ANGEL VOICES
FROM THE
SPIRIT WORLD:
GLORY TO GOI) WHO SENDS THEM.
ESSAYS TAKEN INDISCRIMINATELY FROM A
LARGE AMOUNT WRITTEN UNDER
ANGEL INFLUENCE
BY
JAMES LAWRENCE,
DIAL AND TRANSCRIBING MEDIUM
AND
REPUTED AUTHOR.
CLEVIELAND, O:
NE VINS BROTHERS.
t874.




Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1874,
BY JAMES LAWRENCE,
In the Office of the Librarian of Congress in Washington.




INTRODUCTION.
THEY who have attended the Spiritual meetings in Cleveland, remember a venerable man almost always present, of
manners so distinguze that the stranger never failed to point'him out and ask his name. His bearing was erect and military;
his hair and full beard of snowy whiteness; his rnien dignified,
urbane and courteous.
The frosts and storms, the sunshine and shadows of eightytwo years have been experienced by him. Yet, no one can see
and converse with him without feeling that to grow old, like
him, is to grow young.
His is the ripeness of the year prophesying spring; unlike
that of the year the spring that is to come, is eternal. We feel
the appropriateness of the departed ones coming to converse
with one, who, after the years of a long and well-spent life,
stands so near the threshold of the Great Beyond. Its light
illuminates his soul with the dawn of the glorious day of eternal
life.
He was attracted to the cause of Spiritualism in its infancy,
more than twenty years ago, when it gave slight indications of
the infinite power it was destined to wield, and when its acceptsnce brought only obloquy and reproach. He was not daunted.




iv                 INTRODUCTION.
by the frown of the populace, nor discouraged by failures.
He investigated the subject thoroughly, became convinced of
the Spiritual origin of the manifestations, and has ever since
that day unflinchingly and consistently met the issue.
Commencing his investigation in a thoroughly skeptical.
state, he not only became convinced, but a medium for the
Dial, through which instrument, I have received through him.
many communications, and as a writing medium through whose
hand a vast amount has been written, on almost any snbject
mentionable connected with Spiritualism. For years he has
given certain hours each day to this purpose, enjoying the
highest pleasure in such communion. It has been with him a
pastime, a season of sweet intercourse with those he loved and
revered. He cultured their friendship and association, as he
would if they were fellow mortals, yet yielded them the tacit
reverence which their superior endowments called for.
When he says: "I desire to make my entire disavowal of
the authorship of this book, having acted merely as an amanuensis to the spirit power, no one in the least acquainted with
Mr. Lawrence will for a moment doubt his word. If he deceives, he is himself most of all deceived, for this communion
has been to him for years the nurture of his life. They, who like
myself, have been allowed *the privilege of communicating
through his mediumship with spirit friends, cannot doubt the
correctness of their communications.
The authenticity of these essays, as referable to the sources
they claim, is another matter, and undoubtedly will provoke




INTRODUCTION.                      V,criticism. The student of spiritual science, understanding the
almost insurmountable difficulties in the way of the transposition of thought through media, and clothing it with fitting
words, will not express surprise at imperfect results, but rather.astonishment that even partial success crowns the effort.
His purposes have been honest, his efforts persevering, and
his integrity without a shadow of doubt. One revelation alone
through him will indelibly attach his name to the cause of
Spiritualism. Through him, his guides first suggested the observance of the 3Ist day of March as the Anniversary of Modern Spiritualism. He presented the subject to the National
Association, when that organization was vigorous and gave
promise of a grand future. It was adopted unanimously by all
Spiritualists, and will ever remain a marked day in their calendar, although the organization which accepted it has been
numbered among the things that were.
Mr. Lawrence has nearly completed the task assigned to
earthly life. Like a shock of ripened corn he awaits the hour he
shall be garnered to the Spirit-sphere. His work is done, and
well, and he has no fear or foreboding of the result. The pure.and noble spirits with whom he has conversed these many
years, will, he feels assured, welcome him to the immortal
land. With his firm faith based on knowledge, death is but
passing from one room to another, the laying aside the worn
body as a faded garment, and the acceptance of a life freed
-from earthly trammels, of which it may be said, existence itself




vi                INTRODUGTION.
is a heavenly joy of which the insatiate senses never weary,
and the purest aspirations of the soul are truly answered.
His spirit guides several years since urged this publication,
but he, for various causes, has deferred its issue until the present. He now feels that this is the last important duty of his
mortal life.
As some rugged pine, grand with the weight of its hoary
years high on mountain summit, catches the last rays of the
down going sun, and glows with prophesy of a coming day,
so he reflects the light of the down-going years of mortal life,
grandly prophesying the immortal future. He pauses, resting
between the two worlds, physically in this, spiritually in the Beyond, and when his final work is done, will meet with joyous
greeting from his spirit friends, who, by untiring effort have
brought him thus far safely on his journey home.
Such we feel to be the ideal life-the fruit maturing on the
parent stem —the labor of mortal life finished and done while
here, and the spirit rounded and complete, in the fullness of
years and ripeness of age, leaving the busy scenes of earth for:
the evergreen shores of continuous life.
HUDSON TUTTLE,




PREFACE.
IN compliance with repeated injunctions from  my Spirit
Guides, I have prepared these essays for publication, and now
present them to the public. Whatever of merit they possess
belongs not to me, as I have only been from and through the
organism conferred upor me by our great Creator, the instrument or medium used by the Higher intelligences of the
Spheres above, to publish their thoughts and experiences-to
show the interest they still have for this world and its denizensand to proclaim the consoling and blessed truth to the vast legion of earth's mourners, that tile spirits of their dear, departed
ones are still hovering over and around them-laboring for
their good-shielding them from danger-and guiding them by
their influences from the teachings of superstition and degrading bigotry, into paths of truth and purity which lead to celestial bliss above, and enable them while here to attain a truer
and nobler manhood and womanhood.
No higher ambition could stimulate me than to be able to
avow myself the author of these essays. That I dare not do.
Truth, which has been the pole star of my long life, demands
mnq to disclaim that other than as a mere amanuensis of Ethereal Beings I have no share in this work of love to the human
family. Yet, notwithstanding this disavowal of autihorship, and
in face of the declaration of my only relationship to these es



Viii                    PREFACE.
says, I am prepared for disbelief, and, perhaps, censure from
those, who, by educational prejudices, and warped sectarian
principles, deny the possibility of such intimacy as I have enjoyed with the spirit world, and who question my right to differ
from their convictions upon matters pertaining to the soul's
welfare here and in the hereafter, thus proving:
"The rarity,
Of christian charity."
The truths of Spiritualism have been ridiculed, and sneered
at, and treated as visionary; and believers in these truths have
been too generally spoken of and denounced in language of the
grossest character. These great principles deserve not such
treatment, for their reality is as palpable to me as life itself, and
I am as sure of their fruition hereafter, as I am that I must soon
depart from this world. It is as an exponent of these truths
this book is published. It was conceived in love-it is given in
love by its celestial authors to you, and it is the earnest prayel
of him who has been the privileged transcriber of their holy and
Heavenly thoughts, that it may prove the instrument in God's
hands of arousing a genuine spirit of earnest and honest investigation, and tlat these essays will receive a patient and candid
perusal, that reason will be permitted to assert and exercise its
sway untrammelled with bigotry, and unprejudiced by sectarian.
doctrines.
In conclusion, it is due to myself to state that I have no pecuniary interest to serve in this publication, as I am now and
have been favored with sufficient for all my requirements;




PREFACE.                       ix
neither have I any ambitious motive to gratify, as I aml too near
the grave, being over four-score years, to permit such feelings
to exercise any influence upon me. Recommending this book
of Essays to all investigators after truth, assuring them the
Spiritual food they desire will here be found, that Angel help
will be accorded those who, with singleness of heart, and sincerity of purpose, desire it.
As transcriber of this work I would express my regret at
the necessity of curtailing the several essays from Jesus, St.
Paul, Adam and others, owing to want of space. In my anxiety to show such spirits visit this sphere in common with all
who are anxious to perform their allotted duty to God as His
faithful servant, and to man as members of one universal brotherhood and sisterhood, acting in unison with each other for the
benefit of all humanity,
I am, respectfully,
JAMES LAWRENCE.




AN(;GEL DEDICATION OF THIS BOOK.
To YE, O Sons of earth, we come, greeting': Invisible to you, yet anxiously tendering our acquaintance, hoping it may in time ripen into friendship so firm and steadfast no doubts or fears can
ever mar its force.
In confidence we come to thee, Oh, earthly ones,
with full assurance, knowing the will of God, our
Father, will be recognized by every grade of Nationality and clime, when in the fullness of time,
the errors of the past will be but as by-gones, and
so remain through all the endless cycles of eternity.
Friends, we come to you not in the spirit of disputation, but to present the facts contained within
this volume, not in ostentatious mood, but in humility and truth, make proffer of it for investigation, courting a scrutiny such as the importance of
the case demands.
No eulogy we crave, asking but justice for ourselves and total irresponsibility of authorship for
our Medium, to whom we have incurred a heavy
debt of gratitude as transcriber of these Essays
under our promptings, meant to benefit mankind.
A means appointed by the God of Nature, who,
in times gone by, employed the pen of inspiration




ANGEL DEDICATION OF THIS BOOK.      xi
to make known to man His will, and claim a strict
obedience to it, thus making manifest the glory
of the Infinite. And here we ask, has that power
become diminished? is the law of inspiration less
a law than formerly it was?
On such hypothesis we base our knowledge
that all who once were dwellers on your earth can
and do return to benefit humanity here, and in the
grand hereafter. On such a subject proof is needed.
Within this book it may be found. Regretting as
we do, its incapacity to hold a larger portion of
what our medium has transcribed; but as it is we
would present it to a world needing knowledge of
the hereafter, but lacking the desire to seek it.
Sent, as we are, to promulgate the glorious dispensation of Spiritualism, in fullest confidence that
being of God it must prevail, requiring no commendation, but living in the hearts of all mankind,
must generate the needed change, making this
earth an almost Paradise in lieu of what it is at
present. To this world we now would dedicate
this Book of Angel Essays under the sanction of
our Universal Father, God. AMEN.




SPIRIT INJUNCTIONS TO PUBLISH THIS
VOLUME OF ESSAYS.
MY BROTHER: Often have I sought to come in
holy rapport with thee, that I might reach thy
inner soul and stir thee up to do a deed of duty to
thy fellow-men, and justice to those invisibles
whose efforts to improve mankind, through an organism well suited to their purpose, as a means by
which a superstitious world might e'en be reached,
and made more cognizant of Heaven and all its glorious realities; and while their efforts have been
rendered almost useless by being withheld from
public notice, what benefit have they been to those
who needed them? Thy shelves are not the destiny of truths developed through thy organism under spirit promptings. A wider and more extended field of usefulness, we think, could soon be
found by making such selections from the mass,
that all mankind would bless the hand that penned
them, and glorify the God who sent his holy angels to impart them.
My Brother, these are no idle words of flattering inducement to make the desired effort for
their publication, but to energize thy soul to action in the matter, making it with thee a point of
duty to thy God, the Angel World, and all hu



SPIRIT INJUNCTIONS TO PUBLISH.    xiii
manity. Let nothing daunt thee in this glorious.
enterprize, but listen to thy angel friends who will
aid thee in thy time of need, and give thee strength
of body to accomplish a work of great importance
to the world. But no delay must now occurs
Time is passing swiftly. Thou art, even now, a
wonder as regards thy health and strength, but
for a wise and holy purpose, a larger share of
vital magnetism has been allotted thee, on which
thou hast depended, being to thy mentality what
material food is to the physique, and for this glorious purpose hast thou drank from a fountain
never dry, but always clear and pure as when it issued from a source from whence impurity can
never come.
And now, My Brother, let me say to you, under all your difficulties and trials, through a
longer life than usual, can you not trace a guiding
hand stretched forth to recuperate your wasted
strength, and give to tired nature its needed rest,.
so that with confidence and holy faith you might
rely for aid when needed? and can you now so
late in life become a doubter, and lose all faith in
spirit power to carry on a work they have commenced successfully? Away! we say, with every
doubt! Lose not the precious moment given thee
to carry on a work most useful to mankind, for
nations yet unborn, will rise and bless thy name as
the reputed author of more truthful transcripts




xiv      SPIRIT INJUNCTIONS TO PUBLISH.
than ages have produced through human organism.
Now, but one word more: thy health is good,
thy means are adequate, time thou'lt have to effect thy allotted work; angels and men will thank
thee, and God, thy God, and the God of all humanity, will, in time, reward thee, for, as his servant, thou wilt have performed thy duty. AMEN.




ERRATA.
Page 84, line six, for "your altars" read "the altars."
Page 88, line twenty-two, for "leaving hopes" read "leaving
tropes."
Page 92, line thirteen, "for which" read "on which."
Page 92, line thirteen, for "which depended" read "on which depended."
Page og9, sentence from line ten to line seventeen should read,
"Such a theory might pass with the uncultivated intelligence of the times
when Moses wrote, but in these days of research and analysis man's
reasoning powers and clearness of perception denounce the statement
as false and absurd, though ostensibly from the highest authority, even
from God himself."
Page 123, line five, for "partly carried" read "partly earned."
Page I32, line two, for "Christly mortal" read "Christly model."
Page I39, line eight, for "Give us, we say," read "Give us, they
say."
Page 242, line twelve, for "I almost forgot" read "I almost forget."
Page 238, lines eleven and twelve, for "horrors most foul" read
"'errors most foul."
Page 256, line seventeen, for "would enhance its truth" read "would
not enhance its truth."
Page 266, line six, for "unirritated  wounds" read'irritated
wounds."
Page 267, line two, for "due monotony" read "dull monotony."
Page 274, line IS, for "furiously prepared" read "previously prepared. "
Page 273, line fourteen, for "voilence is due" read "violence is
due. "
Page 274, line I2, for'"modern share" read "moderate share."
Page 274, paragraph beginning line twenty, ending with line twentynine, should read, "But we would further observe we do not claim that
indisposition is alone confined to those who are known as spiritual
mediums.  Far be it from us to limit to the comparatively few a worldwide privilege as yet unrecognized; for, although the men of this and
other countries claim for themselves the ability to write and speak,
elaborating subjects of the greatest interest to humanity, we are bold
to say they know not how or why such thoughts are theirs."
Page 286, lines twelve and thirteen, for "may be sustained" read
"may be enstained."
Page 286, line fourteen, for "'tainted by " read "surrounded by."
Page 294, line four, for "seem to who comprehend" read "seem to
comlprehend."
Page 298, line nine, for "desires of which" read "desires which."
Page 3oI line thirteen, for "should be" read "should not be."
Page 303, line three, for "privileges recorded" read "privileges accorded."
Page 309, line eleven, for "of divine" read "of the divine."
Page 368, line twenty-five, for "Is that a turth" read "Is that a
truth?"




TABLE OF CONTENTS.
PAGE
NATURE  OF MY MISSION..................................  I9
WHAT IS SPIRIT?............................................ 22
EARLY CONDITION  OF MAN-His Progress into Civilizationthe Promised Happy Relation between Man on Earth and the Celestial Spirits....................................................  33
DEATH  A BENEFIT......................................               43
THE GREAT GULF BETWEEN THE MORTAL AND IMMORTAL WORLD..........................................  52
THE NEEDS OF MAN.........         D............... 56
THEN AND  NOW............................................  59
PRINCIPLE...................................................  63
OBLIGATION  OF DEITY TO MAN..........................   67
WHICH SHOULD BE THE HEAD OF THE FAMILY-MAN
OR WOMAN?................................................ 69
BYE-GONES...................................................  73
THOMAS PAYNE ON  THE CRUCIFIXION..................                   76
THOMAS PAYNE'S REPLY TO THE EXCEPTIONS TAKEN
BY MEMBERS OF THE YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION............................................. 83
AN  ESSAY ON PAPER.......................................  96
A LONG EXPERIENCE IN THE SECOND SPHERE-Personal
Narrative of a Spirit who lived on Earth Thirty Thousand years
ago-Appearance of the earth at that distant period.............. Ioo
THE CENTRAL POWER OF  NATURE...................... II




TABLE OF CONTENTS.                           XVii
PAGE'
FUTURE LIFE-Some say that the Details of a future life are too
good to be true.................................................   -r
SPIRIT COMMUNION-Are not the declining years of humanity
vitalized and strengthened by Spirit communion?............2.... I24
THEY SAY I AM  CRAZY OR INSANE.......................  I30
SPIRITUALISM-What does it teach, that men and women are so
unwilling  to   accept  it?.........................................     36!
WOMAN'S RIGHTS........................................... I40
ANNIHILATION.............................................. I48:
CHRISTMAS  ADDRESS FROM  MY  SPIRIT WIFE.......... I5o
BIBLE DISTRIBUTION  CANVASSED........................ I54
HOPE..........................................................    I6o
A GENERAL EXPIATION THROUGH JESUS.-We are told
that the only terms of salvation to be attained are by and through
the Sacrifice of Jesus; if so what will become of those who never
heard his name?.............................................  16i
UNKNOWN  TONGUES-You speak of unknown tongues-is it a
mere fiction or a reality?  If the latter, are they unknown only to
mortals in the form, and are they strictly languages understood in
the Spirit World and spoken there?............................ I67
TO-MORROW................................................. I69
SIN AND  ITS CONSEQUENC~ES............................. 172
COME TO JESUS..................................... 176
THE BEAUTIFUL IN  NATURE.............................. I82
SCRUTINY OF CHARACTER ESSENTIAL TO CONTINUOUS  FRIENDSHIP..........................................  86
SUNDRY SPIRITUAL  QUESTIONS.........................   88
LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION........................                 94
WHAT IS SPIRITUALISM?..................................  I95
THE CHURCH  OF THE SPIRIT............................. i99
INTERROGATIONS ANSWERED BY MY SPIRIT WIFE.... ao
CHRISTIANITY  COMPARED WITH  SPIRITUALISM.......19
IS FOREKNOWLEDGE A GIFT  TO MAN?..................  e223
SHALL THE BIBLE BE USED  IN  PUBLIC SCHOOLS?....  225
MY SISTER'S ADDRESS FROM  THE SPIRIT LAND........ 22
COMMUNICATION  FROM   SAINT  PAUL....................238
AND THERE SHALL BE NO  MORE DEATH..8.............. 248




xviii                  TABLE OF CONTENTS.
PAGf
WHAT IS WORSHIP, AND  WHAT  ITS  OBJECT?...........  254
CAUSE AND EFFECT AS GENERALLY UNDERSTOOD AND
ACCEPTED-IS IT A PROPER EXPRESSION?............. 256
RESURRECTION.-After the human body becomes a corpse what
Vwill its Creator do to restore the scattered fragments and prepare
them  for resurrection.?......................................... 259
CHARITY DEFINED BY MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS........ 265
iNSPIRATION............................................ 271.-MORALITY DEFINED......................................... 277
THE BIRTH-PLACE OF ANGELS. —ARE THERE ANY FREE
FROM  EARTHLY ORIGIN?................................. 282
MIEDIUMS NEGLECTED............................. 286
AN  ABSTRACT OF A  LONG  ESSAY.......................... 290
LAW —\HAT IS IT?.......................................... 29r
REGENERATION............................................. 296
MAN A MYSTERY....................................... 299
CEi LIBACY-IS IT IN CONFORMITY WITH NATURE'S LAWS
THAT MAN AND WOMAN SHOULD PRACTICE IT?...... 300
DZPARTURE OF THE SPIRIT AS SEEN CLAIRVOYANTLY..                         303
FORMATION  OF EVE........................................ 304
THOUGHTS ON  IMMORTALITY.............................                  312
ADAM  IN  RESPONSE TO  MY CALL......................... 314
ADDRESS FROM  MY DAUGHTER............................ 313
IMOSES...........................3............................ 3 9
THE HUMAN SOUL-ITS DESTINY AFTER IT LEAVESTHE
BODY AND  SPIRIT;......................................... 327
WANHAT  AND WHERE IS HEAVEN?.........................  330
ETHEREALITY............................................... 335
WASHINGTON, LINCOLN, BENEDICT ARNOLD and WILKES
BOOTH-WHAT IS THEIR RELATIVE POSITION IN THE
SPHERES?.................................................... 339
INCARNATION OF LOVE.... 344
THE  UPS AND  DOWNS OF HUMAN LIFE..................348
PROFESSOR HARE'S  RESPONSE TO  MY CALL............ 352
JESUJS' RESPONSE TO MY:INTERROGATIONS.............. 365
KING  DAVID'S RESPONSE AND  CONFESSION........... 379
JOSEPHUS.......................................... 386
HOME........                      395
SPIRITUALISNI OPPOSE'D  BY SKEPTICISM...............   393
SPIR TT u ii L ~~~~~~~~~~a.\l~ ~




