SPIRITUALISM by M. E. Cornell

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Feb 10, 1859

SPIRITUALISM.

By M. E. Cornell

SPIRITS DENY THE FALL OF MAN.

"Man never fell. . . . The idea of total depravity or original sin, in the human race, is an absurdity, a relic of the past, developed in mythological times."—Spirits through Finney, Messenger No. 11.

THEY DENY THE RESURRECTION.

The Spiritual Telegraph, No. 34, speaking of the resurrection of the body of Christ, says:

"It was contrary to immutable law, hence could not be." Of Lazarus the spirits also said, "Were you there sir, to know that his body was putrid? It was not."

THEY BLASPHEME.

"Your angelic fathers, by the wisdom of God, are allowed to come unto you, and do away with the wicked precepts of your Bible."—A. W. Hoar, medium, p. 95.

THEY DENY THE EXISTENCE OF THE DEVIL OR EVIL SPIRITS.

"I asked if there was any Devil? Answer. 'No!' Are all spirits happy after death? Ans. 'Yes, measurably.' What church is nearest right? Ans. 'Universalist doctrine is nearest right.'"—Telegraph No. 3.

"There are no bad spirits, that is, no devils or demons. Those spirits we have conversed with will not allow us to use the term."—Supernal Theology, p. 71.

"The spirits utterly disclaim all truth in the imaginations of individuals who believe in the doctrine of evil spirits."—Teacher, p. 116.

Remarks. Seducers, like the first murderer generally carry a mark, but always deny their true character, and assert their perfect innocence to throw victims off their guard. Satan has always denied his own existence, or advertised himself dead. But the Bible advertises him "working with all power and signs and lying wonders to deceive," and this is why the spirits are trying to destroy the confidence of the people in the Bible.

THEY DENY DEATH.

"Ye shall not surely die," but "be as gods, knowing good and evil."—Gen. iii, 4, 5.

M. Barnum, (Spiritual lecturer) says:

"For death is not death! There is nothing in life that can die! But all that there is of thought, and feeling, and life in the man, will continue to live."—Discussion with Van Waggoner.

The Banner of Light, of Feb. 20th, 1858, speaking of the death of Mr. Wright, says, "Another soul has been resurrected from death unto eternal life."

That these lies of Satan have become popular cannot be denied. President Fairfield, now Lieut. Governor of Michigan, on the death of Eld. David Marks, says,

"Die! It is not death! It is but the budding forth of eternal life."—Letter to Mrs. Marks.

Prof. Finney of Oberlin College in preaching the funeral sermon of Eld. Marks, said:

"Death has no more to do with him. He lives for ever. Do not let us conceive of him as to be carried and left in yonder grave-yard. O no. He is beyond the reach of death and the grave. We may carry the frail tabernacle in which he lived, as we might carry the clothes he wore, and leave them in the grave. But Bro. Marks will not be there. No, there is no dark, cold, damp grave to him, but bathed in the sun-light of heaven, he walks the golden streets and gazes upon the ineffable and unsullied glories that surround him for ever."—See Biography of Eld. D. Marks.

Contrast the above testimony concerning death, with that of Job on the same. That the contrast may be more apparent we put the pronouns "he" and "him" in italics.

Job xiv, 1, 2. "Man that is born of woman is of few days, and full of trouble. He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and CONTINUETH NOT. But man dieth and wasteth away, yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he? As the waters fail from the sea, and the flood decayeth and drieth up; so man lieth down, and riseth not; till the heavens be no more they shall not awake nor be raised out of their sleep. O that thou wouldest hide me in the grave, that thou wouldest keep me secret until thy wrath be past, that thou wouldest appoint me a set time and remember me." — "If I wait, the grave is mine house, . . . They shall go down to the bars of the pit, when our rest together is in the dust." "For I know that thou wilt bring me to death, and to the house appointed for all the living." Job xvii, 13, 16; xxx, 23.

"His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth, in that very day his thoughts perish."—Ps. cxlvi, 4.

If the truth is not yea and nay, then verily Prof. Finney's position cannot be true; for there cannot be a more palpable contradiction, than exists between the above two descriptions of death. "Thy word is truth." Amen.

M. E. CORNELL.

Columbus, Ohio, Jan. 5th 1859.