Page:The astral world, higher occult powers; (IA astralworldhighe00tiff).pdf/169

 well, and it will become in us a fountain springing up into eternal life.

Each must prepare himself for the kind of church he needs. Let each seek to redeem himself. The Spiritualists of New York and throughout the United States will be ready to form a church just as soon as they have prepared themselves to give forth the true affinity; and you will find that it will not be necessary to have any creed or catechism, any thing external by which to try the faith of this or any other movement. If you make up your mind to lead a true life, to speak the truth, to be pure and just—if you make up your mind that whoever comes within your influence shall breathe in of your truth and righteousness—you will find none will seek to come unto you unless they desire to breathe that atmosphere.

The difficulty of the old organizations has been, that no man or woman supposed it was necessary to make themselves the representatives of that which they believe to be necessary for the redemption of the world. Their faith was not in their own righteousness, but in the righteousness to be wrought in somebody else. They worked to be righteous by proxy. They hoped to be saved by the righteousness of another. Consequently they organized upon an external basis, as their organizations were not based upon a true affinity of character. They did not understand that they must possess the true character, consequently they did not labor to attain it. The individual seeking to form a church only labored to form a creed. He did not suppose it necessary to form a character which he wished to have infused into the church. The world,