SPIRITUALISM.

Thames Star, Volume XVII, Issue 5169, 11 August 1885, Page 2

SPIRITUALISM.

(To the Editor of the Evening Stab.) Sib.,—l think it might be interesting to your readers to hear a little about Spiritualism. There are many people who have a sneaking desire to know more about it, and I think that if they did, they would like it better; it is so much in accordance with common sense and reason, with the highest and noklest feelings belonging to human nature, and chimes in so well with the most advanced scientific knowledge. When the Agnostics get to the unknowable, so that they can get no further, then we take them forward to a world of beauty and grandeur that they have never set eyes upon. It is said that when Sir I. Newton made the discovery of the law of gravitation, when he waa upon that high eminence looking upon a new world that no man had ever set foot in or seen, that he burst into tears, for he then knew that he would-be able to show to man bis discovery, which would be a benefit to all ages. Sat what comparison can there be between this discovery and discovering that this world is surrounded by a spiritual world, which has produced . a visible world. The invisible world is the real world, and the world is only the phenomena—that which is seen is temporal, that which in unseen is eternal. Let us once have our spiritual eyes, ears, and understanding opened, to have a proper sight of this beautiful world. It would be sure to affect every thought and action of our lives from that day forward, when we know that man is a spirit that will endure for ever, that does end all; that death is not the end, but the beginning of a life of progress, and who can grasp that thought? If those thoughts were always lively before our minds, we could not; be the earth worms that so many of us are. It has often been said to me—how beautiful those thoughts are, if they were, only true ; and the begt of it is we know them to bs true. How many people are anxious to know about their friends that have passed to spirit life ? O, what they would give to know that thoy are happy, what they felt in passing through death, what friends they have met with, what they are doing, how they live, and to know all about their new homes ? This knowledge is what we receive continually. It is very strange that a spiritualist should receive so much bitter opposition from the Evangelical garty, for it really is their only hope ; they have no other real foundation to rely upon. Since the revising of the Scripture, it turns out that the origi nal Scriptures are lost, and they only have it from tradition. The Materialists knowall this, and when they meet upon an open platform, the orthodox party talk twaddle, and are like children-before men of thought; and they are the party that have the most to do in making infidels. They (the infidels) are a class of men who cannot bo fed on chaff. Spiritualism is different; it is built upon knowledge, and. this is always a solid foundation. They have none; we gather from their literature what is generally taught by them ; they do not intend to form a party or sect, but those principles are quietly but surely spreading amongst all parties, and will Anally blend all the good in them iq one religion. They believe that all good men ire divinely inspired, as much so as they jver were j but as man has not an infallible intellect, he cannot always understand the inspiration. They do not make i god of any book, and blindly submit to, itrightor wrong ; they judge what is good md what is bad, and endeavor to gather [he true from the false. They do not beiere that anyone is absolutely good or *

absolutely bail. This d-jJs a'.vuy with th° old notion tbat mm is'eitb r saved or not saved. None are perfect, all reap the consequences of their own actions, but no one is driven away to k place and company he does not want to go to. All,go to the company they wouli go to from choice, but finally all are saved ; that sin and falsehood is mortal and cannot live ; truth and goodness are immortal and cannot die. If it is not so, then God cannot cenquer sin. They believe that God cannot do any different, nor any better, than he is doing ; that he always is doing the best for everyone. Nothing is so calculated to give comfort to all classes of people at death as Spiritualism is, and it is designed to lift man up to a higher plane, and |de»troy ignorance, bigotry, and selfishness, and restore peace and harmony to all. This is what the invisible world is laboring for.— I am, &c, A Spiritualist.