The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1874-02-02

Fbeiorethe DiGIeCtIcAl Society .oil Tondol
a year or 50 ago, viii meet the dlfflcultie
OF the Question. / believe also that Nh
explanation cannot be made, by any law
or principles Of pure physical science
There was intelligence In many OF thI
answers we received, and physical law
do not ascend to, nor exert ia intiuencl
In the domain Of intelligence, Thoughts
and memory. Neither do / believe h
possible 70 make the explanation by thI
ordinary laws Of psychology OF meta.
physics. II seems clear 70 me that ",
must transcend tho ordinary laws ant
limits by, and In which the human
mind operates for our explanation
! believe II must be acconnted
for by the agency Of spirits. Thu
far the so.called spiritualist will q
hand.in.hand with rs. But what shirt.
udl power Is It? Here he viii part com
pany with us. From this point to tht
end Of my argument quote the Bible a.
authority. l assume that fits Testimony
will be regarded by all Christians as au-
thoritatiye on this subject, whether this
DO regarded as q scientific question or not
On the authority Of the Bible we CANNOT
admit, with the Spirituallst, that these
phenomena are attributable 10 the spirits
OF our departed friends. II Is clearly The
teaching Of Gods Word, that We leave
the scenes and companions Of. our natu,
raj lives as soon as we pass into the spirit
world. Christ said 10 the thief on the
cross, "To-day thou shalt be with me In
Paradise" But where Is Paradise ? Ste.
phen says, "lsee the Heavens opened, and
the Son Of man standing at the right hand
Of God" And the Apostle Peter al Pen,
tecost says OF Christ, "Whom the hedrenS
must receive until the restitution Of all
things" These passages teach that
heaven Is a separate place from earth, and
that is all that Is necessary in the present
argument. There b The hsbitation Of the
thief who believed, and there Is the habi-
tation OF all who die with faith in Christ
But may they not return to earth I
See sixteenth chapter Of Luke, the parable
Of Dives and Lazarus. II Is certain that
Dives was notat liberty TO return to earth,
or he would not have begged Of Abraham
that Lazarus might be sent to his kindred,
Lazarus was not allowed 10 come, because
they have Moses and the prophets. If
they hear not Moses and the prophets,
neither would they be persuaded though
one rose from the dead" Thisis perfectly
conclusive, in keeping with the whole
tenor oil Scripture, and seems 10 have been
Intended to meet this very error of Spirit
ualism. Hence II these manifestations
are spiritualistic they must be superhuman
intelligences-angels. OF these, the Scrip.
ture teaches there are two classes-the
good, who kept their first estate, and the
fallen. Can II DO the former? II is Bible
teaching that they visit earth, and that
they have to do with men. But theft
associations all through the Bible are with
directly the opposite characters from what
the leaders aud devotees Of modern Spirit.
ualism are. The fruits Of their visits were
different, and there Is the test
A young man, of more than ordinary in
tellgence, had an interview with Foster
while here, was persuaded that he had re.
ceived messages from his friends in "Thel
Land" and few days alter took
poison, leaving q last message for his
mother that he was unhappy and 10
trouble, and he had concluded that sui
eide was the easiest way out of his diff
culties. And 60 we told Foster when he
tried to extort q confession from nsFthat
Spiritualism Is what it claims to besiAnd
we demandedt to know why they didn't
live better lives. That Spiritualism never
takes dissolute characters and elevates
them; 1t never reforms the depraved- and
wicked; butt destroys character aud hap
piness in. multitude. OF instances. Eos.
tor himself, we are ctedibYinIormed, lost
seven hundred dollars one. night, while
here in gambling saloon. NBy their
fruits Yc shall know them" This is theI
only rule, whereby we can obey the In
junction Of the apostle, when he COM
mAnds US 10 "Try the spirits whether
they be Of God" Spiritualism Is not The
work OF sinless angels; hence it must beof
the evil. am we'll aware OF the sneer
with which many will greet this conclu-
sion. 1t will be styled as "iogy, an easy
solution worthy Of the dark ages, ~ Sc.
But in the face Of all that, Ibslieus II. /
am convinced there Is a ialse. and criminal
modesty, lack Of courage among pro.
tcsscd Christians TO stand by Bible truth,
when popular opinion condemns its au-
thority. The materialism of the day has
even. crept into the church so far, that
many good consistent Christians other
wise would boot at you, II you intimate
that the devil has at the present day Q
direct personal. influence on the minds Of
men. | can't sec, for the life Of me, how
1t is derogatory 10 a mans scientific
knowledge, that he should believe in the
influence Of demons, In the world, on both
mind and matter, 1t seems to me, II q
man refuses to believe this, there are SO
many phenomena which cannot be ac-l
counted for by natural or physical laws,
that helm turn Is decidedly open to the
charge Of "blgotry, ignorance, and mar
70 III 70.