The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-02-27
LA COMMUNE.

The following thoughts were written to . doc
tor Ia Brooklyn by his friend; but being OF more
than personal interest. they have been sent to
the HERALD Tor publication. II Will be seen that
they give an intelligent, practical and wirhal
thoroughly Scriptural turn TO this great bug be ar
OF the present Northumberland show that
In It's truest ana best sense 1t Is o different thing
from that which 1t is generally conceived to be -
CoMMUNIsTIC ASSOCIATION.
my GOOD FRIENp-l am giad to espOnd to your
request. Certainly We need ASSOCIATION. and
sucn association rs shall not only secure each
individual rom obsesslng and depressing spirits,
DuI sucn also as shan De so IN accord with 0lvlne
order thatsplrlts snail seek TO come into rapport
aoe To advance those yet Ia the form. and In y
great many other ways TO promote personal de-
velopment, ASSOCIATION may be either temporary
anu occasional or continuous ana permanent.
There Is no question but tnar the descent OF the
holy Spirit on the day OF Pentecost led TO such Q
love or man that the converts preferred to be 'aI
together, and To have all things common No
dvuUt they might have elt as you 40, that by
being associated toae ther eacn would be stronger
Tor the influence OF the Otner's faith and love- and
they saw TINS so clearly that they had NO desire
Tor separate interests. But the main point TO
understand is this. the conception OF community
lie anu the ability to ultimate 1t we're the gifts OF
the Holy SPIRIT. None OF those converted would
lived IL, but that Coo revealed it and gave the
power, and he ola and Will give the perception
But lie VINO has mot ears to near cannot hear
what the Spirit saith to the churcnes" The spirit
ear must be unseaed by the removal Of the carnal
encumDrance to Spit lnnux The Cnurcn OF
Christ :-"li 60 not away the Comforter Will not
come to you, SAID Jesus. There were multitudes
nuence. but they were not Inc Cnrist Of God. SO
to-day there are muitltudes OF spirits In the body
ana out n sne D0aS ready to innuenS put they
Christ.
You say the Comforter does not come to you,
or, ather, you say you are not cOmorted. which
Is the same tning, iOr GOD wishes to comfort and
Will at tue earliest moment possible. l would
ike to pursue thls but have only written II as u
basis to answer my ideas OF association. Associ.
atom Is not possible as permanent thing, ex-
cept Us God reveas me method and present pur-
pos. and inspires with the requisite VIII power.
We may al! derive much good from temporary as.
ISOLATION, out understand you to inquire ABOUT
the permanent. At any rate certain principles
must be understood to comprehend either. il IS
plain We need the "ComOrter," whlcn ia rne
Holy Spirit 1t is not SO pialn. but assume II,
the HOLY spirit Ali our purposes are based on
our convictions and percep lons. We must have
the HOLY GhosG descended on the day OF Pente.
cost lie revealed conceptions beyond the power OF
were not developed. we are lpproAcnIDg new
ana more po~ erlul descent, and let us look at the
historical PREPARATION 70 get US away from carnAl
TO spiritual pOsslpliltles.
am assuming now tnat permanent association
Is the vi Innate necessity and end. The first step
1Vr man TO take ID TO say he Will not SIN In MS
carnal nature. and, Il so. re Will need association
with those VINO agree with MN. This Phase has
nad two expressions. The shakers banned TO-.
seJner ana virtually said love cannot be sancti-
ned; so we Will not love. The sexes Shall be
spiritually emascu!ated. This orenel them TO
hind that closed their eyes TO the idea Of sanctin
cation, ano they became fixed 10 the polut to
PAU, press onward. StlH this must be tue first
step IN all human experience. The second step
was taken by tine Oneiua Community, wno SAID,
We Will regulate love tand, bear In mind. love Is
Of Goa anu Is Cod, we Will regulate love Dy human
e ea n is, by Inc vote Of malorites:
OF good and evil" that God mad reserved.
