CHAPTER XI.
MISSION TO THE RUDIMENTAL SPHERE.
Franklin, Swedenborg, Paine, and his companions visit a place near the castle—Old things become new—Process of change—Identity preserved—Self is a part of the body—All sympathize together in good and ill—Governments defective—Opposition to capital punishment—Origin of evil—How overcome—Success of the mission—Means must be adapted to conditions—Contradictory communications develop the condition of minds in the second sphere—Conflicting revealments harmonious with different degrees of wisdom—Writing mediums—Societies and forms of worship—Adaptation is harmony—Harmony should not be disturbed—The mission of spirits will be to regulate minds—Minds will change forms—Retire to a mansion—Onward is a passport—Dullness reproved—Dedication of the Pilgrimage.
When the instructions were given, I said to my companion, “You will now request William to make a journey with us.”
“Shall we not be aided with others?” said she.
“Others will come with us,” I replied.
Presently Benjamin Franklin and Emanuel Swedenborg, as they were called in the rudimental sphere, went with us to a place near the old castle, but which was more elevated in wisdom, and less incredulous of progress. On approaching it, William said: “Thou seest nothing new in this place.”
T. I see new things have become old.
W. Thou wilt see old things become new. Behold, we make all things new.
T. Thou canst not make a new creation.
W. We can create new things out of old.
T. We can change old things into new.
W. Thou wilt change nothing new into old.
The mind of one with whom I had formed an acquaintance in the body, responded: “How will you change old things into new?”
W. Thou seest a change in nature. Thou seest not the change which nature produces, until it is produced. The wisdom of God in nature works great changes. The blossom is not as the fruit, nor the seed as the blossom. The voice which nature utters, is a voice thou wilt not deny. It is the voice of God to thee. Dost thou hear it, and dost thou feel it? The young ravens cry, and their cry is heard. The wail of want finds a response in the supply which sympathy affords. That sympathy is natural; and, in its exercise, the unfledged wing becomes invigorated, and change gives support to the dependent. So, in thy weakness, thou hast received aid from sympathy, until change gave thee strength to aid others. Sympathy is the divinity of nature. It controls even animals. It will control enemies. It is a divinity that no enemy can resist. It will conquer. It will change the old into new. The barren field will become the fruitful vineyard. The dormant energies will be quickened. The inactive powers will become active, and change will make all things new.
M. If all things become changed by progress, will not all things lose their original identity?
W. The change is not external, but is internal. The change is pure. The grossness of impurity, being removed, allows a work of refinement to take place, so that the divinity of sympathy may be exercised without obstruction. In its progress, the refinement will expand the charity of the soul, and divest it of all wrong. When it is divested of all wrong, it will feel inspired with benevolence. This benevolence will become extended, until all nature smiles with the love of God, and all minds are linked together forming a chain of affinity co-extensive with the whole world, in heaven and on earth, and united by an immortal tie which no change will dissolve, but strengthen, forever and ever.
On arriving at the designated place, there were many minds conversing about the motives of works. One said, that no motive could be pure, unless a mind realized some good to itself; another said, all good of self should be overlooked; and a third said, no mind could overlook the good of itself. We heard the conversation, when William asked, “How can self be overlooked, when self is a part of the body, of which all are members?”
“Ought not selfishness to be overcome, so that others’ good may be advanced?” said a mind.
W. Thou wilt understand, that no mind can be disinterested in its welfare, however much it may desire to overcome the nature which is selfish, and consults selfish good. The good of self is well, and what is well should not be overcome. It is necessary to the good of all. Self is a part of all. If a part be not well, the whole can not be, as the whole is made up of parts. When one part is neglected, the other parts will suffer. Thy mind is a part of the great body of mind. It is dependent on the body, and the body is dependent on it. These parts embrace the whole family of mankind. There can be no joy without all the parts participate in it, neither can there be sorrow, without all sympathize in it. Thou wilt see that minds are united by the law of sympathy in one body. The sympathy is natural, and when one part monopolizes the control of the other to its disadvantage, it must sympathetically suffer for its folly. It will not be happy in any disturbance of the rest.
