CHAPTER XXIII.

THE PHYSICAL MANIFESTATIONS AND PHILOSOPHY OF CHRIST.

The Great Stumbling-block, Unbelief in the Physical History of Christ.--Modern Science confirms the New Testament.--Internal Evidence of the Truth of the History of Jesus.--The Scientific Accuracy of his Statements.--The Exoteric and the Esoteric Doctrines.--Parables.--Esoteric Doctrines Reserved for Modern Science to discover.--The Spirit of Truth.--Jesus the first to proclaim the Scientific Truth.--The Doctrine of Faith.--Healing the Sick.--Natural Law.--Faith essential then as now.--Illustrative Incidents.--Jairus' Daughter.--Seven Scientific Steps.--Secrecy enjoined.--Scientific Reasons.---Rediscovery of the Science of Mental Therapeutics in Modern Times.--Nothing discovered that Jesus did not know.--Absent Treatment.--The Power to heal transmitted to all Future Generations.--The Conditions.--Conclusions.

It was no part of my original intention in writing this book to enter upon the discussion of theological questions, or to speculate upon the possible condition of the soul after the death of the body. Nor shall I, to any great extent, enter upon that prolific field of discussion at this time. Nevertheless, I cannot refrain from presenting a few thoughts which have forced themselves upon me concerning the relation which the hypothesis under consideration bears to the history and doctrines of the man Jesus Christ. In doing so I hope to offend no man's theology, and to avoid the accusation of seeking to "open the secret of spiritual life in the criminal court of empirical philosophy."

It has often been said that the laws which enable man to perceive spiritual truths, or to apprehend the relation which his spiritual nature bears to the Christ, cannot be formulated by any known methods of finite reasoning, that spiritual truth must be approached from the spiritual side, and that it must be perceived by the eye of faith. Nevertheless, there are many who have never been able to attain that faith in the spiritual nature of Christ, for the reason that they persist in approaching him by and through the finite processes of reasoning. Their conceptions of him come through the history of his physical life, and their doubts arise through their unbelief in the verity of the history of his physical manifestations. The history of critical warfare upon Christianity will bear out the statement that this is, and has ever been, the great stumbling-block. The assaults of scepticism have always been upon the man Christ; and, being unable to reconcile the accounts of his physical history and manifestations with the laws of nature, as understood by his critics, sceptics have ignored the spiritual side of his character, and ended in total unbelief in his divine attributes.

If, therefore, the discoveries of modern science can be made to throw any light upon the history of the man Jesus; if they confirm all that has been said of the physical phenomena which characterized his career,--the first great obstacle which stands in the way of the acceptance of the essential spiritual doctrines which he promulgated will be removed.

If, in addition to that, it can be shown that the discoveries of modern science not only confirm the story of his physical manifestations, but demonstrate the essential truth of the central idea which he promulgated concerning man's immortality, show the philosophy of his mission on earth, and prove that he was, and is, as a matter of scientific truth, the Saviour of the souls of men, there will be little left upon which scepticism can hang a reasonable doubt.

I undertake to say that modern science can do all this, and more.

It has often been said that the New Testament bears internal evidence of its own truth. This is true. But it is not true in the sense in which it has been stated. It has been said that such evidence consists in the alleged fact that at the time when Christ lived, there was no one else capable of formulating the code of ethics and morals which he promulgated. That this is not true is evidenced by the writings of many who preceded him. The golden rule itself, which may be said to embody the noblest conception which has been given to mankind of man's duty to his fellow-man, is found in the writings of Confucius. The code of ethics found in the writings of the ancient Greek philosophers will compare favorably with anything found in the New Testament. It is not in this, therefore, that the internal evidence of the truth of the New Testament is to be found.

