Our belief makes ideas out of our identity of a body.

Jesus' Healing and His Mission.

Why should there be such a controversy in regard to the way in which Jesus cured disease; also what was the real object of his mission to this world? These questions naturally arise in the minds of men and bring up doubts and questionings. By some it is believed that it (his mission) was to save man from being lost in another world and by others it was to reform this world. All admitted he had a power or gift superior to other men, but what it was has never been ascertained. This was the same in the days of Jesus. The same controversy was going on all the time and in fact it has always been a mystery to the natural man. Phenomena are taking place every day proving this power or gift and all admit it but it has as yet never been reduced to a science so that it can be taught and learned. Yet its opponents speak as though it was governed by natural laws, but when asked to put these laws into practice they get off by saying that it is nothing but Mesmerism. When asked to explain Mesmerism they say it is psychology. Then if you ask what psychology is, the answer is Mesmerism. So you see the world is just as wise as it was before. No person has undertaken to reduce this power to a science. Mesmer tried to explain it on the ground of electricity. Others have done the same. But not one single step has it advanced since Mesmer. Those who believe it is governed by some law attribute it to Galvanism or electricity. The religious vary. The Spiritualists ascribe it to the spirits of the dead. Christians, when speaking of Jesus, ascribe his miracles to the power of God, but when they speak of this power in man, they attribute it to natural causes. Some say that it is the power of the devil; others, Mesmerism, etc. In the days of Jesus the people admitted it and reasoned about it just as they do now, for when Herod, the king, was told that Jesus was performing these cures, he said that it was John the Baptist, that is, that his spirit came and took possession of Jesus and cured diseases. That was as the Spiritualists of this day believe. Others believe that it was the spirit of Moses acting through Jesus. When the Pharisees asked him where it was from, he said if they would tell him where the power of John came from, then he would tell them how he performed his cures. This they could not do; so you see it has never been explained nor even suggested that it could be. Now settle this one point and you establish a basis for investigation. As it stands, it puts Jesus on the level with all of the Spiritualists of his day and all ages.

If it is a gift or power, why should he be called God or anything else above his followers? And if he knew how he wrought the miracles, then it is a knowledge and not a gift and to call his wisdom a gift or a power is depriving Jesus of any knowledge superior to that of his followers. Admit it as a science that Jesus taught for the happiness of man and then man will try to learn it. Then the inquiry will be made: How can it be proved a science? I answer, never, until the people will admit that mind and matter are all the same and both under the direction of an intelligence superior to matter. Then man takes a higher standard and is governed by a science and not by error or mind. Then matter becomes subject to science and is the medium or power to be put in motion. This medium or matter can be changed into any form or state and be destroyed, but not lost. The identity of a thing can be put out of this world, as it is called, and only remains as a thing that once was, but now is not.

I will give an illustration. Suppose a person believes he has a tumor in his left side. His knowledge or error believes in the idea of tumors independent of his knowledge. He thus admits an error to begin with. Now his knowledge gives direction to the matter and the matter is formed. This is proof that there is such a thing as a tumor. No one will deny that one is a phenomenon brought about by false knowledge and true knowledge or science can destroy that tumor or idea and establish a knowledge of truth that will prevent a person from ever being deceived into that error again. All will admit that a person can be deceived into a belief and his belief make him sick. They will also admit that to correct his error or belief will make him well. This process is all that Jesus ever intended to convey to the world. This is a science and can be learned. Its opposers are ignorance and error. Its science is in unlearning what ignorance and superstition have bequeathed to man. Our belief makes ideas out of our identity of a body. Our bodies are nothing but an idea of matter that is under the control of error or false knowledge, and happiness or misery is the wages of our investigation. If truth or science reigns, all goes well. If error reigns the wages is death, for all the acts of error lead to death. Death is an idea or matter and all the acts of science destroy death and lead to life and happiness.

PPQ May 1860