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Chapter 42: Christ As a Spiritual Medium
THERE are many incidents related in the life of Christ, which,
when critically examined, furnish abundant evidence that he was
what is now known as a spiritual medium. He unquestionably
represented, and often practically exhibited, several important
phases of mediumship.
- The many instantaneous cures which he wrought, as reported
in his Gospel narrative, performed in the same manner that "spirit
doctors" now heal the sick, prove that he was a "healing medium."
- His declaration to Nathanael, "When thou wast under the fig
tree, I saw thee," and his recounting to the woman of Samaria the
deeds of her past life (acts similar to which are now performed
every day by spiritualists), are evidence that he was also a
"clairvoyant medium."
- His walking on the water (if the story is true), as D.D.
Home has frequently, within the past few years, walked or floated
on the air in the presence of witnesses (including men of science,
royal personages, and members of parliament.), entitles him to the
appellation of a "physical medium."
- And the circumstance of his pointing his disciples to the
mark of the spear in his side, and the print of the nails in his
hands, while amongst them as a spirit, has led many spiritualists
to conclude he was also a "medium for materialization." His spirit
was made to present the peculiar marks which had been inflicted
upon his physical body, cases parallel to which are now witnessed
by modern spiritualists. Hundreds of cases have occurred of
departed spirits presenting themselves to their friends with all
the peculiar marks which their physical bodies had long worn while
in the earth life. And the former physical wounds have often been
exhibited by the spirit in the same manner Christ exhibited his.
And thus spiritualism explains the phenomenon which otherwise would
be entirely incredible.
- And there is yet another phase of mediumship which Christ
often exhibited in his practical life. He claimed to have frequent
intercourse with some invisible being, whom he called "the Father."
But as modern science has settled the question of the personality
of God in the negative, we are led to conclude that Christ, like
many eminent persons since his time, mistook some finite spirit for
the great infinite but impersonal Father spirit -- though his
attendant invisible companion was probably a spirit of a very high
order. And the great beauty and grandeur of his life are exhibited
by his frequent intercourse with and dependence upon this his
"guardian spirit." He declared he did nothing of himself, so
dependent was he upon his invisible guide. And the strongest proof
that he had a spirit companion, which he often looked to for
counsel and aid, and that this was the being he called the Father,
is furnished by the fact, that when he prayed to the Father, his
petition was answered by an angel spirit. (See Luke xxii. 44.) And
there is no account and no evidence of any invisible or spiritual
being ever presenting itself to him but an angel or spirit. That he
should have supposed this spirit to be the great infinite Father
God was very natural. Thousands since, and some before his time,
committed a similar mistake. The author has known several persons
who had long had intercourse with some invisible being they
supposed to be God, who have recently, by the light afforded by
spiritualism, become entirely convinced that they had simply
mistaken a finite spirit for the great Infinite Spirit. And did
Christ live in our day, he would probably be rescued from a similar
error in the same way. In conclusion, we will remark that it was
doubtless his frequent displays of several very remarkable phases
of spiritual mediumship that contributed much to lead the people
into the error of supposing him to be God. And this fact will yet
be known.
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