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

THE EXISTENCE OF SPIRITS. 65tlicmsolvos through ihc liuman agent. Of course, the (luality of suchcomposition is more or less a question of taste. Much of it is elevated,indicating high intellectual and moral capacities in the mind to which itowes its origin. Much more is absurd, puerile, and disgusting, infinitelybelow the grade of the human productions of the same persons from wliomit professedly comes. Yet the spiritual revelation has given us nothingof such extraordinary value or novelty as to stamp it, in the judgment ofunprejudiced minds, as of super-mundane production. Dr. Bell alludedto a treatise which had been put into his hands by an earnestspiritualist,purporting to be the work of Thomas Paine, the author of the Age ofReason, &c., which was thought would carry convictionto anybody, as itpurported to be a full explanation of the formation and changes of thisearth, by one who, from his situs, must know all about it. The truth was,that the work was the production of some mind, celestial or mundane,ignorant of the very first rudiments of chemical philosophy, in which themost ridiculous blunders were made on every page in matters which areas demonstrable as mathematics, and where, of course, the answer cannotbe made that the revelation was too high for common readers. Nor doesDr. Bell believe, from his observations,that the waters from this fountainever reach a higher level than their source. The most elevated specimenof the spiritual literature would no doubt be found in the communicationsfrom Swedenborg and Lord Bacon in Judge Edmond's and Dr.Dexter's first and second volumes. Yet, whoever reads the very elegantand powerful preliminary treatise of these gentlemen, which Dr. Bellthought would compare favourably with any writings of the kind everpublished, would not be able to feel that Swedenborg and Lord Bacon,after their nearly one and more than two centuries' residence, respectively,amid the culture and refined senses of the superior spheres, had morethan equalled their unpretending amanuenses stillin the ^vale of tears.'297. ^'Dr. Bell concluded by the expression of his full convictions that,while the faith in spirits must be given up as beingconnected with thesefacts, it was a topic, whether regarded as a physical novelty or even as adelusion, cutting deeply into the very religious natures of our people,which was worth our fullest examination. TJicre were great, novel, interestingfacts here. They had not been treated fairly and respectfully, asthey should have been. The effect was, that the community, knowing thathere were /ac^s, if human senses could be trusted at all, went away fromthose who should have thrown light upon the mysteries, but who wouldor could not, to those who gave some explanation, even if it was onewhich uprooted all previous forms of religious faith. He hoped that themembers of this association, who were as much required to examine thistopic as any order of men, except, perhaps, the clergy, would not be afraidof looking ittheir dignity."in the face from any apprehensions of ridicule or of degrading