686. But even these will perceive how much better it will be to pursue the opposite course, since every wrong done by them here, will have to be expiated by a proportionate penance in the spirit world.
687. By every good action resulting from the wish to do as we would be done by, we advance a step higher in that heavenly stairway by which we may ultimately reach the supernal heaven, and become ministering angels of God.
688. But even during our ascending progression, we shall pass through a succession of stages wherein every intellectual, social, and amiable propensity of our nature will be gratified.
689. In justice to myself, and to give more weight to the inferences drawn from my laborious investigations, I will subjoin the correspondence between Mr. Holcomb and myself, which succeeded the receipt of the letter which has been introduced in the commencement of my narrative, ([128].) So far as my judgment goes, there never was a letter written of which the facts or inferences are more correct; yet it appears that so late as the 8th of February I was still a doubter. The tenor of the correspondence will show that if I was conquered, I did not yield the ground undisputed, and was vanquished only by facts and reasons which, when understood or admitted, must produce in others the conviction which they created in me. If I was the victim of an intellectual epidemic, my mental constitution did not yield at once to the miasma. It took some three months to include me among its victims.
Philadelphia, January 14, 1854.
690. Dear Sir:—Your letter of the 17th of November met my eye as I was this morning looking over a file of letters. I am led to write, therefore, that in consequence of your suggestion, and those of others, I have been giving my attention to the phenomena to which you alluded. When I come to any conclusion, I will write again.
691. I still concur with Faraday, and have seen nothing to make me believe in the spiritual manifestations. Yet I am not surprised that the latter should be believed in by those who have that belief, as there are phenomena which I cannot explain yet, any more than many which I have seen resulting from jugglery. The converts are, however, such worthy persons, that I cannot bring myself to suspect them of deception. I think you must be mistaken as respects a table moving when left to itself entirely. The circumstances for producing this phenomena have been repeatedly made favourable by the mediums in my presence, but excepting in one instance, when it was within reach of the feet, no motion ensued.
692. It would, indeed, be a glorious mercy if God would give us some evidence, which should settle the religious opinions of mankind.
Robert Hare.
Southwick, Mass., Feb. 3d, 1854.