NATURE OF MY MISSION.
IN your communications, you have often spoken of my mission. May I be permitted to inquire
definitely, what is the nature of that mission?
Your inquiry involves so much that would,
perhaps, seem enigmatical to your comprehension, that we should almost despair of succeeding
in our attempt to explain. Nevertheless, with our
accustomed desire to do so, we will make the attempt.
It is no uncommon thing for spirits, like human
beings, to project more than they are in the ultimate able to accomplish. So has it been with us in
your case, for in our anxiety to make you what we
wished, we overlooked innumerable impediments
in the way of success, which, with all our clairvoyant powers, lay so deeply imbedded in your nature, as to'remain unnoticed by us; added to
Nwhich, unsuitable connections and surroundings
all combined, rendered  our exertions abortive, as connected with our original purpose of
developing you as a speaker, consequently an
abandonment of that purpose became inevitable.
Therefore, we endeavored tQ brighten thy perceptive faculties, so as to make thee a medium through
whose organism we could write, and in this we




20   ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
have admirably succeeded, for thou art readily
receptive of our promptings, so that our thoughts
are transcribed by thee with an ~ accuracy unsurpassed. This is, therefore, a portion of thy mission, and an important one it is, for although thy
manuscripts may not, and indeed are not, appreciated as they deserve, yet the time will come when
they will be sought, and the pure and divine inculcations they contain will effect much good
amongstearth's inhabitants. But, perhaps, the most
important part of your mission is one that is least
comprehended by humanity, yet in the ultimate
must be accepted as a boon incalculable to myriads
whose condition is thus changed by and through
your instrumentality in carrying out a great and
mighty purpose, by which innumerable undeveloped spirits are relieved from a condition most
deplorable, that of a settled conviction of their
total unworthiness and inability to gravitate to a
better and holier condition but through the exercise
of that power vested in thee; in addition to
which, thou hast also the power to exorcise evil
spirits from the organisms of those who have become obscessed.
How many thousands have been relieved, and
however unacceptable this may appear, to the
finite mind, there are thousands upon thousands
who now stand ready to hail thine entrance into
the spheres as their benefactor and friend. There



ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 21
fore, thou needs't not ask what is thy mission, for
thou must see its vast and growing importance
each day of thy existence. I admit all this,
and yet sometimes, although the fact stares
me in the face, and I receive'daily expressions of
gratitude quite as tangible to me (excepting sight)
as any other transaction in life, yet the power
conferred upon so unworthy an agent, excites occasional doubts in my mind, as to the reality.
Yet I may as well ignore my own existence.
My husband, I am not at all surprised at this
remark of yours, because although you are thus
empowered to fulfill your duty, as it were, mechanically, yet those spirits being relieved thereby,
fully establishes the reality; though finite as you
are, you see but with your finite vision, yet presently ethereal sight will be given you, and then
your belief will be superseded by knowledge that
there is indeed a reality in your mission to the
glorifying of God, and the release of myriads from
the cruel bondage of mental obscession, one of the
greatest calamities to which humanity is subject.
AMEN.




WHAT  IS SPIRIT.
WHAT is Spirit in the form and out? God is a
spirit, and who has ever seen him? To see God
we must be like him in all things, and as that is
beyond a possibility, no man has seen, or ever will
see Him other than through his demonstrated
works. In all things the creature is inferior to the
Creator, and in nothing is it more apparent than
when comparison is made. We are sometimes asked to,describe a spirit-how can we do so and
succeed?
A. How can man describe a thing he has not
seen or ever will? Description says, it is invisible, and, being thus informed, why ask the ques;
tion. Silly and absurd it must appear to such
as often seem to think they have laid a trap for
others.  Much better would it be to say: I am
not able while here on earth.
Q. Has spiritin the form the same ability to
control man as it has when disembodied?
A. Spirit, whether in the form or not, may be
deemed just the same, except, by being intensified, it becomes more capable of lifting or movi ng ponderable matter than. in earth-life it is capable of doing. In all cases where such a feat is




ANGEL; VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.  23
needed, increased. numbers are enabled to effect
that in which one or two must fail. To give you
a living illustration of this fact, the minute living
entity (the ant,) through aggregated help, performs wonders that have oft astounded philosophers and men of learning. Thus, in spirit-life,
the law of combination -almost without a limit,
renders simple demonstrations daily given through
physical mediums, who are oft denounced imposters. But let these opponents make'trial for
themselves, and, in justice to the mediums, honestly confess a failure, rather than persist in base
denials of a truth they -cannot comprehend.
Q. Is the same power to return to earth accorded to evil or wicked spirits as to others?
A. Assuredly it is, my son, a beautiful thought
that God, with all his grand omnipotence, must
thus be seen and known to be a just and righteous
God. Are not his acts based upon this immutable law, Impartiality?  The field of Nature lies open
to the bad as well as good. The sam'e unerring
love pervades the whole; no undue obstacles'are
placed in the way of either; every traveller depends upon- himself, or some guardian friend, to
reach the goal he seeks. Thus is he:left -entirely
free to act in such direction as he pleases, or, by
attraction may be led.
Q. Do spirits when-enfranchised  from  the
body, carry with them the same proclivities into
spirit-life as they had on earth?




24   ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
A. Assuredly they do, and cling with great
tenacity thereto; acting under a sad infatuation,
that.spirit-life presents a larger field for action,
that in the sphere to which they gravitate legions
of lewd and wicked souls,. closely corresponding
with themselves, will readily afford a more extended scope for sinful practice than when on earth
they had been permitted to enjoy; thus, for a
time, they are expectant, only awaiting opportunity, when, in bitter disappointment, they find t/ie
desire alone exists. The power is left behind on
earth —a sphere more suited to them than the
Heaven  which might be theirs if sought in
Spirit and in Truth. If such a thought exists
within their natures, is it not strange they should
prefer the noxious atmosphere there surrounding
them, till their pent up passions become ascendant; driving them to almost madness by their
heated force they rush in headlong haste to ventilate their o erch:rged natures, by obccssing
some poor embodied spirit with whom  they can
affinitize, and thus indulge an appetite of deep
depravity, but which seems an  act of mere
imagination only, leaving the friend and ally the
victim.of a sad delusion.
Q. Can spirits in the second sphere, while probationers, of themselves acquire improvement?
A. To this we answer, they having gravitated
to such a condition does not stultify a single effort




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 25
they might make to change and improve themselves. The contrary would rather hasten such an
effort, for often in their silent moments are they
carried back in thought to times when spirit intuition reached them and almost persuaded them to
accept their proffered blessings. Such reminiscences would brighten their dimmed capacities
to think again, and thus in recognition does some
angel answer such an aspiration as is then engendered and progression, hitherto retarded, is commenced anew, and heaven becomes again the
goal of their ambition.
Q. Progression being so easily obtained, I
would ask how it is that such myriads still remain
inert and passive occupants of such a dismal
place?
A. My son, to them it is not dismal in the main.
Take, for example, the many thousands on your
earth who congregate around your every sink
of vice and infamy within your city, waiting but
the secret shades of night to perpetrate the every
crime that history records; seeking the dens of infamy in all their squalid, filthy state, preferring
such to the broad green fields of nature, in all their
loveliness, where they might breathe the pure invigorating atmosphere in which the human soul,
it pure, might almost revel in the embryotic
thought of heaven itself. It is theirs if they will
take it, offered by some angel voice. But to the




26 ANGEL VOICES FROIM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
impure man or woman it is lost. In love and kindness is the offer made, but listlessly rejected. And
so it is within the sphere we have named. Desire for change is seemingly outlived; the deadened soul cannot uprise from the lethargy of ages
to claim that freedom which still might be its own
for asking. No limit has there ever been presented for repentance, but unending time is theirs to
fit themselves as aspirants for ethereal life.
Q. Are not angels sent as messengers to arouse
such souls to action in the matter of removal from
that state of wretchedness and misery supreme?
A. Men and women of your world endure
more misery and wretchedness than is needed; in
such condition as fate or destiny may have placed
them, for such they are best fitted, and however
gross their natures, assimilation gives enjoyment
to them, much greater than could be realized by
them in what the world calls respectable society.
For such must be a failure; like oil and water they
would separate; repulsion must ensue; disgust,
abuse and almost violence would form the sequel,
thus showing how needed adaptation seems -to
happiness. A host of Angels never could effect a
change in such society till nature and art combined
in time might reconstruct them, making them in
form and comeliness more like their God and
father as once they had been, but through perversion had become the very opposite of what they




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.  27
might have been. God, as their father and their
friend, will so adapt them to a fit and glorious lifecontinuous, that those who had seen them in their
low estate might then exclaim, a m'iracle is now
performed. Is that a miracle, we ask, when God
in grand omnipotence gives forth his mandate to
create? Where exists the power that can contravene a single act of God's omnipotence? The
puny voice of man may possibly be raised in ignorant opposition to his will, and transient, as it is,
becomes the more ridiculous to those who witness
the abortive effort. Hence, in everything is seen
God and nature in harmony, and love working for
the benefit of man, misery forming no part of
God's behest respecting him.
Q. If in earth-life one spirit injures another, can
it demand compensation?. A. Upon the broad, general question, perhaps not, but let me state a specialty; the one
spirit gravitates to the second sphere, while the
other reaches ethereal bliss.
Q. Please explain how such conpensation can
be made?
A. You have now more clearly stated your question, which we answer by saying, God being omniscient, readily takes cognizance of every act of
man or woman. Can it, therefore, matter whether
the parties here concerned are near or distant from
each other?  A sin committed in the frozen re



28 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
gions of the north or in the torrid zone, it matters
not, the crime is still as odious; no time or place
can make it otherwise, and compensation must be
made. And why, you perhaps may ask? Certainly not to gratify the injured or injurer, for they,
perhaps, have forgotten the entire transaction;
but the all-seeing eye of universal justice evokes
from mouldy records an accusing entry, and, in an
unexpected moment, utters a decree of compensation to the injured party. There's no escape; no
alibi can there be proven. Time's recorded acts
are better kept than in this lower world.
Q. I cannot yet feel satisfied. Supposing the
aggressive party has reached a state of happiness,
is such an one removed to a happiness of less
degree?
A. My son, I admire your ingenuity in putting
your question; therefore, shall endeavor to answer
it understandingly. Ethereality, to men, seems so
obscure that difficulties arise at every step in striving to elucidate a question so closely trenching
upon the confines of Ethereality itself, that in sad
amazement we are left in doubt and fear lest we
should o'erstep the line of demarcation drawn by
wisdom infinite. In this dilemma do we find ourselves.- Not daring to advance, we will at once
recede and decline response at present.
Q. Looking around and seeing nothing tangible to human sight connected with the future life,




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.  2it
does it not follow that scepticism must be endured
till such restrictions are abridged and seeming
mysteries made more clear to man's perceptive faculties?
A. My son, experience responds at once to,
such a question, and yet not wholly so. Each day
presents most clearly to the human mind that soon
as the supply has ceased life becomes endangered. The motive power engendering life -and
action, calls loudly for repletion, which, if withheld beyond the proper time, the pulse beats slow,
the eyes are dim and lusterless, the outstretched
limbs are rigid, and the hue of death (at once) bespreads the admired features. A livid paleness,
death like in its character, o'erspreads the countenance, the sunken, bleared, unconscious orbs of
sight no longer do their bidding; a lingering, softened sigh, unconscious, as it seems, give tokens of
departure. Where or whence has the former inmate fled? Perchance it lingers yet around its
earthly friends. Ah! yes; in yonder flaky, misty
cloudlet may be seen ensconced in deepest show of
grief, the once director of that body, but e'en a
moment earlier in living form a portion of the triune man or woman, as it might be. That spirit
hovering there in token of respect for the clod of
clay beneath its feet in humbled posture lays, showing the power of spirit over matter. 0, what an




30  ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
ample lesson to the materialist. Can you explain
the reason why that once beauteous form is now so
motionless? Can you say why those once beauteous orbs of sight are so hermetically sealed?
that mouth so closed that words' of wisdom once
uttered through those closed and silent lips are now
no more in motion? those hands and feet remain
inactive and unused? in fine, that noble form once
divine, whilst spirit aided and directed it, lies now
in utter helplessness?
Hast thou no magic art by which thou can'st
restore depleted life and give it power and motion
to describe surroundings? Can'st thou restore its
reasoning powers to ask the why and wherefore of
its now condition? Helpless, inert, and altogether
useless, other than to replace a mass of matter,
loaned by nature to make the earthly portion of the
late living man? Am I not fairly entitled to a fair
and candid response to these, my questions, evoked
as they have been by sad perversion of the reasoning powers, as pertaining to a future and continuous life?  Is divine and holy thought expunged
from without thy nature, that doubts can so pervade thee as to infer this is the only life thou'lt
ever enjoy? This, to many, is a sad, abbreviated
life of suffering and perplexity. Where, I would
ask, is that ambition many seem so boastful of?
The creeping, crawling worm has more than tholi




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.  31
can'st claim. True, its ambition is downward, but
thither does its nature send it as better suited to
its practice. Whilst men in moody helplessness
will sit or stand in dark and gloomy attitude, thinking o'er the lank or meagre form they may assume,
when all of hope has left them, that the term of
mundane life may still continue. For withal this
sad conviction of eternal death, this fact encircles
thee with stronger wished-for life on earth. Poor,
silly mortal, hast thou no common sense imparted to
thee? If not, let that be the primary aspiration of
thy soul; for coalesced, as soon it would be with
reason, thy nature would be changed; the erratic
views thou hast formed of future life would soon
become engrafted in thy expectant soul, when once
awakened to a sense of God's eternal mercy, for
then the soul can rest in peace. It is a rightful
claim, he has richly earned by strict obedience to
his Father's laws. Oh, sinning mortal! such is thine
by seeking; no angry, revengeful God will cut
thee off from  such inheritance, by plea of being
sinfully and totally depraved! Under the latter
charge, if true, thou mightst in wisdom make such
selection as annihilation.  But with such a God as
Him we worship, no such desire or belief can possibly exist. Thou art a child of God, equally cared
for by Him as the choicest saint on record. Thou
needs't not ask a Sav.ior beyond thyself. In thee
is contained all the saving influences required to




82 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
bring thee to that happy home thy loving friends:
have well prepared for thee, soon as thou art fitted
to become its occupant. AMEN.




EARLY CONDITION OF MAN;
HIS PROGRESS INTO CIVILIZATION-THE PROMISED
HAPPY BELATIONS BETWEEN MEN ON EARTH
AND THE CELESTIAL SPIRITS.
To commence so unusual a subject, it may,
perhaps, be necessary to go back to a period when
all mankind were sunk in ignorance and superstition; having little distinct consciousness of the
Great God of nature.
The only qualification known and recognized
was simple muscular strength; and the individual
possessing the most imposing share of this, assumed
the right to govern, or, at least, control those
around him. Mind and reason being as yet undeveloped, their functions were unknown.
Man, thus barbarous and unrestrained, carried
out his cruel and savage proclivities. In such
condition was he, at the time we speak of, that his
wants were circumscribed to the absolute needs
without which life could not exist. Little accountability had he to render to any other, unless physically stronger than himself, but ruled as sovereign
over all he saw, for beyond that his knowledge
did not extend.




