The herald., 1893-09-10
The Sacred Books Evidence of
Future Life.
They Afford Possible Clue for Di-
rect Evidence of Immortality.
The Philosophy OF Visions and Prophe-
syings from q Scientific Stand
point-sacred frances and
Clairvoyance Treated.
THIRD PAPER. |

tinC RtknCiRlCc Az AOAtC0 Ato fNNOh aae&O-A
upon the world. And, like all truth, it's
knowledge could not be rightfully mo-
nopolized by any sect, class or indi-
idual.
VA second paper suggested that the
science OF mesmerism is the open door
to q knowledge of Immortality. 1t re-
mains to be shown how this proposition
confirmed by the writers of books
claiming to be revelation upon this
subject.
Every land and nation, possessing any
degree of civilization, has its sacred
/ books. An unreasonable skepticism
condemns them all, and consigns them
either to the category OF knavery or inn
becility. But stop Is there not rea-
son for everything?
OF course all these books are marked
with imperfections. Their writers were
human beings, and liable to err. Writ
ten in ages more or less barbaric. in
languages long since dead. when
knowledge was much more limited both
in quality and quantity than now, and
before the art of printing was known,
the wonder Is that we have 30 much of
them.
Many of them are mere fragments or
distorted copies of former works. With
some the text has been altered to suit
various theories, while others are mani
fest with the errors of copyists. Their
chronologies are obviously wrong. Their
styles are often heavy, verbose and OBJ
scure. Yet, taken all in all, what are
they?
Are they not, one and all, whether the
Vedes of India, the Shastas of Persia,
the Koran of Arabia, or the Bible Of
Christendom, the record Of msnkind's
longing for immortality
Are they not the evidence of the uni
versal cry for a knowledge of future
life? And, amid all this smoke. may
there not be some fire?
We all know that the ancients had
glimpses OF scientific truths. The
Copsemican doctrine OF the universe,
the printing press, the steam engine,
and many other modern arts and
sciences were crudely known in the bye
gone ages. Is it not possible that the
people of old knew something of inn
mortality? May they not have looked
through the open door?
Their sacred books answer these
questions in the affirmative. And
while such answers are to us merely
hearsay evidence, yet this kind of teHti-
mony is always necessary for the detec-
ton OF direct evidence itself.
Let no one, therefore, hastily reject
or condemn these books as possessing no
value whatever. They were written by
some one some time and for purpose.
1t is true that their purposes may have
been prevented, and that they may be
strongly colored by the vsgaries. errors
or ignorance Of the age or writer, yet
from their pages often glows the highest
of wisdow. He is unwiss who rejects
the recorded experiences of the past.
It is possible that from the adopts OF
India, the magi of Persia or the prophets
of Israel clues may be obtained, which,
if followed, will lead to the discovery OF
the much-to-be- desired direct evidence
of immortality.
The student of truth enters this as he
would any other field of investigation.
He must divest himself of preconceived
opinions, and be willing to accept as true
any proven fact. His caution urges
him to be reasonably skeptical and to
submit every proposition to the uner-
ring tests OF his reason and conscience.
What they cannot accept or approve
must be rejected. II he be wise, he will
"prove all things and hold fast that
which is good"
On the other hand, thought comes
only from voluntary labor. Those who
are ''at ease in Zion" generally prefer to
hire their thinking done in these lines
and seldom feel disposed to move out OF
their circumscribed creeds. Fortunately,
this is an age when freedom OF thought
ie untrammeled and organizations built
f. 1oka L. 4
more inclined to lower their fixed stan
dards of belief for the sake of the power
OF numbers. This class more naturally
than any other, should be interested in
the propositions which follow.
In this country the best known OF the
ancient sacred writings are those Sc
books bound in one volume and en-
titled the Bible. They profess to have
members of the Jewiah race, the New
the New Testament it is learned that
the founders OF Christianity were all
Jews, and its books contain copious quo.
tations from the Old Testament.
In fact, general sameness of charac-
ter runs through them all as to the
manner in which they were written and
the art or mode by which the writers
obtained their ideas. Viewed in the
light of the arguments made in the
first and second papers of this series oi
articles on the immortality OF the soul
and the science OF nesmerism, the idea
or plan is plain. A brief examination
of the text will confirm this PROPOSE
tion.
The manner in which the book of the
revelation claims to have been given is
probably the best and clearest illustra-
| tion and closely parallels that of all the
| other books. Christ sent and signified
the revelation or prophecy by an angel
unto one John. He declares that, while
in a certain mental condition, which
he calls sin the spirit" he saw various
panoramic views and heard voices,
about all which the angel commanded
him to write in book.
His senses were certainly in an ex-
alted condition, as are those of one in q
mesmeric trance. Indeed, it is plainly
written that Peter was in trance when
he saw in vision a great sheet let down
from the opened heavens, containing all
manner OF quadrupeds, birds and insects.
Paul states that when he received rev.
whether he was in the body or ont Of
the body. He had vision on this road
from Jerusalem to Damascus, which
caused his conversion to Christianity.
Such visions he says came to him while
in a trance.
Bslaam, the prophet of the Lord, had
the spirit of God come up him, and saw
vision, falling into trance, but hav-