I ask? And she said, The head of John the Baptist. (25) And going in directly with haste to the king, she asked, saying, I wish you to give me immediately the head of John the Baptist on a dish. (26) And the king was much grieved, but on account of the oaths and the company, would not refuse her. (27) And the king immediately sent a guardsman, and commanded his head to be brought. (28) And he went out and beheaded John in prison, and brought the head on a dish, and gave it to the little girl, and the little girl gave it to her mother. (29) And when his disciples heard it, they came and took up his body, and laid it in the tomb.

Luke iii. (19) And Herod the tetrarch being reproved by him on account of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, and the many crimes which he had committed, (20) Herod added this above all the rest, and shut up John in prison.

Luke ix. (7) And Herod the tetrarch heard of all that happened with him, and he was perplexed, for some said, John has risen from the dead; (8) Some said, Elijah has appeared, and others, A prophet of the ancients has risen again. (9) And Herod said, I have beheaded John, but who is this of whom I hear such things? And he desired to see him.

§ 172. The rumours concerning Jesus, and Herod's remarks, confirm the existence of the popular belief in reincarnation among the Hebrews. Men could only suppose Jesus to be Elijah, John the Baptist, or one of the old prophets, by the reincarnation of the soul or spirit in a new body, as the son of Joseph and Mary, who were regarded as his father and mother. Do not wonder at the different expressions used by Herod. He heard of Jesus more than once, and the words recorded by Luke were spoken first. Those recorded by Matthew and Mark were spoken at a later time, and under different circumstances.

Concerning the death of John the Baptist, we need only remark that the narratives of Matthew and Mark explain and complete each other. The daughter of Herodias did not know beforehand the effect which her dancing would produce on the king, and the offer which he would make her. It was only afterwards that she went out to consult her mother, and then returned to Herod, with her demand for the head of John the Baptist.

We have only given this explanation to prevent your troubling yourselves about any apparent contradiction between the two records; but you should never stop at such unimportant details. What does it matter to the faith which you profess whether Herodias asked for the head of John the Baptist before or after the dance, or the king's offer?

Herodias and her daughter had both selected a formidable temptation, and the circumstances under which it was to be accomplished. The task was beyond their strength, and they sank under it in consequence. Do you not understand that the Lord knows beforehand who will fail? His wisdom foresees the weakness of the spirit, and the snares into which its weakness may lead it in the exercise of its free will. If one of your children persists in asking you to let him attempt a task beyond his strength, do you not foresee that his strength and perseverance will be insufficient? If you consent to his making the effort, is it not simply to teach him to estimate his own abilities more correctly?

As Herodias and her daughter failed in these temptations, it was needful for them to seek means of purification and progress by expiation and fresh experiences.

MATTHEW, CHAP. XIV.-VERSES 13-22. MARK, CHAP. VI.-VERSES 30-45. LUKE, CHAP. IX. VERSES 10-17.

Multiplication of the Loaves and Fishes.

Matth. xiv. (13) And when Jesus heard it, he departed thence in a boat into a desert place privately, and the multitudes having heard it, followed him from the cities on foot. (14) And Jesus coming out saw a large crowd, and had compassion on them, and healed their sick. (15) And when it grew late his disciples came to him, saying, This is a desert place, and the time is already past; send away the multitudes, that they may go into the villages and buy food for themselves. (16) And Jesus said to them, They have no occasion to go away, do you give them to eat. (17) And they said to him, We have nothing here but five loaves and two fishes. (18) And he said, Bring them here to me. (19) And having ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass, and taking the five loaves and two fishes, he looked up to heaven and gave thanks, and having broken the loaves he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples to the crowds. (20) And they all ate and were satisfied, and they took up the remainder of the fragments, twelve basketsful. (21) And they who had eaten were about 5,000 men, besides women and children. (22) And Jesus immediately constrained his disciples to embark in the boat, and to go before him to the other side, until he should send away the crowds.

Mark vi. (30) And the Apostles came to Jesus and related to him all things which they had done and taught. (31) And he said to them, Come ye yourselves privately unto a desert place and rest a little; for there were many coming and going, and they had no opportunity to eat. (32) And they went away privately in the boat into a desert place.

(33) And the crowds saw them departing, and many knew him, and they ran together on foot from all the cities, and went before them and met him. (34) And Jesus saw a large crowd, and had compassion on them, for they were like sheep having no shepherd, and he began to teach them many things. (35) And when much time had already past, his disciples came to him, and said, This is a desert place, and it is already late, (36) Send them away, that they may go into the surrounding fields and villages, for they have nothing to eat. (37) And he answered and said to them, Do you give them to eat. And they say to him, Shall we go away and buy bread for two hundred denarii, and give them to eat? (38) And he says to them, How many loaves have you? go and see. And when they knew, they say, Five, and two fishes. (39) And he ordered them all to sit down in companies on the green grass. (40) And they lay down in companies, by hundreds and by fifties. (41) And taking the five loaves and the two fishes, he looked up to heaven and gave thanks, and he broke the loaves, and gave to his disciples to set before them, and he divided the two fishes among all. (42) And they all ate and were satisfied. (43) And they took up twelve basketsful of the fragments, and of the fishes. (44) And they who ate the loaves were about 5,000 men. (45) And immediately he constrained his disciples to embark in the boat and to go before him to Bethsaida on the other side, while he should send away the crowd.

