The Leavenworth weekly times., 1878-03-14
sPiRITUklISM.
The Doctrine of Christ, Laid Down
BY the Bible and Taught by
its Precepts.
Mans Communication With the Spir.
its o! Those Who Have Crossed
the Dark River.

tne U9fk river.
Coione; MacKsy's Lecture at Occi-
dental Hall Last Night.
col. Mackay deli .ered his lecture on Spir.
i;ualism last night AT Occidental Hall, to one
of the largest and best lecture audiences that
ever assemb ed in the city. The meeting
was advertised 10 brgin at eight o'clock, but
il was not much after seven when the people
began 10 gather, and nearly half an hour be-
fore lecture time every seat in the hall was
occupied. People carried in chairs and
benches, improvising seats for large num-
ber but still at least two hundred people
were left unprovided for, and remained
standing throughout the entir- discourse-an
hour and thirty-fiye m.nutes-and that
all were interested in the speakers re-
marks is beet shown by the fact that the best
OF order prevailed throughout. The address
was not except to a very small extef1p mar
ration of personal experiences, as many sup
posed it would be, but was, instead, an elab-
crate argument, mainly tom bible stand
point, of the Il uth Of spsritualism. We have
not room for the address entire, but the fol-
lowing extracts contain all the salent features
OF il, and embrace the portions most liable TO
criticism. The speaker said:
We read in the New Tes ament these words:
The First Ep sile of Paul, The Apostle to the
Curln hians. CHI y. xy, "a.
There is Il natural body, and there Is spirit
ual body, v 10. HOwbeit, that WIS not nrst
which Is spiritual, bu, tnat which Is nat
ural and :iIterward that which Is spirit
ual.
In presenting for your consideration the
question ~ nat is spirituaIism. is ii true
and what d e. ii prove?" oruInary Infer
euce would bs. that propose the discussion
OF some new doctrine But do not.
The presentation of the subject may be in
n new and unusual manner; but the subject
itself, is co-ev,ll " ith the birth OF man.
There lies at the foundation of all religions
"A belief in "A great spirit. whom We call God.
Many believe, and not "a few teach, that this
spirit, person or being, has, at various times
in the past, communicated directly with
man. guided him i'll th9 Affairs of life,
created others, and in various ways made
himself manifest 10 man, but at present does
not so act, communicate nor make himself
manifest. We have also been taught, that
men in the physical form could and did con-
verse directly with God-cOmprehend his na-
ture, learn his wants, foreiell his designs, and
look into infinity. Can this be true: Can
the finite mind comprehend the infinite
Does the less include the greater, or "A part
OF the whole?
The action of mems minds in the body Is
finite. 1t can only comprehend the nature OF
Hnite things-to do mOre-to comprehend,
fathom and understand the infinite, would
be contrary To his mature, and giving the
po,oers and capabilities OF infinity 10 finite
being.
Tine great author Hobbies, says: "Whatso-
ever We think. or Imagine IL intinite---there-
fore there is no idea, or conception of anything
.'iafnie." God is infinite, therefore man has
no idea or conception of God.
An idea Of God formed in the human mind,
through finite sources, must be imperfect IL
not erroneous the poT er to comprehend an inf
mite naturti, not there. Who in this audience
believes that lie can form in his own mind,
and express the true nature Of Deity. The
mind bound down to earth, in an earthly
body. is not possessed OF an instrument OF
sufficient power to see or understand the ma
ture of an Infinite Being hence, all state
ments made by man, or by an assemblage OF
men, on earth, whether through churches,
conferences, or otherwise, declaring the na-
ture of an Infinite Being, whom We call God
are ridicu.ous assumptions. All creeds, dog
mas, DEGREES OF Eocumenical councils, and
:. pOpes' bulls" pretending to express GOd's
wishes, are wickedly false and designing
humbuggery. And those who make such
pretenses, declarations or revelations, are as
suming fearful responsibilities.
