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works which through this Understanding are brought forth. Jesus, our greatest demonstrator, said, that by their works we should know them and that these signs of healing should follow all who believe in his name, i. e., understand his teaching. He also entreated them to believe (understand) him, if not for the words' sake, at least for the very work's sake; for he gave them the proof of everything he taught them even to the overcoming of death, - the last enemy to mankind. Jesus counted his words as nothing, but the work which those words treated of, was his mission, he came to do (not alone to explain) his Father's will, and the fulfilment of that will was the uprooting of every plant which his heavenly Father had not planted, namely, sin, sickness and death.

Many who profess to understand the scriptures and to be followers of Jesus say that that work, or any part of it, cannot be done in the way which Jesus did it. The foundation

for their opinion is this. The ministers do not heal the sick, though they consider them to be learned in God's word, and people reason that if God intends this work to be done now, it will be done through them, instead of through the ignorant; forgetting again, that they of olden times reasoned thus, but reasoned falsely. They said Jesus could not be the Messiah since he was not learned and came out of Nazareth, whence they thought nothing good could come. "God chose the foolish things of the world, that he might put to shame them that are wise; and God chose the weak things of the world, that he might put to shame the things that are strong; and the base things of the world, and the things that are despised, did God choose, yea the things that are not, that he might bring to nought the things that are; that no flesh should glory before God." Jesus said, "I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast

revealed them unto babes; even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight." God has never chosen the eloquent to proclaim him, and he is not a changeable God; therefore, we ought not to reject the true understanding on account of its so-called obscure origin, for it is written, "Forget not to shew love unto strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares "; but we should as St. Paul advised, “Prove all things and hold fast to that which is good."

Materia medica, physiology, religion (falsely called Theology), etc., have failed to restore man to health and harmony; therefore, if what the world calls nonsense and foolishness can do more good to man than the world's wisdom can, let us have more of the foolishness, and less of the wisdom; if this foolishness confounds the wisdom of this world it agrees with Scripture; and I would like to make it clear to you, for by the works I know it is Truth.

Suppose that you, having a perfect under

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standing of mathematics, should write an explanation of it from the simplest question in addition to the most intricate problem of geometry, and then bury it, and that soon after, all people having an understanding of mathematics should be destroyed save two or three. Suppose, in the course of time, a new population arises; they find this book which you wrote and which has been buried. so long, and not having any understanding of the subject, they read it, putting their own construction upon its contents, and find in it, what to them appears to be, inconsistencies and contradictions.

So the ministers read the Bible without the understanding which the writers had, and they give their own private interpretation of it, and consequently find many seeming inconsistencies and contradictions therein, and many things which they cannot interpret at all, which they say are not for us to know. But if this be true, they would never have been written for us. They think

their opinions regarding the Bible must be correct because they think that they know, as well as, or better than any one else can. Suppose, after many years, some one should discover the true principle of mathematics (there is always a first one), and, taking the book which you wrote upon that subject and which has been so long buried, he should say, "There has been mathematics before, and this is a perfect explanation of the principle, without a contradiction from beginning to end." The people who read the book without the correct understanding, would say to him that they did not understand it as he did, and ask why he thought he was right and every one else wrong. He would undoubtedly reply that his proof that he was right, was the work or demonstration which could be brought forth through apply. ing those explanations. The Bible is the prophecy and the explanation of the Understanding of Spirit, Truth or God, and is the explanation of the works which Jesus.

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