M. Then, are not minds disturbing their own happiness, when they neglect those with whom they are united?
W. Thou wilt see that governments and societies, in the rudimental world, deny the law of God, which should govern all his works. They unite in compacts for the purpose of promoting the public good; but the compacts do not seem to understand that sympathy is not a law which grants favors to one and withholds them from another. In all human governments, you will find that the few who control, make slaves of the many who are controlled. The ruler should fare as the ruled, and know that injuries inflicted upon the latter, will result in his injury. There should be no favoritism of one part over another. Governments study to govern; and, in order to govern, coercive measures are adopted. The governed must submit, and pay the expense of their own folly. They must not disobey their rulers, because their rulers will enforce either the law or their own authority, to induce submission. No matter what the cost may be; it must be borne by the ruled. When the ruled consent to be ruled, they should not refuse the cost; but when rulers ask submission to rules which are obnoxious to the good of one part for the support of another part, they are wanting in wisdom, and their demands will be rejected, when the ruled understand their own wants, and the means which are essential to their gratification. The wisdom of the ruler consults his own supposed good. He wants what will make him respected and happy. But, being aided only by a narrow and limited wisdom, he sees not the wisdom of nature’s laws. He sees not the dependence of one part upon the other; and, consequently, he rules in wisdom of self, or in the wisdom of ignorance of the relation on which enjoyment depends. Now, he should love self, and he should neglect no means which are necessary to produce his own happiness; but, when he rules over others, he should understand that, if he injure them, he injures himself; or, if he benefit them, he does good to himself. An injury done to one person by a ruler, is an injury to all. Hence, no government is as pure as it should be, which wrongs one to govern the many. I have seen men, educated in crime by law ordained, condemned and wronged by law. I have seen a mind who had been taught the law of death for death, wronged by the instruction. It was a mind who once resided in Philadelphia. I knew the mind when he was in his childhood. I have often wondered, that my adopted commonwealth should have engrafted upon their criminal code, so barbarous and cruel a law as the death penalty. I saw that young man in his childhood taught the doctrine of revenge. I heard his parents justify death for death, and express even gratification, when some poor criminal had expiated the death penalty. The child imbibed the horrid teaching. The parents verily believed the lesson salutary upon their son. But the son felt the malice, the wrong, the wrangling in his mind, struggling against sympathy, until sympathy yielded to the wrong. I saw him again. The gallows was his death bed. The parents had taken the farewell interview. The executioner inquired of the criminal, if he wished to say any thing to the spectators. The young man made a brief speech. He said: “The sentence of the law is about to be executed upon me. I have sinned against God, but I hope for mercy in Christ. I have no ill will to any one. I acknowledge that my sentence is just. I hope this may be a warning to all, not to do as I have done. May God have mercy on my soul.” He was killed. The people said, “It was just.” But when the mind reached this sphere, it was corrected. It was disabused of its malignity. It was educated in the knowledge of nature. It was disrobed of its cruel garments. It was taught the divinity of natural justice. It was inspired with the sympathy of united brotherhood, and wretchedness departed.
The wrong instruction had made his sympathetic mind callous to benevolence. He was chilled with the malignity of cruel instruction. The noble aspirations of his soul were blighted with notions, which made him unfeeling and brutal, and which prepared him for the worst crime of which society makes a record. The wrong which he committed was the work of ignorance. It was ignorance on the part of the parents, which led them to inculcate the cruel sentiment of death for death. It was ignorance on the part of legislators, which induced them to make laws that sought the correction of one wrong by requiring another to be done. It was ignorance on the part of the instructed in the wrong, which led him to deny the right of life to one to whom nature had given birth. Ignorance taught wrong, legislated wrong, and made one wrong to justify another wrong. It made both, but not directly. It will not be otherwise, until ignorance is removed from power.
The are some countries in which you will not find a gallows. There are some minds in which you will not find a sentiment favorable to cruelty. Such minds can not be cruel while those sentiments remain; and, when a mind can not be cruel, cruelty can not be done by it. Hence, thou seest that what is the misfortune of one, is often the fault of many. Governments are what the governed make them. No human government can exist without the consent of the governed, or a majority thereof. It is the ignorance of mind, that submits to wrong, and wrong is the father of misery. It is the father of crime. Make wrong laws, and inculcate them among minds; let them take possession of the hearts of the people; and wrongs will germinate abundantly. The cruel creeds of minds, overshadowed with ignorance, have made cruel souls, and cruel souls have made cruel laws to correct the cruelty. This is the origin of evil. Go where ignorance of nature reigns, where the sympathies of a common brotherhood are not felt, nor encouraged by the voice of philosophy and reason, and there thou mayest find crime multiplied with itself. I have heard the mother teach the cruel lesson to her dear children. I have seen the child writhe over the recital. I have watched the progress of medicine forced into the heart of sympathy. I have seen its awful workings at the seat of virtue. I have seen its operations on the social affections. I have watched its icy chains, as they wound their cold links of cruelty around the expanding charities of the soul, and saw the death of progress, in the divinity of heaven. I saw the death wound where the cruel wrong remained. It remained through long years to tantalize its victim, and mock the aspirations of the soul. It wearied the mind with its wrong, never aiding it in the path of right, but often in the way of evil. It was cruel; and its cruelty is a shame on decency. It is a shame on humanity. It is a libel on nature, and a disgrace to civilization. The brute will not often wrong a brute where no good is attainable, and yet human folly and ignorance have smiled at the sacrifice.