34  ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
In time, however, stragglers roamed as now,
and became acquainted with others, and thus successive and increased communities were formed,
but with little improvement in their form of government, if form it could be called. The individual ruled by brute force until a competitor
appeared to dispute his power; more athletic in
form, and perhaps a slight degree improved in
intellect, which latter qualification he soon turned
to account, and thus displaced the former bully.
There, then, was formed a nucleus around
which was fostered the earliest germ  of actual
civilization.
From this crude commencement must we date
manp's grand advancement in the scale of universal
progress. In gradual process, as his reason developed, he soon discovered needs he thought not
of before; never dreaming, hitherto, that a single
thing was wanting for his comfort which he did
not possess. His wants were few, and, like the
animal below him, he sought but natural shelter,
where and how he could obtain it, showing, thereby, when his soul was uncultivated, how short a
remove he was from the unthinking brute! Is it
any wonder then, that from such a state of ignorance, the human mind developed so slowly as it
did?  Necessity, that potent law, was the only
lever which lifted mind out of the miry pit of ignorance, and placed man's feet on better ground;




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 35
giving to him the needed confidence that even
tually raised him from his savage condition. Necessity, his helpmate, developed his nature, and,
by steady approaches, he more easily conquered
the numerous difficulties at which he quailed before.
Thus, step by step, did man become capable of
comprehending cause and effect. His reason was
thus exercised, and as all of nature is improved
by action, so dId that important gift to man increase in volume and usefulness. But in proportion as his faculties improved, so did his needs increase. And were these needs imperative? the
very term implies they were. Wants may possibly
be put aside, but a need must be satisfied.
This is a faithful detail, speaking, as we are, of
man's early condition; a constant lever was still
at work to raise him from his low state to a higher,
by engendering needs most absolute, and also
necessary to the end designed.
Hence, constant changes were produced, well
suited to the law of progress; each change effected
showing vast improvement, rendering the past, as
it were, almost useless, because unadapted to man's
advanced circumstances, the natural result of
change.
Here, then, is shown a depth of divine wisdom,
unfathomable to the finite mind; the regular process of nature; cultivating the human soul, and




363  ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
preparing it, by almost imperceptible degrees, to
reach eventually a state of celestial bliss. This fact
should settle effectually those morbid, dreary theorists, who would cast doubts upon the immortality of the human soul.
Man in his most primitive state was the superior amongst animal creation, and to him alone
was given the right to subordinate the great law
of progress to his use, and for his final elevation;
and whosoever cannot discern the presence of an
immortal soul throughout this wonderful career,
must be willfully, or morally, blind indeed.
Your present era bears conclusive evidence of
the grand conception of a world raised from the
chaotic mass to a beautiful symmetry, and which
is being comprehended by a divinely imparted
human intelligence. Who but the great Infinite
could project a work of such stupendous magnificence?  The answer must come spontaneouslynone, none. Then, with such; convictions, how
can man forbear to worship such a being, so fully
represented in His works, that all must feel His
presence? Although no distinct form is visible
to human ken, His. divine influence' and soothing
goodness pervades and permeates the soul with a
holy feeling of reverence and devotion to the
power supremely exalted.
This divine influence is the talisman by which
the souls of men have been directed in the past,




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 37
are in the present, and saZll be in the future-unchangable in principle, penetrating all things, and
doing good to all creatures.
The question is often asked: Where, how, and
when, is the completeness of this glorious era to
be attained, which is so much alluded to? We
answer; when the uncounted millions, now in
darkness, shall have become awakened by their
angel friends to a keen and clear perception of
their own unworthiness-when they are made by
angels' gentle chidings to feel the wrongs they
have committed. When they become convinced
that there is no God of vengeance to hurl them
down to interminable torture, or brand them
guilty through eternity, but instead of which, has
sent His holy angels to portray His mercy, love
and goodness, that a change may be effected within their guilty souls, whereby they may eschew
thos'e evil thoughts which have bound them as
with adamantine chains to the unbelief of that
which alone can soothe their sufferings, and heal
their lacerated souls, by proving to them that a
place of refuge is at hand which they can reach,
and where they can doff their bespattered garments of sin and iniquity, and don that beauteous
robe of righteousness and peace.
Keeping so close to a life on earth, strange as
it may seem, is far better than launching out into
the broad expanse of space, and so bewilder the




38  ANGEL VOICES FROM TIlE SPIRIT WORLD.
finite mind in the vast, voluminous views surrounding us; therefore shall we still continue the
suIject we commenced, and which should ever be
a study of deepest interest to man-The Rise and
Progress of the Human Race.
This is in order to connect man's present with
his future, and in so doing, we hope to show that
progress and improvement is the grandest, noblest,
and should be the sole motive of his pursuit; and
the highest goal of all ambition should be a glorious immortality.
The dried up skeptic may ask, perhaps, what
is this immortality of which you speak?  From
whence can man receive assurance that such can
ever be his? Assertions may be made, but where
is the proof? Define this immortality if you
please. To which we answer: all these things, in
the seeming difficulty of which, the negative mind
appears to triumph, are easily proved, defined and
comprehended where human reason is unperverted.
Immortality, then, is a condition of soul and
spirit, entered upon after they are separated from
the mortal coil. When restored to a state of consciousness, these co-existent entities commence
ethereal life as co-workers in the grand plan and
glorious efforts of the angel world, to complete the
work of man's final redemption, and thus, by every
means, prepare themselves and others for a never




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 39
ending life; proceeding upwards and onwards in
pursuit of knowledge and divine grace from the
highest source attainable; to fulfill the behests of
our Almighty God and Father, in imparting good
and comfort to mankind, and thus rendering ourselves useful to the divine will; for, rest assured,
the after life is not one of idleness, but of constant
action, where each sustains his part in the duties
of ethereal life.
The soul and spirit, elevated to light and freedom, goes out to do the Master's will, and whether
in the blue ether, or on the mortal shores, it is
equally imperative to do it well: when the halo of
holy satisfaction may be seen radiating in every
direction in token of a servant's duty well performed!
This, though a meager synopsis of immortality,
is nearly as much as the finite mind could comprehend.
You ask for proof? You need no stronger proof
than that within your own reach. If you can but
control the opaque stubbornness of your own perverted will, and apply yourself to earnest investigation you shall soon discover that your atmosphere is populous with living, intelligent entities
-lately mortals like yourselves, but now of sublimated and ethereal nature. These are striving
with sweetest affection to obtain a confidence you
should not refuse, for, be assured, a time will come




40  ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
when the close adherence of angel friends would
be to you a treasure beyond all estimation.
Then say, ye ruthless advocates of dead theology, and of sterile skepticism alike, what more
conclusive proofs of immortality do you require
than these, which spirits bring you?
Ye, theologists, nothing convincing have you
to base your hopes upon, that man lives again.
You talk of a future state, but no positive knowledge have you of it, therefore, none can you impart to the enquiring millions who, attend your
churches. Those who seek these can find but
baseless speculation, resting on shadowy inferences,
but no clear conviction of a glorious immortality
awaiting them as soon as death has burst asunder
the bands of material life, so that the enfranchised
soul can soar away above and beyond those
steepled edifices, where priestly pride and arrogance dominates over all, where should be freedom from the accursed taint of ignorance and
superstition.
Hence the millions who have listened for so
many ages to unsournd teachings, found their entrance barred to those celestial spheres, the right
to enter which is theirs, but burthened as they are
by creeds and dogmas, all the efforts they can
make but prove abortive, and long before they
become acquainted with the laws which govern
Heaven, they fipd themselves involved in mental




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 41
darkness, and surrounded by spirits of the same
discordant views, dwelling in total unrest and inharmony, not seeking any other condition, but
clinging to the same erratic notion of a fancied, universal Savior.
At present it would be worse than idle to expect reform amongst the myriads who, each day
and hour, swell the unnumbered multitudes, seeking that which they never can find, and listlessly
protracting a wretched existence, when, if a holier
lesson had been taught them, it would have
abridged, or even prevented their sufferings, and
have led them  by the silken cords of holy and
divine love into the green pastures of a celestial
home.
The means which shall be adopted to effect
reform must be lasting, and not partial in its results
-enduring as time itself, when all shall renounce
sin and iniquity, when the angel hosts shall descend to your earth, and present themselves for
recognition, as manifest, living beings, possessing
all those elements of sympathy which form the
basis of a community made happy by them.
Who, then, shall doubt the power of spirits to
return again, and thus to be identified as those
who have trod this earth before, proving the loving relations between themselves and those friends
to whom they claim to be attracted? for of such
is Heaven formed.




42  ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
Those who have passed through tribulations
and sufferings, and being thus prepared, are fitted
for the higher spheres, when attracted, come again
to earth, and seeking out the weary, and heavily
laden, to comfort and console them, charging no
tribute, but by solace and consolation plentifully
supplied, giving them full assurance of a better,
holier home.
My brother, would that we could impart to
your mind a view of the glorious scenes surrounding us, which to some extent we have attempted,
but failed to accomplish. The hosts of Heaven
would then be unveiled, who glorify the power of
Him whose rule is over all. AMEN.




DEATH A BENEFIT.
THE subject we propose to treat of, is one that
appears betimes exhausted; and yet, each time we
resume it, such varied phases present themselves
for discussion, that we ever return with double
zest to scan its merits through the medium of
thought, which naturally demands expression.
Hence, I come to you as the means of spreading
broadcast that which I trust may benefit humanity
at large. Few things in nature seems to call for
admiration more than the fact that all mankind
must die. Strange thought. Methinks, I hear
you say, "' Is death a pleasure we ought to be
thankful for, much more admire?"'  Yes, my
friend, it is even so, and as such will you view it
ere long, be assured. When the soul is wearied
of the things of earth, weighed down by care, pain
and sorrow, chafed by an angry spirit to commit
a wrong upon itself by uttering curses on its own
existence, and tired nature sinks from very weariness, to whom will such a being, overwhelmed
in wretchedness, apply for aid?  To man he need
not, for he has already appealed and found no
succor; not a ray of hope has reached him that
soon he may recover, and be again the man he




44  ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
once had been. All this he must endure without
the slightest prospect of a change, by which he
might perchance deduce some comfort to his soul,
now merged in darkness quite appalling to his
bewildered senses. Reflection aids him not, and
why? Because his mind retains no recollection
of a single effort he has ever made to store it with
those truths, which angel minds have offered for
his acceptance. Thus, in ignorance profound, he
sits a morbid, thoughtless being, incapable of asking what be needs. Can such a creature, we ask,
desire to have extended, or even continued, such
a life? Yet, amidst all this wretchedness, to talk
to him of death would so affright him, as to drive
him to a frenzied state of terror, painful to behold.
Strange contradiction must this seem to those who
had heard those horrid imprecations previously
invoked upon himself, and all things then surrounding him; but so it is with men whose lives
have been misspent, as if no day of reckoning ever
would come. To such a one, death may readily
be deemed an unwelcome visitor; and so he ever
would be, howsoever long his visit might be deferred. We can scarcely imagine the appalling
dread pervading such a soul when summoned
hence to meet, as he supposes, an angry, avenging
God, as his teachers have ever shown him, and so
misrepresented the great God of justice and
benevolence! Think you, a doctrine such as this




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 45
can make bad men better ones?  We feel a deep
assurance that no sinner can be reformed'by such
a faith. Who, but a fool, would sing songs of
praise to such a God as this?  One who would
take from the wretched sinner all hope of being
able to outwork his sinfulness, and seek, through
mercy, that aid which angels strive so often to
impart. Oh, monstrous iniquity! To so imbue the
human mind as to wreck its mortal interests on
the shoals of ignorance and superstition.  Are
there not sufficient of those amongst humanity
who can rise superior to those awful teachings, by
which mankind is driven to the lowest depths of
degradation, rendering their condition, even whilst
on earth, the most abject slavery conceivable?
Did it stop here, it might be tolerated, for a time
at least; but in the.beyond, where happiness
might be theirs, it not entrarinleled by thosc
damning dogmas, which weigh down the souls ot
men so low in the scale of self appreciation, that
they dare not claim the promised joys they once
had hoped for. These promises, based upon the
delusions of their creed, have ever been a stumbling block in the way of mankind, who, but for
this baneful influence, swould have thrown aside
the veil of ignorance, and become believers in a
purer and holier docrine, than has ever before
been tendered to man; and by which the prospects
of a future life would have been more brilliant
than a world of bigots can conceive.




46 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
Fain would we conceal these things, but truth
demands it from us, that we uncover these acts of
base and cruel men, who deem it worthy of their
sacred calling to deceive their fellow mortals by
sophistry and deception, when sober truth would
answer the purpose much better, and they escape
the obloquy attached to such a course of conduct,
which must blast their own, andothers' prospects
of eternal life.
How, then, is such an evil to be remedied?
Can man himself effect the necessary change? We
know he cannot. If man cannot, who then shall
be applied to?  We answer: those whom you
have hitherto treated with scorn and contumelythose holy spirits who have hovered around your:
dwellings, charged with such precious truths as
would lead to the removal of those mischievous,
dogmas, that so heavily clog the souls of earth's
children; and who are to-day so guided and directed by them, to the formation of a heaven, according to dogmatic notions, where the happiness of its
occupants is increased and enhanced by the vivid
consciousness of the unceasing tortures which
their well-remembered earthly' friends are now
undergoing in the eternal hell of the damned!
How can a place be deemed a heaven
where such dreadful contemplations are any portion of its enjoyments? And yet it seems best
suited to the narrowed views of bigots, who are




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 47
employed to scatter broadcast over your earth
their poisonous doctrines of election, reprobation,
and such like trash, persuading some with such
hollow nonsense, an impartial God had chosen
them above all others for a heaven  He had
specially prepared for them, while, with equal
reason, Ie had consigned others to, an eternal hell
of burning torments. Can commen sense receive
much longer such base absurdities, or suffer itself
to be cajoled by men whose calling is founded on
deception, whose statements are so inconsistent,
that if in the ordinary affairs of human life others
were made just as feasible, those who would make
them would have their reputations emblazoned as
habitually, unmitigated liars?
The time cannot be far distant when men will
cease to tolerate false, unfounded teaching, and
establish in its stead the immutable principles of
integrity and justice.
[Recess taken here.]
In resuming the foregoing subject, we are led
to think that a somewhat different course may be
pursued.
While we are endeavoring to enlighten the
minds of those who are seeking truth by means
altogether useless, it seems a waste of time denouncing the system they are pursuing. We shall,
therefore, turn our attention to show the advantages which must derive to those who investigate




48 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
in search of the best doctrine, and what peculiar
influences they should seek whereby they can be
aided in their researches  While the mind of man
is perplexed with cares and anxieties, connected
with worldly matters, he finds it difficult to so
concentrate his powers of research in a direction
that will prove most profitable. In order to meet
this impediment, however, if the seeker be in earnest, a means is presented, which brings him to the
turning point of advance, or retrograde-success
or failure. It will not cost the investigator much,
otherwise valuable, time, to faithfully seek and
earnestly invoke the aid of his ever attendant
spirits, and in proportion to the purity of his purpose, and the steadiness of his desire, will he find,
within a reasonable time, that the difficulty is
more than half surmounted; and that which previously appeared a stupendous work, becomes
now more easy of accomplishment, and the knowledge and comprehension of truth his certain and
happy reward. Here, then, is given to investigators an encouragement resting on facts, which
are beyond mortal valuation. What can equal in
value the information, if true, that here is a passage
of communication open to human understanding
with those beyond' the grave, and that thousands
upon thousands who,returning thence, are thus permitted to announce to an unbelieving world the
joyful tidings that man certainly lives again in the
untried future I




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 49
It certainly should be the all-absorbing thought,
occupying the leisure hours of man, because it is
the most important-whether a spirit can return
to earth, and there communicate with those he had
left behind, in utter doubt that they should ever
meet again. But now all doubts must cease, and
that which before was but a hope, has become a
perfect knowledge. But to whom? the skeptic
may interrogate. To which we answer: only to
those who ask; to them this knowledge is imparted —a glorious piece of news to suffering humanity, and worthy the united peans of the Universe.
All hail! we say, to that sweet angel voice, sent
to announce this glorious news to man, doing
more to elevate his moral condition than the entire
efforts of the so-called Christian Church in nearly
two thousand years of constant preaching. Oh,
shame, shame to that establishment, with such a
foundation as it had to build upon —even the inculcations of the blessed Nazarene, our elder
brother, and our friend. Behold the issue-retrogression and all the evils of a baseless project, because of its perversion. But we said we would
ignore denunciation, and so we shall.
To those whose minds are already opened to
the light of Spiritualism, we shall now address
ourselves. Can any thinking, reasoning person
feel he is acting right, when having become convinced that Spiritualism is true, and yet withhold
4




5O  ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
his public sanction of that truth? Why are there
so many waverers and doubting souls, standing
aloof in shivering form, fearful to avow sentiments
forced upon their convictions, that there is surely
something good in- Spiritualism?  They want an
undefined something more, something to satisfy a
morbid apprehension that there is not a bugaboo
ensconced behind. The good is perceived so
clearly, that, aside from scruples of timidity, they
can discover nothing wrong or sinful; still they
doubt, and there they may be found still doubting until the day of final accounting calls them to
their senses.
Poor, poor feeble beings. Pity it is you cannot
find some means by which your perceptive faculties might be brightened, to improve your spiritual condition, for certainly, ere long, the change
called death, will overtake you, and then you will
ask yourselves, each in anguish: "Why have I
permitted those doubts and fears to dwarf my energy of soul, and to have rendered me incapable
of trusting to the mercy of my God, who has sent
His angels with the glad tidings to all men of an
immortal life beyond the grave! Ah, me, am I yet
too late to receive that aid so often proffered me,
but which in ignorance I failed to receive? ~ Come,
then, ye sweet angelic beings, come and receive
the sincere prayers of true repentance from my
lips, and grant thai instruction so much needed by
me.-"




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 51
Think you, my brother, that such an appeal
would be unheeded? We answer, no! but every
angel within hearing, would arise and minister to
his wants. Not only that, but to every human soul
who would thus ask the boon. Are you not satisfied that Spiritualism can effect all this and more
-much more; and if it can, must you not deplore
the ignoraace and superstition prevailing in your
community? It is painful to behold so many still
clinging to useless creeds, which, false and unfounded, must eventually be despised by men, as
they are now by angels. Priests will cling tenaciously, hoping to outlive the threatening aspect of affairs, and maintain their false position by
accumulated lies and stolid perseverance, until the
great and final change shall have taken place, and
when the last blow is struck which shall level
their priestly edifices in ruin irretrievable, this
sound shall be heard throughout the universe of
God: "I, thy God, who ruleth all things, am ~a
Spirit, and must be worshiped in spirit and in
truth." AMEN.




THE GREAT GULF BETWEEN THE MORTAL
AND IMMORTAL WORLD.
OUR friend, we have called upon thee to write,
in order to leave upon your record some thoughts
which may possibly reayh the convictions of others who may peruse these lines.
Your condition, at the present moment, renders
you sufficiently receptive of our inspiration, 1tecause you have listened to the injunctions of those
spirits who have long sought to bring you under
suitable control.
We feel that every moment you are held under
such influences should be used for the righteous
purpose of instructing humanity through your
organism.
Orthodoxy inculcates the notion, that the two
worlds, of spirit and of matter, are separated by
an' impassable gulf, which renders the return of a
disembodied spirit utterly impossible, and upon
this hypothesis it assumes to prove, beyond any
danger of denial, that Spiritualism is a myth.
We avail ourselves of this opportunity to sift this
matter, and show t-o these thoughtless sophists
how very obtuse they are to all that is natural in
the premises.




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.  53
Spirit, they say, is intangible under all human
conditions: we answer, it is not, but as completely
tangible to your conceptions, under certain conditions, as aught else in nature; for although your
finite senses cannot recognize spirit emanations,
yet when your etherial nature becomes quickened
by the soul's inspirations of spirit thought, then
it is that things etherial become plain to your improved condition, and you must of necessity admit our proposition, that disembodied spirits become tangible to you, their existence thereafter a
solved problem, anid, to such minds, an established
fact.
Now, we would ask, as soon as convinced of
this, who can reconcile the theory of the great
and impassable g'ulf? Orthodox belief is, that after death (as they call it), the good soul returns to
God, who gave it.
If we ask where God exists, they say in heaven.
Then we would ask how is the spirit on leaving
its earthly tabernacle to pass this horrid gulf or
barrier, and thus make its way to its plane of destination? -Here seems a difficulty not easily removed, unless by the interposition of a special
providence, such as the alleged passage of the
Israelites across the Red Sea, or some other special
act of favoritism, provided for the select few, but
really to assist them out cf a labyrinth of absurdity, such as they fall into when attempting to




54 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
disprove that spirits return to earth for the avowed
purpose of becoming guides and directors to the
loved ones of earth, who are heavily laden with
divine and holy instructions to those who have
been purified through trials and difficulties; to
make them the recipients of immortal truths
relating to man's condition in the eternal future.
Is there aught in this position that should
startle and cause distrust? Is there aught, we
would ask, that should affright the human mind,
and give it a desire to discredit the assertion of
millions, that this is incontrovertible truth?
If spirit lives (and that can be attested by such
as are clairvoyant) is it at all strange or marvellous that the doings and sayings of those whom
we have known on earth should again be made
known to us, in order that the soul of man should
be rejoiced and encouraged by the assurance
that there is, after death, an eternal life, and that
happiness can be realized by the substitution of
virtue for vice in all our human conditions?
Beyond the grave those holy aspirations of the
good will be gratified,; which all men deem a
grand desideratum, and which all hope for, though
without any distinct base for such hope, but cling
to the shadow without making the slightest effort
to secure the substance. Their minds being all
engrossed by worldly matters, the inevitable future
forms no part of their untiring efforts. They are




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 55
constantly seeking to secure worldly power and
riches, the fleeting nature of which affords but a
poor equivalent for what would be their unrestricted inheritance forever, if properly sought,
and which is daily offered them without money
and without price.
Oh, if men could but restrain their hungering after things that cannot supply the wants of
the spirit, their souls would become the repository of that which they could feed upon without
satiety. Each day and hour they would reap
such etherial advantages as would bear the test of
time, and prove to them a profitable and secure
investment. AMEN.




