Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1876-05-20
OUR CORRESPONDENCE.
The Outlook.
than succel

lHc UutlOOk.
1t has been said over and over
again that the present is progressive
age. The old beliefs in witchcraft and
devils power (and these were usually
so closely allied that one could not e1-
list without the other) are yielding to
a more rational and philosophical sys-
TEN, system that men Of culture can
approve and adopt. Robert Dale
Owen, a man Of no mean culture and
ability, has endeavored to prove that
belief in personal devil produced all
the miseries that were experienced at
Salem nearly three hundred years ago.
Darwin has recently developed theo-
ry known by the cognominal, Dar-
acinianism, or the evolution system,
which has received the endorsement
of many scientific men. Other phil
osophers have discovered that the old
belief in the power and efficiency of
prayer is most absurd and unworthy
the serious consideration of the pres
ent race Of men, and especially the
doctors, the senators and the lawyers,
a class of men, by the way, that ought
to be Invested of every vestige of su-
perstition, and never given to sober,
serious thought. We are told that
Swedenborgianism is more consistent
than the doctrines and creeds taug ht
by either the Anglican, the Latin, or
the Greek churches. And best of all
modern beliefs is the belief in spiritu-
al manifestations. What a comfort to
believe that we can sit down at a ia
bic and by simple request obtain in
telligence from those who have gone
beyond the verge of time to be guild
ed by seen and unseen forms that float
about the room, touching living forms,
handling real pens that write myster-
ious and strange characters bringing
flowers from Paradise and placing
them upon tables that dance and
move thorugh the same mystical in
fuence.
Independent investigation is the
watch word of the times. Don't trust
in priestcraft don't hold to creeds and
dogmas these have all had their day,
and are giving place to something
more rational and inspiring.
Such, in fine, are some of the teach
ings of our modern philosophers.
These men, every one of them, have
been all the time infdei in sentiment
and belief in reference to the simple
statements Of the Scriptures when re-
lating the creative acts of God, and
setting forth the doctrines of human
depravity and Satanic power. Mr..
Dale Owen discards the idea of de-
pravity, does not believe in personal
Devil, does not entertain the doctrine
of future punishment, and has been
taught by the spirits that Christ was
not conceived by the Holy Ghost ac-
cording to the theological belief of the
schools. He evidently in his work
entitled 1.-The Debatable Land" seeks
to destroy the whole system of belief
based upon Divine Revelation, and for
it he substitutes miserable system of
absurd vagaries communicated in dark
rooms by means of spiritual nantes
tations." And this We are called up
on to receive as the result of progress
sion in the creeds of our modern teach
ers of science and a pseudo-religion
which seeks to undermine every prin-
ciple Of Christian teaching and belief.
Such men come to grief, their theo-
ries being too absurd to stand the test
of time. A woman possessing no re-
markable amount of intelligence or
culture, openly declared that she had
deceived Mr.. Owen that what he had
witnessed was not real but an impo-
sition. So the visions fade. The
shadows that float, the sparks that
fash, will not bear the sober investi-
cations of calm intellect. The word
of the Lord endureth forever.
SAMUEL.
ill., all