth, like the tree, in the form of an idea. It then
waits like the fruit to be eaten. Curiosity is excited and wants to be
gratified; it tastes and then inquires; the answer comes and the spirit is
affected in proportion to the answer. Illustration: A thought is sown in
the mind while asleep or ignorant, it grows and comes forth. The curiosity
tastes; it produces a strange sensation in the throat. The spirit
inquires, the answer comes, Bronchitis. The spirit is disturbed and tries
to rid itself of its enemy. This disturbance is the effect called disease.
Now if no name had been given or fears excited, the idea or tree would
have died of itself -- Oct. 1859. WHAT IS DISEASE?

Disease is what follows the disturbance of the mind or spiritual matter.
When I speak of disease I do not mean to confine the word to any
particular phenomenon or disturbance of the mind, but that mind is
disturbed like the soil of the earth ready to receive the seed. This
disturbance contains no knowledge or thought, anymore than a house on fire
which disturbs the inmates or spirits, who flee out, not knowing the
cause. It embraces mind without truth or error, like weight set in motion
without direction. Weight like mind could never set itself in motion, but
being set in motion it is called mechanical power. So is mind set in
motion spiritual power. Both are governed by laws of truth or error, the
fruit shows which of the two powers governs. If it is directed by the
wisdom of God no bad results can follow, but if directed by error and
ignorance, as ignorance is the enemy to truth, the truth will show which
governs. As there is no knowledge in error, it sometimes happens that same
results follow, as it did in the case of selling Joseph to tile
Ishmaelites. They, it is said, meant it for evil, but God meant it for
good. Truth does not work in that way (that is, by accident). Truth works
by laws, like mathematics; -- error like chance.

The answer may come right, or may come wrong (in error) either way it
contains no law by which the world is wiser. Ignorance is its life and
truth its death. So by error comes disease or death. But by the
destruction of error comes the introduction of Truth or Science, or
health; and as error is matter or mind, it is the instrument of its own
destruction. The matter is not annihilated, but the opinion is.

The combination which shows itself in persons in the form of an opinion,
indicates its character by a peculiar show of wisdom superior to its
followers, and when disturbed by Wisdom or Truth, it dies, but when not
opposed, its opinions are sown into the minds of others, like seed in the
ground, which comes forth in some form.

This form which follows the disturbance of the mind the doctors call
disease. Here is where all the error lies; they take the effect for the
cause. We confound the error and truth together; we take an opinion for a
truth. This is an error, for what we know we have no opinion of. Knowledge
is the destruction of an opinion or disease. Disease is what follows an
opinion, it is made up of mind directed by error, and Truth is the
destruction of this opinion.

These ideas, and hundreds of others, have been given to explain the effect
of the mind. All admit the mind on thing and disease another. This theory
that mind is one thing and disease another, has left the people in
darkness and caused more misery than all other evils put together. It has
always been admitted that a theory that cannot be put in practice is not
good.

Mind is a spiritual matter which, being agitated, disturbs the spirit.
This disturbance contains no knowledge of itself, but produces a chemical
change in the fluids of the system. These disturbances may be produced in
various ways, for instance, by a shock on the mind, by the death of a
friend, or by religious excitement, witchcraft, etc. All of the above
contain what is called knowledge, which is communicated to the spirit and
sets it to work to form disease, after the form the spirit gives the mind.
The mind being the matter under the control of the spirit, is capable of
producing any phenomenon. -- Oct. 1859.

HOW DOES THE MIND PRODUCE DISEASE?

I will give the symptoms of a person who called on me to be examined. The
upper part of his body above his hips felt so large that his legs were not
strong enough to carry the weight, therefore he complained of weakness in
his knees. This idea of weakness was in his mind, for there never was any
strength or knowledge in his knees of themselves, anymore than there is
power in a lever of itself. If the lever, or legs, had to create its own
power his body would never move. Therefore, if his body ever moved, it
must be by some power independent of his knees or legs. There is such a
thing as pressure, but pressure is not power, for it contains motion and
motion is another element.

These two elements together we call mechanical power, so mind agitated is
called spiritual power. Neither matter nor mind contains any knowledge. As
this man's mind was in a state in which it contained motion or error, (for
error is motion, not knowledge), it was not all pressure. As health is the
enjoyment of all our faculties, any foreign substance trigs the wheels so
as to retard the motion, so error trigs the mind or retards the motion.
This was the state of this man's body. To put this man in full possession
of his faculties is to remove the burden that binds him down. These
burdens are the effect of error having control of the mind. These errors
are made of mind or matter first formed into an opinion, then comes
reason, then comes disease or death, accompanied by all the misery the
idea contains.-- Oct. 1859.

MIND IS NOT INTELLIGENCE

Intelligence contains no thought, nor opinion or reason. Mind contains
them all. Disease is the offspring of the mind, not of intelligence. All
the above is the result of a chemical change, to bring about and develop
some scientific law that will put man in possession of a knowledge of
himself, so that he will avoid the evils which man [through his ignorance]
is subject to.

Thoughts are like electric sparks. Knowledge classifies and arranges them
in a language nearer itself so as to use them for a medium with which to
communicate an idea to another. This is the state of all men. Under this
state of mind all the laws of science have been developed. Every day
brings to light some new idea not yet developed, but bursting forth to the
natural world. During this process, the mind undergoes very powerful
changes which affect the body, even to the destruction of the same. But
this destruction contains no wisdom, it is only the destruction of the
idea. The effect still agitates the mind till its end is accomplished.
Then the mind returns to its quiet state, and the law is understood.

While all this is going on, as in all sciences, ideas come forth and the
minds are affected, and try for the prize; for instance, the idea of
navigating the air. All minds are excited. Experiments are tried;
accidents, as they are called happen, and lives are lost to this world of
error. But that which governs life cannot be lost, but must mingle in with
the idea of progression -- not losing its identity. What man loses in
weight or matter, he makes up in science or knowledge. Therefore,
accidents as they are called must happen, and we say, woe to them that are
affected; it would have been better, as we think, if they had never been
born. This would be true, if it were the end of their existence. Now as
these laws develop themselves, is the trouble in the Laws or in ourselves?
Accidents are the errors or diseases. Correcting these errors and
establishing the Truth or Science is curing the disease or establishing
the law.

I have said that when any new idea comes up a class of persons enter into
the investigation of it, but very few are ever able to put the idea into
practice, or get the prize, though most all can understand something of
the theory.

There is a vast difference between talking a theory, and talking about a
theory. Talking about a theory is like talking about a science we do not
understand; it contains no wisdom. Wisdom contains no opinion or
selfishness; and, like charity, has no ill will towards its neighbor but
like the rays of the sun, is always ready to impart heat to all who will
come to the light.

To cure a disease is to understand the law by which that disease was
produced. To make it more plain, I will suppose a case. In supposing a
case the person you address must suppose himself perfectly well. Now as
thoughts contain a substance set in motion by error to form an idea, this
substance acts upon another like a galvanic battery, and keeps up a
deposit of thought till the idea is formed in the mind. These thoughts may
arise from different causes. I will select one. Suppose you become
acquainted with a person, the first impression is a shock from his mind,
this shock is kept up till an idea is formed in your mind. The motive or
disease is in the idea of the person from whom you receive the shock. To
you it contains no knowledge. You receive it as a sweet morsel that you
can roll under your tongue. You nurse and foster it in your breast till it
becomes apart of yourself. You form a strong attachment for it, and as it
contains the character of this father, you become attached to the author.
When the idea becomes developed and you find what it contains, you see you
have been fostering a viper, that will sting you to the heart. Grief,
passion, fear and love, take possession of your mind; reason enters into
the combination, and a warfare commences. Hatred takes the place of love,
truth the place of ignorance, firmness takes the place of weakness, and a
battle ensues. As truth works through this error or disease, wisdom and
happiness take its place, the evil is cast out, the author or idea is
despised, and the mind is changed. You see the deception. Your knowledge
is the emancipation of the error, and all that followed it, the Truth sets
you free and happy, which is the cure.

Now sensations can be learned(*) before they affect the body or produce
disease, so that they [will] fall harmless at your feet. It is necessary
that all persons have a teacher, till they can teach themselves. The
question then arises, How can a person believe in one wham he has never
heard, and how can he learn without a teacher, and how can one teach
without he is sent? -- Nov. 1859.

(* Our aches and pains may be more wisely interpreted.)

IS THE CURING OF DISEASE A SCIENCE?

I answer, yes. You may ask, Who is the founder of that Science? I answer,
Jesus Christ. Then comes the question, What proof have you that it is a
science? Because Christ healed the sick, that of itself is no proof that
He knew what He was doing. I answer, If it was done, it must have been
done by some law or science, for there can be no such thing as accident
with God, and if Christ was God, He did know what He was doing. When He
was accused of curing disease through Beelzebub or ignorance, He said, "If
I cast out devils or diseases through Beelzebub or ignorance, my kingdom
or science cannot stand; but if I cast out devils or disease through a
science or law, then my kingdom or law will stand, for it is not of this
world." When others cast out disease, they cured by ignorance or
Beelzebub, and there was no science in their cures, although an effect was
produced; but not knowing the cause the world was none the wiser for their
cures.

At another time when told by His disciples that they saw persons curing or
casting out devils in His name, and forbade them, He said, "They that are
with us are not against us, but they that are not with us, or are ignorant
of the laws of curing, scattereth abroad, for the world is none the
wiser." Here, you see, He makes a difference between His mode of curing
and theirs. If Christ's cures were done by the power of God, and Christ
was God, He must have known what that power or science was, and if He did,
He knew the difference between His science and their ignorance. His
Science was His Kingdom therefore it was not of this world, and theirs
being of this world, He called it the kingdom of darkness. To enter into
Christ's Kingdom or Science, was to enter into the laws or knowledge of
curing the evils of this world of darkness. As disease is an evil, it is
of this world, and is in this kingdom of darkness. To separate one world
from the other, is to separate the truth from the error, and as error is
death and truth is life, the resurrection of one is the destruction of the
other.(*) -- Nov. 1859.

(* This is the first article in which Dr. Quimby identifies Science with
Christ. Later he used the term Christian Science.)

IS DISEASE A BELIEF?

I answer it is, for an individual is to himself just what he thinks he is,
and he is in his belief sick. If I believe I am sick, I am sick, for my
feelings are my sickness, and my sickness is my belief, and my belief is
my mind. Therefore all disease is in the mind or belief. Now as our belief
or disease is made up of ideas, which are [spiritual] matter, it is
necessary to know what beliefs we are in; for to cure the disease is to
correct the error, and as disease is what follows the error, destroy the
cause, and the effect will cease. How can this be done? By a knowledge of
the law of harmony. To illustrate this law of harmony I must take some law
that you will admit. I will take the law of mathematics. You hear of a
mathematical problem, you wish to solve it; the answer is in the problem,
the error is in it, the happiness and misery are also in it. Your error is
the cause of your sickness or trouble. Now to cure your sickness or
trouble, is to correct the error. If you knew the real state of things,
you would not call on a person who knows no more than you do, if you knew
that fact. -- Nov. 1859.