THE NEEDS OF MAN.
THE very term implies something of too much
consequence to be neglected; hence are we inclined to proffer a few thoughts in relation to it
and suggested to us regarding it.
The needs of man-what are they, in the abstract sense? A need implies something special,
arbitrary and necessary: want is a term often
used to express a need, and used erroneously.
A desire to possess a thing does not make a
need of it, because the will, if well applied, can
readily remove the desire, but a need becomes imperative, and must be supplied, or suffering and
disaster become the issue. This naturally involves
the question-what are the needs of man?  The
ramifications of such a question seem so extensive
as to render it difficult to follow successfully. It
depends much upon the mental structure of the
individual as to what he will most desire.
The person who is worldly seeks that which is
most in accordance with his own —not very uncommon-views; and thus he doubtlessly supposes that what he wants he really needs. How
many thousands upon thousands deceive themselves and others by this deceitful sophistry, trying to be satisfied by such a course of reasoning,




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 57
that they are acting justly towards themselves and
others, while seeking to gratify wants, the very
artificial, foul offspring of covetousness. Such
wants, when complied with, are often sure to rob
others of actual needs, and become the sources of
sore privation and sorrow to a brother or a sister,
whose very forlorn condition and inability to resist
may have been the inducement to commit the
wrong. Is the worldling moved at the distress of
his neighbor? We know he is not. Little cares
he for the suffering of his fellow man-compassion
forms no part of an organism where discontented,
insatiate selfishness prevails. But, with a mental
structure based on truth and righteousness, no
such malign feeling can exist in the human breast.
The sufferer's plaintive moans awaken his compassion, and selfishness finds no resting place in a
soul of this'kind. Love and mercy guard the
portals against the'entrance of lawless and unbridled passions, calling all the aspirations of a
feeling nature into full activity.
Not so the worldly hypocrites who take refuge
in the dogmas preached by a priesthood whose
insatiate thirst of filthy lucre leads them to abjure
the sufferers' claims morally and physically. Instead of leading them towards their God, they
leave them powerless to help themselves by asking
assistance from the spirit world. Bound as they
are, by creedish discipline, they cannot pass the




58  -ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
prescribed limits of such and such a church, and
thus they become spiritually starved in the very
sight of that food which would nourish and
strengthen a soul thus tried and tempted.
My friends, this is the case with myriads at the
present moment-multitudes in starving condition, because of the cruel bonds pressing, as it
were, the life blood out of those numerous victims of falsehood and superstition! What then
shall we deem the needs of those? With them it
is not a mere want but a stern necessity that freedom should be theirs. To strip off their theological cataplasms, making their needs potent to their
senses, and soon will they arrive at the true conclusions of what constitutes the real needs of man.
Here, then, shall we leave this subject, to be
well considered by every lover of his fellow creatures; that when a real need is manifested, he
may not only have the ability, but the desire also,
to alleviate the sufferings of a needy neighborphysically, morally and intellectually.
Then will sufferings measurably cease; the
cause being removed, the disease will soon disappear, and man, having become less needy, must,
feel still more grateful for his improved condition. AMEN.




THEN AND NOW.
THE past is a theme for vast and profound contemplation. Whether taken as a warning or as a
precedent, its importance is the same, and its use-.
fulness to humanity is equally manifest. In all,
the conditions of the latter, there are such innum-.
erable difficulties and dangers to be guarded
against, that it requires an intimate knowledge of'
the past to guide and direct us in the present;:
particularly in our search after those antidotes
necessary to eradicate from the human mind the
baneful influences of by-gone times, and their
garbled teachings.
No man, having lived in times remotely past,
and returning now, with all his education, precisely as he then existed, could be fit for the
times which are now.
The teachings of those days (then the law of
progression) are for these utterly inapplicable and
worse than useless. The mind of the man, filled
with the knowledge taught in his own time, could
not readily receive the advanced learning of'the
present era, so much at variance with his precon-.
ceived opinions and peculiar education. Principles remain the same, tangible and immortal 
yet, truths never to be removed or destroyed




60 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
may, by false elaboration, be so presented as to
render them altogether incomprehensible to the
mortal mind: not lost nor abrogated, but so
changed, as to render man's attempts to improve
himself by them as lost time, and a pervertion of
those talents imparted to him from his Maker and
his God.
Oh, friend, often when we reflect on the inutility of clinging, as with a death clutch, to those
dark dogmas of the past, did we not understand
the resisting disposition of the human heart, we
should be truly astounded that the men of the
Nineteenth Century continue so obtusely indifferent to the self evident principles of enlightened
faith, presented to them free of cost, and, indeed,
almost free from the trouble of research.
The happy tidings of manifest truths, which
are of unlimited importance, should and would
inspire the souls of men were they not clogged
with material, worldly pursuits, and bound down,
stunted by the inculcations of a dark, mystical
theology.
The utility of deception, even as a moral check
to licentiousness, has passed away; the excuse is
not needed in the present age. The minds who
needed this fictitious control, have gone into the
eternal future, many of them to soon renounce
the mystical teachings of bigoted priests, whilst
others still hug to their souls the serpent sting of




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 61
ignorance, suffering over and over their doubts,
fears and uncertainty-restless in their condition,
always expecting, but never realizing that rest
which has been promised them.
We would say to earth's inhabitants: let the
past be received as a warning, and although generation after generation has passed away, without
salutary change in the unveilment of divine truths,
even to the present age, the glorious advent of
Spiritualism respects the past as a useful monitor,
and in taking a retrospect, we accord all that may
be deemed its due. You can draw in the future,
from the mistakes of the past, the conscientious
satisfaction of having acted from righteous motives, therein will you find your reward, and hence
all regrets will cease.
We would now treat briefly upon the present
era-upon this infant institution, scarcely fifteen
years of growth, giving forth such mighty proofs
of power and direct utility to man. Potent in its
promises of the future, its suitable completeness
and satisfying precocity. Every one of its propositions based upon natural reason, and seeking no
other means of winning to its interests men, who,
hungering for long years after soul nourishing
food, which was unattainable beneath the altars of
old theology-all these being husky, barren, and
morally unpalatable.
Through spirit teaching, of the present era,




62  ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
the soul becomes directed to that inexhaustible
source of divine inspiration, which angels, holy
spirits, are meting out to humanity those etherial
inspirations, principles, elevating and invigorating
to the attenuated spirits of those who have morally
starved for want of spiritual food, until they have
broken the bonds of church tyranny and cut loose
from arbitrary and unsound creeds, presented
hitherto as the guides of men, who, now ascertaining their established free condition, dare to
stand forward and proclaim aloud, their entire
and complete emancipation from all priestly domination.
Thus is the present age progressing; not by
fire and sword, but by the mightier fire of man's
unfettered reason. Glorious retribution is inaugurated, and'thought is being freed from coercion, restraint and obscurity, undoubtedly for
man's purification and happiness.
By the light of what we have thus far stated,
we can now intelligibly recur to our premises:
why not take the past as a precedent?-Every age
has been but a step in advance, towards the eternal future, giving to the succeeding generation
another step, upon which to establish a final institution, which shall bear upon it the experience of
all that was good in the past, constituting a motive force of progression onward.
Perhaps we may again resume this subject, but
for the present shall cease. AMEN.




PRINCIPLE.
IN giving you this essay, we do so with a sincere desire to benefit humanity, by leaving on
your record sentiments calculated to awaken in
the souls of some a resolve to make principle the
grand study of earth life; being that which will
insure to them happiness in the great hereafter.
Yes-principle shall be our theme, and in our
efforts to elaborate it, we shall indulge in some
remarks that may not please the multitude.
Oh, how little is this, that is termed principle,
comprehended by mankind at large.
Not being led to its acquaintance at the dawn
of reason, in their approximation to manhood
they failed to recognize it, and in their declining
years they are scarcely able to discern the odious
void that produces mental malformation.  Oh,
what a dark, dismal condition for men, that through
so long and important a period, they should thus
ignore the true foundation of justice amongst
their kind.
What, we ask, can be the result of such long
studied baseness? Can there be any consistency'remaining in such men, who are thus devoid of
the great cardinal virtue which, alone, should be
-their guiding star in every transaction of earth




64  ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
life?  Miserable misdoer-neglected and neglecting so long, thou art enclosed in the meshes of a
sophistry which makes thee reckless of thy neighbor's rights.
Having no principle, thou hast no monitor to
guide thy purposes: justice thou heedest not, unless it be thy worldly gain to practice it. Love
thou hast not, because thou hast no principle
whereon to base it. What thou wouldst call love,
is but a matter merely material and mercenary.
That pure and holy love which draws two
souls into close. and happy appreciation of each
other's virtues, being unselfish in its nature, cannot
possess thee; thou hast no room for it. Mercythou hast no conception of, becausethy selfish nature ever inclines thee to grind the poor and enslave their minds by torturing their souls that
thou mightest become enriched.
The perpetration of these villainies has disgraced humanity in thee, and brought it down be —
low the level of the brute!
Oh, poor deluded wretch, that thus becausethou hast lost sight of principle, hast wasted thy
best days in deluding thyself. Poor mistaken
man, thou hast deceived thyself through the days
of thy youth and thy manhood, hoping that at the
last moment of thy earthly existence, thou could'st
gloss over the injustice of a life time. Thou wert




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 65
destitute of principle, which might have been
thine to guide thee through life had'st thou sought,
or even accepted it; for, be assured, no partial
hand has ever withheld it from thee. It was thine
inheritance, but thou disdained to ask it.
Thy end of earth life being come, we would
ask thee what are thy convictions, and at this moment, when thou must render an account of thy
stewardship? Can thou stand erect amongst
thy fellow men and assert thy fitness for that important change which now awaits thee? Can the
retrospect of thy past life (devoid of principle in
all thy social and public intercourse) prove more
than that thou hast kept to thyself all that thy depraved imagination conceived to be good, and not
an act of thine up to thy old age has borne the
seal of principle.  Thy neighbor's rights have
never received thy attention or protection, but
self-self was the only god thou hast worshiped!
Thus, then, hast thou passed a life useless to
thee, and unjust towards thy fellow mnan. Of what
profit is it to thee? No evidence can thou produce that thou wert ignorant, and plead thy error
therefrom. No, for at every turn and inclination
of thy useless life hast thou -been entreated by
holy spirits to listen to their teachings. Heedlessly hast thou rejected them, and preferring thy
own perverted scheming for guidance, shunned
that, which, if accepted, would render the closing




66 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
hours of thy earthly life tranquil and serene,
instead of being tortured as thou art with undying regrets, that disregard of principle has turned
away the good thy Creator provided for thee,
and His good angels offered thee in vain. Thy
vitiated life now mars thy prospects, and will stay
thy progress in the unseen future.
We feel that little more need be said here,
upon this subject, unless to urge. those who have
the charge of educating youth, to make principle'their highest study.
Without it every moral virtue becomes stunted,
morbid and almost obliterated: while its effective
inculcation illumines the pathway of youth to true
manhood, and through receding age it gilds the
downward road of life, finally ushering the untrammeled spirit into the mansions of the blest.
Oh, Glorious culmination! Hasten, we beseech
thee, O, God, this happy sequel to the darkened
struggles of earth life, and to thee we must give
the glory. AMEN.




OBLIGATION OF DEITY TO MAN.
THE question propounded is somewhat singular,
yet, to some extent, is it meet. In its abstract
sense, it is assuredly true, for man, being a creation of Almighty God, naturally looks up to him
for protection and support.
He, having ushered the creature into existence,
and fully capable of surrounding him with all his
needs, is, as his Creator, under the obligations to
do as much for him —to use a mortal figure of
comparison-as much as nature's laws demand
that man should do for his own offspring. So
that, in this sense, and by a parity of reasoning,
your speaker's position was correct. And, however startling such an assertion may be, the angel
world must and will endorse such, as true beyond
all controversy.
On the other hand-of man's obligations to
Deity, no sane man would attempt denial, because
the natural relations of parent and child must
naturally tend to bring about a condition where a
susceptibility exists, secret in its combinations,
but in its manifestations distinct and clear to every
thinking mind, and nothing mysterious, but all
plain as the noonday sun.




68 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
And as the rays of that luminary shed their
genial influence over all created nature, so over
every creature is imperceptibly shed the pure
love and kindness from our common parent, God,
striking down deep into our inmost souls, confirming and establishing the right we have to
claim his fostering love and care of us, so long as
we remain obedient to His laws. AMEN.




WHICH SHOULD BE THE HEAD OF THE
FAMILY —-MAN OR WOMAN?
QUESTION BY SPIRIT-Have you a desire that I,
thy spirit wife, should give you a solution of this
question,:as it may possibly involve some matters
not agreeable to yourself and others of your sex?
ANSWER BY MEDIUM-The truth must be told;
it is that we seek.
SPIRIT-Then:do I willingly undertake the task;.and in doing so, I feel no small degree of pleasure,.
inasmuch as.the question has remained so long an;open one that very few persons, either in the embodied or disembodied state are willing to discuss
it; but aided, as I feel I shall be, by the celestial
light of higher spheres, I will attempt it.
Man, with all the elements of a strong, enduring
physique, seems formed by nature to. protect the
more fragile form of woman, and in the pressure of
adversity to. possess endurance equal to the needs
of both. The stalwart form of man seems better
suited to perform the sterner duties he assumes;
nor does he, in the hour of danger, flinch from fear
if he be a real man in growth and in principle, to
face the peril hovering near with fortitude and
courage-ever ready to grapple with the evil imminent.




0O  ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
Thus does he show his fitness for the part in
life, which nature has evidently destined him to
perform.
If proof of this be wanted let us reverse the
cases. Could woman's sensitive form endure the
same rugged effects as that of man? Exceptions
there are, but general rules establish law. Will
she not, at the approach of danger, call on man to
aid her, thus tacitly acknowledging his. superiority
as the head?
Were we to stop even here, we think we have
shown his claim to headship as conclusive; but as
some minds on this subject are so strongly biased
we fain would give more lengthened views.
In all of nature's, work a glorious equilibrium
is ever being attained, and all things, by its unerring laws, are balanced and directed.  The slightest disarrangement of its forces would cause such
confusion as the human mind could not imagine;
but this is scarcely possible amid the bright perfection of the wondrous works of God. God, who
gives to every member of the human family, just
such gifts as are best suited to the end designed.
Without this wise adaptation, what a world of
terror yours would be for the residence of man I
The wild tornado would soon lose its distinctive
character for destructiveness before the unwholesomne blast from human discord! Pandemonium,
as man conceives it, would be but gentleness compared to such-a state!




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 71
Here, then, Almighty Power is seen displayed.
With all of nature's laws withdrawn, your cup of
misery would be full, and happiness forgotten. But
to our subject. Man's fitness for the head we endorse; but how, or in what way such headship or
ruling power is to be conducted, becomes the next
and most important consideration.
Power is not always accompanied by wisdom,
but when it is, the government is easy by comparison. Wisdom and discretion united can use
power to best advantage, giving direction and
effect to every effort for improvement, either in
public or domestic government, and, guided thus,
will always present the most marked contrast to
that government which rests on its right by force
of muscle, or other arbitrary means springing from
selfishness, through man's perverted nature.
Tyranny, as a means of governing, brings in its
train the baleful passions of the human breast;
however strong in seeming, it is but weak and
rotten, and, when stoutly opposed by the spirit of
independence, fired by injured justice, it is but
short-lived, being unsound and unnatural. But
ah, the loathsome bloody trail it leaves rests darkly
on the memory of those who have suffered by it.
Domestic happiness is often sorely obstructed
by offensive tyranny, that, so oppressive in its influence, renders home a very hell! But we have
dilated longer on this point than we had intended,




72 ANGEL VOICES FROM THIE SPIRIT WORLD.
Take man according to nature's intent, pure
and free from innate vice, the absence of partial
intolerance and fuminghatreds, endowing him with
the requisites of governing, not only in public, but
particularly in his domestic relations, and woman
in her natural condition, also, as man's true helpmate, equal to him in all of the intellectual character, and blest with those consoling gifts which
form the gist of woman's power over man. Being
dual in their nature, yet cohering by ties most
sacred and divine, a joint and undissevered
interest holding them by bonds which are indissoluble, if unperverted. And thus would we dispose of this matter in all honest sincerity. No
desire for tyrannic rule should actuate any one, a
harmo nious condition should pervade the home;
wisdom and forbearance directing, love and pure
harmony must prevail, inducing relations so grand
and beautiful that no head would be wanted in
a demonstrated form, but in spirit the dual becomes a unit. AMEN.




BYE GONES.
To talk of things long gone, may, perhaps, appear unnecessary, if not absurd; and yet there is a
usefulness in them, rarely comprehended by the
masses-a utility, which if well applied, makes
manifest much truth which no sophistry can prevent, or power control.
Principles founded on truth, emanate from God,
and all humanity must, in time, accept' them.
Worlds on worlds are being created, and not a single orb as yet has wandered from its natural orbit.
With such a proof of God's unerring wisdom,
who can challenge aught he does, and the sure fulfillment of its wise intent?
The tiny blade of grass, out-cropping from the
earth, presents"its green and beauteous blade as
an emblem of sweet contentment, and reliance
on that power which gives it the nourishment
and growth  it receives, without questioning
whence it comes.
Is not this a beautiful example to man, to —accept the life that is given him, with full reliance on
the bountiful God by whom it is given? In all
that is presented to him by the Deity, can man see
a single thing unsuited to promote his happiness
and ultimate prosperity, if not perverted by him



74  ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
self? Before him lies a vast expanse no eye can
compass nor mind can measure, studded throughout with orbs of glory, whose rays pervade the
entire universe, giving light, life and motion
where and when they are needed. He who created them has wisely directed the course to be
pursued; therefore, is all so well and providently
fashioned, that no confusion can ensue, to mar the
unerring purpose of God, their maker?
But now we purpose showing thee the negligence of man, who, instead of scrutinizing and investigating those essential truths offered to his
comprehension, takes but little notice of their import until too late, and then expresses much regret
for the now lost opportunity!
Thus is God's munificence overlooked, and at
the important time when man's best interests demand the exertion of his mental attributes. Even
a much worse state of things was seen in earlier
times.
The laws of God or nature not being understood, men strove to make such gods as best subserved their interests, inciting confidence in what
they themselves had formed, not knowing in their
untutored ignorance, that they were but giving
expression, in this rude way, to the innate reverence for incomprehensible Deity, which is inseparable from the heart-of man. These gods were
instinctive subordinates to One of purity and




ANGEL VOICES FROM'THE SPIRIT WORLD. 75
boundless magnificence, but of whom they knew
little, and cared less, confined, as they were
within their crude and narrow dogmas.
The gods which they themselves had made,
paid much attention to their sacrificial offerings,
and why? Simply because they had taken care
to fashion them in such a manner as to impress
upon the minds of their deluded followers, signs
indicating approbation, or its opposite, while enslaving their dupes under dogmas of the most revolting character, yet who conld gainsay their
truthfulness?
And are not men of the present day acting in
accordance with the same deceitful usage of ages
past, occupying the most valuable time in discussing creeds and dogmas which are daily growing
obsolete and revolting to the sane and sensible
members of the human family?
The numbers are increasing who recognize
the baneful influence exercised. by priests, who
have the power to direct the multitude.
Such miserable perversions of God's holy servants are sad imposters, uncalled and unregarded
by Him who seeks humility, but cannot find it
within these hirelings, who vaunt their power to
carry on the work of reformation amongst the
children of the earth. AMEN.