Under this system of education in cruel principles, governments have arisen and fell. The wrong has worn out the structure. The governed have governed themselves with their own wisdom. No wisdom higher than brutes enjoy, enters into the cruelty of many creeds and laws. What voice reaches the ear of the poor? What echo responds to the call of sympathy? Where are the luxuries of life garnered? Where the aid which a common sympathy requires? Alas! Where the equalities of nature’s laws respected? Not where indolence and wrong reside. The people submit; they acquiesce in their unrighteousness. They teach the unrighteousness from father to son, and receive the inheritance of their folly.
Hast thou not seen the injustice of minds? Hast thou not seen the cause of the world’s misfortunes? All are in darkness. All are in the wrong. There is no remedy but reform, and there can be no reform without more wisdom. The ignorant of nature’s laws should be instructed. They should be taught that mind needs no cruelty to make it benevolent, no vindictive usage to make it virtuous and obedient. They should be taught the value of their immortal minds, the value of nature, the value of good, and the importance of harmony in the adaptation of one thing to another. They should aid each other. They should neglect none. They should teach the virtues of economy and industry, and the great secret of human enjoyment, which is obedience to nature, and conformity to the impartial justice and equity of her counsels. The wrongs of minds repel the counsel of the elevated in this sphere. Thou seest that while minds are obscured with darkness of wrong and crime, they will not give heed to the voice of righteousness. They will not listen to the truths of experience, nor be improved with our efforts. They are sensual in their affections, cold in their sympathies, selfish without much wisdom in their schemes, malignant and treacherous in their doings, conceited and vain in their works, arrogant and boastful in their professions, hypocritical and deceptive in their worship, fraudulent and unjust in their dealings, weak and miserable in their follies, and negligent and wretched in their devotions.
Thou hast seen the fond mother withhold the work of culture, because she was afraid of the instruction. She was wishing the child good, but was afraid of the truth that was important to the child’s welfare. She was disqualified to aid the child. The child was sympathetic, but the instruction she gave, was full of cruelty. The horrors of malignity were impressed upon the mind, and corroded the generous emotions of benevolence and affection. The voice of nature became stifled; the warm impulse of kindness met no response in the cold wrongs rehearsed and predicted; and the soft yearnings of love were repulsed with the cruel anticipations of evil. The windows of hope were closed, and angry clouds of despair were thrown around the mind. God and nature were in seeming conflict. I have seen minds tortured with painful descriptions of evil, until the evil became a fixed principle within them; and, when the evil became fixed in their minds, evil only would gratify it. Hence, nature, being overcome by wrong education, has not the power to satisfy what it did not create. It will not satisfy wrong; and, as wrongs are instilled into minds by those who are in the wrongs themselves, so the wrongs make minds wrangle with the voice of nature and the good of the soul. There can not be a remedy in nature, which will satisfy the wrongs of ignorance. Thus, a mind, educated in the wrong of cruelty, will find no response in nature. Thus, a mind educated in the errors of pagan theology, in the wrong of infinite cruelty in God, in the wrong of eternally increasing wretchedness of the miserable, in the wrong of wicked spirits growing worse and worse, will find no wrong in nature to meet the wants of such wrongs. I have seen wrong; but I have seen no wrong of greater magnitude than the wrong inflicted by the inculcation of these wrongs. I have seen these wrongs germinate in the mind where they were sown, and produce a great harvest of wrongs. They have brought forth their own fruit; they have not brought forth love, sympathy, kindness, and mercy. The seed of cruelty, no matter with what care it may be cultivated, or sown, never will produce the fruit of righteousness. I have seen these wrongs inculcated by law, by creeds, by sects, by nations; but I have never known them to do good. I have never known a good doctrine to produce evil fruit, nor evil seed to produce a good work. I have seen cruel doctrines produce cruelty. I have seen sentiments, which were offensive to sympathy, mould minds into their own spirit, and prepare it to work wrongs. I have witnessed the sources of evil, acting in harmony with evil; but I have never known nature to wrong itself. I have never known minds, acting in harmony with nature, to become cruel, vindictive, or unjust.