LIFE AND DISEASE

True life is health, knowledge, and happiness. Death is disease, error,
misery and pain; all in this belief. Each of the above is called our
knowledge, and to believe in one is to disbelieve in the other, for our
life is in our belief. Death is the destruction of the one, and the life
of the other, or the disbelief of the one, and the belief of the other.
Christ came to destroy death or belief, and bring life and immortality to
light, and this life or belief was in Christ. They that lost their life or
belief for His sake should find it. Upon this rock I build my faith, and
the gates of death cannot change me. Now your life is in your belief, and
you are known by the fruits. As I impart my Truth to you, it is your life
or health. As you receive my life you die to your own. My life in you
grows to a truth and this is your health or happiness. -- Nov. 1859.

DISEASE

What is disease? It is what follows the effect of a false direction given
to the mind or spiritual matter. The body is composed of matter, not mind,
but when agitated, that part which is called heat, and is thrown off, is
mind or spirit. It is not intelligence, but a medium to be used according
to the direction given it, by a power independent of itself, -- like that
direction given to mechanical power. The effect of this direction (call it
what you please) on the body, is to destroy itself, for its life is its
own destruction. -- Dec. 1859.

LOVE, 1

What is the strongest feeling in man or woman? Love for the sake of love
for others. For this love they will lay down their lives, when directed by
knowledge, for no passion can follow true love. What makes what is called
animal passion? Ignorance of ourselves, not understanding the truth. Love
contains no fear; ignorance puts a false construction on love. Here lies
all the trouble. Love and ignorance are the mother and father of all error
or disease. Now to know ourselves is to know the truth of this problem.
Love is an element of itself, without any form; it has no length or
breadth, or height or depth; it neither comes nor goes, it fills all
space, and melts all error down that comes within its power. Its power is
its heat, its heat is its love, it is heaven. For this love Christ laid
down His animal life or passions for mankind, that they might understand
themselves and be saved from the endless hell of misery that follows our
ignorance of this power or love. On these two powers, love and ignorance,
hang all the law and the prophets. The gospel is love, the law is error;
therefore when you are under the law, you become subject to the laws and
penalties. When you are freed from that law, it has no power over you.
This law of love is that love in mankind that is working in us or our
error to bring us to truth and set us free from the law of sin or death.
The laws of love are the destruction of the laws of error, and they make
us a law to ourselves. This law of love has no penalties or prisons; but,
like the bird that flies in the sky, is not troubled with earthly laws,
but is a law to itself. Its purity is its buoyancy, its ignorance is its
weight or stupidity. Each is governed by a sort of intelligence, like
science and ignorance. As ignorance and superstition are what are under
the law of error, Science and Truth are their opponents, and the mind is
the medium of them both, like the telegraph. wire a medium of truth and
error. Love is a substance like food that comes from heaven to feed the
soul. Error is matter, and contains reason and all the faculties. Love is
the true answer to our desire; in our desire is our hope, and when we get
that which we hope for, it contains nothing but true knowledge or love, no
sorrow, nor pain, nor grief, nor shame, nor fear. -- Dec, 1859.

WHAT IS MY THEORY?

The question is often asked, if I am a spiritualist. My answer is that I
am not, after the manner of the Rochester rappings, but I am a believer in
the spirits of the living. Here seems to be a difference of opinion. The
common opinion of the people in regard to the dead I have no sympathy
with, from the fact that their belief is founded on an opinion which I
know is false; yet I believe them honest but misled for the want of some
better explanation of the phenomenon. We see men, women, and children
walking around, by and by they pass away from us, and their bodies are
laid in the earth. We look on the scene and pause. A cold icy sensation
passes through our frame. We weep from our ignorance. We have seen the
matter in a form moving about as though it contained life. Now it lies,
cold and clammy, and our hope is cut off. Perhaps it is a son or daughter,
in whom we have had hopes, raised to the highest extreme, of seeing them
stand before the world, loved and respected for their worth, now gone
forever. Doubts and fears take possession of our minds. We want to believe
that they will know us, and in this state of mind, we often ask this lump
of clay if it does know us, but no answer returns, we weep and repeat the
question. No answer comes, and in a convulsive state of mind we leave and
retire to some lonely spot to pour out our grief. Some kind friend tries
to console us by telling as that our friend is not dead, but still lives;
by talking what they have no knowledge of, only a desire that it may be
so. Their sympathy and ignorance mingle in a belief, and we try to believe
it. This is the state of the people in regard to the dead. Their belief
arises from the necessity of the case, but it keeps them in ignorance of
themselves, and all their life subject to bondage.

Now where do I differ from all this belief? In every respect. My belief is
my knowledge, my knowledge is my practice, and my practice gives the lie
to all my former belief. I believed as all others did, but my theory and
practice were at variance with each other. I therefore abandoned all my
former beliefs, as they came in contact with my practice, and at last
followed the dictates of the impressions made on me by my patients. In
this way I got rid of the errors of the world and found an answer to all
my former opinions. These former opinions embraced all sorts of disease,
and ideas that contained error, disease and unhappiness, which led to
death. The unraveling of my old opinions gave me knowledge of myself, and
happiness the world knew nothing of, and this knowledge I found could be
taught to others. It teaches man that he is not in the body, but outside
of it, as much as the power is outside of a lever; and the body is to the
soul as the steam engine is to the engineer -- a medium without knowledge
or power, only as it is given by something independent of itself. -- Jan.
1860.

CLAIRVOYANCE

Clairvoyance is a state of existence independent of the natural senses or
the body, which has no matter nor reason, but is perfect knowledge.
Thought-reading is a lower order connected with mind, but superior to the
natural man. This state is what would be called spiritualism, and contains
the knowledge and reasoning of this world. Clairvoyance is a higher state
entirely disconnected with the natural man, but can communicate
information through him while in a dreamy or mesmeric state which the
company cannot know. This principle is in every man.(1) The understanding
of it is eternal life. This eternal life was in Jesus, and was Christ. It
has manifested itself in various forms in all ages of the world, whenever
Science has been discovered. This ignorance of the world with regard to
this higher state of knowledge looks upon the manifestations of the
thought-reading state as the highest development of man. This state dies
and the clairvoyant state rises from the dead. It is all that is left. It
can act on mind. It has an identity, and never knew of its beginning nor
ending. It is all the intelligence in man.(2)

(1) That is, without mediumship, spiritism, etc.

(2) Man's true intelligence or intuition.

LOVE, II

The identity of woman's soul can be compared to a fire, which throws an
equal heat on all around. This heat is pure love, containing no knowledge,
no selfishness, but is like the love of a mother for her child. This love
is little understood, and causes doubts and questionings. It is an element
of itself, containing no matter and asks nothing in return. Ignorance and
superstition put false construction on this love, and think intelligence
is contained in it. Its language is itself. It speaks not as man speaks,
for it contains no error. It answers our inquiry by an impression which
cannot be misunderstood, if man knows himself. This love is what leads man
to truth. When I speak of man, I speak of the errors and ignorance of the
world, and the heat that arises from this error contains the character of
its author. When these two elements meet, which I will call man and woman,
then comes the temptation, and as love never makes war for gain, it knows
no evil. As error contains seifishness, dishonesty, jealousy, and disease,
it cannot see truth or love in any element differing from its own, it
therefore judges others by its own standard. This element, when excited by
love to lead us to truth contains all kinds of disease and error. All
mankind embrace both elements, and the separation is the resurrection from
error into truth. As we learn the truth, we discard the error. True
knowledge is in true love. False knowledge is in error. As God is in the
former, He contains no matter. As man is the latter, he is made up of
truth and error. Now as there is a gradual progression from error to
Wisdom, our identities act in the two elements of pure and combined love;
for man has two elements, and is subject to the one which he obeys. The
question arises, Are these elements capable of separation? I answer, yes,
by the mother for her infant, but not understandingly. She was a law to
herself, and did the things contained in the law, without a knowledge of
that law.--Dec. 1859.

HOW DR. QUIMBY CURES

Every phenomenon in the natural world has its birth in the spiritual
world.(*) The world gives credit where it is not due, mistaking noise for
substance. No man should have any credit over his fellow men unless he
shows some superiority over the errors of his age. To show that he is
superior is to reduce to a science some phenomenon which has never been
explained, music for an example. Before music was reduced to a science
there was a phenomenon. People could whistle and sing, but no one supposed
that the one who made the most noise was entitled to any credit over the
rest. Credit was due to him who first reduced it to a science.

(* A cardinal proposition with Dr. Quimby.)

Take diseases. The world is full of sickness, arising from various
causes,--the phenomenon exists in the natural world, while the causes
originate in an invisible world. Doctoring is confined to the natural
world, and [it attributes] the causes of the disease to the natural world.

Dr. Quimby with his clairvoyant faculty, gets knowledge in regard to the
phenomena, which does not come through his natural senses, and by
explaining it to the patient, gives [another] direction to the mind, and
the explanation is the science or cure. To illustrate: suppose a patient
calls on Dr. Q. for examination. No questions are asked on either side.
They sit down together. He has no knowledge of the patient's feelings
through his natural senses, till after having placed his mind upon them.
Then he becomes perfectly passive, and the patient's mind being troubled
[this] puts him into a clairvoyant state, together with his natural state,
thus [he is in] two states at once; when he takes their feelings,
accompanied by their state of mind and thoughts. A history of their
trouble thus learned, together with the name of the disease, he relates
[this] to the patient. This [state which he discerns] constitutes the
disease and the evidences in the body are the effects of the belief. Not
being afraid of the belief he is not afraid of the disease.

The doctors take the bodily evidence as disease. Disease with him does not
come to the natural senses, therefore he cannot explain to the well his
mode of treatment. The well take no interest, and his theory is of no use
to them. Then what use is it to the world? To give the sick such
confidence that they will not be frightened by the opinions of the world,
for disease is an imprudent opinion. He throws the [patient's] feelings
off, and imparts his feelings(*) which are perfect health, and his
explanation destroys their feelings or disease. His theory in this respect
differing from any other, is the result of the success of his practice.
Therefore when he is with the sick, they feel safe. He is like a captain
who knows his business, and feels confident in a storm, and his confidence
sustains the crew and ship when both would be lost if the captain should
give way to his fears. Dr. Q. comes to the sick as a pilot to the captain
of a ship in a storm or fog, when dangers thicken and inevitable
destruction threatens. He learns the trouble from the captain, and
quieting the crew by his composure inspires them with confidence, gives
other directions, and brings them into harbor.--Jan. 1860.

(* That is, the silent spiritual realization of the Divine ideal.)

ANOTHER WORLD

What did Jesus mean to convey when He said all men had gone out of the
way, that there was none doing good, no not one? It is generally
understood that man had wandered away from God, and had become so sinful
that he was in danger of eternal banishment from the presence of God, and
unless he repented and returned to God, he would be banished from His
presence forever. This being the state of mankind, God, seeing no way
whereby men could be saved, gave His only Son as a ransom for the
redemption of the world; or, God made Himself manifest in the flesh, and
came into the world, suffered, and died, and rose again, to show us that
we should all rise from the dead.

This is the belief of most of the Christian world. Its opposers
disbelieved all the above story but death. They can't help believing that
man dies, and they have a belief that there will be some sort of hocus-
pocus or chemical change, that the soul or spirit will jump out at death,
and still have an existence somewhere. After the soul is set at liberty,
it can go and stay just where it pleases. Others believe it goes to God,
there to be in the presence of God, and be a saint and sing hallelujah
forever.

The above embraces all of mankind's belief, and in this belief people feel
as though Jesus Christ was the author and finisher of their faith. These
beliefs embrace all the horrors of a separation from this world, and a
doubt whether man will obtain that world beyond this life.