But I undertake to say that in view of the state of scientific knowledge which existed at the time when Christ appeared on earth, it was absolutely impossible that a fictitious character could have been created, embodying the salient features of the physical history and character of Christ, by any one of his day and generation. The writers of the New Testament must have had an original from which to write the history, draw the character, and state the attributes of Christ. This is especially true of his physical history and manifestations; for no one but he was at that time capable of doing his work or of formulating with scientific accuracy the secret and source of his power. Nor was any one of his day capable of conceiving the ideas which he promulgated concerning his spiritual mission on earth, or of stating, as he did, the exact conditions upon which mankind must depend for salvation and immortality. He did not formulate the scientific principles which underlie his doctrines, for the world was not ready to receive, nor capable of appreciating, them; he only stated the facts. It has been left for the discoveries of modern science to demonstrate the scientific accuracy of his statements. That he understood the principles which underlie his doctrines and constitute the secret of his power, goes without saying; but his biographers did not understand them, or, if they did, they were as reticent as he was. Nor is it important to know whether they were or were not in possession of that knowledge. The point is, that they could not have created the character without the original to draw from, and, _a fortiori_, they could not have formulated the doctrines which, after the lapse of nineteen hundred years, prove to be scientifically correct. But it is said that they were inspired. Leaving out of consideration the theological idea of inspiration, it is certain that they were inspired in the highest and best sense of the word. They were inspired by the authoritative declarations of the Master,--by his statement of the great principles of his philosophy; by the words of him "who spake as never man spake,"--words of which he made the declaration, that, "though heaven and earth shall pass away, my words shall not pass away." With this view of the source of the inspiration of the writers of the New Testament, the internal evidence of the essential truth of the history of Jesus Christ is demonstrative.

If Jesus had formulated the scientific principles which pertain to his doctrines and his works, and had taught them to his disciples, there would have been no internal evidence whatever of the truth of his history, or that he ever existed. The reason is obvious. If his biographers had been in possession of that knowledge, no matter from what source they obtained it, it would have been possible for them to create a fictitious character possessing all the powers and attributes of Christ. A few years ago it would have been impossible for the most lively imagination to picture two men, standing a thousand miles apart, transmitting oral messages to each other over a wire stretched between them. If, however, a statement had been made by any one that he had seen the feat performed, the existence of the telephone to-day would be demonstrative evidence of the truth of his statement, however sceptical his own generation might have been. In other words, the discoveries of modern science would have developed the fact that he spoke the truth. If it were known that the man who made the statement knew absolutely nothing of the science of electricity, the internal evidence of its truth would be all the stronger; for a man well versed in the science of electricity might be supposed to be capable of imagining the possibility of such an invention, and stating its existence as a fact. But a man ignorant of electrical laws could by no possibility conceive the idea of the telephone; he must be presented with the concrete fact in order to be able to state it intelligently.

It was so with the biographers of Jesus. They knew nothing of the scientific principles involved in the performance of his wonderful works. They knew only the facts, and they recorded them. He gave to his apostles just enough information to enable them to continue his work. He stated the conditions of success, and promised the world that whosoever complied with those conditions should be able to do even greater works than he had done. He formulated the doctrine of immortality, and stated the conditions of its attainment. His biographers have recorded his words, but not his reasons, for he gave none. If, therefore, science demonstrates that the powers that he possessed are possible, that the conditions of their exercise are precisely what he declared them to be, and that they cannot be exercised without a strict compliance with those conditions, the internal evidence for the truth of his history is overwhelming. Modified by the nature of the subject, and of the proofs required, the same may be said of his spiritual doctrines.

His practical wisdom is nowhere shown more conspicuously than in his reticence. He had two very important reasons for withholding a full disclosure of the underlying principles of his philosophy, or of the laws which pertain to his physical manifestations. The first was that the world was not ready to receive the whole truth. This was said to his disciples during his last interview with them previous to his crucifixion. "I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now." He had given to his followers all that it was expedient to give in that age. He had told them the conditions of salvation. He had taught them how to heal the sick. He had taught them how to employ their powers in doing good, both physically and spiritually. But he knew that the same power which he taught them how to use for the physical benefit of mankind might also, in the hands of wicked men, be employed for doing evil. He knew that the condition of its exercise for evil purposes was a full knowledge of the laws which pertain to it. He knew that in the hands of the majority of the men of his day and generation it was a dangerous power,--too dangerous to be intrusted to the world in its then stage of public and private virtue, morality, religion, and enlightenment.

There was an exoteric doctrine which he promulgated to the world, and an esoteric doctrine which he deemed it inexpedient to divulge before the world was prepared to receive it. His whole career illustrates this important fact.

His habit of speaking to the multitude in parables, together with his reasons for so doing, constitutes the strongest evidence of his determination to conceal his esoteric doctrines from the common people.

"And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?

"He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given....

"Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand....

"For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed....