THOMAS  PAYNE ON  THE CRUCIFIXION.
DID men and women contemplate the mischief
they were doing when offering as a truth the
Christly sacrifice on Calvary's Mount they would
adopt a different course; because, concerning that
event they cannot show a more truthful record,
corrupt and base as it is, than that within the lids
of that so-called Sacred Book, the Bible, concocted by a set of men devoid of truth and every
God-like principle? Did they expect that coming
generations would swallow such confounded lies
as tend to mar their happiness-the mere utterance
of which should blast the whole and stamp them
as untrue? Every feature in the case can be perceived as false and blasphemous in a degree unparalleled, and worse than all the besetting sins
said to be inherited by poor humanity;
Conceive, if possibly you can, an act of cruel-:
ty so rare as that of a father doing a deed like that
described in Sacred Writ-recorded and by whom
committed. Not a poor finite being denuded of
his common sense and reason-abandoned in his
nature, depraved from birth, a very monster,
devoted to a demon, accursed of God and man;.
such a cruel being might be taunted'with a crime
like this and some consistency appear. But oh,




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.  at
horror! can man's imagination possibly conceive
of blasphemy so abhorrent as that of attributing
such an act as murdering, by slow degrees of torture, an only son, (for so says Sacred Writ) and
who should dare to doubt its being the very written or spoken words of God himself, accusing
himself of perpetrating an act atrocious beyond
all things else recorded of depravity.  Added
words cannot enhance the damning character of
such an act, and fain we would drop the subject,
could we readily accept the apology, Christians,
as they call themselves, make so often, couched
in blandest terms, that God so loved the world
that he gave up His only begotten son as a ransom for the sins of the world. Yes; that son in
whom He was well pleased. Can you imagine
common sense was still extant?  that reason still
existed? or could the twain have departed for a
time, that riot and misrule might run a race, and
thus, untiring in their efforts, yield pleasure boundless in its nature and fervent in its purpose, to an
unrighteous people. Even every avenue through
which Divine and holy influences could reach the
souls of men seemed closed; and even Deity, bewildered as he must have been, bade Nature wield
her power with treble force to announce to an
astonished world a perpetrated act the suppositious fiends of hell would have blushed the blush
of shame to be accused of, and yet sapient men,




78  ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
as oft they are called, and egotistically aver
themselves to be, are constantly presenting to their
so-called flocks, by-gone dogmas-now unfitted for
the times in which you live, when superstitious
bigotry is on the wane, -and tyranny and freedom
now at war, must fight it out unflinchingly, even
to the bitter end; being a war of conquest to the
right.
MY BROTHER: What means this hubbub in
their churches? A sad unrest they are now expeiriencing; bitter, acrimonious feelings are expressed in words somewhat unseeming in appearance
amongst men of godly habits, who preach so
much to others about polite and friendly courtesy
being a need in such society. Can such exist
where harmony becomes a stranger, and stranger
still, she must remain while common sense and
reason are eschewed? Commensurate with that
lack of prudence so essential to communities and
peoples, I am not satisfied, but something might
be added to what we have already said about
Christ's Crucifixion. Convinced as you and others
must be, the act was quite unneeded, but a work
of supererogation answering a purpose cruel in
its character, and altogether inefficient in its culminations; giving to the speculator a capital to
work upon, by making dupes of such as they
could influence to become acceptants of the creeds
and dogmas they were peddling among the igno



ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 79
rant and superstitious, God had created for a
better purpose, conceiving that a time may come
when common sense and reason may return, and
by proper application of their united power, bring
to bear upon their senses a wise and holy influence
t hat shall guide and direct man through the avenues of earth life to a brighter and mare glorious
land, where angel entities shall be companions of
the wise and good of earth, imbuing their minds
with things of holy and divine importance, thereby fitting them for a continued life of happiness
and joy eternal in the Heavens. When all the united
strength of angel power will work a change no
mind can contemplate, a something no mortal
mind has any conception of, being something invisibly kept, something altogether beyond his
power to believe, till by experience, all wonder
then shall cease, and to himwho, through a power
entirely his own, doeth all things well, be all
the glory.  Can a being thus possessed of attributes sublime, with no competitor existing, commit a single error? Or need He give an account
to any one? The world being His, and all therein, and all thereon contained, can aught occur unseen by angel sight, who, as watchers night and
day, can readily report a fault, designed or accidental? And thus a check is often put and crime
prevented.  This is the supervision angels are
appointed to, and faithfully they perform their




80  ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
several duties; and this is what the so-called
modern Christians call a special Providence.
What specialty is here evinced? A possibility of
being successful while committing crime is all that
gives encouragement to commit it, not suspecting
angel entities totally unseen by them, are watching all their movements.
A sudden tremor seized the one engaged in
lawless purposes; he listens for a moment; discovery he dreads, and instantly seeks safety where
he can, leaving the coveted behind him, eliminating thanks to God for such especial Providence
enacted in his favor. Thus the Pharisee is seen
applying to himself a merit no one expected
might have existed within his egotistic nature. Of
this we need no multiplied reports, because each
day and hour elicits proofs so unmistakable no
one can err in recognizing.
Would we could say this is the only point on
which we differ with so-called Christianity. A
man that is good needs no agent to proclaim his.
worth and goodness.; the faithful monitor within,
gives proof sufficient. All is right, hence all is
harmony and contentment without a show being
made in pompous style to others. Was all the
world so constituted peace would be familiar to.
you, and all inharmony and discontentment would
flee your homes, being better fitted for your then
improved condition, because the Almighty power



ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 81
that guides and governs this vast Universe becomes, as it were, your polar star, to guide you to
that haven of eternal rest you would seek with
fervent zeal. As the result of a power that's all-sufficient and absorbing to the achievement of all
your God and Father desires you should attain to,
Men often wonder and exclaim why is trouble and
perplexity the lot of all existent on this earth.
There seems but few exceptions. All are troubled,
both good and bad, so far as you can see. Therefore there must be some underlying cause for
what seems to us anomalous to wrong. Alas,
poor, silly beings, are you speaking what you
know, or rather what you think? Finite as you
are, what know ye of the why and wherefore of
such things? Are you able to comprehend the
grand, important end of your Creator? Can you
view the starry firmament and trace the planets
moving in their several orbits? Are Nature's
secrets all unveiled to you?  Can you conceive
the modus operandi of their transit? Are you given
a power enabling your to scan immensity or describe the distance, density and calibre of certain
planets you may be asked about? Therefore, if
lacking such amount of knowledge, talk no longer
about thy wisdom, but hide thy countenance in
shame, and boast no longer of thy fitness to become a teacher of thy fellow-man. Canst thou
deem thyself as worthy of a tithe of the bounties
6




82  ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
given thee by thy God in answer to those aspirations sent by thee in confidence they will be responded to?  Could man, while dealing with his
fellow-men be always true and faultless, abetter
state of things would be inaugurated.  Then
God's eternal truth would be the standard. All
would choose as being the best and surest mode
of gaining what the souls of men are seeking, yet
rarely are they found, and fain we would ask why
is it so? To this we answer, God's laws being
unalterable and fixed, admit no deviation from
them, but tracing back, the cause is soon discovered, which but few can realize till suffering
and affliction becomes the Savior, showing them
beyond all cavil that the straight and narrow path
of right is the only one that can be traveled
safely.
MY BROTHER: It is getting late. You need
your rest, and I, by longer stay, shall infringe
upon my prescribed time.  Therefore, I say,
Adieu. AMEN.




THOMAS PAYNE'S REPLY
TO THE EXCEPTIONS TAKEN BY MEMBERS OF THEE
YOUNG, MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION.
QUESTION —What says Thomas Payne to the
fact that the Religion of Christ, or Christianity, is
the great power that is revolutionizing, civilizing,
and enlightening the world?
REPLY-Deeming all things worthy of investigation and the closest scrutiny, I willingly undertake the task of showing the writer of the
above question what an egregiucs error he is committing when he conceives the absurd'idea that
Christianity evolves a single thought confirmato ry
of what he states.
The first point we may admit as true, i. e., its
"revolutionizing effects," for that stands out in
bold relief, admitting n'o denial. In fact, its very
origin may be! attributed to what its advocates
call Christianity. Your friend may plume himself
upon its popularity, but is that a proof of its superiority?  We think no man of sense would rest
his faith on such a frail foundation-a very mockery of security-being a vain and futile effort to
spread its baneful and erratic teachings in a soil
which soon must share its growth and thus prevent its spread, saving the expense and trouble of




84  ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
uprooting pernicious teachings contained within
the several dogmas, creeds and formulas within
your so-called sacred edifices. What makes them
sacred, we would ask? Is it because men call
them so? Whence arises that aroma, sacred in its
character? Can ye rob your altars of your God,
and steal from  thence the coming incense as
it soars in curling vapors to its destiny? Avaunt!
We say there is nothing sacred in them all, unless
we see some poor, stricken soul,'bowed down
with misery and wretchedness, on bended knees,
with outstretched hands and tearful eyes, imploring mercy of his God for many sins committed,
beseeching relief, a starving wife and child may
need. Such a sight of commune with his God,
gives to the place a moment's hue of sacredness.
Oh, poor, beguiled, and duped recipients of
such trash as in those churches is doled out to ye!
We fain must yield our sympathies. Hours of
penitence and prayer ye may expend, and what
result can ye expect? Each utterance of a truth
brings with it a recompense all may recognize as
being just, but statements made in falsehood's
guise are soon discovered, and who can claim reward for such? The anxious look, and hectic
flush of cheek, betokens an unrest no human jmnind
can bear and live a life of happiness and comfort.
Who, we ask, with common sense and reason,
could for a moment entertain thoughts so absurd
that cannot yield a moment's satisfaction and be



ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 85
come concentered in the mind, as of any value beyond its momentary appreciation. Better by far
call some crude, unlearned being to avow there is
naught of truth around those so-called sacred
churches, as to imagine a building can be sacred
where all is pompous show and vanity.  Can
that be sacred where the spirit cannot soar beyond
the arched and ornamented roof? Can aught of
beauty-adorning aisles and seats, add one iota to
the sacred character of such a place? We think
a man of common sense must answer, no; because
if Reason be inquired of, denial she must give to
such affirmative, as many make, that it "pleases
our Divine Creator."  Do you think your Heavenly Father can be moved to an appreciation of
such trifles?  Alas, with all your acumen of
thought, crude and puerile they must be, to imagine that such gew-gaws could possibly attract
One who, being omniscient, calls for what He
wishes and obedience becomes the issue.
Does a man who cares about his character
designedly commit a wrong? Announce the same
to others, and then accuse another of doing the
deed? Can you think such a man would be believed? Depend upon it, such a one, even though
he were an angel, or an almost God, would not be
credited, but'scorned by the entire creation; it
were better such an one had never been born, because the sin of lying would, and must, adhere to




86  ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
him with a tenacity all its own. But to the subject more closely:
Everything connected with Ethereal Life, demands by right of all the world, a truthful statement of its conditions, and this we deem- the
grandest point connected with the future life of
man, dependent as he is, and must be, while on
earth, on what the angel world imparts to him
through such mediums as yourself, Gifted and
adorned with truthfulness, the enlightened souls
of men can rest assured that no deception can be
apprehended, being under the control of spirits
in whom (by constant intercourse,) they have the
most perfect confidence, everything accepted by
them, and transcribed for other's use, can be re1 ied upon. Can aught be doubted, coming as it
does, through such a channel?and even should it
be, what renders such a doubt acceptable to those,
who are well informed, and possessing intellect adequate to form correct conclusions? Ask no iiiformation from such men as carp at every truth presented, which agrees not with their own benighted
views of what is wrong, or otherwise. And thus the
world becomes misled by those who assume the
right of thinking for their neighbors; and thus,
while uselessly employed, forget their own condition, and careless, as it seems, float down the
stream of time, unconscious as to what may be their
destiny. Is not this the fate of thousands, who in




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 87
stark inertness, while away their precious hours
in almost imbecility?
Everything in nature teaches that each and
every one possessing a constitution free from
ailments, should be actively employed. A mind
that is constituted as it should be, claims the uses
best suited to its calibre. No matter what opposition it may meet with, all will be surmounted
and every barrier removed, by angel power appended to its course of progress.
And now, my brother, to the subject proper,
-and particularly addressed to me, couched in
terms almost triumphant. Your friend, the questioner, appears to be convinced that nothing can
invalidate the assertion made, "That the Religion
of Christ, or Christianity, is the great power that
is revolutionizing, civilizing and enlightening the
World." Certainly a question such as many socalled Christians may conceive unanswerable, and
such, no doubt, your friend imagined you would
find it. But let us test the truth of such imaginings, deceitful as they often are-mere echoes of
the thoughts of such a dreamer, rather than sober,
well-digested thoughts of a deep and solid thinker;
one whose' analyzing powers are also clear, who
mixes naught that's fabulous with the stern realities of active life, but gives them to the world entirely free from hyperbole, nor aims to make it
seem an effort for that occasion. They appear as




88  ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
a beautiful boat, or ship, gliding along the stream
of life, as a something you cannot help admiring,
well-fitted, as it seems, to perform its duty. Are
you sucfi an admirer of Nature's works as to suppose that man is destitute of a power or ability to
copy Nature's works? and if his efforts fail, by
what tribunal would you judge him other than
by his ownambition?  Appeal to that, and per_
haps a second effort will be made-and a third if
necessary. Can any one do more, I ask? Can
angel effort always meet success? Can the serried hosts of Heaven accomplish greater feats
than  are  commensurate  with  the  power
awarded  them   by  the  great  I AM?  A
noble, glorious aspiration may ascend to God, to
give them strength and power to accomplish all
they have projected, and yet a failure may be
theirs, and not by any neglect or inattention of
their own, but a something analogous to discord
among the subordinates of a force, capable (when
united) of performing all they had projected.
But leaving hopes and figures, we shall come
down to solid facts, so unmistakable in their character, and potent in their effect, no power can
contravene them. Just here we shall notice the
means, or power, (as they express it,) they will
adopt to accomplish what they now avow is their
i ntention.
Religion,'as its adherents call it, and per



ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 89
chance by this asserted power,. a conquest may be
gained, but, to me, it seems a doubtful matter;
therefore, let us analyze this pompous word of
frequent use among those so-called christians,
who boast continually of their Religion, as though
it were a thing of special and superior growth and
quality, we will submit it, accepting what good it
may present, and rejecting all we cannot comprehend as truth; and with such an'arrangment, who
can murmur? To such a tribunal we are willing
to submit.
But to religion: What are its component
parts? Affixed to some unwholesome creed, or
dogma, it may seem of value as a means of bringing under holy influence the many thousands,
flocking as they do to yield their manhood to the
guidance of some wily priest or priests desiring
to control them, thwarting for a time the angel
efforts to emancipate. the dupes from thraldom
most atrocious in its- character, and thus enchain
them to a theory they call religion. Better they
should be without a religion than yield obedience
to a.cassocked tyrant, clothed in sacerdotal robes,
mere emblems of hypocrisy and deep deception.
Can any one conceive it possible that almost all
the world should bow obediently to a power already on the wane-crumbling into almost nothingness, as the result of combined atrocities
-committed in the name and by the sanction of




90 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
that power your friend refers to as so potently
achieving the grand, important work of which he
boasts,'revolutionizing this world of yours?' Let
us for a moment analyze the status of society in
this enlightened period of the Nineteenth Century, only in its incipient state of revolution,
when all your daily prints are teeming with murderous details, such as no other age has ever
witnessed in times of so-called peace. Can war
present a blacker catalogue of crime committed,
evincing no cessation, but like the snow-ball in its
transit, gathering fresh material to swell its bulk,
and make a very marvel of it? Do you conceive
the thing as possible that man can become any
better by changing all the peaceful conditions of
his nature, and at once launch into the very vortex of a revolution? Are such the means your sapient Christians would adopt to carry out your
views of reformation? Herein you show your inefficiency, making manifest your total incompetence to carry out your favorite but fallacious project. Do you ever contemplate the injustice you
are doing to humanity by disturbing and destroying the harmony and happiness of the world by
agitating such a measure, the outworking of some
fevered brain, incapable of quiet, tranquil thought,
from which would emanate a better and wiser system, altogether void of strife'and sad'confusion,
the sure concomittant of ill-digested plans, doing




ANGEL VOICES FROM' THE SPIRIT WORLD. 91
-its work and then again undoing it; evoking
laughter and derision instead of praise and approbation? Think of this ye aspirants for fame as ad-'vocates of modern Christianity! All hail to ye as
paragons of sanctity and holiness, who seek to
bear the palm of victory even to the very gates of
Heaven, as martyrs in the cause of Christ's Religion! Was He the advocate of war, as revolution
must imply? Was He belligerent in His views?
The " Prince of Peace," as H-e was styled —a being
meek and lowly in His nature could not, would not
break the bonds of union between man and man,
as revolution must imply.
MY BROTHER: You have chosen a term illsuited to establish the truth of what you wish to
to prove, and feeling we have answered this portion of your sapient question, we shall, as best we
can, give some attention to your second.
" Civilizing the World!" Certainly a bold position you have aspired to claim; and while 1 must
admire the ambition evolving such an aspiration,
I think I see discretion somewhat lacking. Energy at all times, seems a need to those who are ambitious, because its very nature seems to crave the
aid of others to confirm  the right or wrong of
measures they conceive as worthy their adoption.
Being convinced, they cannot err by counseling
with others. Can you not see in this a wise procedure? Does any prudent man attempt to raise




