The immanence of God.

Front matter

hUl/\k7 m

Dr L. W. de LAURENCE

'The Immanence of God"

II

HE Veil of Dogma, Superstition and Disbelief Q In Self (God) was lifted from before mine eyes; I beheld the Kingdom of God within the Temple (Man),

^ What Majestic Powers and Mighty Force

for all; And I said unto the One who guarded the

Gate, How can fettered souls enter in ?" And He answered, "Know Thyself '' (God).

Dr. L. W. de Laurence

^"The Soul which ^Knows Itself (God) possesses more wisdom than all the Cults and Creeds combined.''

^ "Man and woman's greatest asset is 'Faith' in 'Themselves' (God).

^ "The Human Mind, uncontrolled^ is the source of every error, disease, weakness and crime." T)r. L. JV. de Laurence

Ui

THE AMERICAN CAPTAIN AND THE INDIAN CHIEF

HEN the writer hears a priest or minister speak of God as a mighty and "all wise" individual, or threaten those who doubt Him with "everlasting damnation" and at the same time sees sincere men and women, who have found God within the Temple, themselves, unalarmed and unconcerned about whether their actions please the priests' or ministers' mighty God or not, it reminds him of the story of the American captain and the Indian chief, which follows :

^ "&V down in yonder chair^^ said an American captain to a captured Indian chiefs ^^and hear what your great father at Washington {alluding to the President^ wishes to say to you,^^ ''/ have no great father at Washington^^ was the red man s reply, ^^The Sun is my Father; the Earth is my Mother; I will repose on her bosom ^^^ and he cast himself haughtily upon the ground.

Q The Indian chief was as unconcerned about the message the captain had for him from his so-called father at Washington^ as some people are about what the priest or minister has to tell them about God,

Preface

HIS book has been written to meet the conditions and circumstances of today. ^ These conditions briefly stated are: <| First: Men and women cannot do without the true and original teachings of "The Master Jesus."

fl Second: Percipient people are not satisfied; cannot accept or do with them as they are interpreted and taught by Christianity.

^ '^The Master Jesus" taught men and women to "believe" in themselves (God).

^ Percipient men and women of today do not accept the dogmas and symbols of the "church," neither will their percipience allow them to accept the doctrine of perdition.

^ They know, notwithstanding the exhortions of the preacher, that true belief lies within the soul, and not in the Sepulchre of Historical and Mouldy Tradition, and that "God" (Self) is "Immanent." f^ Any criticisms that may be made of this work are obviously based on a misunderstanding of the teachings of "The Master Jesus." ^ " The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty, ^^ ^ ^^I have told you ye are Gods,^''

^ ^^The Kingdom of God is within you.'' ^^The Father is in me^ I in him and we in youT "ZI? are the temple of the living God."" ^ ^^God is Spirit^ and they that worship Him in spirit and in truth ''

€| Seek ye the Kingdom of God vuithin you'' ^^For in Him we live,^ and move^ and have our being''

g^

Preface g Those who are content to judge by the effect which this work, when well studied, may have on their natures and conditions in life, will recognize each page as a helping hand which will lead them to a knowledge of Self (God), q The writer's mission and sole object is to promulgate "Truth" as taught by "The Master Jesus," but he cannot compel the selfish or superstitious to receive it, nor has he any desire to do so. ^ Personally this is of no import to him, as this book was not written for fame or money, nor the usual incentives that actuate money making men to write and publish books.

q The author's greatest reward will be the consciousness that in putting this work into the hands of fettered and suffering humanity, he is doing his duty.

q "The Master Jesus" desired that men and women lead a life free from greed, selfishness, superstition and dogma; free from the torments or an uncontrolled self; exempt from sorrow and disease.

q Today old age is almost unknown. ^ Men are not braced with a perpetual vigor and inward belief in themselves ^od). ^ The evils of disease are early felt. q Very few you see, in whom the evils of disease are unfelt.

^ Very few there are, that when the hour of dissolution arrives, death assumes the mild aspect of sleep; laying aside all its terror. ^ Very few there are who have ever learned the lesson, ^^Know Thyself. "

Chapter I-part I. View Of The Bible

THE JEW PRIESTS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT.

AS TO THE PETRO-PAULITE NOTION OF GOD, IT IS ARRIVED AT THUS:

THE PRIEST, THE MINISTER AND THE CHRISTIAN TAKE A PASSAGE FROM PAUL AND A PASSAGE FROM PETER, AND SOME PASSAGES FROM THE JEW PRIESTS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT, AND THE JEW CONVERTS OF THE NEW, AND HAVING THUS FORMED A PIECE OF PATCHWORK, THEY CRY OUT, THIS IS GOD-THERE IS NO OTHER.

