What Is Your Foundation?
By Editor
In the Advance Thought, Judge H. W. Maguire, of Salem, Oregon, speaking of materialization, says: "I can understand why materialists are unable to believe the possibility of such startling proofs of immortality; but why they should be called in question by Christians, when they come to prove the very foundation claim of their faith [the immortality of the soul], and the one of all others which most taxes credulity, I cannot understand." Those Christians who hold the inherent immortality of the soul as the "foundation claim of their faith," will sooner or later be forced to the Judge's way of thinking. That belief does indeed most tax credulity, because it is contrary to reason, and has no support in the Bible. Materialization is indeed the strongest argument which the devil has ever brought forward in support of the lie, "Thou shalt not surely die." In fact, it is the only thing that has the appearance of an argument in behalf of natural immortality. And therefore this thing must necessarily follow: Those who do not accept the Bible doctrine of immortality only through Christ, will fall into Spiritualism. We are Christians, yet we believe that materialization is possible, because our guide-book assures us that Satan is transformed into an angel of light; and if that is the case, he certainly can transform himself into the form and appearance of a human being. We cannot become Spiritualists, because the "foundation claim" of our faith is not Satan's declaration, "Thou shalt not surely die," but Christ's words, "I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father but by me."