Still mere was great advance from emascuiating
both sexes wnen they SAID we will rule our pas
SONS, not destroy them. Hence they preach con-
tlnence, also necessary step to conservation,
latter step pelng based on human reason the adj
vOcates were not so open TO spirit influence, and
hence resisted Spirltualism anu spirits, winch Is
Renee, ana simply means, cry the spirls." Tue
Oneida Community are now intellectually con-
OF these were basso On the aspiration after "rne
Comforter, when ls the Holy Spirit" And the
spirit was given to the former to restrain and cru
city ana To the intellect OF the la ter to rule and
guide just as 1t must be gwen to the Individual
man who seeks sapctncatlon and who must pass
through born these stages. but eacn OF these have
had measure o. success, out have Deen very
limited IN influence. Before Inese sweden.
borg atdrmed the influence OF the spirit
world ana general philosophy and
theology. Now, spirItuallsm comes to prepare
Tor divlne association ana has a G0ube mission
FIRST tnat spirits (epirirs In prisOn') may nave
revealed To them principles they could not have
lived IN their Gay, aud winch they must see
second. that mortals may see that noly and unholy
spirits can ana do come, and We can De INSPIRED
~ the noy or used oy the sell.exAlted. me am
the plane Of human Judgment tina: bOtn spirits and
men may understand these relations. Now you
say YOU "are kept IN discouraged state all the
time" and again Kept from ASSOCIATION until IL
would seem las II my your heart would DreaE."
YS: wIs sad you -four ssS
has not come 10 you. You must be In
structed before you can oe Inspired. You
spirit; second, OF tne aid OF spirits as q means;
tnlrd OF association botn 20 promote these aud as
battery VI strength to regulate the above. Your
Judgment has development, aspiration. Now
wnat are the CONDITIONS OF divine association
FIRST absolute bumiiy; this means q great deal.
You say, with. mean, might De able 60 bless
others" Now God does Not think 50; n He aiG
Ae would nave you - work, Tor there Is noening
olners. His spirit would at once dow into sucn
one. because 1t could now through. II you
mad means you could give iood. clothes, houses,
You mink You could ieacn, counsel; but God does
not tnnk 50 aud will not until the deducrlon o.
iced, 10 rely on Goa 50 that W. can
rules, aud we snail have that peace tina
passes understanding" That viii help US to dis
spIrlt, whoa Will enable US TO trust IN God I
bank, CO. hes ON our back and Iood In our laroer
then We trust our oresight. our providence. We
must ABSOLUTELY trust God and then we can conse
crate time, taients and money to divine Uses
then We can be unselnsn; and. II 90, Cod can act
through US TO Dlsss others; and, II he does, we
shall want wnat Gud wants, anu that 10 inst as
much good TO one soul as TO another. Tnas IL
Communism; ana II property Is consecrated "a
God 1T removes temptation 10 selnsnuess. II work
and home, &C.. are pledged II removes anxiety
ana pives better opportunities TO beirIend OF hers
anu, o. course. the divine influence Will dow IN
S ssp vSsi. circle circle n and G ss use
with which It Is surrounded. This IL I
concise summary OF the history and
principles o. permanent ASSOCIATION. or course
any part OF this may oe applied 70 use, out tns
prinolpe remains tue same. You and were as
soclated partially and temporarily last summer
ana With very great profit ~ me, but nothing e
be compared - tue good We may have, especially
when tnere IS an Overt pu pose to get, that vi
may do good, and more especially wnen our asso
cation is 50 as TO attract others-mortals an,
spirits--and wnen In all these Is sucn humility an,
unse 6shness tnat God can use In harmony tn
wnoie association Ia this way. then Christ sna
reign In human hearts ana send the Comiorte
and "the peace OF God that passes eli understand
tng', shaL % v ps and keep ~, and .'0od 20 eli
~" q II WE1sLxoH0k, y y