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Experimental investigation of the spirit manifestations, [electronic ...

Experimental investigation of the spirit manifestations, [electronic ...

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ON THE MORALS OF CHRISTIANS. 2471284. Til a dialojTjue between <strong>the</strong> <strong>spirit</strong> <strong>of</strong> AVm. I'cim and that <strong>of</strong> Thos.Paine, (ho foniuT points out this error: "You strove to take from yourreaders one <strong>of</strong> tlieir greatest comforts under <strong>the</strong> afflictions <strong>of</strong> mortal life."JF'orrsrri'nr/this woukl liave prevented me from writing <strong>the</strong> Ago <strong>of</strong> Keason.Any set <strong>of</strong> skeptics who shoukl only coincidein disbelieving, could neveradhere toge<strong>the</strong>r nor make many converts. The prospect <strong>of</strong> future lifemust be promised confidently, or <strong>the</strong>re would be few proselytes.1285. But <strong>the</strong> <strong>spirit</strong>ual <strong>manifestations</strong>, and <strong>the</strong> intellectual, <strong>the</strong> heartfeltintercommunion with my relatives, friends, and <strong>the</strong> immortal, great, andgood Washington, now enable me to assert that <strong>the</strong>re is not, nor can beupon any record <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> past, any evidence so complete, as that presentedto my senses, concurrently with a multitude <strong>of</strong> observers. I now, <strong>the</strong>refore,feel myself warranted to speak out what my reason justifies and myconscience dictates ; and have not hesitated to express <strong>the</strong> opinions whichare spread outthis exposition.upon <strong>the</strong> pages immediately preceding that which contains12SG. With a view to show how much more happy was <strong>the</strong> state <strong>of</strong>reciprocal sectarian feeling in <strong>the</strong> worldbefore this idea <strong>of</strong> making beliefan object <strong>of</strong> vital importance,-! will quote here, first a passage from Mosheim'sEcclesiastical History, vol. i., and will subjoin some pages from"Gibbon's Decline and Fall <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Roman Empire;" following <strong>the</strong>se upwith quotations from Bishop Hopkins, <strong>of</strong> VermontQuotation from MosJieiTn.1287. " Each nation sufi'ered its neighbours to follow <strong>the</strong>ir own method<strong>of</strong> worship, to adore <strong>the</strong>ir own gods, to enjoy <strong>the</strong>ir own rites and ceremonies,and discovered no displeasure at <strong>the</strong>ir diversity <strong>of</strong> sentiments inreligious matters. They all looked upon <strong>the</strong> world as one great empire,divided into various provinces, over every one <strong>of</strong> which a certain order<strong>of</strong> divinities presided, and that, <strong>the</strong>refore, none could behold withcontempt <strong>the</strong> gods <strong>of</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r nations, or force strangers to pay homage to<strong>the</strong>irs.1288. " The Romans exercised this toleration in <strong>the</strong> amplest manner.As <strong>the</strong> sources from which all men's ideas are derived are <strong>the</strong> same,namely, from <strong>the</strong>ir senses, <strong>the</strong>re being no o<strong>the</strong>r inlet to <strong>the</strong> mind but<strong>the</strong>reby, <strong>the</strong>re is nothing wonderful in <strong>the</strong> general prevalence <strong>of</strong> a sameness<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> ideas <strong>of</strong> human bein2::s in all reirions and all asjes <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> world.The afi'ections <strong>of</strong> fear, grief, pain, hope, pleasure, gratitude, &c., are ascommon to man as his nature as a man, and could not fail to produce acorresponding similarity in <strong>the</strong> objects <strong>of</strong> his superstitious veneration.have nothing in common with <strong>the</strong> already established notions <strong>of</strong> mankind,to bear no features <strong>of</strong> resemblance to <strong>the</strong>ir hallucinations and follies, to^be nothing like <strong>the</strong>m, to be to nothing so unlike, should be <strong>the</strong> essential!predications and necessary credentials <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> wisdom which ^is from above.''To

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