The morning times., 1896-04-26
THE RELATION OF sp1RITUAL1sM TO

THE RELATION OF SPIRITUAL1SM TO
THE RELIGIONS OF THE WORLD.
A synopsis of an address delivered by
Mrs. Juliette Yeaw, pastor OF the Inde-
pendent Liberal Church, Spiritualist, Of
Greenwich, Mass, before the Unitarian
Study Circle. of Leominster, Mass:
Spiritualism. as apprehend it, is wrong
ly interpreted when it is limited by the ad-
jectiye, modern, for, If worthy OF an endur-
ing place in the religious thought or the
world. ii must be the natural response to
some inherent soal demanding an answer
TO the question OF the ages: III man die.
S hall he live again.
1t las taken long centuries OF fruitless
search, of misconception and superstitous
reverence for soullcsS forms, for man to
realize that this question is but the natural
outcome OF series OF questions, each in
turn answerable, as intellectual growth
and development, have qulckened the men-
tai perceptions, so that the mysteries OF
one centnry become the subStantlated factS
facts of another.
1t has been still harder to realize that
closely dra wn theological lines OF dema rca-
tion between things material and things
spiritual are nett her absolute nor in
fallble.
In the steady advance of the scientific
thought of the world, new fields of re-
until the invasion of the realm OF the unseen
and invisible is no longer considered I'M
pious and irreverent, but the legitimate right
of the hu man soul.
Unconsciously, these processes of mental
evolution have impinged upon the narrow
and isolated kingdom Of the dogmatst,
claiming the territory by right Of discov-
cry" until, little by little, old lines have
been obliteratci, and the heretofore bridge
less gulf between science and theology has
been spanned.
AT this juncture, when proof OF tmmor-
tality is the despair OF science and the
Christian church is looking backward"
to the stone rolled away from the tomb
of crucified Savior for its proof, Spirit
ualism einerges from the mysticism and
obscurity OF the past, and, with the sim
plicity and humility of truth itself, knocks
upon the doors OF materiaity.
AS Christianity was Graded in a manger
outside the pomp and ceremonial OF the
Jewish church. SO in like manner its inter
preting and supplementary voice, Spirit
ualism first spoke in the humble dwell
ing of poverty, not as voice, unheard be-
fore. but as repetition OF voices, heard
by Moses from the burning bush, in the
thunders OF Sinai; 10y the prophet Samuel
in the presence OF the woman OF Endor;
upon the Mount of TRANSPORTATION; by
Mary at the tomb or her risen Master; by
| the disciples in the upper chamber, and
| by John, when he laid down his pen on tine
| Isle of PatmoS, and was about to fall
| down ana worship the angel OF the Apoca-
| lypse, and he said, See thou do ii not,
| for / am thy fellow servant and OF thy
| brethren, the prophets; worship GOD
| of which were but the successive proofs
| of human immortality to a blind and
unheeding world, answering, as only those
| can who have passed the portals OF NOR
| tality, to every heart-hungry, sorrowing,
| yearning soul, We still live
Thus lar | have only alluded TO Spirit
ualsm in its relations TO the religious
| thought of the world, as related to
| Christianity, per Sc, but we have only TO
! enlarge the boundaries of our obserya ton
| to perceive that all religions OF all peoples
have had sacred voices, seers, prophets
| and Inspired teachers: thatthe oyer-archlng
| sky of the worlds Spiritual night has been
gemmcd by many star of hope, and that
| there is already da wnng for humanity q
| respondent day in the light Of which all
| man-made lines. scpa rating the divinity OF
| man from the humanity OF God, shall dis
| appear and there shall be one people whose
| God is love-" love so passing tender that
| il permits every human soul TO believe aud
| know if it will, that physical death is not
| 1.-THE bourne from which 10 traveller re-
| turns" but as electricity under the direc-
| ton fintcIigenC IS re gard less OF inIs LiI': =
| vuitorial and latitudinal lines and with
l uncrriug precision, spans continent VIII
its MESA ge. so the soul disbodied over
| leaps the intangible death line. responsive
TO the agonized longing Of hearts bereft
We cannot, then, as an ism, isolate spirit
ualsm from its true relation TO the religious
thought OF the world; for OF all relig. ON:
1t is the heart ana soul, the unconscious
| process by which man has "builded his lad
der from the lowly earth to the vaultec
SKIES and has s"mouptedit round byround'
until differing sects in glad acclaim, todaN
proclaim living gospel and present i'll
| C,,irn