Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1868-07-03
Miseell { d II 5;
[ilGI IC.INs
Spiritualism.
For the American.

The following is from the pen of all old
| correspondent. HOW residing in Boston,
We publish it. hot to provoke Il reply, nor
because :lie views coincide viii, our own.
bat 10 satisfy the request of the writer
We think we do cot ally comprehend the
writer's theory, or belief. but some of our
eaders may, and tlley may DC pleased with
this ststcmcnt:-
MH. EpiroR:- R:-Cousidcrinc the present
state of comparative quictntlc il, the rolti
cal atmosphere, have thought it would
not be amiss, should We give our minds Il
OF rcireshnent. TO attend to the affairs of
cove. Encnt is Our privilege and duty, for
human laws are only perfected as they are
| made to iiarmoHzc with natural laws, and
that can be aeec ecmpished, oaly as the
mind Of maa becomes perfected, (if it eve,
tloes. III its knowledge of natural laws.
thrre will be no longer any need OF human
ltWs. cannot give ali there il to be said
on this subject in one lcttei. but can ONLY
Give so,nc Of its leading features as M
'iStS''t''N tiiNtii' anu thoSc very UiltAlI.
without STOPPING to question or dispute with
any one. If, however. occasion should
require. may c n>idrr the reasons at some
| other time for whatever may say at this
time.
In presenting this subject to your rcad-
CTS. shall undoubtedly. step over the oil!
;rodtcn paths of Theology, and perhaps.
may clash in theory with many of the old
slider that Il sutii lent reason for remaining
.ileu.. shall. however, endcavor to tread
| lightly. aQd hope that all will bear in
mind that there are things true which do
not seem probable, as there are things
seemingly probable which are not true.
The principles Of Spritualism are as yet
but little known, and rs Il matter OF course
! are the most condemned where it is the
| lea t understood. That we take exceptions
to Il great extent. to the doctrines of the
church do not deny. but that Spiritual
! ism proper is ba~cd upon any other than
natural laws so far as understood, | do
deny.
Spiri.ualism teaches that the spirit of
man Is part of God and hence must be
divine. and human reason Is u gift of God.
and can ic no less divine, and every thing
| is Just rs He would have it.
Spirituaism appeals to both the head
and tie heart to the heal or reason for
the rational and 10 the heart for the aticc
tonal. 1t holds that 70 ma" is required to
believe what he cannot understand. How
caa lie, unless, to use Il familiar phrase.
'he goes it blinds" But he is not excused
for his Ignorance, but rather, an inv"stiga
ton Of all things concerning him Is dc-
man,led. SpiritualiSm is mt the same Ii &c
a religion and science. 1t strikes always
at the root OF things. and by strict anal sis.
performs the e c;cst of eartll'S problems.
that of life AMI death. 1t must know the
reason of things. and can allow nothing to
90 by n mystery. 1t hold, that ,i:an Is
from everlasting to everlasting. bot spirit
and body--that he contronts two cterai-
ties at oncy-lhc past and the future.
Earth is subject to the laws of transforma-
ton. The process is continually going Or
and man is the hiyliesr development Of
matter The Lody decays, mixes with
earth again. and agreeable to tEis law.
goes to mike up the tree or the horse, and
can never constitute any one thing again.
Thus. transition is ever in operation and
applies TO all matter. There is no more
ofmaltcr in the world than before you
were bora. aud there will be no ass when
your body has decaycd.
The spirit is immortal, and at death. is
only separated from the body. 1t contin-
ues to live forever, and only changes by
progre ssion. 1t is the same spirit, tho
same John Smith. if not, what do you
mean by Immortality? The spirit is the
God principle, developing and existing as
an individual. whether il. or out of the
body. Man, then. we say, or the spirit. is
an individual, while the body is only a
particle of matter, like the tree or the
horse, and is not an individual. 1t has
lived its earth lite, it now lives its spirit
life. That is the difference. Spirits In the
form, or spirits out Of the form, arc subject
to the same natural laws. Spirits out CT