No person is in danger of this change but the sick, for if a person is
well he can't be dead, and if he does not die, he is in no danger of
heaven or hell, therefore to keep well you keep clear of both. This was
just about the same belief that the people had before Christ began His
reform.

I will try to show that Jesus never taught one single idea of all the
above, but condemned the whole as superstition and ignorance. He not only
condemned the idea of a world independent of man, but proved that there
was none by all His sayings and doings. He looks upon all the above
theories or beliefs as false and tending to make men unhappy.

These beliefs Jesus came to destroy, and established the Kingdom of God or
Truth in this world. The two beliefs are in ourselves and we become the
servant of the one we obey. The embracing of the true Christ is the
resurrection from the dead. The dead know nothing. To be dead in sin or
ignorance is [to be in a state of] separation from God or Truth. To know
God is to know ourselves, and this knowledge is Christ or Truth. What is
the difference between Christ's belief, and the world's belief? Christ had
no belief. His Kingdom was an everlasting Kingdom, without beginning or
end. It is a Science based on eternal truth. It does not contain an
opinion or belief. It is all knowledge and power, and will reign till all
beliefs and error shall be destroyed. The last error or belief is death or
ignorance, the Truth and Science will reign till ignorance is destroyed.
Then the son or law shall be subject to God.--Jan. 1860. YOUR POSITION

What is your position in regard to the world, or the errors of the world?
You cannot embrace both. If you embrace the world you embrace its errors,
and become a servant to its laws, and the spirit or truth departs to the
God that gave it. But if you hold on to the Truth the world is in
subjection to you, and instead of becoming a servant you become a teacher
of Truth to the world, to lead other minds to the Truth.

Instead of your happiness being in the world, the world's happiness is in
you. Here is your true position, and this it the struggle you will have to
go through. Shall the world lead you, or shall you lead the world? This is
the point that is to be settled in your mind.

Now I will give you the signs of the times. Many shall come in the name of
the Truth, and say, do this, or do that--music, dancing, and all sorts of
amusements. But Truth says beware, be not deceived, seek first the truth,
and all the above will be a pleasure to you. To know whether you are born
of the truth, the truth shall show just your position in the world. Then
you can take the lead, and the world will listen to you. Then the kingdom
of this world has become subject to the kingdom of heaven, or error has
become the subject of Truth. This is a trying scene to go through, it
seems as though you must leave all the world's pleasure, and seclude
yourself from society. But this is not the case; you will like society all
the better. For where the carcass is there will all the eagles be
gathered, so where error is, truth will go, to lead the captive free. This
will make you love amusement for the sake of doing good. Then you will
rejoice with those that rejoice and weep with those that weep, and your
happiness will be their happiness. Then you will be loved and respected
for your love or knowledge, then you will draw around you those minds that
are in harmony with yours. Then will the old ideas or errors of the world
come and knock at your door for admittance, but the truth will say,
"Depart ye cursed, for when I wanted truth ye gave no answer, when
ignorant or naked, you gave me no truth or clothes, therefore depart ye
cursed, into everlasting darkness, where ignorance and error dwell."--Dec.
1859.

MY THEORY

All effects produced on the human frame are the result of a chemical
change of the fluids with or without our knowledge, and all the varieties
and changes are accompanied by a peculiar state of mind. If the mind
should be directed to any particular organ, that organ might become
deranged or might not. In either case the trouble is in the mind, for the
body is only the house for the mind to dwell in, and we put a value on it
according to its worth. Therefore if your mind has been deceived by some
invisible enemy into a belief, you have put it into the form of a disease,
with or without your knowledge. By my theory or truth I come in contact
with your enemy, and restore you to your health and happiness.

This I do partly mentally and partly by talking till I correct the wrong
impressions and establish the Truth, and the Truth is the cure. I use no
medicines of any kind, and make no applications. I am no spiritualist....
I am not dictated to by any living man, but am guided by the dictations of
my own conscience, as a lawyer is in pleading a case governed by the
evidence. A sick man is like a criminal cast into prison, for disobeying
some law that man has set up, I plead his case, and if I get the verdict,
the criminal is set at liberty. If I fail, I lose the case. His own
judgment is his judge, his feelings are his evidence. If my explanation is
satisfactory to the judge, you will give me the verdict. This ends the
trial, and the patient is released.--Dec. 1859.

ESTABLISHING A NEW SCIENCE

What has a man to contend with who undertakes to establish a new science?
He has the opposition of all the opinions of the world in regard to it,
and all their influence. He will be misunderstood by fools, and
misrepresented by knaves, for [his science] will tear down their fortress
or belief, and they will use all their skill and deception to defeat their
enemy. Their weapon is their tongue, and the tongue of a hypocrite is of
all weapons the most deadly to truth; for it can assume the form of an
angel, while it is sapping your very life's blood from your soul. Its life
and happiness are its own torment. Ever since the world began, Science has
had this enemy to contend with, and some very hard battles have been
fought before error would leave the field. Even when forced to retreat
into darkness it would come out. . . Therefore, science must keep awake
for its own safety. These two powers are in every person, and each one's
happiness or misery shows which one he is under subjection to. If well and
happy, it is no proof that he has been through this war of science and
arrived at the truth, but that from some cause, he is satisfied to become
the friend of both powers. In this way he is a kind of know-nothing; but
his position is not safe, for his enemy knows his position, and only lets
him remain while he will keep still or quiet.

What has Truth accomplished? A great deal. It has planted its standard in
this battlefield. The standard of mathematics waves its banner to the
truth. These monuments of Science, like Solomon's Temple, are the place
where truth comes to worship, and the true priests are those who can teach
these sciences understandingly, and the masses are those whose belief is
founded on these teachers' opinions, without knowing the Science or Truth,
but whose faith is pinned on another's opinion or sleeves. This credulity
of the people prompts men to selfishness, and there arise false teachers,
whose aim is to deceive the people and make themselves famous. They throw
discredit on their ideas, and render them unpopular, so that if the same
standard should be adopted by a true priest, he would have much opposition
to meet with in the minds of those who have been deluded and imposed upon
by hypocrites. This places a man in a very bad situation to defend
himself, and all the influence he gets is from those he cures, and they
dare not stand up and face the world and sustain their position, for it is
so unpopular that their reputation is at stake. This is the state the two
armies are in, when the leader plants his standard of Science with this
inscription, The Science of True Religion is Health, Happiness, and
Deliverance.--Dec. 1859.

TWO SCIENCES

There are two sciences, one of this world, and the other of a spiritual
world, or two effects produced upon the mind or matter by two directions.
The wisdom of this world acts in this way: It puts its own construction on
all sensations produced in the mind, and establishes its knowledge after
the effect is produced. For instance, a child feels a pain in its head,
the child has no idea what it is, and if the mother is as ignorant of its
origin as the child no effect of any moment is produced. But the wisdom of
the world arrives in the form of a lady. She hears the account of the pain
from the mother, and assuming a wise look gives her opinion in regard to
the trouble, and says the child is threatened with dropsy of the brain,
because she shows the same symptoms of another child who died of that
disease. This account excites the mother, whose mind acts upon the child.
The explanation of the wise lady gives direction to the mind, and
presently the work commences to show that she is right. A doctor is called
who is as wise as the lady, and not being willing to be outdone by her he
puts in a few extras like congestion of the brain, says the lady was right
but did not get the whole of the matter. So he has two chances after the
child is killed to prove his superior wisdom over the lady.

It sometimes happens that a controversy arises between the two parties,
each trying to establish their own opinion so as to have the disease turn
their way. In the meantime the patient is left to her own self and gets
well. This is all the good result I ever saw from such a controversy. The
patient is a mere tool in the hands of these blind guides who attempt to
cure her. While this controversy is going on, seeing that all each party
wants is to establish their own way, the mother sends for me in her
dilemma. I arrive and a fire-brand is thrown in between the combatants. I
contend that the child has no dropsy of the brain, but only some slight
shock upon its mind, and quieting the child is all that is necessary for a
cure. Here the controversy ends. If the mother employs me I prove my
theory and the child gets well. If they prove theirs they kill the child,
and an examination is made which establishes their theory, and I am a
humbug or quack. If I take the case, and the child gets well, the child
was not sick, only a little nervous.--Dec. 1859.

CHRIST AND TRUTH

Eighteen hundred years ago, while Jesus was disputing with the Pharisees
upon the old scriptures, He asked the question, what do you think of
Christ or this Truth? Has it a father, if so, who is he? They answer,
"David," or this truth is David's ideas or theory. Jesus said, "If David
is the father of this Christ (or theory, or ideas, or truth), why did he
call it Lord, if it was his son?" Here they both admitted a truth
independent of the natural man. The Pharisees believed it was the
offspring of David, and therefore called it David's son or theory. Jesus
knew it was not of this world, but of God or Truth, hence that it could be
reduced to a Science. This has been the rock upon which the people have
split, This is the thing to decide, whether there is a knowledge
independent of man, or whether it is the offspring of an organized being.
Jesus called this truth the Son of God. Peter called it Christ. The
people's ignorance confounded the two together, and called it Jesus
Christ. This last construction has given rise to all the religious wars
and bloodshed since the Christian era. Decide this question and you shut
the mouths of all the lions of the world.

Now let us look at the controversy of the two parties. This makes the two
worlds, ignorance the one, and Truth or Science the other. These two
powers act upon every man. One it identified with the body and a part of
it. Jesus gave some of the traits of that power when He said that it is of
the earthly man, and when He said, "Out of the heart proceedeth all kinds
of evil thoughts." These thoughts are matter, and are the result of error,
superstition and ignorance, without any knowledge of God. Science is the
opponent of the above, and as it accounts for all phenomena, ignorance is
destroyed. Science has had to fight this battle with the world of error
and ignorance before it could establish its standard, and take its
position above the natural man. Then it is acknowledged and worshipped in
spirit and in truth. Before it becomes a science it is under the law of
ignorance and superstition, directed by blind guides leading the blind,
through the knowledge of this world, and this wisdom Jesus calls
foolishness with God (or Science). Now to separate these two, so that the
wisdom of this world shall become subject to the knowledge of God, is not
an easy task. Almost all who have ever tried to do so have lost their
lives.

I will not go back further than John the Baptist. John saw that the time
was very near when his truth or Christ was to become a science, therefore
he says, "As the truth is laid at the root or foundation of their
theories, every tree or supposed science that cannot stand the test of
true science must be hewn down." Therefore his belief was like water that
could wash away some of their errors, but when the Truth or HoIy Ghost
should come then it would be reduced to a science. At this time Jesus had
not received the Holy Ghost so as to explain it. Therefore He went with
others to John to be baptized or hear John's ideas, and when Jesus asked
John to explain to Him, John modestly replied, "I have need to be baptized
or taught of you." Jesus declined explaining, so John then went on to tell
his ideas or belief. Jesus entered into his water or belief, and
understood it, and when He came out of the water, the Heavens were opened
to Him alone, and the Holy Ghost descended like a dove and lit on Jesus
and a voice said to Him alone, "This is my beloved Son (or Science), in
whom I am well pleased." This Science had no name till Peter gave it the
name of Christ, as an answer to the question put to him by Jesus--"Whom do
the people say that I, this power, am?"--Peter answered, "Some say, Moses,
etc." Jesus then said, "Whom say you that I am?"--not Jesus, as is
supposed, but this power; for all the persons that Peter had named were
dead, so of course Jesus did not include Himself, but His theory. Peter
answered Him "Jesus, the Christ, the living God (or Science)." This
Science he called Christ. Then Jesus said, "Flesh and blood hath not
revealed this to you." It must have come from the same power that Jesus
had. Therefore He said, "Upon this rock or truth I will build my church or
theory, and the gates of error and superstition shall not prevail against
it." This truth or Christ is what Jesus taught. This broke the locks and
bars, opened the prison doors and let the captive free from the old
superstition and ignorance. By this power He healed all manner of
diseases, cast out devils, established health and happiness, brought peace
and good will to man.

