The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1867-02-16
spiritualIsIn VS.. Christianity.

defenders of the new theory of salvation.
He narrated numerous transactions, or
facts rs he termed them, all tending to
prove-so he contendod-that Spiritual
ism is worthy Of the fullest credence, aud
is entitled to u most hearty approval.
As this is an important subject-as it is
one on which we have very decided con-
victions-one which, in former years, we
very thoroughly inyestigated-we have
concluded briefly to give our views upon
it. It is true the democrat" is not a re-
ligious newspaper, but it does not there
fore follow that we must, on all occasions,
eschew religious topics.
We are opposed to Sp~iFitualism. We
frankly admit that there are many :'mani-
fcstatiOns," which are very strange aud
not easily explained things which We
cannot satisfactorily account for either to
ourselves or others: We believe ''medi-
ums" and "nlairVOyants" sometimes see
strange sights; We believe Swedenborg
and Davis, aud others possessing peculiar
mental and physical organizations, see
visions and dream dreams when in their
frances. We admit all this; but We can
not therefore believe the fundamental
doctrines they promglgate. The fact
that one is gifted 9Th this kind of pre-
science is no proof to US that his utteran-
ces are entitled to serious consideration by
mankind. Every impOstor, from Ma
homet down to Brigham Young, had the
faculty of going of into frances, and while
in this state of seeing remarkable sights
and ofhearing remarkable sounds; but
who, except their deluded disciples, there.
fore swallow their dOgmasf
We oppose Spiritualism for the follow
ing among other reasons -:
1. S%piritualism is species of refined
Materialism. SwedenbOrg taught that
spirits are shaped like their earthly bodies;
that spirits possess sex; that two spir-
its of opposite sex, meeting in one o. the
spheres, and believing they possess an ''af-
inity" for each other, live together as man
and wife for a time; but if, on . fair trial,
they find that they are inharmonious, they
separate, and each again socks his or her
."afhnity-" It sometimes happens that
they make several mistakes Of this kind
Living and spiritually cohabiting tOgeth-
er for several yearS,-sometimes ages
before they arc so unspeakably happy as
to End their affinity" Sometimes . spir-
it waits patiently for ages for its counter
part or mate, to be created and shuttle off
this mortal COIL" and enter the spirit
land, SwedenboFg himself lived and died
a rusty, crusty old bachelor; because, as
he alledged, his "true love- was in the
"dim land of dreams"-she having been
some generations before, 9 countess of
considerable distinction, and o woman of
great mental aud moral worth, and with
al of exceeding grace and beauty. All
this ne term refined Materialism. The
same theory, in one form or another, has
existed in all ages Of the world, among all
barbarous and semlcizilized nations, and
to some extent even among nomipally
Christian nations. Mohammed taught es-
sentially thesame Materialistic doctrines.
So does Brigham Young. But they are
each and all Numerically opposed to tho
pure teachings of the Bible. Christ says
expressly relative to this point: "They nei-
Their marry nor are given in marriage" in
a future state of being. We believe him
in preference to Mohammed, or Sweden
borg, or Davis, or Robert Dale Owen
a map Who nce blasphemously celebrated
the Lords supper With cOrn-bread and
b~utter-milkl
II. Spiritualism denies the doctrine of
future rewards and punishments. Swe-
denborg and Davis-with their friend
Mohammed-teach that, in the nezt world,
there are sundry spheres or gradations ;
that spirits, as soon as they leave their
bodies, enter one of these spheres, IF
they are low, and debased, and very vile,
they enter the lowest sphere and remain
there till fitted, by some process not yet
revealed, for the next sphere above; and
so on until they finally reach the highest
round in the ladder. Sometimes it takes
ages. OF ages to get out of one sphere
but sooner or later they become qualified
and ascend higher, as we have just stated.
In other words, they are all ultimately
perfectly happy. All the vile characters
of every age-all the cut-throats, and
murderers, thieves and Vagabonds,-all
sunk in the lowest depths of iniquity and
utter depravity, finally reach the same
haven of rest and are alike happy. Now
this is the opposite, IN toto, of the doc
taught in Holy Writ. The Bible
teaches that there are two classes in the
next worid-the good and bad, the right
eous and the wicked. It teaches that the
righteous are rewarded there; that they
ire infinitely happy; that their society is