Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1877-08-15

WI NoNii WA i"N" Nh>' fo'N', -''So'N' "'''NS
and conditions by which it is enabled
to grasp new truth by species Of
intuition. He maintained that it is
in certain sense universal, but diff
fers in degree, some possessing more,
others less. The almospheres, and
i'll a most especial sense, the electric
aural around US, may have their in
spring agencies that exalt the soul
and lift it above itself into higher
activities and vistas of clearer vision.
The spirit power in all inspiration
must necessarily be that of the Divine
Being himself, who, as the Source OF
all life, must likewise be the efflueDt
fountain whence flows all vital and
spiritual energy which comes to re
new and refresh the soul and give us
transcendencies Of feeling and aspira-
tlou.
In the afternoon he took up the
subject of modern Spiritualism. In
this he made no issue with Miss
Hagan or her speaking. The latter
he highly commended. But the lady's
failure to treat of certain subjects
given her after accepting them as
everyway suitable, was prima tac'e
evidence that the source Of her speak
ing was not so much from without as
from acitAm herself The especial sub
ject of Demonology given her at her
meeting two weeks ago was one in
every respect comprehensive to every
intelligent member of the spirit world,
and she received it as good and
proper subject for her discourslng and
then began and went through her
whole discourse speaking altogether
OF other matters. Too evidently spirit
influence twas not there. He asked
the question was she prepared in the
themes on which she spoke =? The
result showed that she either followed
premedltated trains Of thought, or in
her state of trance or clairvoyance she
was simply subject to the laws Of her
own mental organization. The mental
grasp was her own-the thoughts her
own, and displayed the usual chrac-
teristlc of her class and sect. Such
} speaking is generally high enough in
its moral tone if the speaker is morally
well developed. But Spiritualists as
class are low in their estimate of God,
: They regard him as a principle or
abstract idea ra.her than great In.
telligence-a blind material force
instead of a grand Designer, moving
towards those vast and beneficial re.
suits of which the whole creation is
3 manifestly full. To the learned Doc.
. tors mind the Spiritualistic view OF
, the Deity was equivalent to no Deity
| in fact it amounted to atheism, and
e could not be reasonably regarded as
; christian.
( He maintained that if trance speak.
D ers are moved by any exterior infu.
: ence, it must be that of the Divine
e Being, who alone as the Spirit Of
/; spirits, can impart to life and spirit,
l whatever of added powers and prop
J, critics of which it may be made re-
D ceptive. In reference to the mate. ial
e izations and other manifestations in
/; seance, as far as he conld satisfy him
self with his present knowledge, they
n were either hallucinations or imposi
e tons. lie had been personally in
y formed by one who had been assocl
e ated with certain noted mediums
IS travelling with and assisting them
s. that their performances were fraudu
n lent and imposturous, and only capable
G of exciting conviction in the minds o
Ut those whose credulity surpassed thel
j. knowledge. In conclusion he dwell
J. at considerable length on the doctrine
n of Demonology as it was held at tn
N time of Christ, maintaining that tn,
is demons which Christ is said to hav
d cast out of various persons, were re
r garded as evil disposed spirits of tn
'e departed, come back to earth to We,
ID and harass the living. And in thi
III connection granting spirit comrnuni
10 cation to be possible, it was only con
v. ceivable that would be from those VIII,
:, were in the lowest grade of the future
; life, and nearest our own. II.
y So. Woodstock, Aug. 8, IT,