"All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them:

"That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world."[39]

These passages make it as clear as words can formulate a proposition that he deemed it inexpedient to divulge to the people anything more than they could understand and assimilate. His estimate of men and his knowledge of their needs were perfect; and he gave to each class with whom he had to deal, just what was necessary to enable it to perform the work assigned to it. He taught the multitude the principles of morality and justice among men, and pointed the way to eternal life; but he did not teach them how to heal the sick. He taught his chosen ones the true method of healing the sick, and divulged the exact conditions of its exercise; but he did not teach them the scientific principles upon which his system of healing was founded. They were no more capable of understanding those principles than were the multitude capable of acquiring the power to heal the sick. He gave to each according to his needs; and, true to his spiritual mission, Christ enjoined upon all men the necessity of first seeking the kingdom of heaven, when all other needful things would be added unto them. It was not necessary for his disciples to know the esoteric science of healing, in order to enable them to heal the sick, any more than it is for us to-day. We may know how little the knowledge of true scientific principles involved in the exercise of that power has to do with success in healing, when we observe the diversity of views entertained on the subject by the successful healers of modern times. Christ gave to the world all the knowledge necessary for the successful exercise of that power in the one word _faith_. He was the first who taught that lesson to mankind; and it holds as good to-day as it did when he first proclaimed it to the multitude upon the banks of the Jordan.

The second reason for withholding a statement of the scientific principles involved in his manifestations of power and his spiritual philosophy was that he foresaw the time approaching when the world would reason it out for itself; and that when that time came, mankind would be prepared to receive it. He foresaw that in the progress of civilization and enlightenment the time would surely come when the world would not be content to rest its belief upon the doctrine of any one, whatever his claims to inspiration or authority. In other words, he foresaw the present age of materialism, and its tendency towards scepticism regarding everything which cannot be scientifically demonstrated by the inductive processes of reasoning. He knew that when that epoch should have arrived in the history of man's intellectual development, the truth of his doctrines would be all the more forcibly impressed upon mankind if they could be proved by the inexorable rules of logic. Besides, science and inductive reasoning would have been lost upon the people with whom he had to deal. That he fully realized this is shown by his implied rebuke to the nobleman of Capernaum, when he exclaimed, "Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe." To have attempted to reason with them would have been like "casting pearls before swine." He appealed to them by the only logic they could understand. He offered to them the only evidence they could appreciate,--the evidence of their senses.

That Christ foresaw the time when the world would be in possession of indubitable evidence of the truth concerning him, but that he knew that the time had not yet come, is clearly shown by his remarks to his disciples in his memorable interview with them just previous to his crucifixion:

"I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now."[40]

This refers to the then existing conditions. He had given them all the proofs that they were capable of appreciating of the truth of his doctrines. In the next sentence he refers to the time to come, when still more evidence would be given to the world.

"Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth."[41]

This clearly refers to the time, which was yet to come, when mankind should seek the truth and demand to know it. The "Spirit of truth" is a personification of that spirit in man which seeks to learn the truth for its own sake, by the only process known to this world,--inductive reasoning. That day has come. The Spirit of truth is abroad throughout all the civilized world, and it demands reasons for the faith that is in the Christian Church.

Again Christ said:--

"But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:

"And ye shall also bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning."[42]

The first verse above quoted has the same meaning as this last quotation. The second refers to the events of his life of which they were witnesses. He foresaw that the record of those events would be read by future generations, and compared with later experiments. He had left the power to heal as a heritage to all who should come after him, possessing the requisite faith; and he knew that the testimony of his disciples concerning the works that he had performed would be compared with later exhibitions of the same power. He foresaw that the "Spirit of truth" would eventually discover the laws pertaining to his doctrines and his works, and that a comparison of the testimony of his followers with the discoveries of science would demonstrate to the world the essential truth of his history and of his spiritual philosophy.

I shall now briefly point out a few of the more salient features of the history of Jesus which bear upon the subject under consideration, and shall undertake to show, first, how the discoveries of modern science confirm the accounts of his physical manifestations; and secondly, how they confirm the essential features of his spiritual philosophy.

The prominent feature of his physical manifestations consisted in healing the sick; and in the discussion of the first division of the subject I shall confine myself to the consideration of that part of his career.

The first proposition bearing upon the subject is, that Jesus Christ was the first who correctly formulated the exact conditions necessary and indispensable to the exercise of the power to heal the sick by psychic methods.

The second proposition is, that the conditions which he declared to be necessary to enable him to exercise that power are the same conditions which are indispensable to-day.

These propositions will be considered together.

