The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1879-07-24
SPIRIIUILISN vs.. M.II'ERLIL-
- ISM. b.,
Letter from James G. Clark on the Re-
lution Of Spiaituulism to ChaistiUnity.
TO til" Editor OF the Pioneer Prcss.l

lution of Spi,'ituuzism to Chrisliunity.
ITO the Editor of the Pioneer rrcss.l
have not read DR.. Beard article on
the . Psychology of Spiritualisln," in
the North American Review for July,
but your clear and able editorial in the
Pioneer-press of July l, gives me a def
mite idea Of the drift Of the doctors
argument. I have long held that all
evidence of spiritual manifestations,
both ancient and modern, belongs to
the Same class, or family, OF facts; and
that when modern ''scicnct" succeeds
III demolishing the facts OF the present
century it has, by the same logic,
reached the boundaries Of all time and
swept the foundations out from under
every religious system that has intlu
cnccd the human race from the begin
ming. II speaking Of 'cvidcnces" do
not i!.v lide frauds and flncies, either
in the past or present; but mean facts
as fully and satisfactorily established as
any facts can be when resting upon the
testimony Of the human senses. say
there is no imaginary boundary line be-
tween the age containing these facts
| that can Justify us in stamping those Of
our own age genuine, and all others
false or ''of the dcvil.' 1t there is !.
spirit realm, it is controlled by law. like
our world. Two and two have always
made four. If certain atmospheric con-
ditions produce rain now, the same con-
ditions produced it in the morning Of
time. If vegetation cannot thrive now
without S 1nslIincan1 moisture it could
not thrive without these agencies 5000
| or Geo, eco years ago. If spirits invaded
| the realm OF the human 1000 years ago
| they nlarrhv,l in and cut by virtue Of Il
law hat has never been repealed, and
by invi;i trails that have never been
lost, and by which they can still come
and 20 at will. whether we brlirEr it :,
| whether Theology approves Of il or not.
Tradition, unal,l''t| by IL present con-
| >cip,S,lcSS or spirit commerce. between
| the two works., can no more rrvitaliZr
| Il lrvayiny religion than pictures Of
| summer showers and mountain lakes
and lil!S cam restore tie Veruure to Il
| 'irus!G htstrlti:rn prairie. Col. lnycr
Soil. in his treatment Of religion, has
| n,5l' rtrl It's uses and made capital Of
It's nl'!,, ). DR.. Beard and The tllrulo-
yilns have lli:lt!" the same mistake in
| their Treatment Of spirltiSm. Those
| who Imagine hat the latter has de
cIinth Il! t!:' last ten years among the
| middle rl;,sSrs' know nothing Of it's
| sou! nnI vitality, bat have been en-
plnyt'l in examining its fringe, nr its
! rrrrltrlcitit $, while the principle itself
has been working unseen III the hearts
al'I convictions, Of the people. AS you
say, Ir. 3 are, mikes i, great mistake
VIXEN he terms spirit ism IA tliSion.'
In chasing it thus he reveals hi, mis-
i, Understanding Of the entire quest ion.
True, it is the !rri ga ing principle that
in all ages has kept alive mans faith
in immortality; but it Is 10 more u re-
ii5ion tIEll tine irrigatiny bitches OF
Colorado and California are the wheat
and corn to which they conduct moS-
t,rt. N;!ualsln and church DEGREES
find this principle Il liSurtlt!ly and tur-
I,lilrltt one ut times and this accounts
Tor he seeming enlnitv bet wren Chris
tianity and si,rit:sln. Eat I'LL valuable
thin@s have their dang, ru,iS phases. or
rat! G; their morbid expressions, which
usually occur hrra,>" lrHt,ir;' or healthy
expression las hH.rn denied ti!rm.
hold that spirit 'u|>M is stronger
today THAI! ever, only it Las ceased, III
ing force, aud is becoming u part OF
more conservative, unu tie latter more
liberal until tie two arc bee inning to
uii,iil>taui that they are natural allies
each other; that il weapons can bt
forged ly Science for The overthrow OF
one tie uvvrtl!i"W Of Tie other n,lsL
':tNital'ly fellow. i;;1,l ten :l'ir;t tad
lists iEs':r q: tie c'.urvil where | Iiti,;
one outside If il. do not :.lr;tn spirit
ua!ists in ne usually accepted SENSE nf
running after ciictS and mediums for
informant, II nt 4 sl"linitr cl,aractcrcrn-
rrrlilIg our departed friends: but III the
StnSe :lIl |jrl!vt III the care and interest
and probable presence still maintained
Ivy those whom "scielct declares
''ueau' and annlll lated. There is only
Il step. and Il short one ut that, between
Il thou ,llfn', intelligent spiritualist,
WHO loves Ortitr and vcnerattS God-lilt
qualities, and IN equally intelligent and
thoughtful Chris ian, who feels and be-
li"yrS tl,,t in 'ChriSt all are made
;l!ivr,' and that our ''9uar,|iHn angels
are the friends who loved rs, when in
! t!lr ! w with ~ love that cannot be
Qu"'. :tj Nor suppressed simply Itcaus"
| they II ave ais'lnl; Il Il spiritual body. 1t
| is easy for l'rr't.s and Di:is, in the
! light of their own experiences. to be-
| leve the story Of Jesus and his disci-
pies, and believing it, to acknowledge
| that Christ WaS tie center Of the most
! wonderful and astonishing spiritual
| manifestation the world ever knew,
and, hence, the strongest spiritual force
OH our planet, thus giving him I'LL the
| glory due to him, without going to the
| Theological extreme of declaring him
maker and ruler Of the entire universe.
1t is equally easy for Christians-espc-
| cally The Mtth"dists. WHO believe in
the present '"poWrr Of the Spirit to
accept Of tie doctrine Of tic guardian
SHIP of spirit friends, rs al addition to
ii not ESSENTIAL part uf-thrii' belief.
and yet rIil!ylu Jesus as their "S;tviOr,' -
ard ''trnwn Him Lord Of all" ThrrX-
tri'n" rhlrclln&ln believes in ';ccltral-
Z>ti"n,' and the radical >ririt'!alist in
"jntliliIual ,<ovrrci::ntv." But between
he two Opposite poles are the sensible
ln"sst:, WHO care Tor neither extreme,
bat who love tie church if their rights
OF private h:!ief can he respected, and
these rights are never disturbed now
except occasionally by some pr.sump,
turus fool who considers himself Il
dix iErly ."';ntvd agent FOR poEily his
hos: into ct rr mems private affairs.
Us y rule, people are left alone to in.
dl.!.r u. Su;:!! speculation as they choose
concerning H." inhabitants Of the I'M.
seen world. Hence the church is filled
with ''Clristian spir!tualists who are
rclnfo"t"sl ly the Thought that their
spirit friends never desert them. OF
course such men as Dr. Beard are ignor.
ant Of this dep!orahlp condition of
things, and they, in their assnne and
SEcptical cgoti;,n, Imagine spiritualiSnl
Oh its last legs, when it is only out of
l'c Short range Of their sight, rs TIE
pIalirts are out o: the sight OF pigs that
Lever lock up, but spend their valuable
time and energies roofing for bugs and
reptiles. Such men, from the very IA.
luTp OF things, have no WAY of ascer-
Tuning What the world believes con.
~ 4. u