Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-12-05
A "NEx" GOSPEL.

| Lie eNltpEN oI TIC ia MEME Isl IiliepAcu
to Hon. Henry A. cofreen, former Con-
ligrcss1nan from Wyoming, for the re-
| ceipt OF n publication called the Aqua
rian Gospel. It purports to be the story
of the Messiah. beginning with the birth
and early life of Mary, the mother Of
Jesus, setting forth the childhood and
carly education Of our Lord and HIS
ministry on earth aud ending with His
resurrection, the GENERALIZATION Of
His spiritual body and the establish
lnent of the christine" church. The
offer to the reading public, at this late
date of the Christian age, of o new
biography Of the Rcdeemer of mankind
one that claims to be more complete
and more correct than the four Gospels
universally accepted MS the Word or.
God. is something so singular as to
command special consideration.
Those who have paid attention to-
the so-called Apocryphal books, are
aware of the fact that a great many
alleged gospels were published in
the early years OF our era Among
those that can be mentioned are The
Gospel of the Nativity of Mary, from
which It IL learned that the parents Of
the mother of Jesus We're Joachim ana
Anna; "The Gospel of the Infancy"
which contains anecdotes current in the
second century; the Gospel Of
Thomas;' the Gospel of Marcion;" the
Gospel OF Nicodemus," and many 9th
ic, lar f1lf
tho "Aquarian Gospel" is not one
among them. 1t Is not claimed for this
publication that it dates from the age
OF the other Apocrypha. What is it
then?
Tho information offered the inquirer
is that it takes its name from Aqua
RUS, the 18th sign of the zodiac, into
which region the earth is now said to
be passing. Many of the wise ones"
throughout the world, Mr.. Coffeen
says, look for great changes sufficient
10 mark out this next 1000 years (215s
years, to be exact, being twelfth part
of the great professional cycle of 25.s2o
years, as astronomers know as a new
epoch, or dispensation, in social and
personal affairs Of humanity. Astro-
logers, lie says, have much to say on
this. believe, he adds, that new
era is coming upon us, and new ideals
will replace the old in religion and
even in science. This new book. then,
is named in relation to the new time.
| 1t is a recovery, Mr.. Coffeen says, as
many believe, from the akashic, or
memory, planes. higher others. that re-
ceive impress that psychic vision can
get concerning all the past, even the
thought and teachings of Jesus at the
beginning of the Christian era.
Tho theory of the publishers of the
| book seems TO be this: The record of
| every human being is made by the re-
cordlng angels upon the others, which
are so many films prepared to receive
| the Impressions Tho life OF our Lord,
! and His parents was similarly re-
| corded. And now. at the beginning OF
the new Aquarian era the records on
tho books of eternity have been re-
| vealed to someone, and he has written
| It. as revealed, under the name of the
|
II am aware, too, OF the existence
of numerous gospels after the historic
al and traditional plan chat Mary as
Luke says. took it in hand to prepare
and, no doubt. they were of the same
general quality of Matthew and Luke
and Mark, called now the synoptic, but
Johns was by vision and followed the
method more like this new Aquarian
gospel. as to method of derivation. But
this new one is far more elaborate. go
ing into the revelations by psychic
method that gives us wonderful book
that is better fulfilling the wants OF
this new scientific age. The Aquarius
sign in the heavens is of man in higher
spiritual form The sign of the zodiac
we are leaving is that of pisces-the
fshes-through which under the very
limited revelation OF the Christ we have
been passing during fha 1000 years OF
the Christian dispensation,''
Such are the claims made for this
strange publication. Such is the ex-
PLANTATION Of its existence. AS near as
we can judge, it is In substance idcn-
teal with the canonlcal and apocryphal
books relating to the life and career
Of Jesus. 1t could have been writ
ten, 1t seems to us from these books
without reference to the ether. But
of this the impartial reader must be
the judge. The style is poetic, iamblc
verse almost throughout 1t contains
many good thoughts beautifully ex-
pressed but also much that is contrary
to the Gospel of Jesus
We are living in a remarkable time.
1t is a time in which a great many
limitations of the true GOSPEL are
brought to the attention OF the children
of men. 1t is time, therefore, in
which it, is necessary TO follow the
light of true revelation, more closely
than ever. If ever revelations were
needed, in any age of the world, ii is
in this age. lest the purposes OF God
should become obscured III the multi
tudc Of human ideas and PHILOSOPHERS.
/