more solemn and earnest appeal to him who invites you to his table, by prayer, study, good works, and mutual instruction and exhortation. We need not explain every verse, for we have given you the main idea which prevails throughout. The variations in the narratives do not impugn the trustworthiness of the historians, whose accounts complete and explain each other. Every Evangelist has related the conversation which took place during the meal; and Jesus, who repeated the same idea several times to fix it more deeply in the hearts of his disciples, did not always use the same words. Here, especially, you should never lose sight of the fact that Jesus used language appropriate to the intelligence and necessities of the age, in such a manner as to be useful for the present, and preparatory to the future; for the reign of the letter was the means and condition of progress, and was to prepare humanity for the future of the Spirit, the preliminary signs of which are now beginning to shine from the East to the West.

The Passover is an emblem; nothing more. It is the seal which Jesus set upon the teachings of his word; it is the confirmation of the law of love and unity which should prevail among men. It is the culmination of the Master's teaching, and under this symbolic figure of the Passover, it is his last solemn appeal to the practice of the law of love and unity, and thus of universal brotherhood; the only means of human regeneration, and the path of deliverance and freedom which will establish the kingdom of God upon your earth; and thus, according to the ascending law of progress and universal harmony, make it the kingdom of your Father; one of those splendid mansions in his house, which is infinite space, where only pure spirits dwell, and where all is love, unity, liberty and progress.

Jesus descended to his pupils to give them verbal instructions which should make an impression on them, by always connecting his lessons with the narratives and traditions of the Old Testament. He will only return when the seed which he has sown, and which has been growing for so many centuries, shall have shot forth branches laden with

fruit. You will then have attained to such a degree of development that he can manifest himself without needing to have recourse to a transitory incarnation like that which he assumed before, when he veiled his spiritual nature by a tangible fluidic body, relatively in harmony with your sphere, to make himself visible to men. All the words of Jesus are allegorical. He will return no more under the same con. ditions with men, and will only come when they are prepared to come to him. Jesus stooped to you, and now it is your duty to rise to him.

§ 284. You have said, "The bread and wine are only emblematical, and Jesus never intended to give them a material application; but what has been, was to be; for matter requires matter." What do these words mean?

You know that the first disciples of Jesus honoured the Master's last words, and assembled together to take a meal in common, in commemoration of the last meal which they had eaten with him. You have also heard of the scandalous scenes to which these meals led at a later period. Instead of the fraternity which ought to reign among all, pride took its place, and the rich man took his sumptuous repast near the poor man who looked on, to inspire him with envy. The cup was no longer one to touch all lips, nor the beverage one for all hearts. The cup was filled with fine wine and honey for some, while it was filled with gall and vinegar for others. It was needful for Christians to put an end to these abuses, and they instituted the Communion on the basis of bread and wine. It was still a meal, but a meal where the same bread was broken among all the faithful, and the same cup touched all lips. Later still, the difficulty and danger of meeting in numbers compelled the Christians to simplify the fraternal repast; and then they instituted the Communion which was given by the priest to the disciple who presented himself to receive it. It was always the same bread which was broken, and the same wine which was passed round; but at length they came to substitute the host for the bread, which was easier to preserve, and even to hide, when necessary. The priest only

was permitted to drink the cup, to avoid the delay and difficulty of providing wine for the Communion of the faithful. These successive alterations took place during the persecutions of the Christians at Rome. You can perceive their object; and the form of the outward act of commemoration is of little consequence when the spiritual act is performed with faith, for the purpose of approaching him who instituted it in thought and heart, with the ardent desire and firm resolve to make earnest and constant efforts to walk in his steps.

Although the Master's words have been taken literally, which has led, notwithstanding his saying, "Do this in remembrance of me," to the human dogma of the Real Presence, and of Transubstantiation, yet this is because man always looks at the bark without thinking of the sap which is its life; and because he always wishes his own idea to prevail, without remembering that it is only a material form which he gives to a spiritual act, and that the form is of little consequence when the spirit is the same.

