those limited records shows us no trait which is not
beautiful--a life full of easy tolerance for others, of kindly charity,
of broad-minded moderation, of gentle courage, always progressive and
open to new ideas, and yet never bitter to those ideas which He was
really supplanting, though He did occasionally lose His temper with
their more bigoted and narrow supporters. Especially one loves His
readiness to get at the spirit of religion, sweeping aside the texts
and the forms. Never had anyone such a robust common sense, or such a
sympathy for weakness. It was this most wonderful and uncommon life,
and not his death, which is the true centre of the Christian religion.

Now, let us look at the light which we get from the spirit guides upon
this question of Christianity. Opinion is not absolutely uniform
yonder, any more than it is here; but reading a number of messages upon
this subject, they amount to this: There are many higher spirits with
our departed. They vary in degree. Call them "angels," and you are in
touch with old religious thought. High above all these is the greatest
spirit of whom they have cognizance--not God, since God is so infinite
that He is not within their ken--but one who is nearer God and to that
extent represents God. This is the Christ Spirit. His special care is
the earth. He came down upon it at a time of great earthly depravity--a
time when the world was almost as wicked as it is now, in order to give
the people the lesson of an ideal life. Then he returned to his own
high station, having left an example which is still occasionally
followed. That is the story of Christ as spirits have described it.
There is nothing here of Atonement or Redemption. But there is a
perfectly feasible and reasonable scheme, which I, for one, could
readily believe.

If such a view of Christianity were generally accepted, and if it were
enforced by assurance and demonstration from the New Revelation which
is coming to us from the other side, then we should have a creed which
might unite the churches, which might be reconciled to science, which
might defy all attacks, and which might carry the Christian Faith on
for an indefinite period. Reason and Faith would at last be
reconciled, a nightmare would be lifted from our minds, and spiritual
peace would prevail. I do not see such results coming as a sudden
conquest or a violent revolution. Rather will it come as a peaceful
penetration, as some crude idea