Men, calling themselves the chosen ones of
God)have asserted that they know God, and
that the Bible was written through knOwl-
edge derived from God, by the physical SEN
Is THAT no man hath ever seen God," and
II is also written in John iii chap. q "a man
can receive nothing except it be given him
nos hing of the spirit world, called Heaven,
except II be ''given him from heaven" and
mortal ear has never heard, nor eye ever
night follows The day, that, whether We know
Of the God of Nature, or the ultim te destiny
of man, In the spiritual world, Is what has
been '.yiven US from heaven" l6y man pro pro
he has become an inmate OF the spiritual
body, where the mind comprehends. Deity,
the Infinite Bein. through some source, or
the communication could be receiv
ed without being changed or corrupted
by the source or medium between the finite
and tnfinite-the physical and spiritual
world. From such sources only, have We
any knowledge OF mans simmOrtality-Our
true code Of morals and rules OF life. The
church teaches US nO;hing-its errors and
erroneous interpretations of the Bible, prove
II TO be an institution Of man only
The Bible does not teach that God has ever
must conclude, If mans nature, or organism
Is such, that be cannot see, hear and compre-
hend the Infinite Being GO3-that he has
not. That all statements that God wrote
thus, and said thus, means only, that such
was received from the spirit world Twas given
him from Heaven" and the results Of spirit
action.
/ therefore assume the following PROPOSE
Ist That the condition of man on earth is
finite, and his mind, while an inmate of the
natural body, can only comprehend finite
things Hence he cannot understad nor in
dictate the desires of an Infinite Being.
ond. That there is another condition of life,
where the mind becomes freed from Its
earthly condition, and man enters upon a life
of Immortality, takes TO himself spiritual
body through which his mind sees things
face to face, and not through a glass darkly,
and in that condition il sees and compre-
hends Deity, or infinite eternal life.
3rd. That from such life, spiritualistical
man has by certain means, or sources. COM
municated, and continues to communicate TO
man on this finite globe-rules OF conduct,
codes of words, and how to live to be content
and happy hereafter.
4th. That there never has been received
from such source. any communication by
mortal man, saying that subscription To
church creeus, or dogmas were essential to
mans happiness in the life spiritual.
5lh. That all reliable Information ever re-
ceived by mortal man, from the home OF the
souls of the just men made perfect, prove con-
clusively, that there is no such a place as All
orthodox Heaven, nor an orthodox Hell.
6th That works, books and writings called
divine are all from and through this source,
and what is called the 'WOrus Of God, /" are
but the communications OF the angeis-the
spirits OF departed men and women from
their spirit home to mOrtals on earth. No
man has seen God at any time: John-ls.
7th. That angels, or spirits froin the other
back in past ages that the memory OF man
runneth not to the contrary,) appeared
TO, and communicated with their friends and
fellow men ON earth, giving them wholesome
truths and warning them of d anger, and still
continue t. 50 do at the present day
sth. That our Blble-the Old and New Testa-
ments-as well as the Bibles of other nations,
are spiritual books, derived from such spirit
ual sources, texcept such portions as have
been added to them by designing compilers
and interpreters) and from no other source !;
and prove, beyond all question, the truths of
the spiritualism Of to-day, as well as the past.
That is that spirits Of the departed cOmmu-
nicaied with mortal man, on earth, IN past
ages-proying mans Immortality. We know
they communicate to-day. The bible of the
Spirit World is still being written.
sfh That such condition of things has al
ways existed; exists to-day as in the past they
are in accordance with fixed, never changing
immntable laws
Milton wrote u Al
Millions of spirits walk beneath
the midday sun unseen.
They who thus believe thev who assert
mans Immortality, and believe II can be
proven, l call Spiritualisis.
The different beliefs may be defined as fol-
lows:
l. Materialists-Those who assert and be-
2 DenominatiOnal Christians of the nine
teenth century-WhO assert and believe that
man is an immortal being; lives hereafter !;
but offer no proof, and refuse to acknowledge
that IL can be proven.
q. Spirituaiists. so cslled-who assert and
believe that man is an immortal being-lives
hereafter-and proveit.
You will ob.erve that denominat iona
Christians and Spirituali>ts believe tire saGe
thing; differing only in the evidence, Of
fer TO prove the facet.
The Denominstional Christian offer as evil
deuce OF mans Immortality blind faith only.