Immortal.—“Confucius was a Chinaman, who lived 550 years before Christ. He was a teacher of morals, rather than a founder of religion. For those dark ages, he was an extraordinary man; he was great as a philosopher, a moralist and a statesman. He made no pretence to inspiration. He inculcated the training of the physical system. The five elements, fire, water, wood, metal and earth (he called them Kings) were the basis of his system of philosophy. He maintained that the universe was generated by the union of two material principles—a heavenly and an earthly—Yang and Yn—but there is no mention of a Creator in his system. Man, he asserted, fell from purity and happiness by his own act; and by his own act he can or must recover them. His political system, which is one of pure despotism, has been give by the Emperor. Spirit of Koong-Foo-tse, come forth!”
The apparition of Confucius here takes visible shape, and startles the assembly. The other or American immaterialized human, addresses him:
“Confucius, thy soul has now learned wisdom. How is it, that in life your great reason did not perceive and conceive that there must be and was a Being, all wise, all powerful, all good, eternal, and with His infinity universally present—the God and Creator?”
Confucius.—“I had no revelation!”
Immortal.—“Creation itself suggests and proves a Creator; it is His greatest revelation. The dual-elements in man (mind and matter,) should recognize His existence and essence.”
Confucius.—“I dimly perceived that there were two principles, but not precisely those of good and evil. I did not reason sufficiently at large. I thought only of earth, not of religion; of the material, not the divine. Zoroaster surpassed me in these regards.”
American.—“Emperor, the hand-writing of destroying Fate is on your wall. The hands of hundred of millions will pull it down. God will send light, by the invading influence of the ‘outside barbarians’ of the far West, to scatter the darkness from your land. Your dynasty is doomed.”
The spectre of Confucius nods confirmation, and disappears.
The voyageurs pass out, and soar into the air.
Intense cimmerian darkness now seems to prevail everywhere, and the aerialists see themselves, as it were from a distance, flying as illumined transparent shapes through it. Afar off, and in another land, there is seen a small luminous spot on the horizon.