M. Then nature is not wrong, nor the works of nature evil.
W. Nature can not be wrong, for it is the harmonious work of God.
M. Is not mind a harmonious work of God?
W. Mind is a work of God. It is a good work; but mind is weak; wisdom is strength; and, therefore, mind needs wisdom, without which it can not avoid the inharmonies of conflicting conditions. In its weakness, it may contradict the means which are essential to its development. The weakness of the mind, may receive false doctrines—doctrines disagreeing with its nature, and destructive of its enjoyment. The mind is good, but is abused with the errors and wrongs of ignorance. It is often abused by its own weakness. The mind is abused by wrongs of others. When minds propagate the incongenial sentiments of cruelty, thereby disturbing the natural sympathy of the soul, it overcomes the sympathy, and makes it wretched. There can be no moral evil without a disturbance of natural law, without a violation of the natural sympathy of the soul. Wrongs are wrongs, because of the evil which this disturbance occasions. The disturbance is occasioned by ignorance, and ignorance is germinated in the mind by reason of its weakness. Thus, when a mind is weak, it is unprepared to resist the teachings of those on whom it feels a dependence. These teachings being wrong, because inharmonious with the natural sympathy of the soul, induce evil to the mind.
The origin of evil is in the weakness of mind. Strength will be afforded by wisdom. Wisdom will be afforded by nature; and, when her voice is heard and obeyed, the antidote will make wrong right. It will work out the evil with good. It will elevate and rectify the evils to which mind is prone. The origin of all evil is where evil is. It can not be elsewhere. It will be found where wisdom is not. It will be found where the natural sympathy of the mind is robbed of encouragement. It will be found where cruelty is taught; and the voice of kindness is not heard in the murderous shrieks of agony which brutal violence enforces upon the ignorant and misguided criminal. It is not heard in the wild roar of damnation, as it rings from minds, educated in the mythology of pagan and taught in the place where the merciful spirit of Jesus is professedly adored. Adored! Heaven forbid. Where his religion of peace is mocked with peals of cruelty, and his voice of compassion is scorned to vent the outpourings of judgment upon the credulous and unsuspecting. These wrongs nature will not justify. They are wrongs which no religion will make right, without the wisdom of heaven to aid. They are wrongs which will meet with no approval in this circle. They are cruelties which make minds cruel, and therefore disobedient to God. They are miseries which induce miseries, and cultivate evils among minds in the rudimental world. They are evils which, when you go on a mission to overcome them, will be sustained with minds in harmony with them. Soon thou must go, and when thou goest, let thy words be peace.
M. Know we not that your wisdom will be discarded?
W. The wisdom which I would teach will be discarded by those who love darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil. The pure will receive the message, because they have no works of evil, which they wish to justify by evil doctrines and creeds. The good will not oppose good, because nature will not oppose itself. The wise will not oppose wisdom, because wisdom can not uphold folly.
M. But when you go on your mission, are there not some minds, in this sphere, who will attempt to baffle your efforts?
W. There are some, yea, many minds, in this sphere, who will not teach the philosophy of nature in its purity. They will not teach any philosophy, save that which is consonant with their measure of wisdom. They will teach the wisdom which is consistent with nature, according to their respective understandings.
M. If then, one mind denies the wisdom you teach, will it not create distrust among the minds in the body?
W. It will not create wrong; for that already exists. It will not disprove the wisdom I teach, though it may create distrust among minds incompetent to decide upon the merits of the question. Minds in the body will be prepared to discriminate between truth and error, wisdom and folly, so that a contradiction of the philosophy I shall teach, will leave the mind scope for a comparison of my instruction with the volume of nature. When the mind, instructed in my philosophy, shall find it corroborated with the evidence of nature before it, no wisdom which shall contradict it, will overthrow my positions. If my philosophy contradict nature, it is well that others should contradict my error.
M. But how are minds, who are ignorant of the relation of cause and effect, ignorant of nature and its laws, ignorant of themselves and of God, to know which doctrine is true?