The condition which he declared to be essential, not only in the patient, but in the healer, is embraced in the one word _faith_. That word, more than any other, expresses the whole law of human felicity and power in this world, and of salvation in the world to come. It is that attribute of mind which elevates man above the level of the brute, and gives him dominion over all the physical world. It is the essential element of success in every field of human endeavor. It constitutes the power of the human soul. When Jesus of Nazareth proclaimed its potency from the hill-tops of Palestine he gave to mankind the key to health and to heaven, and earned the title of Saviour of the World.

It would seem to be a work of supererogation to cite particular passages of the Scriptures or to employ argument to prove the correctness of the proposition that Jesus considered faith in the patient a necessary condition of his recovery. The proposition is plainly true, and it has been so understood by all intelligent readers of the New Testament until very recent times. There are those, however, who now seem to fear that Jesus will be robbed of his glory, and reduced to the common level of mankind, if it is shown that the conditions necessary to the success of the mental healer of to-day are the same as they were nineteen hundred years ago. In other words, they endeavor to show that Jesus did not operate in harmony with the laws which he proclaimed, but independently and in defiance of the very principles of nature which it was his mission to illustrate and expound. He did not pretend to establish any new law of nature, but to teach mankind that which had been in existence from the beginning, to illustrate it in his life, and to sanction it by his death. He did not teach his disciples the principles and laws involved in healing the sick, and at the same time violate himself. He taught them his methods of healing, and sent them into the world to imitate his example. When they failed, as they occasionally did fail, he reproved them for neglecting his teachings, and upbraided them for their want of faith. When the lunatic was brought to him, and he was told that his disciples had failed to cast out the devil which afflicted the patient, Jesus exclaimed: "O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you?" After he had cast out the devil, the disciples asked him why they could not cast him out.

"And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you."[43]

His expression concerning their power to remove mountains doubtless had reference to the fact that ponderable bodies can be moved by subjective power, under proper conditions, as has been frequently demonstrated in later times.

Many passages might be quoted illustrating the proposition that faith was a necessary condition in the minds of the apostolic healers; but it is believed that no one will gainsay the proposition. It may be said, however, that Jesus did not require faith in himself to enable him to heal the sick,--that he healed independently of that law. The obvious answer is that he had that knowledge of his power which transcended faith: or rather, that he had the faith which came from knowledge of that power. In the sense that faith ceases where knowledge begins, he may be said not to have had faith. His disciples arrived at that point after an experimental demonstration of their power; and so may we all do likewise. As I have shown in a former chapter, subjective faith may be acquired in direct contradiction to objective faith or belief; but after an experimental demonstration of the power of subjective faith, objective belief no longer sets up an auto-suggestion against it. It then becomes knowledge, and in that sense it ceases to be faith. Nevertheless, in the sense in which it is said that the healer must have faith to enable him to heal the sick, he has faith. In that sense it cannot be disputed that Jesus had faith in his power to heal the sick. It is thought, therefore, that enough has been said to demonstrate the proposition that faith was a requisite element in the healers of Jesus' time. Certainly no one will dispute the proposition that it is necessary in the psychic healers of to-day. We may consider, therefore, that two points in our argument are established,--namely (1), that the conditions requisite in psychic healers of this day are identical with those required in apostolic times; and (2) that Jesus was the first to proclaim the principle and to exemplify it in his works. The difference is not in principle, but in degree of power.

It is said, however, that Jesus did not require faith in those whom he healed. The first answer to this proposition is that there is nothing in his recorded words to warrant the statement. He never professed to be able to heal independently of that condition. On the contrary, all his expressions on that subject lead to the inevitable conclusion that faith was a necessary condition of the patient's mind to enable him to effect a cure. It may be true that in some cases he said nothing about it; but this is only negative evidence, and of the weakest kind, in view of what he _did_ say on the numerous occasions when circumstances required an utterance on the subject.

A striking instance of healing, and a fair example of his utterances on this subject, is recorded in Matthew ix. 28, 29, 30:--

"And when he was come into the house, the blind men came to him: and Jesus saith unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They said unto him, Yea, Lord.

"Then he touched their eyes, saying, According to your faith be it unto you.

"And their eyes were opened."

Jesus was not in the habit of uttering idle words, or words without significance. In all history there is not an example recorded of a man whose reticence was so marked. Every word he uttered conveyed some important lesson to humanity. It does not seem probable that he would question those poor blind men regarding their faith in his power, unless their faith was an important factor in the case.