This theory came in contact with all other theories, for there were false
ones and Christ warned the people against them. He said there were false
Christs and told them how to distinguish between the false and the true.
Now as Jesus became popular with the people, the chief priests, and the
doctors or scribes sought how to put Him down, and they tried in every way
to catch Him. At one time while in the temple the chief priests and elders
of the people came to ask by what authority He did these things. Jesus
answered them by asking them a question which, if they answered, He would
tell them how He performed His cures. The baptism of John, or his theory,
was it from Heaven or of man? And they reasoned among themselves, saying,
If we say, from Heaven, He will say, "Why then did ye not believe it?"--
for they had killed John as a prophet. And so they answered, "We cannot
tell." "Neither can I tell you how I do these things."

As it never has been explained how Jesus did these things, the people have
looked upon them as miracles. But to suppose Jesus performed a miracle is
to suppose Him ignorant of the power He exercised, and if so He was just
as much a quack as those He condemned; for He said, when accused of curing
through ignorance or Beelzebub, "If I cast out devils through Beelzebub,
my theory or kingdom cannot stand, but if I do it by Science, it is not of
this world, but of God, and it will stand." Here He makes a difference
between ignorance and knowledge. Again, if Jesus was ignorant of His
power, and did not know how to explain it to others, why did He tell His
disciples to go out in all the world and heal all manner of disease? If
ignorant of what He said, and gave no explanation of His manner of curing,
He was as ignorant as they. But I am certain that He knew more than His
disciples could understand, and as soon as Jesus was crucified, the cures
ceased to be done by a Science, but went back into the hands of priests
and magicians, and have been a miracle ever since, and the Christ that
prompted Jesus' acts is not known at all. That Christ never did any
doctoring, nor offered up prayers, nor creeds. It never belonged to this
world, nor talked about any kind of religion. It talked itself. Itself was
its life, and its life was the healing of the sick and distressed. It
takes the feelings of the sick and knows their wants, and restores to them
what the world has robbed them of. This is the Christ that was crucified
eighteen hundred years ago. Now the only thing we hear is what was said
about Him. Yet He is in the world but has no identity as a Science.--Jan.
1860.

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MY BELIEF AND OTHERS

Where does Dr. Q's. mode of practice differ from that of others? In every
particular. Disease is admitted by everyone (though there may be a few
exceptions) as a something independent of the mind. Dr. Q. denies all this
and asks for the proof of it.

Disease is a departure from life. Now, how can a man lose his life, and
know it after it has taken place and at the same time, not know it? For if
health is life, and a departure from it death, how can this change take
place, independently of the mind? For if the mind is not that which
undergoes the change how can it suffer death? . . . We are called upon to
prepare for this change from life to death, or from health to disease.

People understand this theory pretty well, for they prove it in a very few
years to the satisfaction of both parties. This was the state of the mind
when Christ came to destroy this theory of disease and death by showing
the Truth, which was and is life. And no person was in any danger of hell,
except those who were sick, for the well need no physician. Therefore to
keep well was to keep clear of hell, and to get into it was to get sick,
for sickness led to death, and death led to hell.

Therefore as long as man is well, according to this theory, he is safe.
Now as Christ was the sick man's advocate, He warned the people against
believing either of the two advocates of health or disease. He said to the
people, "Beware of the doctrine of the Scribes and Pharisees, for they
undertake to tell of what they know nothing about, and they bind burdens
in the form of disease or opinion, and lay them on your shoulders, which
are grievous to be borne, and which must lead to death, or the departure
from life or health." To keep in health, and keep clear of death, was to
understand ourselves, so that their opinions cannot harm us. Now, in all
the above belief or theory, there is not the slightest intimation of any
knowledge independent of mind. It is true that some people have a vague
idea of something independent of the mind, but the person who dares
express such an opinion is looked upon as a sort of lunatic or fool.
Phenomena are constantly taking place, showing that there is a higher
order of intellect that has not yet been developed in the form of a
theory, but which can unravel the old theory, and bring in one that will
lead man to health and happiness, and destroy the idea of disease and
death. Dr. Q's theory, if understood, also goes to correct this error that
is depriving so many of the life and happiness of mankind. His belief is
his practice, and his practice gives the lie to the old beliefs.--Jan.
1860.

TRUE AND FALSE CHRISTS

I will try to explain the true Christ from the false Christ, and show that
"Christ" never was intended to be applied to Jesus as a man, but to a
Truth superior to the natural man--and this Truth is what prophets
foretold. It has been called by various names, but is the same truth.
There is a natural body of flesh and blood--this was Jesus. His mind like
all others was subject to a law of truth that could be developed through
the natural man. This power Jesus tried to convince people of, as I am
trying to convince people that there is such a state as clairvoyance, that
is, that there is a power that has an identity and can act upon the
natural man, which the natural man is ignorant of. When this power acts
upon his senses it acts in the form of an idea or thought. The natural man
receives it like the servant, but acts as though he was the father of the
idea. The world gives him credit for this superiority over the rest of his
fellow men.

But unwilling to admit this power, the world attributes it to some unknown
cause, as the best way to get out of trouble. People would rather have it
a miracle than a science, for otherwise it would lower them in the
estimation of themselves and cause their own destruction, as all truth
destroys error. This belief that there is an intelligence independent of
ourselves has always been admitted, but attributed to some miraculous
power from another world.--Jan. 1860.

YOUR TRUE POSITION

Question: "I understand you to say, sometimes that mind is matter, and at
another time you separate the two by showing that the mind leaves the body
and goes to a distant place, sees and describes objects that are not known
to any person present." Answer: Certainly and I will give you the proof.
The mind is the medium of a higher power independent of the natural man
that is not recognized. When we speak of mind we embrace this power, as we
often do in speaking of a lever, supposing the power to lie in the lever,
not thinking that the lever contains no knowledge or power.

This natural mistake is attributed to our ignorance of mathematics. The
same mistake exists with regard to mind and matter. The body may be
compared to dead weight, the mind to a lever. Error puts knowledge into
the lever. Here is where the mystery lies. The natural man cannot see
beyond this standard, and as all our happiness or misery is in what
follows our acts, it is not strange that we are all the time getting into
trouble. Now, separate the power from the lever or mind, and the mind
becomes subject to this independent power, and acts upon another's mind in
the same way that the natural man may suggest to his friend the best way
of applying his power to a lever to move matter. As our bodies are the
machine to be moved like the locomotive, and our mind is the steam, the
whole must be kept in action by a power independent of itself, for the
steam contains no knowledge, anymore than the body or engine. Now all men
will admit the two elements. These two powers are not understood or
admitted to have an existence independent of the lever or mind. These two
powers govern the mind and body as the engineer governs the steam-engine.
Knowledge of ourselves as spiritual beings separates both.--Jan. 1860.

MY RELIGION

When I talk to the sick I talk my theory, when I talk to the well I talk
about it. It is so with my religion, I have no religion independent of my
acts. When I am religious, I talk it and put it into practice. When I am
not putting my religion into practice for the benefit of the sick and
those whom I can help, then if I talk I am talking about something. Here
is a distinction that may at first seem curious to some, but if you will
look at it rightly you will see that there is more in it than you would at
first suppose. One of Christ's followers made a remark like this in regard
to the same distinction, only he called their talk or belief, Faith, which
is religion put in practice. He said, show me your religion or faith
independent of works, and I will show you my religion or faith by my
works. There is no such identity as goodness by itself.--Jan. 1860.

HAPPINESS

What is happiness? It is what follows any act of the law of science, but
it is not always understood. Sin and misery are the effects of our belief
put in practice, governed by the law of sin and death. Man is the medium
of the two laws; the one, chance or ignorance, which is of this world; the
other, God or Science, which is of a higher. The wisdom of one is called
the law, the knowledge of the other is the Gospel. These two laws enter
into all our acts. Mathematics contains the two laws. The solving of a
problem does not establish the science, although it may be right, but it
develops a phenomenon for a more wise and excellent law so that the world
may be benefited by it. So by establishing the law of science we destroy
the law of ignorance. This holds good of all the laws of science, the
introduction of the one is the destruction of the other, to all who
understand. To such there is no offering up of sin or sacrifices, but a
fear of judgment because of wrong-doing. This keeps us on our guard. Now,
it has not entered into man's heart to conceive a more excellent law
whereby man may be saved from the sins or errors that bind him down by the
laws of sin and death. To introduce a Science that can explain the errors
that keep us in trouble is what prophets foretold and wise men have looked
for ever since the world began. This knowledge has been called by various
names. It was called the New Jerusalem that came down from heaven, and it
was called the kingdom of heaven. This is the law that was written in the
heart; it is the knowledge of ourselves that can see the evils of our own
misery.

It may be asked, how can we distinguish between the two, for everyone has
a right to his own opinion? That is true, but science does not leave it
answered in that way, but proves it so that there can be no mistake. Now
as disease is an error of the mind, so the mind, as in any error, must be
corrected by a power independent of itself, and this power must be
governed by a science in all cases; though it may not be necessarily
understood by the person applying this power. As Science, like God, never
acts except like a balance which judges correctly, it contains no [mere]
thought or reason, but judges everyone according to his worth. As error is
a chemical action and contains all of the above, it is like two rogues, at
war with itself. There is an old saying, and a very good one that, when
two rogues fall out an honest man gets his due; so when error is at war,
it develops some truth. As the degrees from total darkness or ignorance
are progressive, they embrace all kinds of talent, like teachers from the
lowest classes of this world to the highest of the spiritual world. All
science to the natural world is looked upon as mystery, witchcraft,
sorcery, etc., because the natural world cannot see anything beyond
itself. But there is a mind that can teach it, and another that can learn
it, and so on till it reaches Science. Then comes the end of the world of
error, and the introduction of a more excellent law of God. As a person's
happiness is the effect of his knowledge, to be good is the fruit of
Science. All religion that embraces creeds is of this world, and is
governed by laws, and contains rewards and punishments; therefore holding
out inducements to be good with one hand, and retribution with the other,
is not the religion of Christ. He is in us, and a part of us, and to know
ourselves is to know Christ, and to preach Christ is to help each other
out of our troubles, destroying the enemy that has possession of us.

The laying down of your life for your friends is not so easy a matter as
some might think. It is easier to talk about religion than to talk it. To
talk it is to put it into practice, and to put it into practice is to give
it to those who ask, for to give them a stone when they ask for bread is
what anyone can do, as then you part with nothing. To give to everyone
that asks of you some spiritual food or knowledge, that will cool their
feverish tongue, or soothe their excited brain, and lead them like the
true shepherd to their home or health, where they can rejoice with their
friends, is not so easy as to sit down and thank the Lord that you are not
like other men.