92 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
a ponderous body beyond the strength he knows
he is possessed of, because in doing so a failure
must result, or else destruction to his health must
be the issue? And here we would apply a simile
we think is quite correct: You, as men connected with the church, desiring- to become conspicuous among the members of that church, banding
yourselves together as a sort of specialty, under
rules and  regulations  seemingly  devoid  of
fault or aught objectionable concerning those
whose aspirations led them to conceive a
special mission they had been appointed to,
which  depended, almost, man's salvation, and
correspondent  with  such  thought,  another
seemed connected, better suited to assist them
in gaining popularity as reformers, doing as
they  imagined  Jesu s  had  done  before —
going from house to house, demanding of the inmates the privilege of asking God to bless and
prosper them in all their lawful acts, claiming, as
God's agents, to be the instruments by and through
whom he dispensed such blessings as in time
might teach them seemingly the result of the
many fervent prayers they offered, by'which
God's purposes were surely changed, and their
renown approved and trumpeted abroad. And
is this the civilization you refer to? Is this your
boasted power that must change the world and
make it what you think, it should be? A world of




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 93
sin and wickedness, such as it is, would need a
higher power than man can use to cleanse it from
its base impurities, which tend to mar the purpose
angels have in coming to its rescue —your fervent
praying, notwithstanding. Prayer without work
we knowto be of no effect. Outspoken Pharasaic
prayer is not attractive to-the angels, having no
standard value as compared with heartfelt adjuration, when the soul seems, as it were, lost in devotion and, for the moment, carried into the actual
presence of its God, it feels the full glory of
such commune. Is such prayer as this familiar to
your senses? Do you realize the presence of your
God? Do you feel those holy and divine impressions as tokens of approval from the highest
spirit in the universe? If not, I advise ye to tamper not with the things ye are not fit to manage.
Wait, and ask the assistance of those angelic
beings who, even now, are striving to reach your
inner souls to plant therein an inspiration better
suited to the needs of those you would exhort to
change their practices and lead a purer course of
life. Such teachings they will better comprehend
than murky dogmas can impart to them. Then
you may in meekness and humility aver that you
have tried to civilize your fellow man. This we
are ready to admit, but nothing farther.
Your third proposition we may soon dispose
of because, without a proof, discussion is not need



94  ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT' WORLD.
ed. But, having some little time to spare, we.
think we cannot better spend it than in presenting:
some few thoughts instructive in their character:
Enlightenment implies improvement, progress,.
etc. The mind, perchance, may need its aid in.
greater measure than the entire form of man,
being, as it were, covered with an element which
is accepted or rejected, as the case may be. If the
former, every thought presented, if accordant
with the attribute of reason, becomes a welcome
denizen, and shows at every turn, deeperand still
deeper thoughts eliminated, demonstrating this
power, while acting closer and still closer in unison
with all that is grand and beautiful in this vast universe of animated nature.
MY BROTHER: I would not willingly attempt:
to coerce any man into the acceptance of a
thought he could not comprehend, permitting theconscience of every individual to dictate to him
concerning what is right and what is wrong, as he
is responsible alone to God for whatever consequence may arise by mistake, or otherwise.
But, while we are convinced that every one who
feels a principle at work within him, evoking
another for which the soul of man has sought
possession, such will be awarded to it. The world
may carp at and ridicule all that appertains to
Spiritualism; the ways of God may seem almost
mysterious in the eyes of some, but to the enlight



ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 95
ened ones of earth no mystery can be seen, and
wonder-stricken do they seem, and are when men
of science and philosophy avow eternal hatred to its
principles; showing, as they do, a morbid and
depraved condition, better fitted to insure a course
of spoilation than an honest one.
But while we would prefer another plan, we,
are not bigoted enough to claim the adoption of
our course when others are presented better calculated to improve man's status here, and in the
coming future give him proof substantial that a
God of love and mercy has not been unmindful of
him. This is the enlightenment\ we would crave,
being, as we know it is, the grandest, most glorious and noble attainment man can possibly aspire
to. That being, based on truth, must cheer the
soul with frequent glimpses of ethereal light, elevating the mind, enlightening the soul, giving happiness and contentment here, and a happy and celestial home in the summer land. AMEN.




AN ESSAY ON PAPER.
FEELING disposed to comply with your wishes,
we resume the subject commenced last night, not
that we expect to elaborate so as to instruct you,
but you may possibly derive some amusement
through a means but little anticipated.
Your object was more to show your wife the
power a spirit could exercise over your mentality,
by producing something you feel you could not
produce unaided by such power.
Therefore are weanxious to convince her that
a spirit, under right conditions, is capable of all
you have represented. With these few remarks,
we will commence our essay.
To elaborate an essay, based upon the above
single word " P.aper," seems almost absurd, but it
is our province to try.
Paper, at the present period, has become an
article of vast appreciation, from which one standpoint you may view it, whether as auxiliary to
man's happiness, or otherwise.
Look at the condition of the man who requires
a loan at the hands of another; does he think the
lender would trust to him a sum of money without
security in writing? We think a prudent man
would hesitate to do so. You, and some others,




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 97
might, under the influence of a strong psychological control, be led into such an unwary act, while
the mass of mankind would avoid the risk. With
the same desire to oblige his neighbor, think you
a man, whose circumstances were limited, would
dare take another's word without ample security?
Verily, a suspicious world is this of yours, and
time, indeed, a change should be effected to improve its condition, and then your paper might be
used for other purposes than keeping men honest,
and checking the unholy practice of deception.
Then might paper be applied to such a righteous
end that man, while seeking knowledge from th e
bye gones, might find a record useful to him left
on paper-seemingly a resurrected message from
the imagined dead, detailing facts of wondrous
import to the world at large, that might be deemed
a legacy of value almost inestimable. But to continue thus our theme can be but a repetition of
the numerous uses to which paper may be successfully applied.
To enumerate a few must we confine our effort
in this essay.
Paper, as a means of perpetuating thought, is
most invaluable. A thought, the most brilliant,
committed to man's memory only, would soon lose
its brilliancy and effect. Each mind that received
it desirous of imparting to others the benefit thereof, in giving utterance, would vary, of necessity,
7




98  ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
and so change in circulation from the original;
whereas, were it recorded and preserved on paper,
no mutilating change could take place; years
might roll on, but the record is' still there, neither
added to nor diminished, the faithful paper' holds
in freindly custody the gem submitted to its care.
Here, then, is paper useful; but does its usefulness
stop here?  Ah, no!  The tender maiden in her
fondest mood, casts upon its snowy surface glances
of deep affection, and these are reciprocated in
words of glowing fire from a soul of kindred love,
expressed in written characters upon a pure white
sheet of paper.
Thus, in mute, but loving tones, the soul's best
affections are transmitted from hemisphere to
hemisphere, thrilling every fibre of its nature, and
pulsating through every artery and vein, making
for a time, a paradise of earth. Need we limit
our estimate of paper's value thus?  Oh, no!
Look from pleasure to business, and mark its untold value.
A general recipient of love, of hate, indeed, of
every passion known to man; honest and dishonest
acts recorded on its once pure white surfaceall his virtues, all his vices emblazoned there immutably,' making a study for a lifetime.
Without paper, what use would life's experience be? Memory would fail in reference to past
events; no dependence could be attached to so




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 99
uncertain means of proof; but paper, coalesced
with ink, makes plain the matter, and puts beyond
all doubt the facts presented, if faithfully recorded.
There are other uses to which we might refer
you, and none more important than that after man
has left this life, the written record of his will and
purpose remains, by which the law of equity and
justice is enforced, and the innocent and helpless
become recipients of their legitimate right.
Then say not paper is a useless thing, but
rather view it as a boon inestimable, and worthy of
the highest gratitude to Him who thus directs
His angel messengers to aid humanity in such discoveries as to render human life secure and happy. A MEN.




A  LONG  EXPERIENCE  IN  THE  SECOND
SPHERE.
PERSONAL NARRATIVE OF A SPIRIT WHIO LIVED ON
EARTH THIRTY THOUSAND YEARS AGO!APPEARANCE OF THE EARTH AT
THAT DISTANT PERIOD.
INTIMATION-A spirit from the outer spheres is
now approaching who has had ages upon ages of
experience in the second sphere. He will leave a
transcript, depicting the feelings of those so long
condemned to dark captivity. He will also leave
you an older and more truthful record of the
earth's existence than that of the Bible.
It would not be well, then, to miss this opportunity of exposing this ancient misteaching in regard to a matter of so much interest and import.
ance.
PREFACE AND REFLECTIONS.
Age after age had thus rolled on, yet no power
appeared to save us from the monotonous thraldom to which sin had made us victims.
Under this irksome weariness we desired and
sought a means to relieve us of an existence seemingly accursed of God and man, which, with its
unending tendency, was worse to bear than death,
however manifold.




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 101
Oh, with what horrid imprecations have we
often sought to ventilate our surging passions, and
drive from memory's tablet the recollections of
that life on earth which was spent in total violation
of those laws that the good God had given to
guide us in our earthly pilgrimage.
Such paroxysms drove us at times to the brink
of mad despair, but whispers soft came to our
ears, saying: "There is something still beyond
this life of suffering thou, yet mayest reach, whereby
alleviation of thy woes may be effected; therefore,
be not rash in what thou doest, but wait with becoming patience thine allotted time.
"This is a comfort granted thee by thy God,
whose patience and justice are as limitless as space,
for, in time, there will be sent thee a good and
holy spirit, charged with mercy and compassion
to the sinking and desponding soul, so, that at a
time when least expected, thou wilt be redeemed
and brought to  fraternize with spirits in the
spheres, who, like thyself, had wandered to and
fro, in this darkened atmosphere, but are now
revelling in the delights of heavenly happiness,
freed from all impurities, and blessing the 4means
so well adapted to their regeneration, and which
has made them sensible of the benefits of pure
justice, received from their father and their God.
"Without these merciful and controlling influences, think you, what an unbearable destiny would




102 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
-have been those almost countless ages of unmitigated sameness in woe and sorrow!
"The men of earth, now wallowing in luxury
and pleasure, little dream of the change awaiting
them, possessed, as they will be, with.a goading
consciousness of what they have lost by inattention to the warning voice of conscience, which is
but the whisperings of guardian angels, who are
anxious to arrest their downward course, and lift
them to a higher and holier condition, which
would fit them for a life of eternal bliss in the
heavenly spheres."
My preface is somewhat long, but these sentiments flood my thoughts, as happy tokens of my
gratitude for liberty so unexpected, that I can
scarcely find a stopping place, and yet it is needful that I should, or else you cannot have my
promised transcript, which I see, clairvoyantly, is.
your most ardent wish. Permit me a moment's
respite before commencing my detail, which you
shall have in candor and truthfulness.
After the preface I have given, I may perhaps
be excused from commencing my narrative at the
earlier stage of my existence. Suffice it then to
say, that at the time I speak of, the earth was rude
and rough in all its phases; indeed, all things remembered, it seemed but a vast desert, unfit to sustain the beings then upon its surface. I speak of the
portions with which I was then acquainted. The




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 103
vegetable world grew rank beyond conception;
all growth was urged by the same gigantic effort
to supply enough for the wants of animal creation,
and man was cared for in a way mysterious to
him, in his then condition. His mind, uncultivated as it was, improved each day by necessity;
his wants, gradually developed, the reasoning
faculties of his soul comprehended means to satisfy
the cravings of his nature; messengers, invisible
to him, were constantly around him, guiding and
directing his movements, instructing him by
kindly efforts to research amongst the supplies
provided for his use.
With such assistance did he gradually discover
the readiest means to supply his wants, and thus
by slow degrees, through many generations, he
improved, and with improvement he slowly advanced to a civilized condition.
QUESTION'BY MaEDIUL-P ermit me to ask how
long the world had then been occupied by man?
ANSWER-From all that can be gleaned, your
earth appears to have been inhabited by mortals
for millions of years, -but that generation after
generation passed into utter oblivion, leaving behind those links of population which continued
the human race.
The dates of creation by the Bible record and
chronology are merely mythical; statements of
man's imagining, totally unworthy any confidence
from thinking men.




104 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
QUESTION-Let me ask, how remote is the
period you are speaking of, at the time of your
advent, and what was the condition of man at that
time?
AN SWER-The period about which you inquire
cannot be less than thirty thousand years ago, and
at that time the condition of man was rude and
uncultivated, as must be supposed.  It was a
period of rapid resuscitation after a general exhaustion of population, and previous generations,
for want of intelligent records, had been forgotten.
Shall I go further with the subject, or resume
my former detail?
QUESTION-I wish you to feel entirely free to
follow your own design, but would ask one question more: At the time of your existence, was
there a means of education established?
ANSWER —The means were sparse indeed, but
I perceive the point you desire to reach: Without education, how could I express myself as I
do? To which I answer: The spheres abound in
means of education, and to such a state of perfection has it attained that progress is very rapid,
giving to the student all that is necessary to
elevate a spirit's nature, and fit it for a celestial
residence and progression.
MEDIUM-This induces another question: Have
undeveloped spirits the same educational privi



ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 105
leges? Assuredly they have, provided they will
seek it; but it must be sought, or in darkness
they remain, like those on earth whose souls are
darkened and obscured by mysterious dogmas,
which originated in the minds of base and sordid
men.
At the time I speak of, men had very different
classifications and attachments to what they have
now. They were mostly attached in bands, sonime
strong and numerous, with little idea of law or
restriction, save that of arrogant tyranny, and
with very loose notions of right or justice. It
would be almost impossible to define such institutions to the present generation. To one of those
bands, however, was I inducted, when a spirit
came and warned me from it, showing conclusively that if I did not comply ruin, and destruction must overtake me.
The chief object of those wretches was the
plunder of their neighbors, and to live without
laboring. Through the spirit's warning, a change
came over my views, and I withdrew at once, determined not to fraternize with such miscreants.
This so incensed the band' that they sought
my life by every means in their power, but ever
and anon there came a whisper to me,-" Fear
not, thou art protected by an unseen hand, therefore be encouraged, thy time of departure is not
yet, but years thou hast in store for thee." After




106 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
this the spirit left me, and never more returned.
I sought the new leader of that band, endeavoring to discover their motive in seeking the life of
one who had never injured them and only tried
to elevate them above the level of the brute creation.
They fiercely accused me of intended injury,
which I successfully explained away-having no
other motive than to bring my whole people to
the best state of civilization then known.
QUESTION-Your words denote a rank as yet
unexplained; you speak of your people? It
was unintentionally spoken, yet such was my
position; a chieftain high of rank and power,
inferior to none around me; respected, I may
say, as much as men' of rank can be, but, alas!
how few there are who wield that power as
righteously as they might.
Their souls not being attuned to strict justice and benevolence, they deny it to those
most in need-the poor and distressed of the
human family.  For myself, I failed to become
the faithful steward I should have been, so
that I sacrificedX the poor man's interest on the
altar of avarice, at whose shrine I finally became a constant worshipper.
Here, then, was the rock upon which my
bark was foundered. Wallowing, as it were,
in wealth, such as those times afforded, I had




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 107
no ear for the cry of distress, but rather filched
from my poor, helpless subjects, to fill my insatiate coffers. Ah, me it was ever so; at times,
when gloating over my untold riches, did the
piteous cry of the poor stricken victims of
distress and penury come to me, but; so  callous had I become, that it never awakened
any sympathy, and I tendered no aid to any.
Oh, my brother, an array of negative sins
is seen but when added to crimes committed,
a frightful catalogue appears, kept involuntarily by myself, written in words of fire on
the tablets of my own heart —without power
to deny, or explain, a single act of my guilty
career of disobedience to the divine will.
But to return to the epitome of my earthlife; think you, was my condition there an enviable one? No, indeed. Nor was I alone in
such condition.
Then, as now, the world though much less
in numbers at that remote period, man had
the same disposition as now; selfishness was
the ruling vice.  There is little, comparatively,
of moral improvement perceptible; the baser
passions of mankind, though  restrained  or
screened, are still as rife, and man, for all his
civilization, is but mortal still.  Your strangling
gibbets are in constant use, and your jails are full.
Murder, lust and immorality, so boldly perpe



108 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
trated and practised that at every turn you come
in contact with the depraved, vicious sons and
daughters of humanity.
This picture is not overdrawn-the myriad
vict'ms of pollution, and foul disease, who, in
the form, became so loathsome, have prayed
for death to release them  from their state  of
irksome bondage, hoping by such change to
cast aside the pains and penalties of sinful practices! And have they found it so? Alas, no;
the change has not effected the expected cure,
they have but changed locations-not conditions.
The undying worm is ever gnawing at their
vitals, the fire still burns within their fevered
souls until tired natureat length succumbs, when
unconsciousness is in mercy granted to such guilty
beings, to stay the ravages sin has made upon
their over-exhausted natures.
Here is a picture that should be stereotyped
on the human brain, as a warning against sin.
If I could but take thee, oh child of earth, to
the regions of space, I might' show. thee the
myriads -of suffering human souls, not writhing in
torture in a lake of fire, but tortured by anguish
indescribable, at the vivid remniscences of. their
past sinful lives!
I mightshow thee one who swayed a sceptre,
and at whose word hecatombs of God's children
have been sacrificed to please the tyrant, who




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 109
with savage satisfaction witnessed the perpetration of such damned crimes, as to make the heart
thrill with horror, that the unbridled passion of
one man should be thus indulged by the sacrifice
of so many!
MY BROTHER: I proposed giving you a transcript relative to the antiquity of this world of
yours. Theology says a period of six thousand
years only have transpired since creation first began. Sucha theory might pass the uncultivated
intelligence of the times when Moses wrote, but
in these days of research and analysis, reasoning
powers and clearness of powers of perception denounce the statement as false and absurd, though
ostensibly from the highest authority, even from
God himself.
The doctors who assert these things, do so in
ignorance, or else they blaspheme against the living God. They, as teachers of the masses, are
like unto the father, who, when asked by his child
for bread, gave him a stone.
Geology presents to mankind at large, such
convincing proofs that creation commenced long
antecedent to the Bible a'ccount, that the human
mind is forced to accept the evidence as entirely
conclusive, and recognize science as superior to all
the sophistry employed by theologians to deny or
disprove the facts.
Man's energy, reason and research have piled




110 ANGEL VOICES FROM TIIE SPIRIT WORLD,.
up testimony so voluminous and complete that all
attempts to conceal the stupendous truth must
fail. The earth, upon which you live and move,
has been the habitation of the human race through
ages almost uncountable-past and gone, far beyond the possibility of human reckoning.
Changes have followed changes, until further
mutation seems impossible; but still, to angel vision, it is perfectly clear that others are at hand
more important than any of the former.
Amongst all the creatures ever known on earth,
man, only, is progressive. His immortal soul can
never die, and hence, is ever struggling forward,
aided by the great laws of nature, which none
may transgress and escape without paying the
penalty, be the same large or small. Nothing is
forgiven, and nothing is compromised. Man runs
his caieer of sin until satiety becomes a curse, sin
grows hateful, pleasure turns to pain, and sweet
into bitter; eventually, the wretched transgressor
is entirely prostrated and helpless, surrounded
with the constantly recurring and agonizing horror of gazing continually upon his conscious
guilt.
Thus is sinful pleasure  repaid in suffering
by the law of uncompromising justice, and man's
stubborn nature is utterly subjugated and humbled in proportion to his misdeeds.
Reaction is one of nature's fundamental laws




