BOSTON:
WILLIAM WHITE AND COMPANY,
BANNER OF LIGHT OFFICE,
158 Washington Street.
NEW YORK AGENTS—THE AMERICAN NEWS COMPANY,
119 Nassau Street.
1871.
Entered, according to the Act of Congress, in the year 1871,
By MISS ELIZABETH DOTEN,
In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.
Electrotyped at the Boston Stereotype Foundry,
No. 19 Spring Lane.
CONTENTS.
DECLARATION OF FAITH.
Doubtless many who take up this book, and glance carelessly at its pages, will exclaim, “What! more Spiritualism!” To which remark I answer, yes, more Spiritualism, an unequivocal, undisguised, positive Spiritualism—confirmed by many years of careful observation, study, and experience, and of which this book is the legitimate outgrowth. Eight years have elapsed since my first volume—“Poems from the Inner Life”—was given to the world (to the Preface of which I now refer for any explanation concerning my mediumship). During that interval of time, the ranks of the believers in Spiritualism have steadily increased in numbers, its phenomena, presenting an array of well-established facts, have challenged the investigation of some of the first scientific minds of the age, and its philosophy has done more towards liberating the human mind from the thraldom of old superstitions and creeds than any other form of faith which has arisen for centuries. But as yet, it has not secured that prestige of popularity and respectability which the combined influence of age, wealth, and organized action ever afforded. Consequently, those who are “named by its name” must be prepared to meet the anathemas of religious bigots—the lofty scorn of those who are wise in their own conceit—the scurrilous attacks of those who would divert attention from their own infamy and the petty irritations of a numerous pack who follow at the heels of every new movement, and ever distinguish themselves by noise rather than by knowledge. As a participant in this great movement, I have found such attacks to be helps rather than hinderances to my progress, inasmuch as I have been enabled to define my own positive and affirmative position more clearly from the negations of the opposers of Spiritualism.
We are told that “it is not a Religion.” But after a long and careful study of the past and present, I have yet to find any phase of faith, which, in its very inception has commenced so directly at the root of all necessary reform, viz., the purification and harmonious development of the human body. This primary and fundamental truth has been taken as a starting-point—it has been enunciated from the spirit world—repeated by the inspirational speakers—has been interwoven with all the spiritualistic literature, and has found a practical application in the Children’s Lyceums. The religion that teaches, “Take care of the soul, and let the body take care of itself,” will inevitably defeat its own purposes, and has already been taught long enough for us to know that it is a failure. No other form of faith ever brought the spiritual world so near, as to banish its supernatural character, and place it within the province of natural law. No other form of faith has illustrated the fact so clearly, that just as we go out of this world, so do we enter upon the next, thereby presenting a more rational incentive to endeavor, than the rewards of Heaven or the punishments of Hell; and no other from of faith has so effectually dissipated the idea of an inane and purposeless life in the future, and given to the angels a more exalted employment than “loafing around the throne.” It also teaches that mediumship, under proper circumstances, is a healthy, harmonious, and normal development of human nature, and that communion with the spiritual world is not interdicted, and no more impossible than any other attainment that lies in the direct line of natural law, human progress, and scientific investigation. This to me, and to those who have accepted Spiritualism thoughtfully and sincerely, makes it a religion indeed, and the positive assertions of any number of intellectual or religious “authorities” to the contrary cannot make it otherwise.
We have been told again and again, that “Spiritualism is Supernaturalism,” that we believe in miracles, which are contrary to the “methods” of God’s government. We have denied this repeatedly, assuming that we ourselves had the best right to say what we did believe; but our denial has not been accepted, and the reason is obvious. Any number of scholastic discourses, elaborately written essays, and eloquent appeals to popular prejudice, would lose their pith and marrow, and be found wanting, if this false predicate, this fabricated nucleus for their logic should be disallowed.
Again, we are told that “Spiritualism is not Science;” to which we reply, that Spiritualism has presented facts and phenomena which the later discoveries in Science are tending both to explain and substantiate. It has been demonstrated that it is not the eye that sees, the ear that hears, or the nerves that feel, but each of these avenues of sense serves to convey the vibrations of the surrounding “ether” to the central consciousness, which alone is possessed of the power of perception. Since this is so, who shall dare place a limit to the possibilities of that consciousness, of which so little is definitely known? Or why should any man prescribe, as a standard for all others, the limitations of his own feeble consciousness. A modern reasoner tells us that “if the bodily ear receives vibrations from one atmosphere, it cannot receive them from another, and no fiction of an inner ear can give genuineness to voices and whispers of a spiritual tongue.” Since, however, it is not the outer ear, but the inner consciousness, that hears, a quickening of its perceptions will allow it to catch the vibrations from another atmosphere, and Spiritualism demonstrates, by indisputable facts, that this is so. Also, that this is not an abnormal condition, but perfectly legitimate to certain states of the inner consciousness.