The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1878-08-29


of good faith
ClIRISTIiNITT And SPIRIYUALISlL
EDITOR ADN+\SCE: We read in your
paper Of August list, an article headed
Tested" The, rule by
which Spiritualism is said to be tested
is good one and works admirably on
Christianity as we'll as the spiritual re-
ligion. But to prove that the belief of
continued conscious life after the
change called death, and the possibili-
ty of spirits returning and holding COM
munion with earthly friends has such Il
bad influence, we must have some
testimony. Mere assertion proves moth
ing. Now, if there WAS Il shadow Of
truth in saying ''spiritualism is uniyar-
sally bad" there would be Il correspond
ing number OF spiritual criminals in our
State prisons. The following is the re-
port OF the penitentiary at Anamos;l,
Iowa, two years ago: OF 81 cOnvicts,
Is We're raised in lhe christian faith,
and had been members OF churches;
81 Mrtilodists, Is Catholics, and the re-
malnder divided among other sects.-
There are thousands Of SpirltualiSts in
that State, but not one among those
unfortunate Christian criminals.
We were in Joliet. ILL.,, two years
ago this summer, AID inquired OF the
warden OF the prison if there were any
Spiritualists confined there. lie said:
mo, there is not" How true the rule,
by their fruits we shall know them"
It is true, there is Il grand difference
between the system of Christianity and
the system of Spirit ualism. by Christ
ianity we TT, not mean the golden-rule,
for that could not he truthfully termed
exclusively christian, for materialists,
iiii.!els AID spiritualists all believe in
that; never amy dispute on that score.
DuyM":; differ, but morality is the same
among AL men who use reason. Thales
and Confucius are said to be Pagan
writers. They taught the golden rule
five or six hundred years before Christ.
We as christians ought to he thankful
that Christ adoptt Il the golden rule into
the code Of morals which he taught
Did line permit we would like to quote
at length from the sublime teachings Of
these ancient Pagan philosophers.
In Justice to this subject we must
quote Il few Of their moral sayings. for
some people sincerely but ignor:suuy
think the system of Christianity con-
tainS the only code Of morals ever
known to the world. Thales, in a!ldi-
ton 20 She golden rule, says: know
thySclf;" 'I.et your study be to correct
the hlvnhi5les of the mind rather than
OF the facet BE not idle though rich;"
''Intemreran1e is hurtful;; )" "lynoraucc
iEtotIable;;" ''Chcrisll your parents"
Is not this beautiful in contrast with
the doctrine of lie who hates not his
father and mother" &c. 1t is strange
indeed, that christians should boast so
much of their coueof morals and preach
| ut tie same time that Il person cannot
he saved by being moral and virtuous.
We have heard preaching to that effect
this summer, and who does not know
that atonement by the blood Of Christ
is the main doctrine in Christianity.
Ton enter MOOdy's tabernacle and the
first thing you STE in large letters: "'Ihe
blood OF Jesus Christ, lis son, clcanS-
eth from all sin.' Spiritualists do not
think this (. beautiful motto. They
would choose the golden rule, or Christ
| blessing little children, but to be Il real
! staunch christian ynu must believe in u
''Fountain filled with blood" Blood is
mixed in all their prayers and eNhorta-
| tiulS, and even their otherwise hrauti-
i full hymns are tinctureu lttle too
/ much with blood for tile nineteenth
century.
by Heir fruits We shall know them. -
Protestant christ ians have eyer held up
! the Bible as Il ,ef'ct rub, Of faith aid
practice. Such teaching has had Il
most pernicious tl;rc' as the pages Of
! history can bear testimony. in the &C.
count Of tie hanging. burning and tor.
/ turing Of hundreds and thousands of
men, women and children in ohcuitnt {
! TO the Bible injunction. 'Thou shalt
not Snffer witch to live.n These
christian cret.ls and tlogmas have CIV.
en- rise to mlny controversies. The
r;lnsu>stantiation controversy cost
! nearly four hundred thousand lives
What streams of blood were shed t.
:; keep up that old llcathen OF Gambia
notion Of eating the flesh and drinking
the blood of human beings. The image
controversy cost fifty thousand lives
These are only Il few Of the bloody tnur
mites pcrpttraled in the II me Of thu
christ ian religion, since it assume SWAY
in the Roman Empire. Its path liza:
been marked with blood all the wa,
down the dismal ages until the yea
1860, when the Puritans prosecuted the
il,MEc:s by whipping, boring thei
tongues With rrd-hot iron, and tinall,
killed four, Of which Mary Dwyer WA!
one OF the number.
But some will say that these contro
vcrscs and Notwithstanding were TIN
work of the Catholics. Well, are no
the Catholics christians? Are not thu
fundamental doctrines OF Catholics ant
ProteStants the same? do they not he
lieve in the Trinity, and that the Vir
gin Mary WAS the mother Of God, tn
creator Of the universe? And do the,
not believe that 10y the shedding .
Cnrist's blood they obtain remission 0
sins? Here we might Illustrate tn
effect Of the aforementioned doctrine OF
the the human family by quoting from
the pages of the history Of the blood
mAssac,es by the Mormons, but we vii
only mention tire Mountain meadow
affair. That happened during the tw'
years they were preaching what the
e ,lled 1.-THE blood atonement." Bette
I, thousand times be as destitute g
crve,ls as the Spiritualists. Better no
'. believe in the intalibilty of pope, priest
:. church or bible, for each christian sec
has claimed to be right, and prosecute
10 the extent of the power they pos
sessed. But now, thanks ito the stead
, march OF INTELLECT" the advancill
sweep Of demonstrable truth, Christi
anity as it once existed, is past relaps
:, ing INTO second chiidisIlness. It's will
cred cree,ls and fast-decaying dogma
, are destined in the near future to dis;l}
pear before the light of reason and I'll
: revelations OF science. 81
What grand difference there is III
tween Spiritnalism and Clristianit,
: No s',ch bloody accounts grace, or ratl
!; .er disgrace, the pages of history again:
> Spiritnalsm. 1t is true, Spiritualis
: are not perfect. They, no doubt, ha,
/. made many mistakes. bur then, remcr
4 Der they'do not believe in infalibilit
J.: but in eternal progression, and. it is
significant fact: that christian tin
4 0lugy is Icing greatly modified SIM