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 111
against evil. Man runs his sinful course until,
overwhelmed by its enormity, he sinks hopelessly
under the accumulation; but' in due time the merciful law of just retribution opens to him a means
of escape, and when, recuperation comes, his happiness is enhanced, for he feels unbounded gratitude to his Creator for that impartial rendering of
justice which places him on perfect equality with
all other regenerated spirits, no biased favors having been extended to him, or any one.
The Christian Bible, with its swaying uncertainties, and doctrines of partial favor, would
teach otherwise; but here is truth immaculate,
presented to the grasp of human reason by one
who has had bitter experience through untold ages
of monotonous unrest.
To return to our original subject: all nature
teems with evidence to disprove even the possibilityof the Bible assertion that this world of
yours was created in six days; because, at best,
nature works but slowly, and how could it be possible that a work of such stupendous magnitude
could be effected in so short a space of time, even
supposing a day meant an age, as some Bible apologists claim? Science steps' in and tells you, by
simplest facts, it can be no such thing; ages upon
ages have transpired, and yet no evidence have
we that God or nature ever ceased to work.
This is truly shown by my own evidence,




112 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
through every change which has occurred in all
the ages of the past which I have witnessed, and
down to the present time, progression still continues. Yet your Bible states that God (being
tired) stopped his work, and rested on the seventh
day, though all the work was done by his mere
word, or utterance of His almighty will!
What think you, 0 reasoning mortal, of a God
so very human as this?-the Creator and Supreme
Ruler of the seen and unseen universe, stopping
to rest Himself as a tired human machine. Man
must seek a more enlightened guide than this.
book, or than any of the doctrines founded thereon, before he can rest satisfied, or be convinced of
a life hereafter and a happy immortality beyond
the grave, which is really the bottom-the great,
the one essential to human happiness?.When a soul feels thus assured', what can distress or dismay it? Yea, what can you conceive
to compare with the unclouded consciousness of
being immortal?  Anxious doubts and fears
always cling to and surround the Christian whose
doctrines deal not in realities, but in hopes alone;
quite unsatisfactory to the. ardent spirit, whose
aspirations are all heavenward, and in proportion
to the force of his faith, his very being is paralyzed
by the shuddering terrors of an eternal, ever-enduring hell, as if the errors of a purblind, incomplete, and almost evanescent mortality, could cor



ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 113
respond with the intensity of unending torture.
The Christian finds no solid place whereon to
base his expectations of a future life, but groping
in the murky darkness of a twisted, contradictory
creed, he finally leaves earth-life to find himself in
another, a doubting, fearing, groping spirit still.
I shall now allude to another phase of earthlife: the contentious disposition of the various
religious sects, where each polemic assumes to be
God's champion, specially delegated.
What kind of an insignificant God could he be,
let me ask, for whom any of these mentally mutil
ated creatures could act as proxy? Assuredly not
the Supreme Ruler and Director of the universe.
Whence proceed their quarrels and hatreds of each
other? Is it that they deem God an eccentric
partisan, and hence are prompted to abuse each
other, through jealous feeling for the partial distribution of His gifts?
Let us terminate these thoughts, and try to
soar beyond an atmosphere so dark and gloomy,
to a brighter, happier realm where, light shines in
upon the enlivened soul, giving zest to all its surroundings, and lifting it beyond the confines oi
temporal influence to a higher and holier state,
beyond the ken of mortals, where the enfranchised
soul can best assert its rights and privileges, becoming the associate and complete equal of angels,
8




114 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
bright and pure and holy. As regeneration proceeds, by which ethereal things are comprehended, the newly admitted soul assimilates with
heavenly things, and heaven soon becomes the
place of promised rest to those who have sought
it in spirit and in truth.
The animus of human virtue is progression
By natural law the soul seeks for ethereal knowledge, and based upon the solid principle of common sense, each earnest effort is rewarded by truth
that yields to the children of earth returns more
precious and comforting than all the mere worldly
riches to be accumulated.
It is time to return to our original theme: the
Bible's creation of your world. The power of
God is infinite, and his wisdom omniscient, as all
things in nature prove conclusively; and where,
we would ask, is there a man enlightened by common sense, and whose reason is unwarped by prejudice, could accept that his God. would require
the' creatures of His power to receive, as revelation from Him, a record so abounding in contradiction?
Where the baffled searcher fails to find, not
only convincing truth, but, much less, consistency
in the simple understanding of it.
Who can discover the mark of divine wisdom
within the lids of this book? Its tendency is opposed to all that is liberal and just, giving. errone



ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 115
ous bias to men's thoughts, and begetting complication, where a plain, ungarbled statement would
fully answer every honest end designed. It must
be productive of repugnance, the compelling of
enlightened men to accept that which they cannot comprehend of their own reasoning powers,
but have forced upon them' the dictation of wily
priests who, deeply versed in sophistry, delude
their confiding listeners with solemn complications of mystical nonsense.
Remove this evil barrier, and half the work
will have been accomplished, so that an epoch
would follow to bless humanity, by giving such
tutors as will reach the'inner souls of men, with
such enlightenment to their spiritual natures as
the spirit world stands ever ready to impart, but
in accordance with the divine law, must be
sought. Ask, and you shall receive; we are ever
ready to give you that which shall be lasting as
time itself. AMEN.




THE CENTRAL POWER OF NATURE:
GOD'S GOVERNMENT.
Is THE universal government of nature carried
on by one grand central power, called God,
without the intervention of others, supposed to
exist?
The first effort we shall make is to prove that
God's government being omniscient, admits of no
other existent power equal to it, or in -any way
approximating, or independent of it. That in
all of its ramifications, infinite wisdom  can be
traced, and nothing imperfect or defective can be
detected.
Therefore, are we forced to the conclusion,
that no assistance can be required, to carry out
the magnificent plans of God's government.
Man may often imagine the possibility of improvement in many things connected therewith,
until his vanity has even prompted him to experiment, so far as his finite mind is capable of analyzing nature's or God's works; when to his shame
and confusion, he is invariably (unless insanity ensues) compelled to acknowledge his incompetency
to even comprehend their vastness, much less
offer an improvement upon the slightest and
most unimportant work of creation.




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 117
Here then it is conclusively proven that the
Almighty works by laws, the scope of which extends so far beyond the human understanding,
that man, in his finite ignorance, cannot comprehend the nodus operandi of a government so vast,
and yet so minute in all its proportions, that the
mind of man fails to discern, much less contemplate the extent of its glorious grandeur. Is he,
then, (the creature) a fit reformer of those works
belonging strictly, to the hands of the Creator?
Oh, no. Let him quietly receive instructions
from the angel world, where the agents and messengers from the great center are employod to receive and impart His holy and divine behests for
the governing of those whom  He has created,
wherein they will they find great reward. The
daily and hourly preparation  going on within their own souls, would be fitting them to
become, in their turn, promulgators of those divine truths, and by which they would advance to
be agents and co-workers with the heavenly hosts,
in the subordinate departments of God's Government.
Were it possible for the finite perception to
take a microscopic view of the more elaborate arrangements for the conduct of this vast machine,
no such question as the one we are now replying
to could occur to either thought or reason.
Each movement of nature's system, shows the




118  ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
complete adaptation of one portion to the other,
securing beyond all contingencies approaching to
failure of its intended purpose; so that every
creature who has attempted to prove inconsistencies or imperfections in the laws of God and nature, either by theory or practical experiment,
has been submerged in convictions of his own
ignoranice.
Mankind, in all ages of the world, has been
much employed in theorizing; and oh, how many
many brilliant intellects have been wrecked on
the shoals of experiment, who, had they been
properly directed, or had suffered themselves
to listen to spirit teachings, might' have become
shining stars in the galaxy of human talent!
Thus has the world rolled in its orbit, carrying
around in its diurnal motion, minds of such
varied calibre, and dispositions of equally varied character, that in every direction you perceive the germ of intellect struggling, in its incipient condition, to rise above its surroundings, and
soar into the regions of untold space in search of
something it craves, but in earth-life never, never
can reach.
This, however, is the elemental ambition of
man which is ever expanding; and when in the
direction of eternal wisdom, it seeks a closer affinity therewith, until at last a lifetime on earth has
been expended, and the seeker finds himself far




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 119
distant from  perfection.  Yet, in the renexved
search after divine truth, never tiring, but, through
the enlightening influence of spirit inculcations,
seeing fresh and continuous beauties in the limitless garden of ethereal beauty, implanted in those
spheres by infinite love and.wisdom, for those who,
through all time, will be apportioned to enjoy
as a reward for a life well spent on earth.
Here, then, would seem to be the culmination
of happiness to the spirit, which has now realized
an entire suspension of the trials and perplexities
of earth-life-but it is not so. Far beyond are
other scenes still, of which, but a glimpse is given
as a stimulus to progress, and by which, the
awakened soul becomes animated and incited to
greater exertions.
But this is rather digressing from our subject:
Can this universal government be carried on by
the one great central power? Oh, what a question to be asked by mortal man-one who has been
created by that power, and whose perceptive faculties carry him so short a;distance in his desires
to know the eternal future. [Is it not said that God
is infinite-what, then, is the significance of this
term? Can the puny mind of man grasp its
wondrous import? Oh, no. Therefore let him
be content to receive this teaching from the
spheres.: Infinity admits of no compeer comparison fails, and man, under the conviction of his




120 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
own nothingness, sinks abashed, but yet continues
the constant, sedulously sought object of infinite
compassion and holy love.
We say, then, cease to ask the idle question: " Is
that great central power assisted in its government
by aught of. any distinct power?" for the ONE
GRAND INFINITE, being, as the term implies, of itself beyond and above all things else, is capable of,
and does carry on the divine government, and by
such agencies as the elements of divine wisdom
see fit by and through which nought but harmony exists, and one universal condition-perfect rule, pervades the created universe. AMEN.




FUTURE LIFE.
SOME SAY THAT THE DETAILS OFIA FUTURE LIFE
ARE TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE.
MY BROTHER: Whatever may be the opinions
expressed as to a future state, each individual who
contemplates it must feel desirous that the most
favorable description rendered may be true, and
merely express such doubts in order to excuse
their own indifference about investigation. Too
much engrossed with Mammon to devote a short
period of their time to rational inquiry, they thus.
treat lightly the knowledge acquired by the industrious investigations of others.
Look around you and you will see just such
individuals, generally, the most indefatigable in
their attempts to obtain worldly riches, not always discriminating closely the right or wrong
of their attempts; but'to procure riches all their
mental and physical energies are directed, never
for one moment entertaining a thought that some
exertion should be made in search of heavenly
truths.  Should you tell them  the reward for all
such efforts would be a manifold compensation for
their labors, instantly would you hear in excuse:
" At some more, convenient time we may, make
the much desired effort."  Ah! say ye so, ye silly




122.ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
mortals?  How know- you the morrow will be
thine, much less the years of coming time?
Thou little knowest how many of the teeming
millions now existing may, within a brief period,
be swept away all unprepared, and hast thou assurance of exemption?  Perchance it may be so;
but is thy chance more than one amongst the millions we have named? Canst thou not see that
the vain and foolish expectation which thou art
hugging to thy soul is but deceiving thee?
Arise, we say, from this untoward lethargy,
and show' thou art not spiritually dead to that
which is in store for those who seek to find it.
All things in heaven demand research, and
wilt thou stand in obtuse indolence, overwhelmed
in the world's depravity, and see thy friends advance and pluck the very treasures so long proffered thee by thy guardian spirits, who have striven
to break the barriers arrayed against thy progress?
Time is, waning;. and with unmeasured pace,
Investigation is progressing, leavxing  thee and
others like thee, a prey to discontent and misery,
the sure concomitant of sad indifference.
We cannot see the slightest reason why the
thought is entertained, that aught thy Maker has
in mercy given thee can be deemed too good. To
entertain a thought like this shows but distrust in
1His almighty goodness, therefore would we at




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 123
once condemn its utterance as being unwise and
almost blasphemous; for He who gives in love and
mercy supplies in bounteous measure.
In all thy doings act in such a manner that thou
canst feel thou hast partly carried God's bounteous
gifts, not boastingly, but with manly mien accept
the boon presented. No need within the presence
of the holy angels thou shouldst utter plaintive
statements of thine own depraved condition. Thy
record will be seen, whether acknowledged or
not. The All-seeing eye will be upon thee, and no
subterfuge will then avail thee. The fiat will have
then gone forth which stamps thee fit for heaven
or not. AMEN.




SPIRIT COMMUNION.
ARE NOT THE DECLINING YEARS OF HUMANITY
VITALIZED AND STRENGTHENED BY
SPIRIT COMMUNION?
MY BELOVED HUSBAND: This thought might
have originated in the mind of your friend by contemplating your condition, and therefore does it
gladden our h'earts to perceive the fruit of our
efforts to change and improve your condition, both
physically and spiritually; for a proof like this is
to us more potent and satisfactory than aught else
could be adduced. Is it not said " By its fruit shall
the tree be known."  We therefore thank our God
and Father for this result.
But, my husband, we must hasten to give our
mature friend and brother some thoughts that will
give him pleasure, combined with instruction,
which he is ever seeking and therefore measurably
prepared for. The motive power working within his
soul is ever prompting his research in such direction as may evolve thoughts and ideas far beyond
the material standard, resting upon his experience
of the one, but looking forward with anxious expectation of something in the future; hence are
all his aspirations upward and onward, leaving




ANGEL VOICES RROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 125
others far behind him groping, as it were, in material darkness, whilst he is soaring to the far beyond. And why, we ask, is this? Simply because
his inner nature has been awakened somewhat precociously; for has it not been promised "he that
seeks shall find," and is not every effort of his
mind a seeking for the something his soul is ever
yearning for? Is not every question he proposed
but one of the many prayers he offers for enlightened wisdom? And if those prayers are uttered in full faith, shall they not be answered? Yes,
my husband; the angel world are agents acting in
the grand panorama of eternal life, doing their
Master's will and preparing humans for their final
transit. As such we are now acting, and earnestly
beseeching the ability to proceed successfully.
The tide of human life at present seems setting
in a new direction; even the derangement of all
things mundane. A scene of anarchy and deep
confusion seems ready to burst asunder its embryotic confines and spread broadcast among humanity the seeds of universal freedom, based, as it will
be, upon the rock of truth immutable. Is man
prepared for such a change? Can you, O man,
declare it is so? Look around and see the terrorstricken countenances, pallid and care-worn;
affrighted as they are, with even a shadow. How
can they endure the real evil when presented?
We are not fain to terrify with rumors quite un



126 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
founded, but through the sight clairvoyant are
such scenes presented to us, and as a point of duty,
are they given; and if no further, good may come
therefrom, the human mind can thus be urged to
seek improvement in matters vitally involving his
condition in the future.
My husband, I think I hear you ask what has
this to do with your friend's question? To which I
answer it will be our endeavor to connect the two
subjects as rivals to each other, and however
strange this may appear, you will even acknowledge it is true.
The question, seemingly, is somewhat special,
but we claim the privilege of stepping somewhat
beyond that specialty, in order to establish our
position.
You ask if spirit commune tends to vitalize old
age, to which we answer, only under right conditions. With some the effort would be useless.
There must exist within the soul of man that with
which the spirit or spirits can assimilate, the same
as in earth-life, or what is termed friendship, in a
degree either warm, enthusiastic or otherwise, as
each soul is gifted and made recipient of such elements as are essential to the desired end. So it is
in a spiritual sense. There must be either a natural or an acquired desire to be improved by spirit
commune, which, when once perceived, unlocks,
as it were, the element of love conjointly; and he




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 12'
who has the most of love within his soul, imparts
thoughts so imperceptibly from that store of vital
magnetism that strengthens and invigorates the
declining physique of him who is seeking immortality at so late a period. of existence.  Here is
seen a beautiful law of indemnity, though little
noticed by humanity. Thousands upon thousands
in the heterogeneous mass of beings closely congregated in your cities suffer most intensely from
poverty, disease, and misery most dire. To such
is oft accorded this vital magnetism, sometimes.
unsought, at others presented by some angel hand
who has sought to awaken in the soul of some
unfortunate, a hope of better things. It is this
vital and sustaining influence that is thrown into
his system, giving strehgth to all his weak resolves,
and proving beyond all cavil, that there is a potent
power at work behind the veil of human life,.experienced but not recognized.
My beloved husband, may we not refer to you
for testimonial of truth in this averment? Look
back but two or three years; your experience
clearly corroborated by others,. all will tend to
show that we, the appointed agents of your God,
have placed within you the seeds'of renovated
health which,.if withdrawn at present, would
cause life's superstructure to fall at once, as if
stricken by some plague token of destruction.
Here, then, the man who believes in spirit vis



128 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
its firom the realms above, must take, as certain
proof, that spirit commune can be so applied to
mortal use that the decrepitude of old age can be
veiled from mortal ken, and the individual so assisted, must in truth confess it is potent in its
influence. It is also true, and to be expected, the
skeptic may, and will, reject this statement. Well,
let him do so; his statement to the contrary will
not defeat our purpose in making known its efficacy in saving many a human being from the effects
of pain and suffering incident to advanced years,
and more particularly among those who, by imprudence or inattention to the laws of health, are
made the victims of an accusing conscience. To
these, particularly, is angel sympathy accorded, in
testimony of expressed repentance. Here, then,
is shown the healing power possessed by disembodied spirits who claim, not for themselves, a
credit for the discovery of some unknown science
which has thus enabled them to cure disease, for it
is but a continued power, diffused throughout humanity, a sort of entailment from that pattern
medium, our elder brother, Jesus. Yes, from him
must have sprung that holy principle of universal
love, at that time imparted, which, like the unused
talent spoken of, was hidden, but which, under the
inauguration of modern Spiritualism, has become
exhumed, and is now with active energy proclaiming the glad tidings to humanity.