W. By experience and investigation. Minds in this sphere will be instructed by our mission to the rudimental world. They will unite with us in convincing minds in the body of the reality of this sphere. They will co-operate with us in relieving mind from all uncertainty and doubt of the immortality of the soul. They will rob death of its sting, and the grave of its victory. They will tell many facts which earth’s inhabitants do not know. They will do good, and not evil; and, as they do good, so evil will be overcome. They will warn all of the condition of themselves; for whatever may be the character of communications imparted to minds in the body, they must correspond with the condition of the communicator. If dissimilar sentiments shall be taught, it will prove to the minds receiving them, that dissimilar minds occupy heaven as well as earth. The tree will be known by its fruit. The whole sphere of wisdom will be thus developed. Thou wilt see, that, if thy circle only were to communicate, a great error and wrong would be impressed upon the receiver. He would judge thy teaching as the universal sentiment of this sphere, and harbor the idea that the indolent of earth, and the cruel among mankind, were even as thou art; and, thou seest the wrong which such partial unfoldings of this sphere, would induce, and the negligence it would occasion. To develop the realities of this sphere, it is necessary that each circle should develop itself. I would say, that each circle, possessing the capacity to communicate, should unfold its own wisdom. Thus, when the elevated circles describe the lower, the communications, emanating therefrom, will establish the description.
The various circles and degrees of wisdom in this sphere, will find corresponding affinities in the body. Thou wilt see that all circles will advance circles to their own position of wisdom. Minds will correct minds, the higher controlling the lower, until the lower shall become as the higher. Thou wilt not find all minds equal to thy own, but thou wilt instruct them until they shall agree with thee in all things. Minds in the body will be elevated to the seventh circle in wisdom, but progress and labor must do the work.
M. Minds in the body will deny the revealments you will make, because they are conflicting.
W. When minds in the body deny revealments, because they are conflicting, they deny the realities of this sphere. When they deny the realities of this sphere, because all minds are not equally developed in wisdom, consistency would allow them to deny the realities of the rudimental state. Will the philosopher deny a fact, because the ignorant contradict it? Will the mathematician contradict a demonstration, because the blind and foolish have not beheld it? Will nature reverse her laws, because ignorance has complained of their inharmony? Will God cease to be God, because weakness is incredulous of his wonderful works? Will science disown her pupils, because ignorance has her votaries? Will wrong work righteousness, because the deceived have not seen the evil? Will mercy work cruelty, because cruelty doubts the divinity of sympathy?
Ignorance will act consistent with its nature. The wisdom of this sphere will be unfolded, and, when it is unfolded, the rudimental world will be able to judge of this sphere, as it actually is, and not from mere speculations of fancy, or wrong information. They will be able to judge of the truth of whatever may be communicated by the nature of the communication. If it disagree with nature and reason, the wise will not receive it, and the folly of the unwise will be corrected by their disappointment. The unwise must learn wisdom to be wise, and if they will not receive it from the wise, but follow the advice of the unwise, disappointment will correct the folly which they have received. There will arise many who will dispute the truth. The wrong will correct itself, when wrong is discovered. The discovery is sometimes brought to the mind by disappointment, and sometimes by wise counsel; but when the latter fails, the former must perform its office to remove the evil.
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.
When a creed, or form of worship, is made by the wisdom of the maker, it will not be dissatisfactory to him, because it is congenial with his wisdom. But, when that mind becomes wiser, when a change has been wrought in the soul, it will require a change in the creed and form of worship, otherwise incongruity will disturb his peace. I have seen some minds so wedded to their creeds and forms, that they would not reject them, even when their conditions demanded it. I have seen these minds profess reverence for creeds and forms when they had no reverence for them. I have seen these conditions conflicting with each other, and the mind distressed with the wrong. I have seen them acquiesce in measures which they did not believe consistent with human good, because they had once avowed a confidence in them. They feared the reproach of others, and dared not be honest in the sight of God and their own souls. They concealed their own convictions from the inspection of the society or church, and yielded submission to conditions which were unjust and untrue to their peace. I want a reform of these evils. I want a change in these minds. I want a harmony between their wisdom and their professions. I want no discord between mind and God. I want no hypocritical reverence for forms and ceremonies not consistent with honest intentions. But I want mind to worship, as it seemeth good. I want no society or church creed to make mind virtuous and happy. But others may want; and may want so long as ignorance remaineth. While they want, they will be dissatisfied when denied what will gratify it. Therefore, thou wilt see that what is not wanted, it is well to destroy. Thou wilt see that our mission is to change the wants of mind; to give it a relish for holy things; to make it adapted to a condition of higher development; to mould it into the wisdom of a purer sphere; where the wisdom of adaptation will be appreciated, and harmony result in greater bliss. Thou wilt aid in this work. Thou shouldst not refuse to work a reform of conditions, by working a change in the minds of those who will be affected by them. When that change is wrought, the forms of worship, and the creeds of societies, will very easily become changed, so as to be adapted to the condition of their supporters.
