CHAPTER LIII.

HUMANTY'S BEACON.

Spiritualism is also a scientific religion that can be demonstrated even before the soul leaves the body.

The tree is known by its fruits, and the law that governs Spiritualism yields a kind of fruit that portends of a life tree that exists and branches out on the other side of the grave. Fortunately for humanity, Spiritualism came into this world just when it was most needed. Theology has failed to make the world better, and the thought had entered many minds. to know something of the future. Skepticism, duly followed by agnosticism, was observed on every hand. The world was alive with doubters, and they were increasing at a wonderful rate; but Spiritualism came just in time to check this tide.

Many honest skeptics have been made happy by learning through their investigations that life is immortal, and that a happier state of existence would be enjoyed on the other shore of time.

Life, in its triumphant march on to victory, may be compelled to wade through storms and afflictions, but at the farther end of the line they will step over into a new world filled with love and beauty. If we live as we should

live, and do as Jesus taught us to do, there will be no end of happiness in the coming days of our future.

The Christians accuse us of being free lovers. We plead guilty in the sense that Jesus instructs us to love one another. This is a principle that the Christians would do well to accept, and it is my opinion that Jesus would bless them. with more of his love if they did.

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This accusation was an effect of one pretended Spiritualist preaching it for selfish purposes. But she was frozen out of the ranks. The Church, however, made capital out of it. But retribution followed, for in February 1896, a Christian sect was discovered practicing free love, and basing their religious right on the Bible. It may now be said with even more grace that all Christians are free lovers because a whole sect practices it. The Church accused Spiritualists of this evil on purely circumstancial evidence. Retribution followed the slander by evidence more substantial than circumstantial.

It is believed by many that in the beginning of the twentieth century, there will appear on the earth a new light of magnificent display and of great magnitude. It will first dawn on the eastern horizon and gradually unfold in beauty, and light the earth with splendor. It will be a spirit light, and not unlike the one that the shepards followed to Bethleham and rested over the babe in the manger. It will be much larger and more brilliant, and be seen by millions of people. It will remain but a short time in the east, and move across the ocean and give forth its brilliant light in America.

What the significance of this light may be can only be surmised at present. That it will be a harbinger of peace many believe, but others think it means war-beginning in the old world and ending up in the new.

The whole world is preparing for war, and unless men's savage propensities are satiated with a tremendous flow of blood, peace will never be obtained. The Christian nations are as bloodthirsty now as they ever have been, and as far

from the teachings of Jesus as the Jews were before his birth. We truly hope that this coming light is a messenger of peace, but as Europe has invested hundreds of millions in preparation, it might be thought a waste of time and money not to fight.

England's greed of conquest has never yet been satiated, and until she has measured arms with the rest of the world, and been subdued, her savage nature will never yield. As long as State and religion are mixed up, a constant feeling to battle will be the result. If England would proclaim to the rest of the world that she is willing to lay down her arms, and turn her warships into merchantmen, and agree to arbitrate ali troubles that may come up, it would not be long before peace and brotherly love would be manifested in all parts of the earth. As long as the British lion continues to roar, the rest of the world will wag their tails and bid defi

ance.

America comes nearer a peace basis than any other nation on earth. Her standing army is perhaps less than England's government corps. In her attitude for peace she proclaims her willingness to arbitrate all national matters; and to that end she holds out the olive branch of peace to the world.

So far as civilizing the world is concerned, orthodox Christianity has proved a failure, and so far as Christianizing it they have gone to the opposite extreme to the teachings of Jesus. They are not imbued with feeling of love towards each other as Jesus taught them. They have no use for Spiritualism or anything that points towards the teachings of Jesus. They say the power that our mediums have comes from the devil, and is loaded down with evil. "Lord forgive them for they know not what they do.” With all their animosity we will not give them up, but will continue to pray for them as long as we live. Let us have peace in the world, and we will crucify war, in the name of Jesus, and sing his praises forevermore.

The religious war in Armenia has already commenced, and the Turks are prosecuting it with great vigor. If Russia can have the privilege of settling the affair, the Turkish empire will have an ending, and her territory will be added to that of Russia. The whole Eastern world is ready and ripe for war, and that it will be a religious one there can be no doubt. England and Germany will oppose France and Russia, and the whole Eastern world will take sides in the matter, and a general uprising and resorting to arms will be the result.

After a time America will be dragged into the trouble, and a cruel war will take place on this continent.

The whole earth will be under a cloud for a time, but in the end it will be settled satisfactorily to all nations; and the religion of Jesus, as manifested through the spiritual philosophy, and handed to us from the spirit world, will be generally accepted. The world will then settle down to peace once more, accepting spirit communion and the new religion.

That Spiritualism with its new religion is intended to redeem the world from sin and wickedness there is no doubt. Priestly rule will come to an end, and as people begin to think for themselves joy will flood the earth on every side. The cry will be heard from all parts of the world: In God's name let us have peace, for we are all brothers and sisters of one family, and why should we not agree and unite on the above principles that Jesus taught? Buddha also gave his people some beautiful examples to go by, but they were not ready to accept them, and not unlike the Christians in regard to Jesus, they have strayed away from the truth and are now ruled by a host of priests. No one can deny the truth of our spiritual philosophy when they once investigate it, for it is made so plain that all can understand its beautiful truths.

Why should the people disagree when the angels demonstrate by their presence among us, and testify to the one

thing, that life is immortal, and the teachings of Jesus are essentially true.

When the people realize this there will be no more wars in heaven or on the earth, and peace will be proclaimed every where. Fortunately for the people of this earth, we are united with the spirit world, and our every thought is as well known by the angels as those of their own. We can not go so far astray and thus serve as a beacon for the rest of mankind.

But as a rule people cannot endure too much light at once. Throughout all the past ages persecution has been the order of the day, and even now the whole Christian fraternity is on the war-path in search of some one who is more enlightened than they. It is true there are frauds in our ranks, but Spiritualists are the sufferers and will rid themselves of these deceivers in time, though seven-tenths of these so-called frauds are not frauds. They are simply persecuted for religion's sake. Oh, ye persecutor, how little do you know the harm you are doing. When will you look up and learn that nature's law is always at work unfolding the minds of her children and inspiring them with higher and more God-like thoughts? Everything tends to a more enlightened age. The millennium is here, and were it not that we are compellhd to help drag the Christians up, we would have but little difficulty in enlightening the rest of the people that Spiritualism will make them free. But if we were not persecuted the world perhaps would not know how numerous we are, and it may be all for the best. Had Jesus and Paul not been persecuted, Christianity long ago would have been among the things of the past and soon forgotten. Persecution stirs up the embers and fans them into flame.

If Jesus and Paul had not been persecuted the Christian. religion would not have been an innovation on the old Jewish theology. The world grows, but it comes up through toil and tribulation. Nations come into power through the