The Rutland County herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1852-1855, 1854-12-29
fss The HsfHla.
Philosophy OF Splritualism.

There -, perhaps, no delusion that Is ex-
citing % much Of the public attention, or
making such rapid progress IN our mids,
as that Of spiri, Rsppings," or to use the
scientific sPpella,,on Of the scers, the 1new
Iiarmonieai Philosophy"
Appropriate inquiries with relation to the
causes OF this progress might be interesting
10 some but as they would not be so gen.
orally cdiiying as strict investigation, prop
erly conducted, We will no, take up your
time with them. but proceed Ia ascertain BY
the light which Metaphysical science
throws on the subject, if the prncisles on
which the system ia founded arc correct,
and II not, then the time spent in other in.
scs,iga,ions Is certainly wasted.
To commence, then, We lay down the
proposition, tina,
III such phenomena az come under The
head f"physioai demonstration, are not
ean'ed BY Tie agency Of departed spirits.
Tia, marvellous things, which may be as
cribed to supernatural causes, sometimes
ocear in our midst would be useless TO de-
ny, for the testimony Of many candid wit
nesses settles the point; hence, the qucs-
ton to be considered is, are they the work
ofspiris'
Before we undertake to answer. satisfac-
,ofislly, the question, Gan spirit nantes,
itself physically p it will be ncces airy to
consider carefully the meaning Of the term
spirit Ia universal accep,a,ion, and in ac-
eo.,anee with the various definitions Of the
ter u by different photographers, 1t means
an ! Z material and intelligent substance.
Lock, says "a spin, is substance in
which thinking, knowing, doubling, anu a
power Of moving do exist" and all agree
that It's properties nre essentially different
from those Of matter. A spirit has no form,
color, weight, or any other property pecu.
LARRY belonging to matter; neither does
matter have the power Of thinking, doubt
ing, OF doing anything which belongs pc
euIiariy to mind.
We may, sopctimes,use the expressions,
"ihe eye secs,' and "ihe ear hears I" bu,
no possible construction Of language would
lead any sensible, intelligent being to sup
pose that the sensation Of seeing WINS in
the eye, OF that Of hearing in the ear; for
II has often been demonstrated that all SEN
sanon Is truly in the mind and that the
eye, and ear arc bot the natural organs 81
their respective senses. Understanding,
then. this nature, we come TO enquire, car
free, disencumbered spiri, manifest itseli
by rsPping on, or tipping table. II rap
Is heard from table IT Is caused by sud
den contact oflts surface with some solid
body but spirit Is not a solid body
hence J, 70 not caused by spirit II the
frs; proposition Is correct the conclusion
will follo-. for the truth Of the second !.
not generally denied. We have seen thai
matter is different from spirit, and, as such
Il eould offer no resistance 20 il, eonse.
quenliy, Il would be solecism 10 say that
HsFani could conc in contact with matter
lot the contact Of two Substances implie.
that there Is sumo similarity 10 a.cir prop.
critics.
Sound II, philosophiealIy speaking, the
vbntion Of the sis caused by the eollision
or other movement Of bodies. But We hAy,
seea Tia, spirit IL moi body, and cams
conc IN collision with a material sub
stance, and 10 cay that the vibration Of al
Is caused BY The collision Of spirits would
be gong beyond The bonnds Of knowledge.
and asserting that which could ma be prov.
Cd J, may be said Of such a. male this
assertion, IN the words Of DR.. Johascal, "a.
",hey who 80 up Hypothetical possibility
against acknowledged certainty. OF ~ho AZ
Cue against shat they know from VIA
they DO Dos know, do no, deserve to be ad
psi'ted In the class q reasoning beiag..-
We contend ia The neat place, that a Ia
bic esnnos.be H'ored BY 4 d.s~,nbo,iied spir
r. In The vnaoa Of ssal aud body, electric.
ny may be The connecting link between
mind and matter bot se esanus infer from
'h's that disenbed'ed spin, can have the
To~er q Aetng BPoa eieesriei,y. Bat,
even thea, 4 wead be inpo~sibis Tor Ia.
be 70 u'Ose' for 4 . so, an orgsHiIee body
s''h se'Se'. inaseles, icsIIis, etc. necessary
isf A.seuso'ian. Prceiss,y fer the sane
rc.ssa saAi 4 "a absurd 70 say sFsni eo.ass
N een'ASs S''t matter, 90 Is Il i@po-.ibis
10 . aisoEsss-hss slsid, 10 move lhs ,shle.