The case of the ten lepers of Samaria and Galilee has been cited as an instance of his healing in the absence of faith on the part of the patients:--

"And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off:

"And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.

"And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go show yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.

"And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God,

"And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.

"And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?

"There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.

"And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole."[44]

It has been said that this passage shows that nine out of the ten were healed without the exercise of faith on their part, because he said to but one of them, "Thy faith hath made thee whole." The obvious answer to this is that he had no opportunity to say it to the rest. There was but one of the ten who exhibited sufficient gratitude to return and give thanks for what had been done for him. That the rest were healed in the same way is obvious. That they all had faith in his power is evidenced by the fact that they cried to him from afar off, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us." I submit that that is not the language of doubt.

Again, it has been said that in the cases where he raised from the dead there could have been no faith on the part of the dead. This is by all odds the strongest case that could be cited in support of the theory that faith was not required. But the objection instantly vanishes when we remember that it is the faith of the subjective mind, or the soul, that is required; and that the belief of the objective mind has only a limited control, governed by circumstances.[45] When Jesus raised a person from the dead, the conditions were, in one sense of the word, the best possible to enable him to obtain complete mastery of the soul of the deceased by the power of suggestion. The objective senses were in complete abeyance, the body was dead; consequently, there was no objective auto-suggestion of doubt possible. The soul, in obedience to the universal law, was amenable to control by the mysterious power of suggestion. Jesus, possessing more subjective power than any one who has ever lived, commanded the soul of the deceased to return to its earthly tenement. He may not have employed objective language when he issued his command, but his soul, in perfect telepathic communion with that of the deceased, and dominating it as only he could dominate the souls of men, issued his mental mandate to the departing soul to return to the body and resume its functions. That command it must obey, and it did obey. There was no law of nature violated or transcended. On the contrary, the whole transaction was in perfect obedience to the laws of nature. He understood the law perfectly, as no one before him understood it; and in the plenitude of his power he applied it where the greatest good could be accomplished.

The case of Jairus' daughter is a perfect illustration of the fact that he perfectly understood the mental conditions necessary to enable him to raise her from the dead. Jairus, one of the rulers of the synagogue, besought Jesus to come to his house and heal his daughter, who was lying at the point of death. Jesus readily complied with the request; but before they arrived, word was sent to Jairus that the damsel was dead:--

"While he yet spake, there came from the ruler of the synagogue's house certain which said, Thy daughter is dead: why troublest thou the Master any further?

"As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, he saith unto the ruler of the synagogue, Be not afraid, only believe.

"And he suffered no man to follow him, save Peter, and James, and John the brother of James.

"And he cometh to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and seeth the tumult, and them that wept and wailed greatly.

"And when he was come in, he saith unto them, Why make ye this ado, and weep? the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth.

"And they laughed him to scorn. But when he had put them all out, he taketh the father and the mother of the damsel, and them that were with him, and entereth in where the damsel was lying.

"And he took the damsel by the hand, and said unto her, _Talitha cumi_; which is, being interpreted, Damsel, I say unto thee, arise.

"And straightway the damsel arose, and walked; for she was of the age of twelve years. And they were astonished with a great astonishment.

"And he charged them straitly that no man should know it; and commanded that something should be given her to eat."[46]

There are several points embraced in the above which are deserving of serious consideration.

The first is that Christ perfectly understood the importance of securing for his patient a favorable mental environment. To that end he endeavored to quiet the fears of the father, and to impress upon him the necessity of holding his mind in the attitude of faith and confidence. The father was necessarily in telepathic rapport with the daughter, and it was important that he should not impress his doubts and fears upon her departing soul. The injunction was, therefore, laid upon him, "Be not afraid, only believe."

