Published in 1906 | 201 pages | PDF reader required
PREFACE
In placing the following work before the public I have no excuse whatever to offer but it is important that I should make some explanations regarding certain portions thereof.
The greater part of the work appeared as a serial in "Modern Miracle" published in New York City and was well received by a critical public. This being the case, I think that it will be fairly well received in its present form except by a certain class which class condemns literature of this nature.
The book is an answer or contradiction of the work by John L. Roberts, a religious fanatic of the present century. A man who quotes others in part but does not give credit to such authors for fear that they, the readers, might read the books quoted from and thus learn for themselves. I am radical in this perhaps but it is a fact nevertheless.
What is said concerning Marriage is very radical but it must be remembered that in order to set any reform in motion it is necessary to draw distinctive lines so that he who reads may understand. I do not think it would be wise to overthrow the marriage institution. In fact, anarchy would set in but there is certainly and vast field here for reform. I do believe that the child, no matter under what conditions born, should be recognised as legal by the state and crimes of such nature will never stop until the state does recognise such children. God does not care how a child is born so long as it is brought up right and that class of children known as bastards will never be brought up right unless they are recognised as legal children and given the name of the right father, no matter what the condition under which he or she was conceived. Can the unborn child help it if the conditions under which it was created were not such as are sanctioned by Church or Society? Never. Then why should it be condemned? God does not and while man tries to condemn he should himself be condemned for so doing. I boldly claim that the child is legal and legitimate no matter under what circumstances born.
The marriage ceremony as at the present day performed has no foundation in the Bible or Holy Scripture. It was never instituted by God but by man as are all other man-made institutions. That it serves a purpose I do not deny. In fact, I know that it does but there are other legal marriages besides those performed by priests. As before stated, it would be a very bad thing to sweep all marriage laws aside but the law should be such as to recognise the true marriage which takes place when the man misleads the woman. If the state and Church would recognise the true marriage, thousands of present-day crimes would cease. I do not think that the reader can misunderstand me in the present work after this explanation.
Now a word concerning the phrase "Priest-craft." By this word I do not mean only the priests of the Catholic Church but I use the word to cover all men at the head of churches, no matter what denomination it may be. I do not want the reader to understand that I condemn all priests, all ministers. I do not for many of my best friends are Ministers of the Gospel, priests of the Catholic Church. I want it understood that I mean only such as think they know it all and will not study, nor investigate anything outside of their particular creed. In fact, I refer to the bigot, no matter what the name of the denomination to which he belongs. This is the sense in which I use the word "priests" or "priestcraft."
Concerning the condemnation of Churchanity and the Church, I want my readers to understand that I do not condemn Christianity. I believe that religion taught by the Christ to be the purest and most sublime religion ever given to man, but at the same time, I positively want my readers to understand that these teachings of the Christ are exactly the same as those taught by Esoteric Spiritualism, Occultism and Mysticism. There is absolutely no difference. The Church as a whole has lost the inner or esoteric meaning of the religion they try to teach. In fact, the husk only remains. When I say "Churchanity" or condemn modern Christianity I do not mean the true Christianity but only that which passes for the true Christianity. Thousands upon thousands of ministers and priests are trying to teach the Truth as they see it and such men are doing good. They are trying to teach a more beautiful doctrine. In many cases, their members are not ready for a beautiful religion, one of Love and good will to all men.
Occultism, Mysticism and Spiritualism are judged by the masses according to the advertisements appearing in magazines, journals and newspapers. No wonder that the people condemn these noble sciences. I think that I should do the same if I did not have any further knowedge of the subject. There is no doubt but that more fraud takes place under the name of these sciences than under all else. However, this does not prove that these Sciences in themselves are a fraud, but it does prove that they are mighty sciences or else they would not be counterfeiter as they are. There is no condemnation too severe for those who use these things to defraud a people who are truly seeking the Light as many thousands are at this present day. Fraud of this nature should be condemned as severely as is abortion. Newspapers throughout the country condemn Occultism and other sciences of this nature and accept all advertisements, no matter how condemnable on the face of them, concerning these things. Who then is the one to be condemned?
Throughout the work mention is made that the Church upholds the infernal crime of Vaccination. This hardly holds good at the present time for in a canvas made through the state of Pennsylvania by the Reformer Mrs. Lola Little, of Minneapolis, it was found that the ministers of the Methodist Church as a whole condemned this foul practice of child poisoning. It will thus be seen that the Church is awakening to facts which no longer will be denied.
There is another point that I wish my readers to bear in mind and one which they possibly do not accept as a truth. I am not a Spiritualist in the accepted term. I belong to that Secret School which contains all these sciences within its catalog. My only reason for the present work is my desire for fair-play for all things, Spiritualism, as understood by the majority of Spiritualists even, is but a branch of the great tree, of that great school to which I make claim of belonging. When I use the word "Spiritual-ism" I mean what might be termed Spirituality and no matter whether you are a Methodist or a Catholic, you can still be a true Spiritualist. It is not even necessary to believe in mediumship as generally understood in order to be a Spiritualist. "Christianity and Spiritualism are one, for Spirtualism is the foundation of Christianity and is the foundation of the coming Universal Brotherhood of Man." I hope that I may no longer be misunderstood and that all will read the book and understand it as I wish them to understand it.
Quotations throughout the work are from such well-known writers as: Peebles, Foster, Randolph, Hull, Dowd and Beard. I have tried to be absolutely fair in all things and if I have not been, then I pray you forgive me, for the desire was to be fair and honest.
THE AUTHOR
