A Sketch of Faithists (excerpts)

A Sketch of Faithists. (excerpts) .by John Newbrough. (1883) . . Preface! . "Charity--fudge!" We've heard too much of that. Let us raise up a new race, not needing it." "Healing the sick--pshaw! Raise them up so they will not get sick." "Lying in hospitals, orphan and founding asylums? Well, well, there are many such already, and they keep their babes till they are two or three years old, then adopt them out, where they are raised as servants--or drift into prisons or poor-houses. Not so with us, we shall raise them up to maturity, teaching them how to live, giving them a home of their own--a real communal home." Manual Schools? Yes, more than these; we shall teach them not to be servants, but to be brethren, holding all things in common." 1  "There are orphan and foundling babes enough--properly raised, would in thirty years remodel the entire method of civilization. Stretch forth your hands to do this, O ye who have faith in your Creator." . A SKETCH OF THE FAITHISTS. . The Faithists have faith in the Creator, Jehovih, only; and Him only do they worship, and no other God, nor Lord nor Savior. They maintain that the three great commandments are sufficient for the saving of the race from poverty, crime and all manner of wickedness. The three great commandments are re-revealed in Oahspe, the new Bible, are: Strive to be attuned to thy Creator with all they wisdom and strength; love they neighbor as thyself; and do good unto others with all thy might all the days of thy life, perceiving no evil in any man, woman or child, but in their birth and surroundings. They call the world's people Uzians, or people of Uz. The religion of the Uzians, the Faithists call-- "words and only words." The Faithists call their own religion-- "the practice of the three great commandments." They profess to try to practice the lesser commandments to return good for evil; to do unto others as one desires to be done by; to own or possess whatever is required in equality. They say one cannot fulfill the commandments while living in Uz. Therefore the Faithists desire to dwell in communities in order to be with such as will live the higher life. *Address: Secretary Oahspe Lodge of Faithists, 128 West 34th Street, New York, New York. Their spiritual platform may be taken from the following extract from the Book of Saphah, in Oahspe: W. Who cometh here? I. A Faithist in Jehovih. W. Who is Jehovih? I. The Great Spirit. He who is over all and within all. The Potent and Unseen. He it is whose Ever Presence quickeneth into life all that live. 2  W. Where is Jehovih? I. Everywhere, nor is there place without Him. W. What is His form? I. No man can attain to know His form. W. What is His extent? I. No man can attain to know His extent. W. Is He Person? I. Inasmuch as all the living are persons, so is He the All Person of all things. Inasmuch as His Ever Presence quickened into life all that live, so is His Ever Presence with the living, seeing, hearing and feeling every word and act of all men, women and children on earth and in heaven. W. What interest hast thou in Him? I. He is my Father! He is within my soul. I am within Him, and a very member of His person. W. Whence came His name? I. As the wind whispereth E in the leaves, and uttereth O in the ocean's surge and in the thunder above, and Ih in the winter's shrill whistle, so came the name E-O-Ih, which hath become Jehovih, and Eloih, and Elohim and Wenohim. W. How was He discovered? I. he angels of heaven taught man of Him. W. Who are the angels of heaven? I. People who once lived on earth or other corporeal worlds? W. What is their form? I. Even as mortals, but being perfect. W. Where is heaven? I. Worlds unseen by mortals fill the etherean firmament above. These worlds are heaven; these the spirit worlds; these the etherean worlds; these are the abodes of the spirits of the dead. W. How came the angels from heaven down to the corporeal earth? I. In the Dan'ha they come direct; at other times they come through familiar spirits? W.: Who are familiar spirits? 3  I. Our fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters and other relatives and friends who have not been long dead, and such other spirits as have not learned of or risen to the heavens above earth's atmosphere. Many of these abide on the earth and with mortals, some for a few years, some for a hundred, and some for a thousand or more years. W. What is an idol? I. Anything that is worshiped, having form and figure. W. Who is God? I. A spirit with a heavenly throne believed by people in darkness to be the Creator of all things. Familiar spirits have oft called themselves God, and so taught mortals. W. Who are Saviors? I. Familiar spirits who have kingdoms in atmospherea, which, by the ancients, was called the lower heaven. Saviors are tyrants who make slaves of other spirits, who believe in them. Their slaves are sent back to mortals as guardian angels or familiars, in order to make captives of mortals after death, to augment the Savior's kingdoms in atmospherea. W. How can a man escape the toils of false Lords, Gods, Saviors and familiars? I. He shall covenant with Jehovih every day of his life, and serve Him by doing good works unto others with all his wisdom and strength. Nor shall he call in prayer on the name of a Savior or God, nor any other spirit, but on the Great Spirit only. If he do this, and eschew contention and war, and leadership, and earthly gain, and earthly aggrandizement, then will etherean angels come and guard him in the name of Jehovih. W. Who are ethereans? I. Spirits who have risen above the bondage of the earth and its atmosphere; spirits who can come only to such mortals as have attained beyond earthly desires. W. Hath it not been said: Swear not at all? I. Jehovih saith: Swear unto thy Father in heaven every day of thy life; and if thou fail to keep thine oath, thou shalt renew it on the following day, with repentance. But in all swearing it shall be for perfecting one's self and for the glory of the Father. 