He also understood the value of a positive mental force surrounding the deceased, which would be in perfect harmony with his own force and purpose. To that end, he selected three of the most powerful of his followers, Peter, James, and John, to be present in the chamber of death, and he suffered no one else to follow him. He kept the multitude of unbelievers as far away as possible. When he came to the house and saw the tumult, and heard the weeping and wailing of the friends and relatives of the deceased, he not only put them all out of the room, but sought to quiet their fears by the only way possible, which was by assuring them that "the damsel is not dead, but sleepeth." These words possess a double meaning, a double purpose; and some have supposed that they implied that the damsel was only in a cataleptic trance. It is probable, however, that they were uttered in the sense that the soul never dies. It will be remembered that he used the same expression in regard to Lazarus, but afterwards explained his meaning by declaring that Lazarus was really dead in the common acceptation of the term. His object in using that expression was twofold. First, he desired to quiet the fears and stop the lamentations of the friends and relatives, for the obvious reason that their hopeless wailing must operate as a strong adverse suggestion to the soul of the patient. The only way that could be accomplished was by an assurance that the damsel was not dead. Secondly, he knew the potency of such a suggestion upon the patient herself. It was the master-stroke on his part, first, to quiet the fears of the relatives, and secondly, to fill the departing soul with the subjective faith necessary to enable him successfully to command it to return to the body. That this was his object in uttering those words there can be no reasonable doubt; more especially as it is precisely what an intelligent mental healer who thoroughly understands the law of suggestion would do to-day, in the light of recent rediscoveries in the science which Jesus taught.

Here, then, are seven separate and distinct acts which he performed, all tending in the one direction:--

1. He inspired the father with faith, because he was in telepathic rapport with his daughter.

2. He prohibited the multitude of unbelievers from approaching the house, knowing the adverse influence of an atmosphere of incredulity and doubt.

3. He took three of his most powerful apostles with him, for the purpose of surrounding the patient with an atmosphere of faith and courage.

4. He excluded the weeping friends and relatives from the sick room, for the same reason that he prevented the multitude from following him.

5. He assured them that the damsel was not dead, for the purpose of inspiring them with faith and hope in her recovery, and thus adding another favorable element to the mental environment.

6. By the same words of assurance that the damsel was not dead he conveyed to her subjective mind the most powerful suggestion possible,--indeed, the only suggestion applicable to the exigencies of the case.

7. Having thus secured the best possible conditions, he took the damsel by the hand, and, by an energetic command, restored her to life.

The sceptic will doubtless interpose the objection that the damsel could not have been dead, but that it was merely a case of suspended animation. To this the reply is, first, that it is claimed by the Eastern adepts that as long as the vital organs of the body are perfect, it is always possible to compel the soul to return to its habitation. It is certain that there are many apparently well-authenticated instances of the performance of the feat even in the Western hemisphere. The second and most pertinent reply is that the evidential value of the case is just as great, supposing it to have been a case of suspended animation. The point is that Jesus could not have taken the course he did if he had not been in full possession of the knowledge of the laws pertaining to mental therapeutics. This one case is demonstrative, first, that he perfectly understood the laws of telepathy; and secondly, that he fully understood the law of suggestion. Indeed, Jesus was the first discoverer of that law, for the word _faith_ is an epitome of the whole law of suggestion. In short, the internal evidence of the exact truth of this narrative is demonstrative, in view of what is now known of the laws of mental healing. For, in his day, no one but he knew enough about those laws to enable him to carry out the minute details of the process; and, _a fortiori_, no one could have written the narrative in the absence of an exemplar.

There are two other points embraced in the last paragraph of the narrative which must not be overlooked.

"And he charged them straitly that no man should know it; and commanded that something should be given her to eat."

The injunction of secrecy contained in the first part of the paragraph was often laid upon those whom he healed. "See thou tell no man" was an injunction which was often repeated by him in the course of his career as a healer of the sick, and it still further illustrates his wonderful knowledge of the science of mental therapeutics. The reason for so charging his beneficiaries has only recently been discovered. It is this: When a person is suddenly healed by mental processes, it becomes a matter of the first importance that he should not talk on the subject in public, or to persons who are sceptical. The reason is that sceptical persons are apt to dispute the facts or to ridicule the idea of healing by such processes. They often say to a patient: "You have been cured by exciting your imagination, and the disease will return as soon as the excitement is over." This constitutes a suggestion which must act unfavorably, and it often causes the patient to look for the predicted return of the disease. His fears are aroused by imperceptible degrees; and if the suggestion is persisted in, the fears will eventually be realized. A person must needs be well grounded in the faith, and well versed in the science, to resist the insidious influence of an unfavorable suggestion constantly reiterated by his sceptical friends. It is, therefore, of the highest importance that the injunction of Christ should be observed. That he did not utter those words idly, and without a full knowledge of the principles involved, cannot be doubted.