You, Spiritists, understand the Master's words in spirit and in truth, for we have already told you the meaning of the Passover, and how it should be celebrated. Celebrate it with prayer, not of the lips merely, but of the heart, and let it rest upon the actions of an upright and pure life before the Lord; be humble, active, and devoted towards your brethren in the great human family, and practise good works with sincerity, humility, and charity, according to the law of love, and combine them with study, mutual instruction, and exhortations to good. But you cannot break with all your old ideas by a single effort; and should therefore permit this temporary satisfaction to those Christians or Spiritists who seek for the spirit in the form. Do not break the yoke all at once, for those who have been accustomed to bear it would fly from you in consternation; but leave it to time, reason, love, and charity to open the hearts and intelligence of all, and to spiritualise all men. Thus we now say to all whom the Spirit has not yet entirely released from the letter, that he who believes that he ought to approach

the Master by this material act, ought to regard in it only the spiritual act. Men who practise Christian rites, be not ashamed to approach the Holy Table; for whatever may have been the profanations to which it has been exposed, you can always sanctify it by the feeling which brings you to it. Do not regard the priest, or the outward form of the ceremony, but raise your souls to God; look on the virtues practised by the Master, listen to his voice which still preaches to you his sweet morality, and look on the luminous path which he has opened before you, and enlightened for his followers. Whatever the form, look only at the object; whatever the hand which offers you the bread, look only to Jesus, who says, "Do this in remembrance of me."

Spiritists, who still seek for the spirit in the form, and feel comfort in approaching Jesus by a material act of commemoration; remember that he took the meal with his disciples as a symbol of the law of love, unity, and fraternity, amongst all. You may fearlessly perform this material act, the outward form of which conceals the spiritual thought. But unless you are animated by the feelings which are implied in this spiritual repast, abstain from it, for it would be hypocrisy.

Christians of all parties, Greeks, Romans, or Protestants, fulfil this outward act of commemoration, if the need of your heart, or even the habits of your childhood, impel you; but never accomplish it with regard to men or their opinions. Never tamper with your conscience; submit to be blamed unjustly, if needful; but let your actions be pure, and guided by truth and love. Away with that hypocrisy which bows before God for men to behold it! Away with the laxity which pays more attention to the regard of men than to peace of conscience, and is more afraid of the blame of men than the blame of its own conscience!

LUKE, CHAP. XXII.-VERSES 24-30.

Pride, Ambition, and Domination Forbidden.

(24) And there was also rivalry among them, which of them should be thought greater. (25) And he said to them, The kings of the nations

lord it over them, and those who have authority over them are called their benefactors. (26) But it shall not be thus among you, but the greater among you shall be as the younger, and the leader as he who serves. (27) For who is greater, he who reclines or the attendant? Is not he who reclines? But I am in the midst of you like an attendant. (28) And you are those who have remained with me in my trials. (29) And I have arranged for you as my Father has appointed me a kingdom. (30) That you shall eat and drink at my table in my kingdom. And you shall sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

§ 285. No one will be excluded or rejected, but no one ought to think more of himself than of his brethren, or to aspire to a higher place.

(Verse 24.)—The debate which arose among the disciples as to which of them should be the greater resembles the request of the sons of Zebedee and their mother, which excited the indignation of the other Apostles. Jesus replied then by giving them a lesson which is essentially the same as that which he repeated on the present occasion, except that it was differently expressed. Such debates were not unfrequent among the Apostles, who, notwithstanding their mission, were under the dominion of the flesh, and liable to its weaknesses.

(Verses 25-27.)-These verses are explained by what we have already said; but we may repeat that the reply of Jesus is a short and simple lesson urging men to humility, disinterestedness and self-renunciation. Pride and ambition erect a barrier between man and God, like everything which infringes the law of love, charity and fraternity.

(Verses 28-30.)-The expression "trials" is not to be taken literally. According to the spirit which is veiled by the letter, it means, as regards Jesus, trials and tribulations to which any other nature but his own would have succumbed. From a human point of view, the insults and persecutions of his enemies were assuredly tribulations and trials to him. You must remember that Jesus was speaking to his disciples, and in speaking of trials, he designed to strike a blow at the supposed divinity which would afterwards be ascribed to him by men.

(Verses 28, 29.)—The faithful Apostles were advanced