To be a follower of Christ is not an easy thing, but to be a
representative of the kingdom of heaven is not very hard, it only requires
one to become as ignorant as a child. To call yourself a follower of
Jesus, is to call yourself a pattern of goodness, and that was more than
Jesus did of Himself, for He never sounded the trumpet of His own praise.
We are all called upon to become followers of Jesus so that the world may
be benefited by His truth. This is our happiness and the happiness of
others, for we are all workers for the same truth. Therefore dismiss
error, and embrace the true Science, and fight the enemy of health, like a
soldier of Science.--Feb. 1860.

PRAYER, I

Can any good come out of prayer? I answer yes, but not in the sense that
is supposed. A phenomenon can be produced in the same way that is brought
about by mesmerism, but there is no knowledge in the church-prayer. It is
the effect of superstition and ignorance. It is not of Christ, but from a
mind ignorant of self and God. No man prays except the one who wants a
favor, to be rewarded for more than he deserves, or one who has more of
this world's goods than his neighbor. Witness the effect of the prayer on
this world, those who pray to the earthly man, who belong to the lowest
class of mankind. No man of character will beg or pray for the sake of
gain.

True prayer is the desire of the heart, and if the heart is right the
prayer will be answered. For as the heart is only the figure or emblem of
knowledge, a true heart must have scientific knowledge, and a corrupt
heart must be full of superstition and ignorance, deceit and hypocrisy.

It is generally admitted that prayer is of divine origin, but if it is to
be offered to God this is not the case. If it is of the devil, I will
admit that it is as old as its father, for we read that the devils prayed,
as when the devil wanted Christ to worship him. So do all men of narrow
minds like to be worshipped for what they have no claim to. One great
argument offered in favor of prayer is that Christ said, "He who humbles
himself shall be exalted." What is required of a person to humble himself
is to get down on his knees and hold up his hands, and in a hypocritical
cant ask of God some favor which he is not entitled to. But God rewards
everyone according to his acts, and He knows our wants before we ask. So
to ask of a Being whom we acknowledge knows our wants is either to curry
favor or flatter Him with the idea that we think He will be pleased to see
how much we honor Him. This is the wisdom of this world, but not the
wisdom of God. God asks no such worship. To worship God is to worship Him
in spirit and in truth, for He is in the truth, not in the error. Our
reward is in our act and if we act rightly and honestly we get the reward.
If we act selfishly we get the result also. He who expects God to leave
Science and come down to ignorance and change a principle for a selfish
motive to please Him, is either a knave or fool and knows not God. God is
like the fire which throws heat or love on all around. Those who will can
enjoy the heat or love, but if we choose to stand out in the cold, we
cannot expect exclusive privileges; for God has no respect to one over
another.

I have no account with God, He pays me as soon as my work is done, and I
do not ask favors of Him apart from His principles. If I act wrongly He
will not step out and correct me. I must do it myself. If I act rightly I
get my reward, for our happiness or misery is in our acts, and as we are a
part of each other, our happiness is in our neighbor, and to love our
neighbor as ourselves is more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices. If
you understand this, Jesus said, you are not far from the kingdom of
heaven. Jesus had no sympathy with the hypocrites' prayers. He warned His
disciples and the multitude against all such prayer. His prayer was that
God would forgive them for they knew not what they did. A desire to know
God, is a desire to know ourselves, and that requires all our thoughts to
come into that happy state of mind. That will lead man in the way to
health. This is a science and is Christ's prayer.--March, 1860.

PRAYER, II

I look on church-prayers as I do on all other errors that have been
invented to govern mankind and keep the people in ignorance of themselves
and God. You may ask if I would destroy prayer. No more than I would the
law for murder or theft; but I would put into man a higher law that would
teach him to worship God as a God of science and knowledge. This law would
put the law of ignorance to death. For prayer is the law of man, not of
God, and makes God nothing but a mere sorcerer or magician to frighten the
ignorant and superstitious. It puts Jesus on a level with the jugglers of
His day. The construction upon the parables shows the state of
intelligence of the church. It makes Christ's mission here of but little
account to the world of science.

Take for instance the parable at the wedding. The turning of water into
wine is quoted as some great thing, as though God took this way to
convince man of His power. But if there could not be a better explanation
of this parable than the church gives, Christ is merely a magician.

Why should the explanation of Christ's mission which was to heal the sick,
destroy death, and bring life and immortality to light, be left to persons
who have no sympathy for the sick, but who by their interpretation of
Christ keep man sick and ignorant of himself? Of what advantage has Christ
been to the sick, according to the common opinions of mankind? Does the
priest relieve them of any burdens? If not, where is the benefit of the
church-prayer? It is in contradiction to Christ's own teaching. What was
Christ's idea of prayer? He called it hypocrisy and a blind guide to lead
the blind. He warned the people against those who prayed in the streets,
told them to obey all the laws, but not to believe in the doctrines, for
they laid burdens on the people grievous to be borne. Now, if these
burdens were their belief Jesus must explain them away, to relieve them,
and his explanation was their cure. Therefore He said to them, "Come unto
me all ye that are weary and heavy leaden, and I will give you rest."
Jesus's explanation was his religion, but their religion contained all the
superstition of Egyptian darkness, prayers, sacrifices, and burnt
offerings.

Jesus did not condemn any of the above, but He had a knowledge of the
errors that man is subject to and His mission was to bring science to
light, in regard to our ignorance or darkness, and put man into a state
where he might, by relieving the sufferings of his fellow men, be of some
advantage to himself and to the world. His religion was not of this world,
and the world knows Him not. Christ is God or Science, and to know God is
to know Science and put it in practice so that the world can be benefited
by it. This tells the rules of action. They are not left to the natural
man, but they must prove themselves on some subject that is in need of it.
The same subject is in the world now that was at the time when Jesus put
His theory into practice. He gave His disciples knowledge to put the same
into practice for the benefit of mankind.

Who art thou, O man, that shall say to the poor and sick, lame and blind,
that the person who can help you is a "humbug" or acting under the
direction of the devil? If the devil will take your aches and pains and
relieve you, cling to him; and at the end of your disease you will see
that this devil is the same one who was crucified eighteen hundred years
ago, by just such enemies to the sick as they have now. I, for one, am
willing to be called a humbug by all such people. I have the same class to
uphold me that Jesus had, the sick. The well opposed Him, and the well
oppose me. I do not set myself up as an equal with Jesus, or any other
man, but I do profess to believe in that principle that Jesus taught,
which I call Christ. That I try to put into practice as far as I
understand it, and the sick are my judges, not the well; for as the well
need no physician they cannot judge me. Neither am I willing to be judged
by the creeds till they can show that their belief is above their natural
power. I shall not take their opinions of what they know nothing about. I
will draw a line between the professor of Christ and myself, and leave the
sick to pass judgment. As I have the Bible I have the same means of
judging as anyone, for everyone has a right to his opinion concerning it.
But there is no truth in an opinion unless it can be put into practice as
Christ put His into practice. Then it becomes a fact.

What does Jesus Himself say of this power? He admitted it, for He says,
"of myself 1 can do nothing," thus admitting a power superior to Himself;
and also when asked a question by His disciples, He said, "No man knoweth,
not the angels in heaven, neither the Son, but My father only." At another
time when asked by a scribe who had been listening to Jesus, while He
reasoned with a Sadducee, "What is the first commandment of all?" Jesus
answered "The first commandment is Hear, Oh, Israel, the Lord our God is
one Lord." Here He admits a supreme power, and says, "Thou shalt love the
Lord thy God with all thy heart, and thy neighbor as thyself."

The young man said unto Him, "Well, Master, thou hast said truly, for
there is one God, sad there is none other than He, and to love Him with
all thy heart and soul is more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices."
Jesus saw that he had answered discreetly and He said unto him, "Thou art
not far from the kingdom of God." These questions and answers were given
before the whole multitude, and I see no reason for disputing Jesus' own
words by putting a misconstruction on some passage, and making Jesus
something that neither He nor anyone else ever thought of. He was accused
of making Himself equal with God, but that was their ignorance, which gave
that construction, and if I had not been accused of the same thing a
hundred times, I might put the same construction on Jesus as others do.
But I can see, and show to the sick beyond a doubt, the difference between
Jesus and Christ, and the difference between the two words gives a very
different meaning to religion.

The church's construction makes our acts and lives one thing and our
religion another. Jesus made our acts the effect of our knowledge and in
proportion as we understand Science we understand God, and acknowledge Him
in truth. This Science separates us from this world of sin and death and
brings life and immortality to light, and this life was what Jesus taught.
Ignorance of Christ or Science put "Jesus" and "Christ" together and said
"Jesus Christ." For superstition could not account for any of the cures
that Jesus made except they were from heaven, and although Jesus tried all
in His power to convince them to the contrary, He could not. The religious
people of Jesus' day like the Christians of this day, made heaven and hell
places independent of man, and although some may deny it their acts give
the lie to their protests.

All people pray to a being independent of themselves, acknowledging a
state or place where God is, and when they pray, supposing that He
listens, ask Him to hear their prayers and relieve their wants. This is
precisely what the heathen did, and Jesus called them hypocrites and
condemned them, for He said this offering up of prayer and sacrifices year
after year could never take away sin or error, so Jesus embraced Christ or
Truth and laid down His own life for the happiness of mankind. Before this
the world knew not Christ or Truth. This truth Jesus taught, and His
teaching was the healing of the nations, and if His truth had not been
misconstrued, the world at this time would have been rid of thousands of
errors it now has. This was Jesus' truth, which was to the people a
mystery, and seemed to embrace a belief merely, for a truth to a person
who cannot understand it is a belief. But Jesus labored to convince the
people that it was a science, that the fruits of it were seen in His
practice, and that it could be taught; for He made a difference between
His cures and His disciples' cures, and the cures of the rest of the
world.

The magicians and sorcerers cured by their belief. They thought their
power came from a spirit-world, and they acted upon this belief. They
believed that disease was sent into the world to torment mankind. The
priests had the same belief. Each one's prayer was to his own God, to keep
him clear of his enemy. The priest held up to the people the idea that
they must do something different from living honestly and dealing with
mankind as though we were one family, that a certain belief was necessary
to keep us clear of hell, which itself had been invented to torment man.
This doctrine kept the people in ignorance of themselves and made them
nervous, giving rise to belief in evil spirits. As people are all the time
inventing ideas for their own interest, it finally led to the introduction
of the medical faculty. Now it seemed to cover all the ground that
ignorance and superstition wanted, it put the masses into the power of the
two classes, the priests and the doctors. The priests would offer up
prayers to their God for the salvation of souls, and the doctors would
offer up prayers for their business. The people are, in the mean time, in
the condition that the prophet told of when he said, "The prophets
prophesy falsely, and the priests can rule by their means, and the people
love to have it so, but what will they do in the end thereof?"

Jesus wanted to introduce this Science, which He called Christ, which gave
the lie to all the old opinions of Jesus' day. He had no heaven or hell
out of man, no happiness, or misery outside of us. His God was in Him and
in us, and His prayers were in Him and in us, and His life and ours was
this Christ, the law which He put in all of us. If this law could be
understood, it would rid us of all the evils that are bound on mankind. It
would not keep man in ignorance of himself, but would exalt him in the
natural world. It would rid him of the superstition of the world, would
make men worship God, not as one who could be flattered by our hypocrisy,
but as a God of science that gives to every man just what he learns. Those
who seek Him in prayer desiring to learn His laws will be rewarded in
proportion to their labor. He asks no prayers for His good, and a prayer
made up of words is lost unless accompanied by good to someone, and if we
do good to one another our prayer is in the act.