The wisdom of a circle who wish only good, will open a way for a change of minds, who will reform societies and churches, so that creeds and forms will harmonize with their condition of development. It will not be necessary to change any creed or form of worship, only as it may disagree with the condition of the worshiper. To change a form of worship, so as to make it disagree with the wisdom of the worshiper, would be to exact a hypocritical profession, than which nothing would be more inconsistent with the good of mind. To relieve mind of unjust and unwholesome burdens, will not require unreasonable control of such externals of religion, as are adapted to mind. Nevertheless, as mind becomes changed by wisdom of higher circles, so the forms and customs, which work harmoniously with one condition, will need to be changed to harmonize with a different condition. But, when the mind becomes changed, so as to require a change of externals, it will not require great labor to change them also; because the principle of adaptation, being understood, will necessarily work the desired reform. We shall not seek to correct the outward service, but the inner man; and, when the mind is reformed, the outward condition will become harmonious with it. If thou wouldst understand more fully the wisdom of our circle, thou mayest go with us where no wrong will be done unto thee.
M. Where will you direct my steps?
W. To a mansion which is near thee.
M. May I now go?
W. Thou mayest go, as thou art prepared. There will be a work required of thee, when thou shalt enter there.
M. I am ready to do what will be required, if no evil be designed me or others.
W. No evil will be required of thee. Thou wilt not be required to do evil but good.
M. Then you may lead me onward.
W. Onward is the word. Onward is progress. Onward is thy motto. Onward is thy passport. And, when thou shalt reach the mansion, thou wilt say, Onward. Onward will admit thee, guide thee, and give thee a wisdom, thou hast not known. Onward, then, will unfold a change of thy mind, and qualify thee for usefulness.
We reached the mansion. The mind was received. Onward did not stop. Onward never stops. It works, labors, acts, and moves for the good of mind. Dullness waits, cringes, fears, doubts, moves not. It waits to see, to know, and to understand the mysteries of nature. It will wait, and wait in vain. It will wait, and wait without improvement. It will wait, and improvement will wait also.
When we work an improvement of mind, it will not be done by waiting. Energy, zeal, industry, onward, will be our companions. The wisdom of earth must yield to the wisdom of heaven. The aid of heaven will not wait, but make all things new. Wise minds will not wait for minds of other circles to do what is necessary for them to do. Unwise minds will wait, until they find waiting inconsistent with progress. Then, they will wait no more.
There will not be wisdom in waiting for disclosures of facts from this sphere, when facts which have been revealed are neglected and distrusted. There will be some who will wait for minds of this sphere to make them work, and do their duty to humanity, but they will never be satisfied with waiting. There never can be progress in any mind, while it waits, and asks spirits to do what belongs to itself. There never can be advancement with circles while they omit the essential obligations of duty to others. There will never be any reform by spirits, who depend wholly on others to reform them. We sow the seed of wisdom, but nettles and thorns choke the growth. We sow the principles of truth, but errors and wrongs are made to destroy their influence. The weeds of error must be destroyed, or no reform can be effected. Hence, minds waiting for spirits to destroy their wrongs, waiting for others to do what they must do to receive the truth, will wait a profitless season to see the salvation of their souls.
In conclusion of this work, I will say that when this medium shall wait for us to do what is well for minds in their conditions, I will write another book. I will write a continuation of my experience in this sphere. I have succeeded in presenting a brief period, and a running sketch of other periods of experience, which will be more completely written, when this medium shall wait for me to do it. I will now conclude by saying, that what is written is without the volition of this medium, and will not suffer mutilation by compositors or others, without his detection. I wish to say, that my name has been given, as was promised, and the reader will find the names of Wm. Penn, and Emanuel Swedenborg, associated with me. There will also be given another name in the writings of the next work.
Having completed this volume, I would very respectfully dedicate the same to the rudimental world, without respect to persons.
T. PAINE.