The aid and wisdom of this circle will write with mediums. When wisdom is written, it will not act adversely to human good; and, when folly is written, it will be detected by minds. The work of writing will require great care on your part. Such is the physical and mental condition of minds, that we intend to make a great change in them, before we write what will be necessary. The writing will not be the commencement of our work, but will follow other manifestations as soon as will be expedient. But we shall write what will be profitable, and what is adapted to mind. The writing will be executed with great rapidity, when mediums shall become wholly passive.
M. The mediums of writing will not write with spirits who oppose them, I apprehend.
W. Mediums will not oppose what they know. They will oppose what they do not understand, if it shall conflict with their views; and, especially, such as are conscientious in their convictions of truth. They will not write without much discipline, because long-standing opinions will not easily yield to the voice of invisible facts. The nature of mind is such, that educational wrongs must be corrected with progress. They will yield, when the living light of this sphere shall pour its splendors on benighted humanity. But no unnatural disturbance of nature will shock the world. No wisdom can emanate from this circle inconsistent with the laws by which we are governed. No rude outbreaks of wisdom will convulse minds, developed in the mysteries of nature. No minds acquainted with the wisdom of nature will oppose our philosophy. The weak may oppose, but weakness can not withstand wisdom. They may cavil with its teachings, but they can not overcome its influence. The weak may oppose what conflicts with their established sentiments, but progress will increase their strength. Some mediums will cavil with what will be revealed; but such will be the uneasiness of their condition, that they will find it more convenient to write what we wish than to oppose it. Indeed, mediums will resist our control for a season, but their resistance will be so unsatisfactory to themselves, that they will yield; and, when they yield, they will become as others who have made no effort to resist the force of our communications.
Another mind wished to know, if manifestations from this sphere would not disturb the established forms of worship, and subvert the order of societies and churches, to which William replied: “The disturbance of forms and the overthrow of societies and churches, will not necessarily take place, except so far as they may be incompatible with the general good. It is not our object to destroy, but to establish. We do not propose to lay waste, but to build up. The mission is not to undo what is wise, but to correct what is unwise. All forms of worship which are adapted to the condition of the worshiper, will remain so long as the good of that mind may require; but no form will be suffered to remain which abridges the right of conscience. It will be our mission to relieve mind of servitude to creeds and forms, which are chains to wrong it of independent thought. It will be our united wisdom to restore the rights, which sectarian policy has not guarantied to her votaries. If the forms of worship suffer improvement, the worshiper will not be injured. If societies and churches undergo a revision, the members will not be harmed. If nations shall acknowledge the rights of nations, the people will not mourn. To aid minds, collectively and individually, to be what nature has ordained for their good, is nothing less than wisdom; and he who well intends, need have no fears of our intrusion, to change conditions inconsistent with his good.
“There are no forms of worship in this sphere. Order is not form, because forms are prescribed rules, requiring obedience in those who are disinclined to observe them. Those who are disinclined to observe any form of worship, will not be compelled by our commands to do otherwise. The wisdom of this circle will not exact hypocritical submission, nor extort a profession of veneration for customs which are unsatisfactory to mind. It has been the folly of the rudimental world to require professions, which were burdensome to many who made them. They were incongenial with their condition, and were, therefore, reluctantly and not cheerfully observed. In many societies, thou mayest see a slavish acquiescence in customs and forms, because the mind cringes to popular respect. It is not free to do as it desires. It is restrained through fear of those who would control the rights of conscience. It is compelled to do service in a prescribed way, or suffer the execration of those who rule in the church. It wishes to avoid censure, and consequently yields its natural freedom. The wrong is grievous to the slave. Religion is weakened by the tyranny. Human rights of conscience are molested by the forms of worship. It will be our mission to give freedom to the mind—give freedom to humanity. It will be our mission to abolish the tyrant’s power, and let all minds worship God, as it seemeth good. It will be our mission to set the captive free, so that, when truth shall be unfolded, no chains shall fetter investigation. It will be our mission to raise the standard of reform, and correct the abuses of power wherever they may exist. Societies and churches need not fear what wisdom will do for the good of mind.”
M. There will, then, needs be a change in the forms of worship, and the order of societies and churches.
W. There will be this lesson first taught, which makes nothing wrong which is adapted to the good of the individual and others, and which injures no one. The next lesson will be repeated, when mind has wisdom to adopt the first; but we are not willing to make a development thereof, until conditions shall require it. Indeed, conditions would seem to forbid it, because of its want of harmony. Adaptation is harmony with good, for whatever is harmonious can not be injurious. The mind, acting in harmony with its own wants, and unrestrained by conditions, will not be dissatisfied but happy in its sphere. The mind, which acts as it does not see right and proper, must act as conflicting conditions make it; and, while acting as conditions compel, it must be dissatisfied and unhappy. Dissatisfaction is unhappiness. Minds in this sphere, are adapted to the conditions around them. The circles have what they want. There is no inharmony between their wants and the means to gratify them. The low want what they have, and they have what they want. It is even so with all circles; but all circles have not the same wants. While the low want what will satisfy their condition, the high want what will satisfy their condition. The wisdom which is satisfactory to the low, would be very unsatisfactory to minds above them. Hence, they will say, they are happy; and they say truly, because, in their ignorance, they want no more. But mind, elevated in wisdom above them, would not be happy with what they have. Thus, wisdom is not unsatisfactory to any mind, and the only difference is the degree to which each has attained.
Societies and churches on earth have their degrees of wisdom. What is satisfactory to one would not be to another. Now, if one society were to compel the other to adopt its wisdom, a disturbance would necessarily ensue which would be very likely to make both unhappy. It is not, therefore, just on the part of one to compel the other to adopt its creed or form of worship. Such compulsion would be fatal to the enjoyment of both. It would introduce a conflict and beget a war, that would disturb their happiness. Both parties would suffer by it. Hence, all coercive measures, calculated to make minds hypocrites, and introduce conflicting minds into one society, are irrational and unjust; and they who succeed in doing such work, violate the harmony of nature’s laws, and will receive their just reward.
In our mission, we shall not disturb congenial relations. Societies and churches will not be forced into new creeds contrary to their wishes. But minds, who need a superior wisdom, will be aided in harmony with their wants. It is wise to satisfy want. It is unwise to control mind so as to make it receive what it does not want. The unwise of earth have attempted to make others wise by compelling them to act and receive what was contrary to their wants. The rule was wrong, and unhappiness was the result. The rule was incongruous with the wants of the mind, and what is incongruous with want, can never satisfy want, because incongruous things will not produce satisfaction.
Societies will not be required to change their forms of worship or their creeds of faith by minds of wise circles. The minds of wise circles will employ their wisdom to affect minds, and render them capable of reforming the externals of religion as adaptation requires. Thou wilt see that when a mind becomes wise, it will reform its worship, and make circumstances congenial with itself. It will put away the unwholesome forms of worldly wisdom, and worship God in spirit and truth.