All that I have written in this book in favour of the Scriptures, must be understood in reference to the great principles of truth and duty unfolded and inculcated in them by *^The Master Jesus,'' and not in reference to every sentence, or every narrative, or every book which commonly goes under the name of Scripture. From my earliest days I have been accustomed, in reading the Scriptures, to pass lightly over those portions of them which revealed no truth, which supplied no proof or illustration of any great principle, which inculcated no duty, or which contained no good example, and to fix my mind on those portions of Scripture which unfolded the character of God within man, and the ways of his providence, which recorded events illustra-

iii

IV tive of God's character and the principles of true faith, which inculcated the principles of human duty, and furnished examples of obedience to those principles. From the first of my recollection I have reg'arded the Bible as a Religious or Moral Lesson Book ; as a book to make men good ; as a book that aimed at making people wise for the purpose of making them good. And all that I have said of the Bible is to be imderstood or interpreted on this principle. My high commendations of the teachings of Jesus are not to be understood of every thing contained in the book, but of its great principles, of its religious and moral teachings only. Those commendations are not to be understood of all that is said about the law of Moses, the erection of the tabernacle, the Genealogies of the Antediluvians, or the Genealogies and Chronologies of the Jews, or of the Song of Solomon, or of every particular passage in the Psalms, or of all the dark passages in the Prophets, or of the difficult passages in the Epistles of Paul, or every portion of the Gospel attributed to John, or of the Revelations. I never did regard the whole of the Scriptures as the word of God; I never considered the Bible to be divine as a w^hole, and I spoke of it accordingly. At the same time, those portions of the Bible Avhich occupied my mind at times, those portions on which I formed my judgment of its character and worth, those portions of Scripture to which all my commendations did in reality refer, and the only portions to w^hich those commendations can with truth or propriety be applied, are those portions containing religious truths, and inculcations of great, unchanging moral duties.

When a man has been taught wrong notions respecting the Scriptures in early life, it is diffit cult for him to free himself from their influence. It is astonishing how one false notion respecting the Scriptures will blind a man to the real character of the Scriptures. It is astonishing how one false notion respecting the Scriptures will influence a man's words in speaking and writing of them. In short, it is astonishing how one false notion instilled into the mind in infancy, will cause a man to speak and write of the Scriptures for years together, in the most irrational and untruthful way, even after he has become in most things a rational character. I never could read the Scriptures, from my earlier days, without seeing many things in them which looked strange and unaccountable. I never could read the Scriptures, from my earlier days, without having my feelings shocked by several portions of them. Some of these portions I was accustomed to regard as myths, and I passed over them accordingly. Still I could not help feeling that other passages vv^ere not exactly mysterious, but revolting rather. Had I dared to think, and to speak my thoughts, I should have said that they were not exactly imintelligible, but erroneous ; that they were not exactly truths unrevealed, but doubtful or fabulous traditions. My thoughts of the Scriptures at present are exceedingly dilferent from what they were in my early days. I still regard them as of infinite value, and would do my utmost to preserve them to future ages.

I regard them as of infinite value, and think them calculated to do an immense amount of good: but I am far from regarding them as one whole piece of unbroken or unmingled truth. I believe their tendency, on the whole, is good; but I am far from thinking that the tendency of every parg^ g^ ticTilar portion is good. There are, in my judgment, numerous passages of Scripture which are calculated to do great harm, and still more numerous portions that can hardly by any possibility do good. I believe that the general principles inculcated in the Bible are true ; but I am far from believing that every particular statement, or every particular history, is true. I believe that the Bible contains hundreds and thousands of errors, both with respect to matters of fact, and matters of truth and duty. I believe that the Bible contains errors of almost every description ; historical errors, geographical errors, chronological errors, philosophical errors, grammatical errors, rhetorical errors, logical errors, theological errors, moral errors, prophetical errors, poetical errors, zoological errors, astronomical errors, and geological errors : errors in short, of every description. I question whether there is a single book, from the book of Genesis to the book of Revelations, w^hich does not contain a number of errors, and errors of various kinds. As I have said, I have not the slightest objection to the leading religious and moral principles of the Bible. On the contrary, I regard them with the utmost respect and reverence.