When Jesus said to the righteous, "Come ye blessed for I was naked and you
clothed me," they were not aware that they had done any good, but He said,
"inasmuch as you did it unto the least of these my brethren you did it
unto me," or God, and in His answer to the wicked, "inasmuch as you did it
not to them, ye did it not to me," He put the good and bad in acts, and
not in the words. So true prayer is in our acts, false prayer is in our
words, and by their fruits you shall know them. For He said, "Not all
those who say, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven or
Science"; not those who say, "I understand it," but those who put it into
practice so that the world shall be the wiser for the knowledge. If this
is so, "it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than
for a rich man' or one learned in this world's knowledge to embrace this
Truth or Christ. But I say to all, strive to understand.--March, 1860.

HOW I HOLD MY PATIENTS

The question is often asked, how I hold my patients, when I give no
medicine, and make no applications. I answer, it is through my knowledge.
Then you may ask me where I differ from others. In everything so far as
disease and what produces it is concerned. All persons believe in disease
and their belief is in the thing believed. For instance, take consumption.
People are not aware that consumption has an identity, as much as a
serpent or canker worm, that it has life or a sort of knowledge.(*) It is
liable to get hold of us, and if it does we cannot shake it off, as Paul
did the viper, from his hand. All diseases have an identity and the well
are likely to be deceived. But these diseases are in the mind as much as
ghosts, witchcraft, or evil spirits, and the fruits of this belief are
seen in almost every person. These beliefs show what the people are afraid
of, and what they have to contend with, and make it necessary for them to
have help in driving off their enemies. For if a person cannot conquer his
enemy or disease himself, he must have help.

(* That is through the life, or reality which we attribute to it.)

Now the people involved admit the existence and superiority of their enemy
or disease, and commence making war with him by first firing calomel, and
if that does not start him, the next is blistering, or burning. This only
enrages the enemy, and a regular battle commences. Finally a council of
physicians is called, a suspension of arms takes place, a compromise is
made, health yields up all claims to happiness and enjoyment, and the
victim has the privilege of going about a cripple and an outcast the
balance of his natural life, knowing all the time that he is liable to be
caught by any of his enemies, at any time, either asleep or awake. This
keeps him in a nervous state of mind, not fit for any business, like a man
who is in prison, under sentence of death. This is the state of this
world.

Now, is it strange that a person is known by this character, and is afraid
of this state of mind or disease? And when one who has the power of
restoring health and destroying these enemies comes up to another who is
tormented by these devils, is it strange that he likes him and feels safe
in his presence, until he himself is perfectly free? This feeling is not
always known by the sick, but it is felt. It cannot be understood, for its
language is its feelings, and it cannot talk till it learns to speak
through the senses. It knows and feels its friend, and clings to him as a
child does to its parent before it can walk; it is led by sympathy till it
can go alone and can understand that it has power over its enemy. Then its
knowledge is its cure. Till then it feels the want of someone who can
protect it from its enemy. Now my wisdom is their protector and my
explanation is their cure. My wisdom is accompanied by sympathy for their
troubles, and like a shepherd who leads his sheep I lead the sick home to
health and deliver them to their friends. Then I leave them happy, and
feel that they appreciate the benefit I have been to them. This money
cannot buy. This is what holds my patients. It is what none but the sick
can appreciate. The well know nothing of the feelings of the sick,
therefore to them it is a stumbling block, and to the doctors
foolishness.--March, 1860.

HOW I CURE THE SICK

I mill illustrate to you the way in which I cure, or correct the sick. You
know I talk parables. To the well this is of no consequence, for they
cannot see any sense in my talk. So it is in every science with those who
are ignorant of the meaning the person wishes to convey. This was the
trouble Jesus had to contend with. All His knowledge must be explained by
parables, for the peoples belief was in the thing believed. To reduce
their belief to a science was a very hard task, for it had to be done by
parables of things that each person could understand. When He talked to
the multitude it was about the Science or principle that was intended to
be applied to each person's individual case.

The parable of the sower illustrated the principle like an illustration
regarding some science. It was not intended to be applied to any
individual case, therefore when the disciples heard the parable, they did
not understand it, and wanted an explanation. Now His explanation to them
is as much of a parable to the rest of the world as His parable to the
multitude was to His disciples.

So a parable of mine is of no use to the well, for it is not intended for
them, and must be varied to suit the case that calls it out. Like a
lawyer's argument, it depends upon the case to be tried. So it is with the
sick, each must have his case explained to himself. The Science can be
explained to the well, but not by the same parables that are necessary to
be applied to the sick.

I will illustrate. A lady called on me whose feelings were as follows: She
felt so weak that she could not keep from stooping over, it was with
difficulty that she could sit up. This feeling I could feel but the woman
who was with her could not detect it. To cure her and make her sit up, the
work must be done by an explanation she could understand by a parable,
because the patient's identity was in her belief.

Her body had an identity apart from the earthly body, and this sick
(spiritual) body is the one that tells the trouble This body seemed to be
holding up the natural body, till it was so weak it could barely sit up.
This spiritual body is what flows from, or comes from the natural body,
and contains all the feelings complained of. It speaks through the natural
body, and like the heat from a fire has its bounds, is enclosed by walls
or partitions as much as a prison. But the confinement is in our belief,
its odor is its identity; its knowledge is in its odor; its misery arise
from false ideas, and its ideas are in itself, connected with its natural
body. This is all matter, and has an identity. The trouble, like sound,
has no locality of itself, but can be directed to any place. Now as this
intelligence is around the body, it locates its trouble in the natural
body, calls it "pain" or by some other name. Now the sick person is in
this prison, with the body, which body feels as though it contained life.
But the life is in the spiritual body, which being ignorant of itself
places its own identity in the flesh and blood. This is because the heat
which arises from the body contains the identity, and the soul puts such a
construction upon the pain as has been taught, and thinks its trouble is
in and part of the natural body. This is the prison which Christ, not
Jesus, entered, and broke the walls by His word or power and set the
captive free. At this door He stands and knocks, and if we will let Him in
He will explain away the error or forgive the sin, and save the soul. Be
will deliver as from our earthly hell made by the wisdom of the world.--
March, 1860.

DO PEOPLE REALLY BELIEVE WHAT THEY THINK?

To some this may seem a strange question but it involves more of our
knowledge than we think it does. Our belief involves all our religious
opinions. Our opinions are the foundation of our misery, while our
happiness is in the knowledge that follows the solving of the problem or
error. To illustrate, when solving a problem you have an opinion, and are
in trouble about it. But when the answer comes the happiness accompanies
it. Then there is no more death, or ignorance, sorrow or excitement. Error
and ignorance have passed away, all has become new, and we are as though
we never had been. We have all the happiness we want; the misery is gone,
and the spirit returns to the Great Spirit, ready to solve another
problem.

Now the problem I wish to solve is what I first named. Do we really
believe in what we think we do? I answer, "No," and shall show that we
deny what we profess to believe in almost all we say and do, thereby
proving ourselves either hypocritical or ignorant. We profess to believe
in Christ, that He is God, that He knows all things, and is capable of
hearing and answering our prayers. We also believe that man is a free
agent, that he is capable of judging between right and wrong, and believe
that if man does not do right he will be punished. When asked for proof of
all this, we are referred to the Bible. When we ask an explanation how
Christ cured, we are told it was by miracle. If we ask if Christ did not
know all things, the answer is, "Yes." Then did He not know what He was
about, what He did, and how He did it? "Yes." Then if you ask how He knew,
the answer is, "It is a miracle," or "The ways of God are past finding
out,"--and thus you are left in the dark. Now those who reason this way
will not accept any fact based upon any other way of reasoning. You must
bring the strongest proof to convince them of a fact produced in the same
way, otherwise they will not believe. The fact is they don't reason or
compare at all, and admit what they have not the slightest proof of,
except the explanation of some person of doubtful existence.

Now, when I show that I can produce a phenomenon that to all appearance is
just like some produced by Christ, and in the living, who speak for
themselves, I should like to know by what authority anyone dares to say
that it is not done in the same way that Christ did His works. If they
cannot tell how I do it, or how He did it, how do they know but that it is
done in the same way? Their only objection can be that it happens to be
contrary to their own opinion, which is not worth anything, and they admit
it; for they will say it is a miracle to them. This makes them what Jesus
said of such guides. He called them blind guides leading the blind, and
warned the people against them. He called them whited sepulchers, and all
kinds of names, and the world has been led by such guides ever since.
Jesus told the people how they should know them. He said, "Not all who say
Lord! Lord! shall enter into this theory or kingdom, but he that doeth the
will of the Father that sent him." Now what do they do that Jesus did?
Nothing. You cannot point to one act that Jesus did that these guides do.
All who do good according to Scripture imitate the Pharisees in every
respect. He called them the children of the devil, and He said their
father (or error) was a liar from the beginning. Jesus judged them by
their works, and told the people to do the same; for He said,"by their
fruits ye shall know them."--March, 1860.

JESUS AND CHRIST

When Jesus asked Peter, "Whom do the people say that I am? Peter and the
disciples said, "Some say, John. the Baptist, some Elias, and others
Jeremiah or one of the prophets." Now all of these were dead, therefore
they did not mean to confound the man Jesus with them. But they believed
the spirits of these men came back and entered the living, and talked to
the people. Jesus knew that this was their belief, and they knew it. When
Jesus asked His disciples the question, He never intended to convey the
idea that He wanted to know who He, Jesus, was, but who this power was.
They thought it must be the spirit of some person who had been on earth,
and when Peter said it was the Christ or God: Truth or Science, this was a
new idea, and Jesus answered, "Flesh and blood hath not revealed this
explanation to you," and upon this explanation He, Jesus, would build His
Christ or Church, or Truth, and the gates of error could not prevail
against it. He, that is, Jesus, would give Peter the keys or explanation
so that he could understand and practise it for the benefit of mankind.
This knowledge would give him power to loose those who were bound in
heaven or in the mind, and loose those bound in the earthly body. The idea
that the man Jesus was anything but a man, was never thought of. Jesus
never had the least idea of such an explanation.

The prophets had foretold a Messiah that should come, and when the child
Jesus was born, the people believed that David's spirit had come and taken
possession of his body, so they called Jesus the son of David. But they
meant to be understood that it was David's spirit speaking through Him,
Jesus, and some called Him the Son of Man.

Now, every one admitted the power that Jesus had, but there was a
difference of opinion in regard to it. All men have a power, but to have a
power superior to the natural man, has been a question ever since the
world began. Upon this question the people split. To believe it is to
believe in a power the natural man cannot explain. If Jesus had a power,
we must admit a knowledge superior to it, that governs and directs it, and
if we do admit it where does it come from? All will answer, from God. All
will admit that there is another power that affects man for evil. There
must then be a sort of bad knowledge, or false Christ that governs it. How
are we to know the good from the bad? Only by the fruits or direction. If
we must take an opinion we have no standard; for everyone has a right to
his own opinion, and by doing so we throw away Christ's teaching when He
says by their fruits men are to be judged. We judge them by their works.
What are the works? I suppose Jesus knew what He meant, and He meant to
give His disciples the true idea when He called them together and gave
them power to heal all sorts of diseases, and cast out devils. Did He mean
to give power without any knowledge how to apply it, or did He give the
knowledge with the power? If He gave the knowledge so that it could be
applied, are not the ones who apply it better acquainted with the power
than those who are ignorant of the power and the knowledge?

