“Ans.—Shall you give us a better example?
“Q.—Well, we are willing to accept him as one of many, but not as chief.
“A.—Change the name. Call him by other names—Buddha, Krishna, or Mohammed, the spirit is one—is ever and ever the same. Spirit is one, not many, however often the name is changed.
“Q.—Were not Jesus, Buddha, and Mohammed distinct personalities?
“A.—No more than all atoms emanating from the same source—parts of the great All of Being, partaking of the general characteristics of the grand whole—but yielding to environments, showed marked individualism, such as the force of the times in which they appeared would create in their characters.
“Q.—Are these leaders of religious thought not distinct individualities now?
“A.—No, not on spiritual planes, which do not recognize any now.”
Thus they persist in denying that Jesus holds any pre-eminent position as a religious teacher. He may as well be called Buddha, Krishna, or Mohammed as Jesus. They are all the same spirit, all atoms of the great “All of Being,” all as much alike as three drops of water from the same ocean, and what is more bewildering still, they have now all lost their individuality in the spirit world. How, then, can it be told that Christ is in the sixth sphere, and Paine in the seventh? Such teachers, though they may claim to be good spirits, are branded as antichrist by both John and Jude. John says: “Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist that denieth the Father and the Son.” 1 John 2:22. Again, “Every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of [pg 088] God.” 1 John 4:3. According to the spirits, Jesus Christ has no more come in the flesh than have Buddha, Mohammed, Confucius, Zoroaster, or any other religious teacher. They all simply yielded to their environments, and showed marked individualism while on this earth, and have now become absorbed in the “great whole” in the spirit world. Thus, as Jude says (verse 4), they deny “the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.”
So much for their denial of Christ in his person. They also deny him in his offices; for to deny and ridicule what he came to do, is one of the most effectual ways of denying him. The great work of Christ was the shedding of his blood to atone for the sins of the world; and the spirits are particularly bitter in denouncing that idea. If such sentiments were uttered only by open and professed scoffers, it would not do so much harm; but it is not unusual to find those bearing the title of “Reverend” descanting on these themes in a manner to show themselves antichrist, according to the definition of that term by John. And even this need not surprise us; for the sure word of prophecy has foretold that some who have once held the true faith will depart therefrom to give heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils. 1 Tim. 4:1.
One R. P. Wilson, to whose name is attached the ministerial title, in his lectures on “Spiritual Science,” said:—