“Ans.—He is made in the image of everything that ever was, that is, or that ever shall be. He holds within his caliber everything that exists, that ever has existed, or that ever will exist. Now, God is included in this. If he exists at all, he exists everywhere (and we have taken in everything), every place, every name, every condition. I believe that the human stands above all things else, and holds within its embrace all the past, present, and future. In this sense he is created and exists in the image of God.
“Q.—What is God essentially?
“A.—Everything. Essentially you are God, and I am God—the flowers, the grass, the pebbles, the stars, the moon, the sun, everything is God.”
The Devil, through the serpent in the garden, taught Adam and Eve that the soul is immortal, and has transfused the same idea very successfully through paganism, Romanism, and Protestantism; but he also said, “Ye shall be as gods;” and now, it seems, he is trying to make the world swallow this other leg of his falsehood; but by putting it forth under the form of the old pagan pantheism, that everything is God, and God is everything, he betrays the lie he uttered in Eden; for in that case, Adam and Eve were no more gods after they ate than they were before.
Another séance, reported in the Banner about twenty years later than the one quoted above, April 28, 1888; an inquirer addressed to the “spirits” a question about God, and received answer, a portion of which is presented below:—
“Ques.—Some Spiritualists, I learn, believe in a God; otherwise they would not pray to him—taking for granted that there is such a being. Please enlighten us.
“Ans.—We have yet to come in contact with a thorough Spiritualist, one who understands something of spiritual life and the revelations made by returning spirits, who directly [pg 080] believes in a personal God. True, many Spiritualists and many returning spirits offer their invocations to the ‘Great Supreme Spirit of all life and intelligence,’ not because they expect to change the order of law, or to come into direct communication with, or nearness to, a Great Supreme Being, clothed in the image of man, but because they desire to enter an atmosphere of harmony, to uplift their own souls to a plane of thought which will bring spiritual inspiration to their minds. We make a distinction between that Great Supreme Overruling Force which we may call the Superior Spirit of Intelligence, Wisdom, and Love, and the personal Deity, clothed in the image of man, gigantic in stature, jealous and revengeful by nature, which has been set up and worshiped as the Christian Jehovah. We know of no Spiritualist—let us repeat it—who believes in such a personal God; but we can believe and accept the idea, though it may pass beyond almost our finite comprehension, that there is a grand universal Spirit permeating all forms of existence; that this great source of light, of activity and vitality vibrates with intelligence, and that it is superior to all organic forms, however grand they may prove to be.”
The same views have been taught all along by the “spirits” of Spiritualism, as could be shown by extracts dating as far back as 1858, only ten years after the “Rochester Knockings.” And though Spiritualism is now assuming more of the sedate speech of organized Christianity, the spirits do not modify their teaching in respect to God. In “Automatic, or Spirit, Writing,” p. 148 (1896), are given many messages from the spirits through the mediumship of Mrs. S. A. Underwood, wife of the editor of the Philosophical Journal, Chicago. The “spirits” set forth their teaching in answer to questions by the medium, some of which have reference to God, though his name is not used. Thus on page 148, this conversation is given:—
“Ques.—You often in these communications speak of the binding laws of spiritual life—that because of them you cannot give us such and such information, etc. Now who makes those laws, and whence came they, and how are they taught?
“Ans.—Thou say'st ‘who’—therefore we cannot answer. Go back to the first question and ask one at a time.