I believe the course of life which the leading precepts of Jesus inculcate, is the way both to peace on earth, and to happiness. I believe that in proportion, as the great leading principles of God and duty unfolded and inculcated in the Bible by Jesus are understood and reduced to practice, will mankind become happy and prosperous, intelligent and godlike. All that I have said of the Scriptures, all that I have written in their favour, I still regard as perfectly true, when understood as referring to their great leading principles of religion and virtue. It is not therefore any evil deeds; it is not any love of darkness ; it is not any hatred of light ; it is not any unchristian, inhuman, or ungodly motive ; it is not any regard to interest, or reputation, or ease; it is not from a love of money or of friends, or from a love of any sensual or forbidden pleasure, that I speak of the Bible as an imperfect book ; but the contrary. My present belief with respect to the Bible, arises from a love of light and of virtue, and not from a love of darkness or of vice. It is not because my deeds aii^e evil that I reject and oppose the common notion, that the Bible is an absolutely perfect book, an unmixed revelation of truth and duty; nor is it from any inclination to indulge in evil deeds for the future. On the contrary; it is because my deeds are righteous, and because I wish the deeds of others to be righteous, that I thus speak of the Scriptures. If I speak against the orthodox notions of Scripture inspiration and infallibility, it is from a zeal for truth and for religion, and not from a zeal for error or impiety. And my character, so far as it is known, will bear witness to the truth of these statements. Nor have I been hasty in coming to my present opinions respecting the Scriptures. I have, on the contrary, been exceedingly slow. I have given up my belief in the orthodox notion of Scripture inspiration and infallibility with the utmost reluctance. I held and defended the orthodox notions as long as I conscientiously could. I used my understanding to the utmost to find out reasons for rejecting the opinions which I now feel obliged to entertain, and for holding to the opinions which were taught me from my youth. I say, I have moved very

.5^^ slowly. I have proceeded most deliberately. I have taken not a single step till reason and conscience obliged me to take it, and I have not moved a single inch or hair's breadth farther, than a regard to truth and conscience required me to move. It has not been therefore any contempt for God that has led me to form my present opinions, but, on the contrary, a devout and most reverent regard for the God within man,

I thought it proper to make these statements before I proceeded to point out a number of passages of Scripture, which appear to me to be doubtful, fabulous, erroneous, or of evil tendency. Having made these statements, I proceed to my observations.

I shall begin with the beginning, and proceed, as I have time and opportunity, to the end.

First— I question the truth of the Mosaic accounts of creation. I have no doubt but that the earth and the sky were created. I believe that every living thing, and every herb and tree v/ere created. That there was a time when there was not a living thing upon earth ; that every living thing at present existing, did once begin to be; that the races of every living thing existing began to be ; that the human race began to be ; that there was a time when man did not exist ; that man was created; that man was provided for; and that, as to its siibstance, the Mosaic account of creation is, in general, true: but in many of its particulars^ it is, in my judgment, doubtful, or plainly fabulous. I do not believe, for instance, that the whole work of creation was begun and completed in six days. I do not believe that creation proceeded in the order in which it is recorded in the book of Genesis. Nor do I believe that the creation was completed in the

Wi

E time stated in Genesis. It is probable, in my judgment, that the work of creation occupied thousands of years, if not scores and hundreds of thousands.

Again ; I do not believe that there is a firmament or solid frame work, between the earth and the cloudy or watery regions of the air, from the waters on the earth.

I do not believe that God, at any period, rested from his work, I believe that God has continued his work from the beginning to this hour; that he labours as much now, as he ever did ; that he laboured as much on the seventh day of creation, as he did on the first, or second, or third. I believe that the work of creation is going on perpetually ; that the work of creation has from the l3eginning been gradual ; that the process of creation has not been interrupted by either days or nights ; that the work of God has been going on from the beginning, and will continue to go on without interruption or cessation, world ^vithout end.

It appears to me, from the book of Genesis, that the writer was a very imperfect philosopher; that he held erroneous notions respecting the atmosphere and the heavens, and that he had no certain knowledge either with respect to the period when creation commenced, the manner in which creation proceeded, or the changes through which the earth and the heavens had passed, from the time when they were first brought into being. I regard the Mosaic account of the creation, I mean its particular statements, as fabulous.