4  . COMMUNAL LIFE. . The Faithists do not intend to make communities in the old way--with adults--but by beginning with infants, and raising them up to it; never teaching them to own anything (as individuals). They follow the plan laid down in the Book of Jehovih's Kingdom on Earth, in Oahspe. The following was one of their first notices to the public: . THE WORK OF THE OAHSPE LODGES OF FAITHISTS. . To gather together orphan infants and foundlings, and other unprotected little ones, and colonize them in the country, as set forth in Oahspe, the new Bible. `They shall not witness drunkenness, crimes, and profanity, but be raised up in purity, and adoration of Jehovih, holding all things in common. Neither shall they eat fish nor flesh, nor drink strong drink, nor be bound by hard labor, but be made cheerful before God, giving them liberty, and cultivating all their talents by all kinds of trades and occupations, that their communities may be delightful and perpetual homes.' Our method to accomplish these works is to tax ourselves a part of our income, nor do we receive salaries, wages, nor compensation therefore, in any way. Within the rites and ceremonies of our lodges, we learn what we shall teach our children. Nor, in a general sense, are these secrets, but open to anybody to learn, nor can anybody join our fraternity in any other way. Yet, even after so learning, they are priviledged not to join us if they might choose otherwise. We do not pull down anybody's religion; our work is to try to build up a better religion than has ever been; we do not merely preach the commandments, but try to practice them, as set forth in Oahspe. Contributions from other people than our members are applied directly to the benefit of said children, and not to ourselves, nor for our personal expenses. Ours is not a work of charity. Nor will our colonies be asylums. They will be HOMES, and for the raising up of a better people. Cleverness has had its day; goodness comes next. Qualifications--Persons not acquainted with spiritualism cannot become full 5 members. To be a spiritualist merely would not entitle a person to full membership. `Actual workers' should be the motto of applicants. Initiation fee--nothing! Leadership--we have none but Jehovih, Who is our only God--the Quickening Presence--Creator. We are now beginning the work, and we invite co-operation. Address: Sec. O.L.F. 128th West 34th Street, NY. A FAITHIST PRAYER . ...O Jehovih, hear my prayer! Because Thou has given me words of speech and judgment withal, behold, I make myself responsible unto Thee, to whom alone I come, conscious of my shortcomings, to make a new covenant with all my soul. Neither ask I aught for myself, O Father, but because Thou has revealed the plan of Thy heavens and showed me that whatever was bound on earth, was bound in heaven, and I heeded not Thee, I hold myself guilty in Thy sight. For I bound myself to silver and gold, and to my house and land neglecting to stretch forth my hand to help the less fortunate. Now, O Jehovih, because I was in the midst of plenty, I refused to unite myself in a brotherhood for doing good, knowing quite well that if I did not teach myself to live in a brotherhood in earth, I would not be suited to a brotherhood in heaven. And I suffered myself easily to take offense; I asserted my rights; I sought to justify myself in the sight of men instead of in Thy sight. Now, O Father, because Thou hast bequeathed me a life to continue on forever, behold, I make a new covenant unto Thee, that henceforth I will strive with all my might to practice the highest light of my mind and soul, and that I will not perceive evil in any man, woman or child, but do unto them all the good in my power. To make me strong to carry out this, my covenant, O Jehovih, I invoke hither with praise and thanksgiving, Thy God, Thy high-raised angel, whom Thou hast appointed to this earth and her heavens; and I invoke hither with praise and thanksgiving, Thy Lords, Thy holy angels, Thou hast appointed to the different divisions of the earth; and I invoke hither with praise and thanksgiving, Thy holy angels whom Thou hast appointed to minister unto mortals, in Thy name, in the name of Thy God and Thy Lords, that I may be used, soul and body, to forward 6 the founding of Thy kingdom on earth, which may be made a place of happiness and joy to all Thy children, with love and life unto all, for Thy glory, Amen! . EXTRAVAGANT DESIGNS. . The Faithists thus lead off as the founders of a new religion in the world, "a religion that embraces the principles of all other religions, and provides also a new government--looking to ultimate peace unto all nations." The system cannot be understood fully without a knowledge of one or two of the books in Oahspe. The Faithists claim that the great wastelands in the West and South will ere long be owned and occupied by people who will espouse these principles--perhaps deviating in some of the details. They do not expect any sudden rush to their ranks; on the contrary, they say, "Only such as our heavenly Father, through His holy angels, has prepared by birth and education, will come to Him. Our growth must be slow. Converts must be organic--otherwise they could not live the commandments, if they would try. Few people understand the words, `Thy will, not mine, be done.' `I will give up all, and serve my Father in heaven.' " Applying these high truths to children, teaching them to look into their own hearts, and inspiring them to be ever on the alert to be good in behavior and in thought, making them feel that they themselves must save themselves from evil and from unhappiness here and hereafter by the practice of good deeds done unto others, is certainly very different from the teachings in the Christian churches. Another philosophy the Faithists hope to demonstrate is that children raised on herbivorous diet will be less sensual and evil inclined. Then, again, they maintain that where four or five hundred children are raised to maturity in a community, they will have better opportunities for marital selection--being acquainted from infancy. They do not profess that the millennium will come with the first generation; but that the second generation, coming from such education and selection, will be a superior race; and that the third and fourth generations after this will demonstrate the Father's kingdom on earth. 7