I will try to illustrate what Jesus meant by these powers, when He was
accused of curing by ignorance. You may have seen in the paper an account
of a young lady being cured by the prayers of a Mormon preacher. I have no
doubt that he raised her up through his prayers, and the belief in
Mormonism would naturally be established in the young lady's mind. This
cure, as far as it goes, is to establish Mormonism. Now if the Mormons
established all their belief and that is right, why do not all people who
believe in prayer embrace Mormonism and all the Mormons preach?

When the disciples said to Jesus, We saw men casting out devils in Thy
name and forbade them, He said, "Forbid them not, for they that are with
us are not against us, and they that are not with us scattereth abroad."
Here Jesus showed the difference between His knowledge and theirs in using
this power. The others cured, but the world was no wiser for their cures,
so they scattered abroad. The cure was right, but it was done through
ignorance.

This is the way with prayer. Prayer contains no knowledge and only leaves
men in ignorance and superstition. Seeing this account in print, and
knowing how it was done, I thought I would try the same experiment on a
lady, myself, according to my way of curing disease. I have no creed or
belief. What I know I can put into practice, and when I put it into
practice I am conscious of it, and know what will be it effect. I sent to
the lady (the subject of my experiment) who lived out of town, a letter,
telling her I would try my power on her from the time I commenced the
letter which was Sunday, and visit her at different times till the next
Sabbath and on the next Sabbath I would come between the hours of eleven
and twelve, and make her rise from her bed, where she had been confined by
sickness, unable to walk for nine months. At the time appointed I went and
used my power to restore her to the use of her limbs and to health. On the
Wednesday following my letter, her husband wrote me that on Monday night
she was very restless, but was better the next day. On the Monday
following that, I received a letter saying that at the time I appointed
for her to rise from her bed, she arose from the bed, walked into the
dining room, and returned, and laid down a short time. She then arose
again, dined, and also took tea with the family, rested well that night,
and continued to do well.

Now I suppose all of this transaction would be accounted for by the
religious community by the power of the imagination of the patient.
Suppose you do give it that explanation. How was the lady cured by prayer?
On the same principle, I suppose. If so, how was it with the centurion who
came to Jesus, saying that he had a servant lying sick with the palsy,
grievously tormented? Jesus said unto him, "I will come and heal him." The
centurion said, "Speak the word only and my servant shall be healed." Then
Jesus told him to go his way and the servant was healed in that self-same
hour. Now who cured the servant? Jesus, or the centurion, or the servant's
own imagination? Settle this question among yourselves.

Another case: When Jesus came into Peter's house, He saw the mother of
Peter's wife lying sick with a fever. He touched her and she arose and
administered unto them. Now if you cannot tell how this was done, and yet
admit it, you must admit a power that you cannot explain or understand,
and if you cannot understand it, it is an unknown power. To attribute to
any individual this power from which you hope to derive benefit is to
worship an unknown God or principle. This principle which you ignorantly
worship, this I declare unto you by explaining it.--March, 1860.

WRONG USE OF WORDS

We often use words, putting upon them a wrong construction, and think that
a person is bound to believe what we say because we say it. For instance,
you often hear a scientific person make this assertion, that there is no
such thing as weight, that weight is attraction, that its true scientific
explanation is attraction. Now this is easy to say, but hard to prove. You
cannot convince a man of what does not come within his senses, and he will
not believe it because someone says so. Neither party is right, and both
are nearly right. If you place the two weights in an exhausted receiver
they will both fall at the same time. This proves attraction. Take them
into the open air, and then the iron weight will fall the faster. Now is
it attraction, or must you introduce another word? Why do they not fall in
the same time as in the receiver? Because they have to fall through a
medium called atmosphere or air. This medium is more dense near the earth,
but as it recedes from the earth it becomes less dense, and bodies are
weighed or measured in this medium. So attraction is of no use except to
show that all things have a tendency towards the earth. To suppose that
the attraction is in the thing attracted is wrong, and so is the idea that
the weight is in the matter attracted. The word weight is the name of
matter in motion, for when there is no motion it is called pressure.
Weight in motion makes mechanical power, and as velocity increases weight
diminishes until weight is lost in velocity, then the whole is under the
law of attraction.

Now as the human body is matter and mind is weight, the natural man knows
no law of attraction, any more than the metal knows of the attraction that
governs it. The law or science that governs man is as much in the dark to
the natural man as attraction is to weight. Attraction knows weight is
ignorance. As the mind is like the weight, and the soul of truth is like
the attraction, as we gain in knowledge we lose in mind or ignorance. So
as perfect velocity casts out weight, perfect knowledge casts out mind or
ignorance, and truth reigns in all. God is the attraction of both.
Ignorance like the brute, sees no higher law than itself, therefore the
ignorant act in accordance with their belief, Man, who it a little above
the brute, has discovered that there is a law of attraction, and that same
knowledge sees in man a higher and more intelligent law of knowledge that
the natural man knows nothing of. This teaches man that as he loses in
ignorance by embracing the truth he leaves this world of error, and as he
learns Science he disregards error till all error is swallowed up in
truth. Then one shall not say to another, "Know you the truth? but all
shall know it from the least to the greatest. Then disease shall be
destroyed an truth shall reign all in all.--March, 1860.

HARMONY, I

Can two persons be in harmony except they be agreed? If you are affected
by any person in a way that produces fear you cannot be in perfect harmony
with another till the fear is cast out. If it is from some idea that
affects your character, you will be imprisoned in the idea till free from
it. The idea may or may not be accompanied by an individual, but if it is
so accompanied you will he affected by that person in your sleep, the same
as in your waking state. One of these effects is attributed to the natural
mind, and the other to the spiritual mind, but both have the same effect
on health.

But as my knowledge contains no matter I am free from your prison, and as
I break or destroy the prison or person that holds you, you come out of
that spiritual idea and come to me. You will have no fear, and if you
dream of me you will not be afraid. I am your protector, but till you know
who I am you may be afraid because you have been deceived so many times.
You look upon all sensation with suspicion, and you suspect yourself. The
ignorance of yourself is the worst enemy that you have to contend with;
for its character is public opinion, which is taken for truth.

To separate us from what we look upon as truth is not a very easy task,
for sometimes we think we like the very thing we really hate. This keeps
us in ignorance of ourselves. When we would do good evil is present with
us. It is not ourselves but the evil that dwelleth in us. This evil comes
from the knowledge of this world, and as this world is made up of flesh
and blood, no true knowledge is in it. To seperate us from the error, and
bring us into harmony is to explain the false idea away, and then all
sorrow will pass away, nothing will remain save the recollection of what
is past, like a dream or nightmare, and you will not be likely to get into
the same error again.

All sensation, when first made, contains no direction, but is simply a
shock. Error puts a false construction or opinion upon it, and speaks
disease into existence. The mind is then imprisoned in the idea, and all
the evils that follow are what are called disease. I shall speak of two
kinds of disease. One is called by the doctors, local, the other nervous.
I make no difference as far as the effect of the mind is concerned.
Nervous diseases are the effect of the regular's opinion reduced to a
belief, and so are all others. I will state two cases to show the
difference. A person is exposed to the cold. Ignorance and superstition,
have reduced [this sensation] to a disease called cold or consumption.
This is set down as a real disease, and so it is, but it is based upon an
ignorant superstitious idea. This is one of the errors of this world,
judged by this world and proved by the effect on the body. This is called
"real, and no mistake."

Now, tell another that there is a serpent in his breast, or a hell that
will torment him in case he does not dream just such dreams or believe
just so, and when you have succeeded in making the person believe this,
seeing him tormented and miserable you turn about and accuse him of being
fidgety or nervous. All the sympathy he gets is to be told that he is weak-
minded for believing what doctors and ministers have told him, and warned
him against for years. This is the judgment of this world's belief. To
condemn all this folly is to disbelieve in all peoples' opinions that tend
to make one sick or unhappy. Let God or Truth be true. and all men liars.
If two ideas come in conflict in you, investigate the wrong and you will
find that it is from someone's opinion. You have tried to carry it out, to
your own destruction. You have taken some effect for an element. This
makes all the trouble. Error can produce no element, but can only create
disease and misery. Elements are like true love or Science. They contain
no evil except when hatred or passion is put in. Then they may take the
name of the author of the evil. For instance, you may love a person, and
he may love liquor, you may be induced to drink; your love for the person
may be transferred to the liquor, and you may become a drunkard. Now to
cure you is to have someone interest you in those who have a distaste for
liquor, and in that way, if you follow your friend, and if he knows what
he is about, he restores you to health and happiness.--April, 1860.

HARMONY, II

When two persons are in harmony in regard to a fact, they are as one, for
there is no jar. The fact may be of truth, or error, but if they are of
the same opinion in regard to it, then they harmonize. If the harmony is
pleasure, it is well, if it is trouble, it is harmony with them and
discord with something else. Error cannot be in harmony with truth.
Ignorance is as a blank, error is the working of ignorance to arrive at
harmony or truth. Truth can govern this chemical change in ignorance to
bring it in harmony with science. Truth contains no happiness, no misery,
but is that power that governs all things according to itself. This truth
is in all men, but it is not in the brutes, for it is not matter but the
knowledge of creating matter or destroying it. Therefore, fear not that
power that can destroy the body and nothing more, but fear that power that
can destroy both body and soul. The power that can destroy and create
matter, is the destruction of the life of error. Ignorance says in its
heart there is no such power. Error knows that there is but is ignorant of
its locality. To ignorance this power is an unknown God. The knowledge of
this power is the harmony of one person in trouble with another in truth
and happiness.--April, 1860.

DIFFERENCE OF OPINION ABOUT THE DEAD

Why should there be such a difference in opinion in regard to the dead? It
is of the body, I suppose. If the body is matter, has matter life? If it
has then the life is a part of the body, and if the body dies the life
dies also. If you mean that this is the end of man, what lives after the
life and body die? You will say, the soul. Where is the soul? Has anyone
ever seen it? or is it an opinion? The fact is that the theory of the body
and soul is not in keeping with the progress of truth or science. It
leaves everything in the dark. It gives no proof of any phenomenon, but
assumes that man must take an opinion of someone about which no proof can
be shown, unless you admit an opinion of something that took place five
thousand years ago, and was renewed eighteen hundred years ago. Jesus
tried to establish the kingdom of truth in man so that men could teach it,
but man was not developed enough to receive it.

It is sometimes supposed that the wisdom of God or Science is made
manifest in some simple girl or man. This is the case, and phenomena are
constantly occurring, which baffle the world's wisdom to explain. . . . I
can prove that mind is spiritual matter, that there is no matter without
mind, and that death is nothing but an opinion or state of mind made up of
matter which can be destroyed like any other opinion. It is true to the
soul that is in matter, but to the Science that is out of the matter it is
nothing but an idea. The word matter is applied to man in his lowest
state, just a little above the brute. . . .

It is not to be supposed that every man who walks upright is to be set
down as a scientific man, nor is it true that everyone who calls himself
scientific is so. But it is he who can show himself so to the world by his
acts, who can explain some truth, thereby putting the world in possession
of a fact that it has been ignorant of, increasing the wisdom and
happiness of mankind. This is the case with Science.