Luke ix. (10) And the Apostles having returned, related to him what great things they had performed, and taking them with him, he withdrew privately into a desert place belonging to the city called Bethsaida. (11) Ând when the crowds knew it they followed him, and having received them, he spoke to them about the kingdom of God, and healed those who had need of healing. (12) And the day began to decline, and the twelve came and said to him, Send away the crowd, that they may go and disperse themselves in the surrounding fields and villages, and find provisions, for we are here in a desert place. (13) And he saith to them, Give ye them to eat. And they said, We have nothing with us but five loaves and two fishes, unless we should go and buy food for all this people. (14) For they were about 5,000 men. And he said to his disciples, Make them sit down in companies of fifty each. (15) And they did so, and made them all sit down. (16) And taking the five loaves and two fishes, he looked up to heaven, gave thanks, and broke them and gave to his disciples to distribute to the crowd. (17) And they ate and were all satisfied, and they took up twelve basketsful of fragments that remained.

§ 173.. We have already spoken of the power which Jesus possessed of attracting to himself the fluids which he needed. By exerting his powerful will over the spirits who were eager to obey him, he could have multiplied the small quantity of food which his disciples possessed to any extent. This food having been prepared by appropriate accessory fluids which gave them the nutritive properties required, answered the needs of matter, and a very small quantity satisfied the most craving appetite.

Would it not have been enough for Christ to will that the

multitude should be satisfied? It would only have been necessary for him to have gathered round them the needful fluids, which would have satisfied their hunger when breathed. But material eyes required a physical effect, and this multiplication was more striking than if the same result had been attained by invisible means. It seemed to the Apostles, the disciples, and the multitude, that all were fed with the five loaves and two fishes which Jesus took, and that the fragments which he broke in his hands multiplied themselves infinitely. He gave these to the disciples, who took them and distributed them to the people; and after all had eaten, twelve basketsful of fragments remained. This was what all had seen with their own eyes, and could bear witness to, for they had all partaken of the fragments of the five loaves and two fishes. The Apostles and disciples, as well as the multitude, were all alike ignorant of the hidden causes of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes. This incomprehensible event was called a miracle, and is still regarded as such by those who are ignorant of the New Revelation, which initiates you into the secrets of the other world.

Some simple-hearted and humble-minded men have believed it to be a real fact (though without understanding it) on the faith of the Gospel narrative, based on the testimony of the eye-witnesses; but the majority have either pretended to believe it because they did not dare to deny it, or have openly denied or rejected it, because they could not comprehend it, and knew not how to explain it. Do you see anything of what is always passing around you in the spiritual world? As the Evangelists were just as ignorant as others of the causes of the event, they confined themselves under medianimic influence to relating the fact itself. The narrative implies that Jesus gave the fragments to his disciples, who put them into baskets to carry them, and to distribute them to the people. There were some women in the crowd who were provided with those baskets, which they carry on their heads in the East, and which serve equally well to carry fruits and vegetables, and to protect them from the heat

of the sun. When the multiplication of the loaves and fishes began, Jesus ordered the disciples to collect the baskets and bring them to him. The multiplication was accomplished in the following manner :-Jesus availed himself of the fluids he attracted to multiply the food in his hands, by rendering these fluids visible and tangible, with the appearance, form, smell, and taste of pieces of loaves and fishes. Otherwise the five loaves and two fishes would never have provided enough fragments, however small, to be divided among so large a company. When the disciples laid the fluidic products in the baskets, in the shape of loaves and fishes, these fragments were immediately surrounded by substances made by the spirits, and then rendered visible and tangible. The spirits prepared these substances in the same manner as those which Jesus gave to his disciples, and laid them, still invisible, in the empty baskets. They rendered them visible and tangible when the disciples put in the fragments which they had received from Jesus. The multiplication was thus effected in such a manner that the fragments which Jesus broke appeared to human eyes to multiply themselves in the act; and after leaving his hands, to multiply indefinitely in the baskets.

If Jesus had desired, he could have produced the result alone, but the means employed were more convenient. Was it not easier for the spirits around Jesus to lay the provisions which they had prepared invisibly, in the empty baskets, and to make them visible as soon as the disciples had put in the products that they received from Jesus, than for him to pass the whole contents of the baskets from his hands into those of the disciples? As these fluidic products were shaped like pieces of bread and fish, they were eaten as such. There is nothing surprising in this. Have you not seen a mesmeric somnambulist take the water or the wine which was given him for something totally different? Are you not aware of the great power of spiritual influence on man; and do you not understand how great must have been that which Jesus and the innumerable company of spirits around him could exercise over these men ?