"'An injury to one is the concern of all,' is a maxim that would be put into practise. 'All for one and one for all' would be acted out in all the business of life, for all are Divine. All persons in office would see how best they can serve the public, instead of seeing, as is done now, how best they can feather their own nests, at the expense of the public.
"State legislators would meet, not to see how much there is in it for themselves, in passing laws, but would pass laws in the interest of the masses. All forms of corruption would cease, and bribery would disappear, because all are looked upon as one, and that one is Divine; and Greed cannot live where that thought predominates. Congress, instead of passing laws in the interest of bankers, railroad corporations, manufacturers, and trust companies, would be there for one purpose, that of making laws in the interest of the whole nation, and what is known as class legislation would disappear.
"All persons engaged in adulterating merchandise would cease their disgraceful and dishonest business. For, realizing their Divine nature, they would only make pure articles, and everything would be what it is marked. All business would be done with honesty of purpose and love of justice; in fact the character of the Divine would be seen in all dealings. No longer would the great dailies be owned by the money power, and intellectual prostitutes write the editorials of their columns, blinding and deceiving the minds of the people that the classes may fleece them. In short the ethics of Christ would enter into the industrial and social systems. Usury would be abolished. Instead of having Christ so much in prayer and song, in poetry and prose, in marble and on canvas, we would have him in the halls of legislation, in railroad operations, in manufactories, in stores, on farms and in the home. In short he would enter into all the walks of life, and men's actions would be governed by his teachings, viz.: 'Whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you do ye also unto them; and as we all wish to have love and justice shown us, realizing our Divine nature, we would show it unto others.
"Now, I beseech each one of you, I beseech you because I love you, start to-day with the soul elevating thought, with this grand truth, that 'You are the Divine,' and live according to your Divine nature and not be ruled by your animal instincts. If ever you are in doubt about what you should do and what you should not do, I would say, do whatever would make you strong physically, whatever would make you strong intellectually, whatever would make you strong spiritually, and do not do what would make you weak physically, intellectually, or spiritually. In living the pure Christ life you always will be well. Remember the body is the instrument through which the Divine manifests itself; therefore take care of the body and don't abuse it by too much work or too much social excitement, or too much of anything. Be moderate and temperate in all your actions, bathe every morning and have times for meditation and prayer, and it will not be long before you will make the whole State of California what it ought to be, a heaven on earth. For having heaven within, you will make all about you heaven; and let me tell you that when you leave your material bodies, the only heaven you will find is that which you will take with you."
CHAPTER XVIII.
LETTERS RECEIVED BY PENLOE.
While Penloe was delivering his address there was a man in the audience who sat near the platform, following the remarks of the speaker very closely. Looking in his face you could see the marks of dissipation; the color and lines which drink and carnality leave on the countenance. To judge his age by his face you might take him to be a man of fifty, but he was only about thirty years old; for he had lived twenty years in five. His form was large and well proportioned; naturally he was a strong man. His clothing consisted of a shirt, a pair of overalls, both dirty, a pair of suspenders and a pair of shoes.
When Penloe finished his address, and the audience was about to leave, this man made a rush for the platform, and going up to Penloe under great emotion, he said in broken utterances with tears in his eyes: "God bless you for showing me that my real nature is Divine. I have been living the life of a beast, but now I will live the Divine life." That man afterwards said: "The look that Penloe gave me and the way he pressed my hand will be with me as long as I live."
Penloe saw that if he stayed on the platform or did not leave the building, he would have a crowd round him. Not wishing to give a reception and thinking it best to keep the people's minds on what he said, instead of having them diverted from the subject to him personally, he hastily left the building. But he received a number of letters from persons who heard his address. We will copy three as samples.