The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1877-08-24

AAOiO 10 a rug i6bteT from SuOSCIlOeTs
who takes US to task thusly:
81 very much regret that you seem to
overlook the importance of expert
mental religion. If you would make
your paper religious organ, not a sec
tartan organ, but one in which every
Christian mother might feel that the
blood of Jesus was constantly brought
before the minds of her children as the
all-redeeming, all-atoning sacrifice that
is to take away the sins of the world,
and would say nothing about politics or
woman's rights, you might do great
deal of good. 1 cannot but be proud of
your talents, but L long to see them
laid, willing sacrament, at the feet of
our beloved Savior, to whose service l
have consecrated my life"
To this we can only answer that, in
our humble opinion, Jesus doesn't stand
in need of her services or ours, but hu-
manity does, and we would lovingly
commend her to the Scripture which
saith, "Insomuch as ye have done it to
the least of these, my brethren, ye have
done it unto Me-" There is just as
much of evil for the religious reformer to
castigate and cauterize in the churchan-
ity of the day as there is for the politi-
cal reformer to criticise and decry in
government. Our friend wields ready
and efficient pen, and if she will start
such a newspaper as she desires, we will
gladly assist her to maintain its circu-
lation.
Here is long letter from the cram ped,
unpracticed hand of good, conscien-
tious old Christian farmer, who says:
al have a child in my family, not yet
six years old, who does not know let
ter of the alphabet, who will go into
sort of trance, and, when perfectly uu-
conscious, will write upon a slate, in
clear, legible hand, with her eyes closed.
And her writings are those of a grown
person of more than ordinary intelli-
gence. Her mother fears that the child
is possessed of a devil; and yet she has
written nothing but what is good. Here
is specimen: Look well to your ways,
o mortals,. and weary not in well-doing
Legions of angels are round about you
and the spirit world awaits the ap-
preaching dawn What is your opin-
ion of the manifestation Do you
think the child possessed of a devil ?"
We see nothing miraculous, or even
strange in trance writing. If holy men
of old wrote and spake as they were
moved upon by the holy ghost, there is
no reason why it should not now be
done. We see nothing in the sentences
given that appears "devilish." Indeed,
we shouldn't object to having such
''devils" round. Yet, if the little girl
were our child, we should not encourage
the manifestations while she is so
young, as it is her first business to grow
into healthy, full-developed woman
hood. When she gets older, occasional
frances will not harm her physically,
while they may vastly interest you
spiritually. Be patient, and always re-
member that good is stronger than evil,
and will ultimately prevail in all
things, else the Omnipotent God is in
capable of perfecting His own work.
But what have we here? A letter
from friend we value much, who says
in postscript:
"FOr heavens sake abjure all associa-
ton with everything that borders on
Spiritualism, else you may scratch my
name from yOnr subscription list. The
Spiritualists are a crazy, immoral sect
of fanatical ignoramuses, whom every
respectable person should scorn to touch
with pair of tongs."
Advice is cheap, dear friend, and We
in turn counsel you to wait until we
think we need guardian before you
seek to employ yourself as one to loob
after US. Well investigate everything
we can that interests US, every chance
we get, from the Sermon on the Noun
and the TRANSPORTATION of Jesus, Moses
and Elias to the unconscious trance
| "ilGlhS vi q libIlC ShlIus we are III
more responsible for the vagaries o
} many so-called Spiritualists than we are
for the departure of many so-calleC
, Christians from implicit belief in the
life and teachings Of the great Exem
plar. Jesus tells US that if we believe
in him we shall do greater things thar
he did. Measured by his standard, are
yOu believer, sir? And were he, him
: self, to come among US to prove the
: wonders of his gospel in person, woulC
you not cry out, "Crucify him ?" Car
you drink any deadly thing that will
s not harm you? Can you show the
signs that Jesus said should follow then
e that believe? When you and we have
, so far mastered all knowledge that VIZ
r can substantiate by prinla facid evidence
s the entire proof of everything we woulC
d have others believe, we may then bt
3. prepared to judge everybody. Till ther
D let US try to exercise little more o
that charity which "thinketh no evil. ,
: But here is treatise upon Darwin
Y ism, in which the writer believes him
: self descended from a monkey. Perhaps
f he is, perhaps We all are, but his disser
n tatiOn doesn't prove it, and We'll b,
] obliged to defer its publication to an