Now, if death can be explained away so that man can be put in possession
of life eternal, the world will be put in possession of a fact it is now
ignorant of. This I will try to do. What is life? It is admitted that it
is something. It is consciousness of existence, and death is the fear of
the annihilation of that consciousness. The natural man never sees
anything beyond the idea of his belief. Therefore he lives in death and is
all his life subject to his own belief. Convince man that there is
something independent of this belief that is true, that there is no such
thing as matter only as it is spoken into existence, and he will then see
that mind is the matter or error that is his belief. As his belief changes
the matter or opinion will change, and when a chemical change takes place
the mind or opinion will be destroyed and truth or Science take its place.
Then Science will stand out from mind or matter and show how mind can be
made the medium of any soul to bring about any belief. When man arrives at
that then death will be swallowed up in Science. Then the world will
rejoice in the Science that teaches man that he can be moulded to any
belief taking a form to suit its author and that all misery is in
ourselves arising from some idol that our soul is in like a prison. The
destruction of the prison is the destruction of our belief, and the
liberation of our soul from bondage is life eternal. This is God or
Science--April, 1860. RESURRECTION

It has been generally taught that there is a resurrection of this flesh
and blood, or that this body should rise from the dead. Now if death is
anything independent of ourselves then it is not a part of our identity,
and if death is the annihilation of life, then life dies and if your life
dies it is not life. This absurdity arises from the fact that man began to
philosophize before he understood himself. Man is superstitious from
ignorance. He sees through a medium of ignorance called matter, therefore
he sees nothing outside of his belief. His reason is a part of his belief,
therefore he is to himself just what he thinks he is. But his belief makes
his life and death of the same identity. Therefore when he speaks of life
he speaks of saving it or losing it, as though it were matter and must go
through a chemical change before it could go to heaven or be separated
from itself. Thus we are taught to believe that our lives are liable to be
lost and cast into some place of torment, if we do not do something to
save the soul, as though life were a thing independent of ourself, and we
must look out for it or lose it. Absurd as this is, it is the belief of
all mankind, infidel or Christian.

Therefore we are taught to believe that Jesus came to make all right,
suffered and died and rose again, to let men know that they should rise.
Let us see what was really accomplished by His mission according to His
followers' opinions of Him. We are told that man had wandered away from
God, and had become so wicked that it was necessary that something should
be done, or he would be in danger of being banished from God's presence.
What was required of him in order to be saved was to repent and return to
God, only believing that he should never die. Therefore, his life depended
on his belief, for if he did not repent or change his mind, he would be
damned. Now, what are we called upon to believe? In the first place, you
must believe that Jesus, the man, was Christ or God, and that He died on
the cross, and that the man Jesus rose from the dead and went to heaven,
there to appear before God and sit down with God in heaven. If we believe
this we will be saved. If we do not believe it, we must be damned. Now you
see that our lives are in our belief, and our belief is made up of
someone's opinion who knows just as much as we.

I, for one, do not reason in that way. I know that man has two identities,
one in this state called Christian or diseased, and one in the spiritual
or scientific state. Death and life are the two identities. Life is the
knowledge of our existence, which has no matter. Death is the name of that
state of mind that reasons as man reasons. The life of this state depends
on its reason. It reasons that life is in it and a part of it, and at the
same time acknowledges that life is something that can be lost or saved,
and reasons about it as one man reasons with another. Death reasons also
with the idea that it is saving its life, and invents all sorts of
diseases which destroy its state of self. It prays to be saved, it fasts
and observes forms and ceremonies. It is very strict in its laws to
protect its life. Knowledge is its destruction, so it fears God or
Science. Its life is not destroyed but its opinions are, and its opinions
are matter. The destroying of its opinions is death, but not annihilation
of matter, but of error. The matter returns to its former condition ready
to be formed into some other idea. These beliefs are from the knowledge of
this world, and are the inventions of man; but the wisdom of this world is
foolishness with God or Science, This world is made up of the above
beliefs and is subject to a higher power.

The wisdom of God does not go into the clouds to call truth down, nor into
the deep to call God up, but shows us that God is in us, even in our
speech. It sees matter as a cloud or substance that has a sort of life (in
the appearance). It sees it move around. It also sees commotion, like
persons moving to and fro upon the earth. It can come into this state
called "this world" and reason with its followers who are in this world,
imprisoned by a belief. To be clear from this world is to know that an
opinion is not knowledge, and when this is found out the opinion is
destroyed and Science takes its place. I am now speaking of the wisdom of
this world.

You see your friend walking about, and you talk with him. Finally he dies,
as you would say. Now his identity with you is that he once lived, but is
now dead. You do not know but he may live again, though this is only an
opinion. You follow him with the same idea or belief. So you never enter
into the world of Science, for flesh and blood cannot enter Truth, it
cannot understand the separation from this world or belief.

Where do I stand? I know that all the above is the reasoning of matter,
and when people learn the truth, they will make matter subject to Science.
Then the wisdom of this world will become subject to the scientific world.
This world calls the world of Science a "gift." To call it a gift is to
say that those who practise it for the benefit of man are either ignorant
of this Science, are humbugs, or are fools talking about what they do not
know. Those who call Jesus' knowledge of this Science a power or gift
place Him on the same level with all the sorcerers of His day.--April,
1860.

[This is a supposed "communication" from one said to be "dead," to show
how little reality there is in death.]

William, will you give me your idea of death?" "I can give you my opinion,
but you will say an opinion is no proof, and therefore is of no force."
"Well, tell me what you think." "Well, if you want me to tell you what I
have no proof of, and what is only my opinion, I suppose I can do it if it
will be of any use. You remember when I was sick in bed, and one night
when you were sitting by me, you know I was very weak, and you all thought
I was worse, and I thought so. Mother thought I would die, and I thought
sometimes that I should; and don't you remember that I told you to put me
to sleep?" "Yes." "Well, that was to get rid of that feeling, and when I
went to sleep I felt a little nervous, I suppose, and I had a dream that I
never told of before, because it troubled the family and made them feel
badly. I dreamed that I was dead; and you wanted me to go to Bangor and,
stay till the trouble was over, and I seemed to go there, but I knew all
about it. But as it was a dream, and the association made me feel so
badly, I could never speak of it to mother, for it seemed they had the
same dream, so I kept it to myself." "How long did you sleep?" "Till the
trouble was over, and when I woke up, it seemed like a reality." "Did you
have any sort of knowledge in this sleep of your opinion while awake?"
"Yes, I reasoned I was with you, just as you and I used to be when you
would talk me to sleep before, but I never was conscious, before, of the
idea of death having so much effect on a person, for I could reason with
myself, and I am satisfied if I had been taught to believe as some people
do, my belief would have governed my dream, and I should have been ten
times more unhappy; for when I woke up it did not affect me so long, from
the fact that I know it was only an opinion, and you say that is no proof,
and I always remembered that. But I know how to pity those who take an
opinion for a truth, for an opinion is as real to the person who believes
it as though it were true. As I have reasoned myself into a belief that
man never dies, I shall not try to give myself any trouble about others'
belief. If people believe that they die, and their spirits come back and
talk with their friends, I have no doubt but what they do. But it is their
opinion and that is of no consequence, except to lessen their belief that
there is such a state as death; perhaps it gives them some happiness. But
as far as I am concerned I am satisfied with my belief." "Suppose I should
believe that you were dead" "Suppose that you should, would that make it
so?" "No." "Suppose I should believe that you were dead, what would you
say to that?" "I should say, if I knew anything, I know I am alive."
"Well, can't you be as charitable toward another as you would like them to
be towards you?" "Yes, but I can't believe that you are dead." "Did you
ever know a dead man to speak?" "No, but you know that we all believe that
the body dies and the soul lives." "Yes, but did you ever see a soul?"
"No." "Then why do you believe the soul lives, when you say an opinion is
of no force? Have you any proof that a person is alive, when you see him
dead?" "No, only my belief." "You say that your belief is of no force, for
it contains no proof, is it not so?" "Yes." "Well, suppose I admit that I
am dead, will that make you any better satisfied?" "No." "Well, what shall
I admit." "I don't know, but I wish I really knew whether I was talking to
you." "Don't you believe your own senses?" "Certainly, but you don't come
within my senses." "Why not?" "Because I can't see you." "Then because you
think you can't see me, I am dead?" "Yes." "Can you see John?" "No." "Is
he dead?" "No." "How do you know?" "I think he is alive." 'That is nothing
but an opinion which you say is of no force." "Will you give me your
opinion about it? "I have no opinion about it. I know that I am here now,
and that is all I care about it. If I am dead, it is news to me: I don't
know any more about it than Lucius knew when he was asleep, that he was
asleep. So if death is only a mesmeric sleep, it is not much to go
through."--Dec. 1859.

MY USE OF THE WORD MIND

You know I have tried to prove that mind is spiritual matter; and if I
have proved that, I will now show you that matter is life. This you will
admit so far as vegetation is concerned. Now see if animal matter is not
life. If so you see that man is made up of life. His body is particles of
animal life condensed into a form or idea, called man, or a living being
of life; not Science, but life is governed by Science. Now what is man
when he is not man? for you say man dies. What is Science? Is it that
wisdom which controls life? Is it not life? If it is then there is no word
to define it, life is matter, and matter is life. Animal life is in flesh
and blood, so flesh and blood is not Science, but Science controls it.
What are Wisdom's attributes? Has it an identity? The wisdom of man has an
identity in a living form. Can you give any definite idea of what people
mean by "the soul?" The one who invented the word must have applied it to
an idea that never had an existence, for soul is always applied to life.
We read of "fat souls" and "lean souls," and "saving souls and losing
souls"; so that word cannot explain man when he is not man. When he is not
man he is not soul, so we must get some other word to define what man is
when he ceases to be matter.

I will now try to explain what man is, and what he is not; and show that
what he is, he is not, and what he is not, he is. I will illustrate the
two men so that each shall be a separate and distinct identity. I will
take for my illustration the man as we see him, and Science as the man who
cannot see through the natural man (for Science cannot be seen, only its
effects) and show how they differ. The natural man is made of flesh and
blood; Science is not. Man has life; Science is life. Man has sight;
Science is sight. Man has feeling; Science is feeling. Man has all of the
five senses; Science is all of the five senses. Man of himself cannot do
anything; Science can do all things. Man is of matter; Science is not.
Then what is man, independent of Science? Nothing but an idea of life and
death. Then where does he differ from the brute, where does Science make
the distinction? It makes no distinction. Who does? The first cause or
God. How? In attaching Science to the identity called man. Then does
Science have an identity? Yes. What is it? Wisdom or God. When you give it
all its qualities, what kind of person is it? It is the Scientific man,
not of flesh and blood, but of that world where error never comes. It
speaks through man. What does? Its life or the wisdom of God. How does it
get its food? By the sweat of its brow, or the development of itself.
Where does it differ from the natural man? In everything. Show by
illustration. The natural man is nothing but an idea which Science uses to
illustrate some fact or problem that is for the development of Science.
Then what does man gain or lose by death as it is called? Just as much as
any matter that is always changing.(*) --Aug. 1860.

(* Dr. Quimby held that death is never a fundamental or decisive change,
but a relatively external or incidental experience. It is our spiritual
state that is decisive. This depends on our real or external wisdom.)