The Astral World—Higher Occult Powers: Clairvoyance, Spiritism, Mediumship, and Spirit-Healing Fully ExplainedTiffany, Joel
Religion
The Astral World—Higher Occult Powers: Clairvoyance, Spiritism, Mediumship, and Spirit-Healing Fully Explained
Tiffany, Joel
Spiritualism
Each must prepare himself for the kind of church he needs. Let each
seek to redeem himself. The Spiritualists of New York and throughout
the United States will be ready to form a church just as soon as they
have prepared themselves to give forth the true affinity; and you will
find that it will not be necessary to have any creed or catechism, any
thing external by which to try the faith of this or any other movement.
If you make up your mind to lead a true life, to speak the truth, to be
pure and just—if you make up your mind that whoever comes within your
influence shall breathe in of your truth and righteousness—you will
find none will seek to come unto you unless they desire to breathe that
atmosphere.
The difficulty of the old organizations has been, that no man or woman
supposed it was necessary to make themselves the representatives
of that which they believe to be necessary for the redemption of
the world. Their faith was not in their own righteousness, but in
the righteousness to be wrought in somebody else. They worked to
be righteous by proxy. They hoped to be saved by the righteousness
of another. Consequently they organized upon an external basis, as
their organizations were not based upon a true affinity of character.
They did not understand that they must possess the true character,
consequently they did not labor to attain it. The individual seeking
to form a church only labored to form a creed. He did not suppose it
necessary to form a character which he wished to have infused into the
church. The world, however, can never be saved until the false opinion
that it can be saved by the righteousness of another is done away. The
world would put away its lusts, appetites, and passions, were it not
that it loves them. Although they do not confer the happiness the soul
feels it needs, they confer more happiness than they know how to obtain
from any other source. Therefore the world is not willing to put away
its lusts, appetites, and passions, and to become absolutely pure and
just; and if you will offer them a religion which offers to save them
from the consequences of sin, and yet permits them to continue in their
sins, they will willingly pay for it, especially if its ceremonies
and the decorations of the church gratify the taste. If they can have
nice things in their churches, it is considered nearly as good as
to put them in their parlors. But tell them these things will avail
them nothing, that they must love their neighbors as themselves, that
they must put away lust, appetite, and passion, and you offer them a
salvation they are unwilling to accept.
CHAPTER X.
WHAT CONSTITUTES THE SPIRIT.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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