"And he commanded that something should be given her to eat." These words show merely that he did not despise the ordinary means of imparting vigor to the wasted frame. As we have remarked in a former chapter, he did not hesitate to employ material remedies in connection with, and auxiliary to, his occult power. The mental healers of to-day would do well to profit by the example of the Master, especially when their patients are new to the faith, or, from any cause, refractory.

Taken as a whole, the narrative of the raising of Jairus' daughter from the dead conveys the best lesson in mental therapeutics which has ever been given to mankind. No mental healer of this day, even though he may be thoroughly versed in all the discoveries of modern science relating to mental therapeutics, could make it more complete.

Again I repeat that no man who lived in the days of Christ could have written that narrative except under the inspiration of literal truth. The scientific knowledge necessary for the production of a fictitious narrative corresponding to that did not exist in the minds of men previous to this, the last quarter of the nineteenth century. Up to this time the knowledge of the scientific principles involved was confined to one man,--Christ Jesus.

It is noteworthy, in this connection, that Jesus was in the habit of healing by what is known at this day as "absent treatment;" that is, healing when at a distance from the patient, and without his knowledge. The healing of the nobleman's son at Capernaum is a striking example of this. The nobleman met Jesus at Cana, and besought him to heal his son, who was at the point of death. Without going near the patient, Christ said to the nobleman: "Go thy way; thy son liveth." It was afterwards ascertained that at the same hour the fever left the young man, and he recovered. The principles involved in absent treatment have been fully explained in another chapter, and will not be repeated here; I may remark, however, that the most perfect faith that can be obtained for therapeutic purposes is that which arises from a telepathic suggestion to the subjective mind of the patient, when he is objectively ignorant of the fact that anything is being done for him. It is evident that Jesus fully understood this law, as he did all the laws of mental therapeutics. The patient in this case was objectively ignorant of the effort made to heal him; he was, therefore, objectively passive, and no adverse auto-suggestion was possible. The father also was full of faith, or he would not have entreated Jesus in such earnest and pathetic terms to save his son. The conditions were therefore as perfect as possible for successful absent treatment.

The healing of the centurion's servant was a parallel case. It was on this occasion that Jesus declared, "I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel."

It is needless to multiply instances to illustrate the fact that Jesus healed by the same law which prevails at this day,--the law of faith. It seems like arguing a self-evident proposition to show that he required that condition on the part of the patient to enable him to heal the sick or to do any mighty work. He never pretended to be able to dispense with that condition, or to be superior to the law which he proclaimed to the world. When he said anything about it he always gave the patients to understand that it was through faith that they were made whole. The New Testament is full of such expressions as: "Thy faith hath made thee whole;" "According to your faith be it unto you;" "If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth;" "Said I not unto thee that if thou wouldst believe, thou shouldst see the glory of God?" These were neither idle nor untruthful expressions.

On the other hand, it was said of him that at his own home he failed to do many mighty works, "because of their unbelief." The condition was absent there, because the people had known him from boyhood, and could not believe that the "carpenter's son" could do any mighty works. Besides, as Jesus himself remarked, "a prophet is not without honor save in his own country."

Faith was the essential prerequisite to the exercise of all the power that he possessed, and it was the condition precedent to its inheritance by those who were to come after him.

"And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;

"They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover."[47]

Again,--

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father."[48]

Christ transmitted his power as a sacred heritage to all mankind. He had taught his followers, by precept and example, the conditions necessary to its exercise. Those conditions were expressed in the one word, _faith_. He never intimated to them that he healed by any other method than that which he transmitted to them. His example would have been lost to mankind if it were not illustrative of his precepts. It would be valueless to the world if it did not illustrate the principles of the science which he taught. To seek to cast a shade of doubt upon the verity of his teachings, to intimate a want of harmony between his practice and his precepts, is to attempt to rob him of the glory and honor due to one who was able to divine the fundamental laws of our being, nineteen hundred years before his teachings could be verified by the inductive process of science, and to destroy the force of the strongest internal evidence of the truth of sacred history.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 39: Matthew xiii. 10, 11, 13, 15, 34, 35.]

[Footnote 40: John xvi. 12.]

[Footnote 41: John xvi. 13.]

[Footnote 42: John xv. 26, 27.]

[Footnote 43: Matthew xvii. 20.]

[Footnote 44: Luke xvii. 12-19.]

[Footnote 45: See the chapters on Mental Therapeutics.]

[Footnote 46: Mark v. 35-43.]

[Footnote 47: Mark xvi. 17, 18.]

[Footnote 48: John xiv. 12.]