It is plain, from the account itself, that Moses, if Moses was the author of the account, knew little either of Geography or Astronomy. For

--Vi instance, he did not Imow that that which was the morning in one part of the world, w^as the evening in other parts of the world; and that that which was noon in one part of the world, was midnight in other parts of the world. He appears to have imagined that the morning and the evening were the same in all parts of the earth; that there was one portion of time when it was day everywhere, and another portion of time when it was night everywhere; that at one time it was day to God, and not night ; and that at another time it was night to God, and not day ; whereas in truth it could be no such thing. It is always day, and it is always night, in some parts of the world; it is always morning and it is always evening. To God, who is everywhere^ it is both day and night, morning and evening, midnight and noon, at the same time, and at all times. To God, there could be no such thing therefore as a particular time w^hen it was morning or evening, unless God had limited himself to one particular part of the earth, and spoken of one particular part of the earth, regardless of all other parts.

Again, the writer of the book of Genesis appears to have supposed, that the day and night returned in every part of the earth in twentyfour hours, whereas, in truth, in some parts of the earth the day and night return only once in a year. At the poles there is but one day and one night, but one morning and but one evening, the whole year round. A polar day is six months, and a polar night is the same. Thus the account of creation contained in the book of Genesis is built on false notions of Geography and Astronomy, and the account of the origin of the Sabbath, or of the sanctification of the il seventh day, is also built on these erroneous conceptions.

While I am alluding to the Sabbath, it may be well to observe, that there is no fixed portion of time which can be kept as a Sabbath-day by all the people of the earth ; for that which is day to one part of the earth, is night to other parts; and that which is morning to many parts of the earth, is evening to other parts. Suppose the Sabbath to commence in Leeds at twelve o'clock on a Saturday night, and suppose the Sabbath to be observed at exactly the same time through every part of the earth; the consequence would be, that in Germany it must commence at halfpast twelve on a Sunday morning, in Hungary at one, and a little farther east at two, a little farther east again, at three. In America it will commence at nine on Saturday evening, and on every other spot on earth it must commence at a different hour of the day or of the night. Some would have to begin their Sabbath at noon, some at two o'clock, some at four o'clock, some at six and seven and eight in the evening, some at ten and eleven in the evening, and others at six, seven, or eight in the morning, and others at every possible diversity of time. In some parts of England we should have to begin at one minute, and in other parts at another minute, and even the minute itself would have to be divided into seconds, and the seconds into minims. The Sabbath, it is plain, could never be intended by God for universal observance. In other words, it could never be designed by God, that all mankind should spend exactly the same portion of time as a day of rest, for no two portions of the human family have exactly the same season and measure of day-light to be thus spent.

Second— 1 regard the account of the garden of Eden as a doubtful or fabulous story. I regard as doubtful or fabulous the account of man's creation. Man might be made out of the dust of the ground; he might be first formed, and then endowed with life; but I question whether this was the case or not. I doubt the account respecting the tree of knowledge and the tree of life, the first command and the first offence. I doubt the account of the formation of woman from the rib of the man. I doubt the account respecting the naming of all the living creatures by Adam. I doubt the account of the first temptation. I do not believe that the serpent had ever the power of speech, or that it ever was the most subtle of the beasts of the field, or that Eye was ever accosted by the serpent, as the account in Genesis states. I believe that God made man, and that he made woman; that he made woman to be a help meet for man, and that he provided man food at his creation, and that man and woman were intended to live together in marriage, in a devoted and lasting union. I believe too that man was tempted and sinned. In sicistance, the account of Moses in reference to these matters, may be perfectly true; but as to the particular fo7^m of the story, I believe it to be fabulous.

