News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1884-05-29
CADY's FALLS, VT, May q, 1884

called to an article in your issue of the
22d instant by Mr.. C. F. Morse, in rela-
ton to an address he heard me give ia
Stowe. Should a child who after he had
heard his first lesson in astronomy rush
into print and criticise his teacher be-
cause the instructions given would over
turn his infantile speculations, he would
only make himself an object of ridicule.
Mr.. Morse has done the same, i'll princi-
pie, for he had only one lesson. and it
runs counter to his speculations, there
fore Spiritualism is wrong. But the
question is not one of themes, but one of
facts. Can he demonstrate the existence
of his God? Personal He must be if He
is "a PRAYER hearing and answering" one,
and if He pities," works miracles and
prophesies. Can he prove that mira
Gle ever existed? Can he demonstrate
that spirits are weak and Inefficient" or
only work through 'permissions?'
These are all assertions, but upon what
do they rest? With hundreds of Others
have sought for facts on which to base
such specuations. and find none. | have
no proof that God. whatever He, She or
1t may be, ever deals with a praying per-
son any differently from the way He
deals with non-praying or profane
person, and that is in the line of Causa
ton. l find neither pity nor love in ma
ture, in the impersonal. [ find only En-
ergy and Law. Cyclone and zephyr.
.rost and dew, loss and gain. success and
defeat, life and death, health and disease,
love and hate. know neither jew or Gen
tile, Christian or Spiritualist, and until
it is demonstrated to me- differently |
must believe according to the evidence |
have. Now let Rev. Mr.. Morse and those
like him, do to us as they demand us to
do to them,-that is, let them demon
strate by natural phenomena the exist
ence of a pc 'onal God, who hears. who
pities, who V orks miracles, as we have
by phenomena demonstrated the exist
ence of spirits, who communicate, who
love, teach and help us; then we, by the
evidence of the sense and the reason,'
shall be obliged to assent to their prop
ositions. Till then we must say of all
these assertions mot proved"
A miracle to me is non-scientific, IRA
tiOnal, illogical, and therefore impossible.
The scientific dogma enunciated by Hum
bolt is FAST becoming The assertion of
every thinker. The universe is gov
erned by Law!" Reasoning from this he
can make no mistake, and finds no need
for the miraculous or spiritual. In all
things he is student of Cause and Eff
feet.
a word now in reply to his assertion
in regard to spirits. First. be it remem-
bered. ace knO10. 1t is not assertion, but
fact, that they live and communicate,
and fact is as easily destroyed as intin-
ity itself. Now are they weak and inef-
ficient? Among spirits are all the good
and bad of past ages. Among them the
good and bad of bible times, notably
Moses, the patriarchs. Apostles, Paul.
and even Jesus himself, if He ever was
moral, is now spirit. Among the
saints and martyrs, the retOrmers, law
givers, thinkers, warriors of the past.
Are these weak and inefficient? Are
Lincoln, Washington and Sumner, Oar
win, Humboldt and Cuvier. Luther, Fox,
Murrey and Parker, Watt. Stephenson
| and Henry, Dante, Shakespeare and
Milton, Bryant, Longfellow and Elmer
son; are these, whom we know to be
within the sphere of communication,
'.weak and Inefficient Friend Morse
and l could sit as pupils at their feet
were they here to-day. Are they less
good, intelligent and helpful now? Are
not mothers, fathers, children and friends
as full of love and helpfulness as spirits,
as when here? Can he reason otherwise?
Our facts also answer YES 1t is for
this reason we call i'm aspiration and love
upon them We do not pray in the sense
| he uses the wo d, but cali in our need
and love, as when on earth we called
upon them. Mother always helped me
me and my friends also. They are spir-
its now, and by past experience it has
been demonstrated to me that they can.
and do. still help. and as l recognized by
graft lde their love and care. then so do /
recognize it still. This is all my prayer.
If there is God like that of the Christian
speculation, then dear friends are nearer
Him than | am, and can reach Him, per
haps, and convey such of my wants as
they cannot supply and He will answer
their prayers. | could not honestly pray
to that which do not believe exists, i. e..
the Christians Deity. My conception OF
this power is vastly different. To destroy
the belief which to-day is dear to the av-
erage man and woman. that their So
called dead are near them would be tC
bring around the grave deeper gloom
than ever it had before; and many to
whom it has never been demonstrated
hold the belief that these so-called dead
are angel helpers and can send to us
both thought and love. In this view i:
the beautiful Acknowledgements, in it;
truest sense,-of Whittier to the spirit o
Alice Cary, the singer:
80 white SOUL from that far off shore
Float some sweet song the waters DER.
| Our faith confirm, our fears dispel,
With that old voice we loved so wellP'
And again he says of his sister, il
Snow Bound:
"I cannot feel that thou art fur,
Since near at need the angels are"
And sweetest of all the consultations o
Spiritualism is its positive demonstration
that this sweet dream of the poet is
fact. Again, in closing, let me quote tn,
first and last stanZas of the hymn | reaC
upon opening my address, to which Mr.
Morse also takes exception. 1t is emit
tied Guardian Angels, "by Lizzie Doten
of Boston:
"Hoy ministers OF light!
- Hidden from our mortal SIGHT,
But whose presence can impart
Peace and comfort to the heart;
When we weep or when we pray,
When we falter in the wav,
Or our hearts grow faint with fear,
Let us feel your presence near.
, "HOlY Spirit; quickening all
On thy boundless love we call;
Send thy messages of light
To unseal our inward sight;
Lift us from our low estate;
Make US truly wise and great;
That our lives through love may be
Full of peace and rest in thee!"
| may add that | can but feel pity TO
! g. IL 70 l.ac