A Sketch of Faithists (excerpts)by John Newbrough

(1883)

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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.”

“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

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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.

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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.

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?

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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?

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.

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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?

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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.

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,

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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

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

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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 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!

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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.

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