If the symbolism of the Episcopal Church is of the palace, and
that of the non-conformist sects of the counting-house, that of
the International New Nonsense Alliance is of Wall Street and the
"ticker". "What is your rating in the Spiritual Bradstreet?" asks
William Morris Nichols in the publication of the " 'Now' Folk",
San Francisco:
Is it low or high? Is your credit with the Bank of the Universe
good or poor? If you draw a spiritual draft are you sure of its
being honored?
If you can answer that last question affirmatively, you are on
the road to become a Master in Spiritual Financiering.
Have you an account with the First (and only) Bank of Spirit? If
not, then you should at once open one therewith. For no one can
afford to keep less than a large deposit of spiritual funds with
that Bank.
And how do you proceed to open your account? It is very simple:
Intend the mind in the direction indicated by your desire. Seek
for the Light and Guidance by which you may open up the way for
your Spiritual Substance, which governs material supply, to reach
you and make you as rich as you ought to be, in freedom and
happiness. All this you can, and when in earnest, will do.
I turn over the advertisements of this publication of the " 'Now'
Folk". One offers "The Business Side of New Thought." Another
offers "The Books Without an If", with your money back IF you are
not satisfied! Another offers land in Bolivia for two dollars an
acre. Another quotes Shakespeare: " 'Tis the mind that makes the
body rich." Another offers two copies of the "Phrenological Era"
for ten cents.
There is apparently no delusion of any age or clime which cannot
find dupes among the readers of this New Nonsense. One notice
commands:
Stop! A Revelation! A Book has been written entitled "Strands of
Gold" or "From Darkness into Light!"
Another announces:
The Most Wonderful Book of the Ages: The Acquarian Gospel of
Jesus the Christ, Transcribed from the Book of God's Remembrance,
the Akashic Records.
And here is an advertisement published in Mr. Atkinson's paper:
Numerology: the Universal Adjuster! Do you know: What you appear
to be to others? What you really are? What you want to be? What
would overcome your present and future difficulties? Write to X,
Philosopher. You will receive full particulars of his personal
work which is dedicated to your service. No problem is too big or
too small for Numerology. Understanding awaits you.
And looking in the body of the magazine, you find this
Philosopher imparting some of this Understanding. Would you like,
for example, to understand why America entered the War? Nothing
easier. The vowels of the Words United States of America are
uieaeoaeia, which are numbered 2951561591, which added make 45,
or 4 plus 5 equals 9. You might not at first see what that has to
do with the War--until the Philosopher points out that "9 in the
number of completion, indicating the end of a cosmic cycle."
That, of course, explains everything.
And here is a work on what you perhaps thought to be a dead
science, Astrology. It is called "Lucky Hours for Everybody: A
True System of Planetary Hours by Prof. John B. Early. Price One
Dollar." It teaches you things like this:
Saturn's negative hours are especially good for all matters
relating to gold-mining..... The Sun negative rules the emerald,
the musical note D sharp, and the number four. The lunar hours
are a good time to deal in public commodities, and to hire
servants of both sexes.....
A recent lady visitor informed me that she had made several vain
attempts to transact important business in the hours ruled by
Jupiter, usually held to be fortunate, while she was nearly
always fortunate in what she began in the hours ruled by Saturn.
Upon investigation I found her name was ruled by the Sun
negative, and that she had Capricorn with Saturn therein as her
ascendant at birth, which explains.
And finally, here is a London "scientist", reported in the
"Weekly Unity" of Kansas City, who proves his mental power over
two-horse power oil engines which fail to act. "Going a little
apart, he came back in a few minutes and said: 'The engine is all
right now and will work satisfactorily.' and without any further
difficulty it did." We are told how Dr. Rawson gave a
demonstration of his method to a newspaper reporter the other
day. Fixing his gaze as though looking into space, he apparently
became absorbed in deep contemplation and said aloud: "There is
no danger; man is surrounded by divine love; there is no matter;
all is spirit and manifestation of spirit."
You might at first find difficulty in believing what can be
accomplished by "demonstrations" such as this; not merely are
two-horse power oil engines made to work, but the whole gigantic
machine of Prussian militarism is prevented from working. You may
recall how Arthur Machen's magazine story of the Angels of Mons
was taken up and made into a Catholic legend over-night; now here
is a New-Nonsense legend, complete and perfect, going the rounds
of our Nonsense magazines:
London, Dec. 14.--Shell-proof and bullet-proof soldiers have been
discovered on the European battle-fronts. Heroes with "charmed
lives" are being made every day, according to Frederick L.
Rawson, a London scientist, who insists he has found the
miraculous way by which they are developed. He calls it "audible
treatment". "Practical utilization of the powers of God by right
thinking," is the agency through which Dr. Rawson declares he can
so treat a man that he will not be harmed when hundreds of men
are being shot dead beside him. This amazing treatment includes a
new type of prayer. It is being administered to hundreds of men
audibly, and to hundreds more by letter. Nothing since the war
began has aroused so much talk of modern miracles as have many of
the statements of Dr. Rawson.......
At the taking of a wood there were five hundred yards of "No
Man's Land" to be crossed. Our troops could not get across. Then
Capt. --------, who practices this method of prayer, treated them
for an hour before they started, and not a man was knocked out.
He was the only officer left out of eighty in his brigade. He
simply held onto the fact that man is spiritual and perfect and
could not be touched. A bullet fired from a revolver only five
yards away hit him over the chest, tore his shirt and went out at
the shoulder. But it never penetrated his chest. He was
frequently in a hail of shells and bullets which did not touch
him.