276. My conversion was effected before I attended any public medium. To the ladies by whom it was effected my requisitions could only have been onerous, had not the desire for truth to oblige me been a strong motive for the pains which they were made to take.
277. It does not seem sufficiently understood by those who object to Spiritualism, upon the ground of the inconsistency of the opinions given by spirits, that our next state of existence is one of progression, and that we go there with all our imperfections, which are removed more or less slowly.
278. “Many men, many minds,” is an old adage: it is equally true as respects the inhabitants of the spirit world, excepting that as their elevation in that world is higher, accordance in opinion is more prevalent. In the spirits of the fifth sphere, and those above that sphere, I find little diversity in important facts or doctrines.
279. Allusion is made to this diversity in some communications from Franklin, to Mr. Putnam, which are as follows:
280. “The mortals of earth expect truth from the spirit land; they think that it is perfect, and that the angels are omnipotent. Oh, how far do they wander in the darkness of their own minds! The spirit home is progressive, like unto this: the canting hypocrite passes into the heavens with the same thoughts; the simple babe too passes into this new-born life with all its childlike innocence. Each one has to mount the ladder of progression.”
281. “There are millions in the spirit world that know not of the existence of this planet, even as the children of this earth know not of the starry world above. But on beholding angels descend to this hidden planet, they follow, and in wonderment behold a new world, and that world inhabited. Then do they find whence they originated.
282. “Allusion has been made to the one-sided support given to Spiritualism on the part of those who admit many of the most important facts, yet do not ascribe them to the spirits of the departed. These opponents were alleged to be of different features; one ascribing them to Satan, the other disputing their spiritual origination, because agreeably to their imperfect information, certain traits were found to be deficient which should exist, were the intellectual communications due to the spirits of our departed fellow-creatures. The idea of these spiritual manifestations owing their existence to Satan has already been noticed, ([88],) but from the communications which will be given in this work must appear still more untenable than they have, as I trust, been proved to be. As one of the most respectable of these, who deny the existence of spirits, the distinguished Dr. Bell, of Somerville, Massachusetts, has been noticed. ([110].)
283. “It is conceived that Dr. Bell’s positive evidence in favour of phenomena which he has seen, gives so much more weight in favour of the existence of spirits than his arguments on negative grounds, as to what he happens not to have seen or learned, that I will quote here his account of the manifestations which he has described, after having observed them with great circumspection:
284. “Dr. Bell commenced (at a meeting of hospital directors) by expressing his surprise that at the meeting, last year, of so large a number of persons whose lives were spent in investigating the reciprocal influences of mind and body, scarcely a single member had given a moment’s attention to a topic directly in their path, which, whether regarded as merely an epidemic mental delusion, or as a new psychological science, was producing such momentous effects upon the world. It was now said to number over two millions of believers, had an extended literature, a talented periodical press in many forms, and had certainly taken fast hold on many minds of soberness and power. He was well aware how easily it was turned to ridicule, and that there were many who would be ready to ask, when they saw hospital directors seriously discussing the spiritual phenomena, Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?
285. “But if there was any class of men who had duties in this direction, it was those of our specialty. Our reports contain the record of many cases of insanity said to be produced by it. It was important, whether true or false, or mixed, that its precise depth, length, and nature should be studied out. As is well known, mystery always loses its terrific character when boldly met and opened to the light of noonday.