The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1877-07-12

and before multItudesl But these pee
and mutter, and that in secret and dar
places, and IN neither q dead nor Il,
ing language. -,-. .-
And, moreover, they are lying spirits
II spirits at all, pretending to speal
from heaven above. They speak iron
hell beneath. For they are ell uniyer
salists. They contradict the word o
God. They take away from sinner
the fear of punishment. Not on,
speaks or intImates such a thing q:
bell. But all, friends, are in heaven
IN Abraham's bosom. How wicked
soever they lived on earth, no differ
cnce. Thus they assaIl, deny and con-
tradict God Almighty. Jesus Chris,
and the Holy Spirit, and make them
liars. God says: "rhe wicked shall
be turned into hell, and all the ma
tions that.forget God" Fps. ix., IL }
I Jesus Christ says: And these
(wicked) shall go away into eyerlast-
Jag punishment. (Math. XIV, 40. J
Paul says: ''Who shall be punished
with everlasting destruction from the
presence OF the Lord, and from the
glory of His poweri" G Thess. j., o.
"Spiritualism" says that Paul, and
Christ, aud God are all liars. Horrible 1!
But IN the second place the assumed
revelations are private revelations, and
have private impulses, and are, there
fore, OF private Interpretation, Of
course, then, they are not of public
importance TO anyone. This is not
real, but fraud from heaven of their
lnposthre. No oracle OF God is of
private INTERPRETATION or imnnlse
Holy men of old spoke as they were
moved by the Holy Spirit" Things
we're not done IN corner. The Di-
vine Spirit never coadesceuded to an
swer any mans petition concerning
his own personal property, domicil,
goods or chattels; much less buying
he gift of God with money! "Thy
money perish with thee" Five dol
lars! making merchandise out of di-
vine communication! Never was there
bsser preteDsion to truth. This
places on it beyond all doubt the stamp
IF fraud and imposition its own mouth
condemns it, and its votaries have not
toiled enough to see and read it.
Where God iuterposes, it is on &C.
casions worthy of himself. His medi-
ums were Moses and Joshua, prophets
and apostles, angels and His Son Jesus
Christ! When lie raped his voice
shook not door or table to make 1t
move, but Mount Sinai, the Earth and
even the highest Heavens. He needs
90 lamp or daik lantern. His own
glory veiled the stars, and cclipsed the
sun from mortal vision.
2. But even to concede that these
are spirits, it docs not follow that these
communications are of divine authori-
y. There are evil as we'll as good
spirits. (See John iv, -. The tree
must he judged by its fruits. In the
iirst place their revelations are often
false. Tho history of spiritualism,
>ne's own knowledge of their trials,
furnishes the most abundant and salts
factory proof. Gods messengers
make no mistakes. When God COM
Missions them they speak the
Rhole truth and are infallible.
These communications are often OPP
posed to Gods word. Almost every
fundamental principle of the Gospel
has been contradicted by them. They
'gnore the divinity of Christ, and the
necessity of His death for the eXpia
lion of iniquity, Cnrist's resurrection
from the dead and mediatorial reign,
he work of the Holy Spirit in conver
Ion and sanctifcatioH, the existence
If Satan and hell and the eternal pun
shment of the wicked. Could 3 true
messenger do this7 Hence, if these are
revelst ons az all, they are from the
ievil himself. They generally relate
% matters OF a most trifling and frivo-
ious nature; the Bible is given to teach
Is ''that God so loved the world that
JcI rou, ->-S f:-----IlSi i., Him euniOht not
How unlike spiritualism, that peeps
aud peers and mutters and thumps in
holes and corners and in dim and dark
places: in secret chambers, among
sardrobes, impinging themselves on
ladies' garments, etC.-all evidences
# ill breeding. From such clownlsh
acts and silly things, whether OF lm-
.ginatlon, fraud or fiction, let every
man and woman of self respect, good
sense and sound discretion turn away
with scorn and contempt; for they are
IF evil tendency. IL has always served
to degrade and debase its chief vota-
ries; to draw their minds and hearts
aW AZ from God and from the word OF
HI, grace, which alone is able to make
hem wise unto salvation.
Spiritualism Is most generally le-
oeived by persons of immoral and ir-
religious character. That good and
pious persons may have often witnessed
the delivery of these articles, and even
composed part of the circle through
which they have been communicated, is
true; for we are all prone to give way to
curl Isity. But who are its Jealous ad-
voca.es9 Who live most under its in
fluence2 Who compose its delitera-
eve councils? Who encourage and
sympathize with it? Who edit and
support its Journalist Let its own rec
Irds for fifteen years bear witness.
To the Bibles last Amen, nothing is
to be added by any new revelation,
| through any medium whatever-from
the last voice of Johns apocalypse, TIL
the angel of God shall place one foot
on land and the other on sea and de-
tlare that time shall be no more. In
deed, as soon as the drama of redemp-
tion was completed, and the keys OF
he Kingdom of Heaven given In
charge to Peter the Apostle, all sub
sequent preachers, teachers and In
! quirers were, by visions or preceptt
rom heaven, sent to hear words OF
Peter, which all that learn believe
and obey, will need no angel, ghost
medium OF missionary from any othel
sphere, to teach them anything which
they ought to know to fill up th-i
mission and destiny Of life, or to con
summate their own glory, honor ano
| blessedness. PHILoTHEAN.
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