I am going a long way in my opinions, but I cannot help it. It must be right to inquire after truth, and my inquiries necessarily lead me to those conclusions. It could never be right to give up inquiry for fear it should lead me to conclusions at variance with the opinions I have been accustomed to hold. If people were to give up inquiring whenever inquiry was likely to lead them to a change of opinion, there could be no improvement in the world : no error would ever be detected ; no truth would ever be discovered; the old, however bad, would remain for ever, and the time would never come when we should have all things new. It must be right to inquire; it must be right to inquire freely and fearlessly. Why should a man be afraid of the result of inquiry? It is impossible that God can be offended with honest inquiry after truth. It is impossible but that God should be well pleased vrith the honest and diligent pursuit of truth. And it is impossible that inquiry should prove injuricAis to truth: it is impossible but that incpiry should prove friendly to truth. I will therefore proceed. I will examine the Scriptures, and declare the results of my examination, without reserve. I have no doubt that God is within man. I have no doubt but that the religion of Jesus ^'THE MASTER" is true, and that inquiry will prove conducive to its interests. The idea that inquiry can ever lead to the overthrow of the religion of Jesus is foolish. Let me utter a prophecy. The day will never come when there will be less religion in the world than there is now. The day will never come when True religion will decline amongst the simpleminded, uncorrupted portion of our race. The day will never come when the religion of '^The Master" will be really endangered. The foundations of his religion are laid deep. They never can be overturned. They are laid in the heart, in the nature of man, and can never be destroyed but with our race. As long as there are men, there will be religion. If the Bible should be utterly exploded, religion will remain. But the Bible will not be utterly exploded. It will be revered forever. The great principles of religion and duty unfolded and inculcated in the Bible by ^^The Master Jesus" will always make the Book venerable, as long as time shall endure. It is only portions of the Bible that will fall into disrepute. It is only the imperfections and errors mixed up with the revelations of the Scriptures that will ever be endangered. Those portions of the Bible will fall into disrepute. They may not quite perish : but they will cease to be believed. They may still be preserved, as a record of the errors and follies, the weaknesses and peculiarities of ages past ; but they will cease to be regarded as divine revelations, as infallible records. They will be regarded, as they are, in fact, as the relics of a comparatively dark and uncultivated, but still an interesting age.

I say religion will never be endangered. Its foundations will never be shaken. Its influence will never suffer a general or a lasting decline. Mankind wdll no more ever cease to be religious, than they will cease to be animal. The greatest danger to religion arises from the frauds that have been resorted to for its support. Nothing has done more towards shaking people's faith in the truth of religion., than the falsehoods that have been invented and imposed upon people with a view to promote the interests of religion, or to strengthen people's faith. But even these will not endanger the interests of religion permanently. They wall cause men to doubt and to disbelieve for a time. They will cause great numbers thus to doubt and disbelieve; but they will never cause men generally to doubt or disbelieve, much less will they cause men permanently to doubt and disbelieve. The effect they will produce will seem to threaten the interests of religion in the estimation of some, but they will only seem to threaten tliem. Those persons who think that religion is in danger, do not understand what religion is, or they are not at all aware of the true foundations of religion. Many of those who profess to be so concerned for the interests of religion, are themselves unbelievers in heart. The man that understands religion, and that knows on what foundation it rests, will no more doubt the perpetuity of religion, than he will doubt the perpetual revolution of the seasons. He will no more fear that religion will be overthrown or annihilated, than he will fear the extinction of the sun, or the destruction of the earth. The man that understands religion, and knows on what foundations it rests, has as firm a faith in its truth, in its power, in its eternity, as he has in the goodness and perfection of the laws of the universe, or of the laws of human nature. Religion cannot be overthrown, either by the revelations of the wise, or the mistakes of the ignorant. I shall therefore proceed with my remarks on the Scriptures.

I may state, that though I regard the early portions of Scripture as fabulous, I still consider them, in many cases, as truthful and useful fables. Though they are fables, they are still, to some extent, in harmony with the great principles of religion. For instance, they are based, in general, upon the great principles that there is a God,— that God created the heavens and the earth,— that God made man,— that man is an accountable creature, a moral agent, the subject of divine Government,— that there is a distinction between good and evil,— that there are some things which man is bound to do, and other things that he is bound to leave undone, — that man's happiness depends on his obedience to the law of God, — that if man does evil, he will be punished; and that if he does good, or lives aright, he will be rewarded, — that the man who obeys God is safe, but that the man who disobeys God is in danger,— that obedience to God and happiness are inseparable, and that disobedience to God and wretchedness are equally so,— that the whole universe is under God's control, and that He does what He pleases both in heaven and in earth,— that He can make all nature an instrument of chastisement to offending man, or a means of joy and blessedness to obedient man. I say the accounts contained in the Scriptures are, in general, based on those great principles of religious truth, and tend to unfold and illustrate those principles, and are, therefore, so far calculated to promote religion. I cannot doubt but that many of the Scripture records are fables, yet they are, in many cases, fables that are calculated to exert a favourable influence on men's minds. "Who originated those accounts is unknown. It v/ould be foolish to suppose that any single individual originated them. They were probably the production of a multitude of minds operating for ages. The person who first wrote them, only collected them perhaps, and reduced them to something like form and order. The person who first put them in the form in which they stand in the book of Genesis, very probably took them from records or books that had been written previously. No doubt he regarded them himself as true. He probably selected them from other accounts or traditions, less worthy of regard.