facilities for knowing and doing good, and subjugates matter, has a fight with the flesh. Utilizing the capacities of the human mind uncovers new ideas, unfolds spiritual forces, the divine energies, and their power over matter, molecule, space, time, mortality; and mortals cry out, “Art thou come hither to torment us before the time?” then dispute the facts, call them false or in advance of the time, and reiterate, Let me alone. Hence the footprints of a reformer are stained with blood. Rev. Hugh Black writes truly: “The birthplace of civilization is not Athens, but Calvary.”
When the human mind is advancing above itself towards the Divine, it is subjugating the body, subduing matter, taking steps outward and upwards. This upward tendency of humanity will finally gain the scope of Jacob's vision, and rise from sense to Soul, from earth to heaven.
Religions in general admit that man becomes finally spiritual. If such is man's ultimate, his predicate tending thereto is correct, and inevitably spiritual. Wherefore, then, smite the reformer who finds the more spiritual way, shortens the distance, discharges burdensome baggage, and increases the speed of mortals' transit from matter to Spirit — yea, from sin to holiness? This is indeed our sole proof that Christ, Truth, is the way. The old and recurring martyrdom of God's best witnesses is the infirmity of evil, the modus operandi of human error, carnality, opposition to God and His power in man. Persecuting a reformer is like sentencing a man for communicating with foreign nations in other ways than by walking every step over the land route, and swimming the
