The Worthington advance., 1877-08-16

Rennes, Itichard Baxter, and hosts of
others OF the brightest stars of the Epis.
copal Church have Endorsed this doc
trine. One of the ablest New England
divines Of the Congregational Church
was the eslate DR.. Bushnell, OF Hartford,
who, understand, was a firm belieyer
in the truth of spirit manifestation
II time and space would permit, this
list Of names of eminent diYines from
all denominations, might be swelled to
hundreds, whose belief upon this sub
ject is precisely what mine is to-day and
yet no one has ever thought of calling
them Spiritualists in any odious sense:
But this belief has not been confined to
the clergy. We find it's advocates
among the honored names of kings,
queens, emper0rs, presidents, vice pres
ldents. lords, members of parliament,
senators, congressman, governors, judi
ges, editors, poets. and philosophers.
They appear in all ages, i'll all count
ries and among all classes of society.
1t is not yet thirty years since the re-
vival of this belief began in this .coun-
try, and yet the adherents to its faith
exceed ten millions in the United
States, and thirty millions in other
parts of the worlds: 1t seems to be
sweeping over the nations like fire be-
fore 4 tempest, we cannot stamp it out.
The church cannot afford to ignore it.
The teachings of Huxley, Darwin and
Tyndall, together with the materials
tic views of the French and German
philosophers, are making fearful havoc
in uprooting the faith once delivered
to the saints" Sadduceeism in the
eighth decade of the nineteenth centu-
ry is becoming as dangerous and prev
alent rs it was in the days of Christ
and his apostles, How was this blight
ing heresy met and overthrown then?
The answer is well known. The a.
postles began their mission by preach
ing Jesus and the resurrection.
''This Jesus hath God raised up,
whereof we all are acitnesscs." Acts 2,
81. And with great porer gave the A.
postles 'Catncss OF the resurrection OF
the Lord Jesus" Acts 4, s3. "Whom
God hath raised from the dead, where
Of we are scitnesses:" Acts 8. Is.
and drink with him after he rose from
the dead.' Acts 10, 40-4l. See also
Acts 13, 3O-31. "IIe was seen of Cepl,-
rs, then of the twelve; after that he
was seen of above five hundred breth-
rem at once" Cor. Is, Sc. '.They
could not only testify that they had
seen the risen Christ, but they had al
so seen others, when the graves were
opened and n,ony bodies Of the saints
which slept arose, and came out of the
graves after his resurrection and ap-
peared unto many" Math. 81, 1858.
With such preaching and testimony
how the gospel spread and believers
multiplied! Wesley and many other
able divines believe that these wonder
full manifestations from departed spir-
its are sent to check the progress of
Sadduceeism and the various forms of
infidelity, by giving new Occular proofs
of Immortality. The following pass
ages of Scripture clearly show that an
gels and saints often visited the chill
dren of earth during Il period of two
thousand years. The Bible is full of it:
An angel appeared to 1Iagar. Gen.
Is. Three in tine shape of men appear
ed to Abraham, Gen. Is, and two to
Lot, Gen. 10; one called to 1Iagar, Gen.
p, and to Abraham, Gen. %; one spoke
to Jacob in dream, Gen. 81; one ap-
peared to Moses, Ex. 8; one went be-
fore the camp of Israel. Elk. II; one
| met Balaam by the way, Mum. p; one
spoke to I'LL the children Of Israel,
Judges 2; one spoke to Gideon, Judges,
6, and to the wife of Manoall, Jud. 13;
one appeared to Elijah, l Kings, 10,
one stood by the thresling floor Of Or
nan, Chron. 21; one talked with
Zeclariah, Zech. /; and one to Zachari-
as, Luke l.; one appeared to the two
Marys at the sepulchrc, Math. %; one
foretold the birth Of John the Baptist,
Luke l; appeared to the Virgin Mary,
Luke ]; many appeared to the Sl.ep-
herds, Luke ?; one ninistered to Christ
in the garden, Luke %; one opened the
door Of Peters prison, Acts 5; again
Acts -; one spake to Philip, Acts s;
| one spale to Cornelius, Acts 10; Sam
uel appeared to Saul, Sam. %; Moses
and Elias on the mount OF t:ansfigura-
tion, Luke 8; many saints which slept
arose and appe" red unto many, Math.
q; one appears to John. Rev. 90: Guar
dian angels, Ps. 81, Math. IS, and Heb.
Undoubtedly, more than half of the
members of the Christian church at the
present day believe essentially what I
believe OF this subject, and tlei: num-
ber is rapidly increasing. They expect
to live, labor and die in the church,
No one regards them as Spiritualists,
nor do they regard themselves us such.
Many have been driven from the church
by intolerance, bigotry. and persecu-
tion. The ban of society rests upon
them. social position is forfeited, friends
forsake them; then with reputation
gone, and nothing to hope for, they rap
idly lapse into the worst of fanaticism
all on account Of name. The work
Of separation goes on. and the church
stands appalled,, paralyzed, inepotent.-
She cries, "don't investigate; you will
be lost if you do; don't believe any spir-
it; don't try the spirits to see 'wheth
er they are of God;' we know they are
all of the devi].' The ignorant to show
their fidelity to the church indulge in
bitter denunciation and boast Of it, the
intolerant would revive the fires Of
Smithfeld, and the hangings of Salem.
Is there no better way?
INVESTIGATOR.
DARE We INTESTIGATE?
A friend who don't read the Journal,
and who learned that it charged us
with being y Spiritualist, has inter-
viewed us OH the subject. We stated
to this friend, and we re-lterate it, that
we are Bible Christian. Whatever
the Bible teaches about spirits, angels,
God, ETC., we believe. We have inves-
tigated this subject of SDlritualiSm