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 129
Shall we say more upon this most important
subject, involving, as it does, the eternal interest
of those who, through a long life, may have been
persecuted and reviled because of their belief, as
exhibited to erring humanity through ages past, in
proclaiming God's eternal goodness to every human being, and in the sequel of a life of purity by
the attractive influence of angel love, will be
brought to enjoy eternal happiness?
My husband, the wonder ceases not with death,
for as the mind becomes etherealized, new beauties
constantly present themselves, showing the grandeur and magnificence within the spheres. Then,
would we conjure you to rest your hope on strict
obedience to His'laws; you will be rewarded more
than adequate to your requirements, and to FIim
whose love is over all the world, we now commit.
you. AMEN.
9




THEY SAY I AM CRAZY OR INSANE.
MY SON: The frequent charge that is daily
uttered, such and such a one is insane, will soon
have lost its force amongst those who have been
so antagonistic to the doctrine you, and millions of
the present day, esteem the best and noblest ever
given to man.
But to our text: They call you crazy; and here
we ask, does such avowal make you so?  Are all
your acts of sanity, before you became a medium,
forgotten, and laid aside as nothing?  Can vast
improvement in your moral status prove insanity?
Does integrity of dealing with your fellow-man
add force to such a statement? Can the improved
conception of your God be brought as proof
against your sanity? Is the constant exercise of
common sense a further proof you are insane? Can
your disbelief of meaningless dogmas, often thrust
upon you, afford sufficient proof of your insanity?
Is it because your reason tells you the teachings of
theology meet not the cravings of your soulshould sanction such a charge? Can your affirmation that spirits are your constant visitors, and
hold with you those sweet, communings that tend
to purify your soul and make you feel an increas



ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 131
ing nearness to your God; that makes you know
Him as your father and your friend? Is this a
crime for which they take from you your precious
liberty, so dear to every thinking mind? Would
those'who claim that freedom is a glorious boon
from God, on such absurd pretense, deprive a fellow-being of his God-given rights, by placing such
a one in durance, making him insane in very
deed?
But, ah! how little do they know the solace
given by lips invisible, whom no bars or bolts can
e'en exclude; but in defiance of all earthly espionage can pass unseen by mortal ken, the every
barrier presented; for such avowal as we make
through your organism, would they, did the law
permit, confine your aged limbs and take from you
the right to do our bidding. Sanctioned, as we
are, by a power they cannot contravene, thus
while under spirit guidance, your hand may wield
your pen to advocate the glorious doctrine they, in
ignorance, denounce; aye, in besotted ignorance;
for while they claim to be the servants of the living God, (by his especial call,) as falsely stated,
they know their own incompetence to fulfill the
task assumed by them.
They may boast to a benighted world of their
collegiate learning, they may search the ancient
archives of the past and plume themselves upon
their erudition, but where's the abode of Christ,




132 ANGEL VOICES FROM THIE SPIRIT WORLD.
their so-called leader? Are they not lacking the
one important feature in their Christly mortal? Is
His spirit with them in their costly edifices?  Is
it shed abroad amongst them like a beautiful
aroma, making sweet its.aisles, and by its fragrance giving tranquility and happiness to those
who realize its presence?
With shame and terror must they admit the
accusation just. And yet, while censuring others,
are they not committing the crime of black ingrat-.
itude to Him they call their Savior, by professions
of sincere belief in what He taught, without the
practice of the sundry duties He enjoined upon
them?
But, further on the subject of your craziness,
the law of equity demands a proof direct of every
charge that is brought. On what hypothesis do
they attempt to substantiate this charge against
you, the charge being personal? So shall be our
defense. If difference of opinion be their data, we
readily admit the fact, if this opinion be accepted.
But to such a course we present our protest, and
more particularly in this land of your adoptionthis glorious, free America, the asylum of the persecuted of other climes. Should such a nation, blest
with laws defending freedom, offer violence to free
thought and free speech, in matters appertaining
to the future life of all humanity? Where, we ask,
is justice? Where is that God-like attribute which




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 133
should give to all alike a true and righteous verdict?  If sleep was ever sought by her, the
present time she must have chosen, and left the
present generation quite uncared for. But while
reason holds her sway in mortal minds, some are
still left to enter protest against its possibility.
Is there a being on your globe who would dare
to take upon himself a responsibility half so great
as theology assumes, in daring to assert a trinity of
Gods, as rulers of this universe, and call on men
and women of this time to accept their assertion
as a truth, judging them by the meanest standard
possible, and then denounce them as insane? Are
such men, we'ask, fit and proper persons to adjudge
the sanity, or otherwise, of a single human being,
nursed, as they have been, in ignorance and bigotry, their claim to learning, notwithstanding?
Are they not superstitious and deluded when they
speak to you? With all their boasted learning do
they give a single proof it is useful to.humanity?
The very errors they charge on Spiritualists they
daily perpetrate; presenting dogmras we, above, call
meanignless? They ask you to believe and found
your faith upon them; and because your knowledge,
not belief, of a better doctrine creates disgust
within your nature, they, not comprehending
the facts presented, at once denounce you as
insane.
Can such injustice be continued in the pres



134 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD..
ence of a just and righteous God, whose every act
toward humanity but proves Him good? Wherefore, while man continues inattentive to the monitor
within him, the same unrighteous acts will still
continue, and such conditions, baneful in their
character, must prove a barrier to that improvement needed amongst the masses who, like sheep
within a fold, wait but the movement of a leader
to follow in the direction he may choose. And so
it is amongst the various denominations in religion; they, like sheep, follow their own leader, however reckless he may be; believing, as they often
do, the most outrageous falsehoods, if but uttered
by some sacred, priestly lips. 0, monstrous infatuation! fain would we ask its abjuration; that a
better, holier doctrine might be substituted, more
fraught with tolerance and spiritual beauty, so
that angelic truths might be accepted as coming
from  the source of all truth. When unity of
thought and action might direct the universe,
when principle, opposed to fraud, might gain the
victory, and many thus guided by it, would no
longer wish to raise themselves upon the ruins of
their brothers, but, hand in hand, they would
tread the royal road of progress, supported on
their march by Hope's extended finger, directing
where the Eldorado lies-where love, happiness
and truth, combined, would breathe the breath of




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 135
amity and love. By such a combination all jealousy would cease, and justice claim acquittal for
the accused insane. AMEN.




SPIRITUAISM.
WHAT DOES IT TEACH THAT MEN AND WOMEN ARE
SO UNWILLING TO ACCEPT IT?
MY SON: With joyous feelings do we take
upon ourselves the task of responding to your
question. Eighteen hundred years have passed
away, and half another century, since Christianity  was first essayed on earth, and what has
been the issue?
Based, as it is said to have been, on principles
so pure that no possible objections could be raised
against them-principles uttered by the lips of
one whose purity and goodness could not be impeached; whose soul was filled with love for poor
humanity. lIlany martyrs have suffered torment,
far too horrible to name, while advocating the
principles inculcated by the holy Nazarine. God
and Nature seemed to smile upon the holy zeal
thus manifested, and all went smoothly until dissention and persecution began among the masses,
and those whose zeal had been most manifest, became the victims of the foulest hatred of the human soul. Too weak to stem the tide of persecution, they succumbed, and Christian worship was
suspended.




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 13T
Many efforts did they make at intervals to
throw the yoke from off their shoulders, when, lo!
a deliverer was sent, as if by magic power, to arrest'the bloody scenes enacted among those professing Christianity. The spell was broken, and
the long and cruel persecutions ceased, and
once again was Christianity embraced with intervals of that unrest evoked by bigotry and superstition, and following on the years of time,
Christianity became ascendant; its brief existence
savored not of love and mercy, for unwise councils being preferred and, practiced, human life was
cheap, and victims fell in numbers on the shrine of
mad ambition, to be thought more holy than their
neighbors.
And is it at the present moment one whit better? Are not the same bitter, rancorous feelings
still exhibited, the teachings of their Jesus torn to
fragments and scattered to the winds of heaven,
carrying in all directions the incipient seeds of
discord, even as an embryo epidemic is carried
from an infected. region? Death and desolation
soon must follow, and men be brought lower in the
scale of being than before.
With such an element upon your earth, is it possible humanity can prosper and become the pure
and holy beings they should be?. As applicants for
heavenly joys among the redeemed of earth, can
they lay claim to aught that is promised to such




138 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
as love the Lord and do His bidding when and
where'tis needed? for such should be the aspiration of every living entity who seeks to reach that
home prepared by angel hands.
But let us to our subject: What does Spiritualism teach? To which we answer, all and everything the human soul can need, to fit it for the
heaven prepared for it. Purity of heart has been
the greatest want from generation to generation,
till angel patience might seem almost exhausted;
yet, untiring as they are, with energies renewed,
they come again and again, if possible, to perfect
what they have begun, giving to mortals lessons
of vast importance to their welfare here on earth
and in the distant future, more invaluable than
man can possibly conceive; and if here on earth
these can be deemed so valuable, how must they
be esteemed as gems no time can peril or destroy?
How, then, can man eschew such teachings that
accord so clearly with his needs here and in the
hereafter, where allis changed and quite unknown
to mortals? Each thought engendered there will
need confirming by an intuition from some loving
angel near, and thus, by God's effulgent light, will
each succeeding spirit wend its way through
beauties far transcending all that earthly ingenuity can' possibly devise.
But, "Is this all?" I think I hear the skeptic
ask, Give me proof that God's holy spirits come to




ANGEL VOICES FROM' THE SPIRIT WORLD. 139
earth and demonstrate to mortals that immortality is theirs; that life beyond the grave is yours,
and that error has led the human race and made
them dupes to a deceptive influence; -that truth is
scarcely recognized, for all believe the devil reigns
supreme over all such spirits as are thus employed
by God as messengers to give a lie instead of
truth to mortals. Give us, we say, the proof it is
not so, and we will accept of all that Spiritualists
lay claim to. Far more than life on earth is the assurance that in the eternal future, life and immortality surely will be ours.
God and Nature are ever working to accomplish all that man desires that is in accordance
with the laws of universal justice. Thus, in all
conditions, heaven must be sought for in spirit and
in truth, and it will surely be obtained. AMEN.




WOMAN'S RIGHTS.
IT IS with considerable trepidation we undertake the task of elaborating a subject which has
engaged the close attention of the civilized world,
and well it may, for in it is involved questions
upon which the weal or woe of nations and empires turn.  Woman's rights! What does the
agitation of this question imply? Nothing more
or less than that she is entitled to rights and privileges which have been unjustly withheld from her.
This naturally leads to the inquiry, "W hat are
those rights which she claims, and man withholds?" he arrogating to himself a power which
woman does not willingly recognize, but emphatically denounces as an assumption, and derogatory
to the relative condition she holds to man. There
then do they join issue. Let us see how far her
claims are based upon justice and equity. We
shall be compelled to go back into the past and
inquire whether God or nature, in the formation
of man sought to make him a perfect being at
once, or whether he purposed leaving him gradually to unfold the elements within him, through the
law of progression toward a state of high intellectual development which suit the conditions
necessary to become a ruler and governor of all




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 141
things connected with his mundane condition?
This theory seems somewhat rational in its character, and one which we think we may safely take
upon which to found our succeeding remarks. It
is not our intention to draw any invidious comparison as between the sexes as regards intellectuality, because with the Creator, there is no respect
of persons, but all are treated upon the same immutable principle of justice, therefore we must
admit the equality of woman upon the intellectual
plane ofP existence, whilst physically she is the
weaker, and, consequently, the reliant portion of
humanity, thereby awakening in man the affectionate elements of his nature, and demanding at
his hands that personal protection her weakness
requires when assailed by brute strength, which
perchance might destroy her. It is then man calls
into active motion that of which woman is comparatively destitute, thereby proclaiming man in
that sense, better qualified to rule, for by a combination of equal intellectual powers with the
superiority of physique, man seems best suited to
rule, whilst woman, by her pliability of disposition, and comparative helplessness, becomes a fit
co-worker with man in life's journey. This we
present as the primary or created condition of
man and woman previous to that of a perverted
character, when both parties have seemed to step
aside entirely from the line of domestic travel in



142 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
tended by their'Creator, and have thus become
contentious and discontented with their lot. Here,
then, is the first commencement of a system which
has been the curse of domestic happiness, where
should be cradled elements which if not perverted
and polluted by discontent, would fertilize the
moral culture of man's destiny and preserve intact
that harmonious condition which primarily surrounded humanity. We much fear the possibility
of a return to this desired condition until men
and women both, shall have drunk deep of tribulations and suffering the result of their own perverted doings. We may infer that God made
man physically the superior of woman, that the
excess of power should be for her protection,
ruled and governed1 by the affectional of his nature which as a natural sequence would demand
a similar recognizance from her.
We shall now look at the condition of man
under the influence of feelings antagonistic to
right principles. He possessing power and losing
sight of the divine arrangement, becomes aggressive in his nature, and, step by step, almost imperceptible to himself, advances beyond the limits
prescribed by nature, and thus passes the Rubicon, destructive of that harmony which was intended by Almighty wisdom. Here, then, is the
first invasion of woman's rights, and certainly a
most important one as being the first, for we well




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 148
know whatever may be the difficulties and struggles to avoid the first sinful attempt, when the
barrier becomes once passed, the conscientious
scruples soon'subside, the door being opened,
can seldom be closed, and a retrograde movement
commenced. There then is the difficulty. After
the antagonistic spirit has been aroused, each day
and hour seems to increase its vigor and virulence, and each party commences to search out
for allies to strengthen their position, which they
each endeavor to define advantageously to themselves. Man asserts his power and demands submission thereto, which, had there been no aggression, would still have been, as before, quietly
recognized, but not under the same guise; and
why? because its objectional feature was hidden
and covered up by woman's reciprocation, the affectional display in man for his protective influence thrown around her in the hour of apprehension and danger, but now she deems this fresh,
and to her unnecessary intimation of power, an
infringement of her rights. And thus all the'dormant energies of her nature become alarmed,
and at once she assumes the attitude of defense,
often the result of vague fears of an imaginary
evil, when if she had consulted her own reason,
and followed implicitly its dictates, irrespective of
injudicious advisers, how much of misery and discontent would have been avoided.




144 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
Now, then, we come to that which, perhaps to
many, and more particularly to women, may be
considered the most important portion of our
essay, to describe what we consider the rights to
which woman has an undoubted and inalienable
claim, and which, in our endeavor to mete out impartial justice, would now present for a world's
consideration, as being the best and most efficient
means of setting at rest a question of vital import,
ance to the world of humanity, because, as long as
it is continued an open question, like an open
wound, depletion of the vital principle must continue, therefore would we, agreeable to our
promise, attempt to'define the rights of woman in
the pursuits of life on earth. Woman being
equally the handiwork of infinite wisdom, equally
gifted with reasoning powers, subject to the same
progressive influences for the improvement of the
race, must so far, be deemed man's equal and
should in the presence of her God and the angelic
hosts be recognized, claiming the right to rule
through the affection and reasoning faculties of
man, for it must be admitted as the result of close
observation, that woman's perceptive faculties are
in general superior to those of man, by which
she comes to more rapid and often wiser conclusions than man. Indeed, she may be deemed the
theorizer, while man is the elaborator of her




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 1.46
theories; of course we speak of such matters as.
come within the sphere of her attainments.
Here, then, lies the secret of woman's powerover man, a discreet exercise of which will remove barriers of the most stupendous magnitude,
and to which man may be made to succumb and,
appear strictly obedient to woman's rule. This is:
all in obedience to the law of kindness, a law so
little understood as oftentimes to make the heart
grow  cold.  That the obtuseness of mankind
should be so blind to their own interest as to abrogate the practice of a virtue that may be deemed the universal physician of nature, binding up
the broken hearted, soothing the anguished soul
by its mellifluous sounds, reaching deep down
into man's inner nature, and by its divine influence arresting the vicious in their unhallowed
pursuits, and rescuing the guilty from the perpetration of atrocities which would terminate fatally
to their happiness here and hereafter.'Now, if
such are its holy influences in the broad and extended field of human intercourse, how strange it
is that in the limited circle of a family it should
be ignored and then still circumscribed in its influence on the man and wife, where too frequently it
seems ignored or unknown. Oh, how  many a
useless outbreak might be saved, and that beautiful and harmonious condition be sustained, with-.
out which all the latent heart burnings of humanity are ever rife!        Io




146 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
But to our subject, Woman's Rights: We have
spoken of their equality, which we think will be
readily admitted by every rational, individual as
being a condition well calculated to preserve harmony in the married state. What, then, is the
next right to be established or suggested?  The
right of consultation in all the important matters
connected with their dual condition, for what is
the interest of the one must, under right conditions of mind, be the interest of the other, by
which process their contemplated enterprises may
command success. This is an important matter
because each party, possessing a certain portion of
the wisdom element, subjects of great interest
may be discussed and wiser deductions drawn
from both than one, both being equally circumscribed by right principles. But we can imagine
this question being asked, " Should these parties
form opposite views, who, then, is to decide the
question- -which may not admit of prolix action?"
We answer, under such a state of things, that
both should yield a little, and by compromise,
even if a failure should ensue, yet would they
both bear an equal portion of the loss they might
sustain of whatever character it might be, pecuniary or aught else, hence no discordant feelings
would ensue and harmony still exist. We think
it almost useless to go farther in defining Woman's Rights, conceiving our propositions embrace




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 147
all the fundamental principles of right either man
or woman could rationally desire! The preposterous attempts of women, who claim to be strongminded, should meet with instant reprobation
among all who claim the ability to judge correctly in the premises. The very thing which they
brand as obnoxious in man, who claims the right
to govern woman, would assuredly be the result
of these wild and inappropriate requirements, for
of necessity they must with the privileges also be
constrained to accept a portion of the hardships
to which man is subjected, and their own good
sense, if not perverted, must confess to be altogether incompatible with their physical organization, therefore their position at once becomes
untenable, because of its incompatibility to the
laws of nature, which, whenever violated, at once
recoils upon the individual who attempts to act in
opposition to them.
There are many contingencies in the relative
condition of man and woman in earth life which
we have not noticed, because we think it better to
abbreviate our essay than'to increase its length
without adding to its potency. As a remedial
agent in checking the discontent of woman in regard to' her own estimate of what are her relative and God-given rights, our effort has been
to treat the matter with a view to conciliate both
parties, by a close adherence to truthfulness, un



148 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
biased by any side issues, for the law of candor in
all cases, regulates our'conduct, irrespective of
persons or circumstances, therefore are we led to
hope that men and women both, may deduce from
this essay some ray of divine light to guide them,
promotive of happiness to themselves and as exemplars of truth to others, its ramifications may
extend throughout society to God's glory and
their own immortal condition. AMEN.
ANNIHILATION.
A THEME most horrible to contemplate, and
one of which we shall treat but briefly, for
two especial reasons. The first is the hideous
aspect of the question, with the horror through
which we must contemplate it; the next is the
almost impossibility that men could unite in giving credence to it. Indeed, the thinking mind,,
however depraved, must revolt at such a notion,
and no conviction could for an instant be entertained, much less indulged.
Man's natural instinct seems to shudder at the
thought. To have been; to be; and eventually
not to be —a profound and ghastly reflection!
Is it possible for the human mind, by the




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 149
utmost stretch of imagination, to conceive of human wretchedness more extreme than that which
could elicit such a wish as is implied in that one
word, annihilation, unless impelled by the wildest
insanity? We are totally at a loss to understand
how so repulsive an image could form in a mind
unafflicted with extraneous malady, and find a
word to convey the hateful idea, even from the
most abandoned and forlorn wretch that ever existed!
Take from man all of that upon which he dotes
with unmeasured -fondness; remove far from him
all that can stimulate his ambition; bring him
down from the altitude of power and of grandeur;
place him in abject poverty-nay, take from him
even hope, and can he wish for annihilation? Oh,
no! He will try to penetrate the dimmest, narrowest vistas of time for some inklings of a change,
until in mercy he will assuredly receive some
angel whisper that he shall again live in the untried future.
Let us, then, analyze this somewhat more.
closely, and ask the advocate of such a thought if
there be aught in nature indicative of such a condition. Look throughout the vegetable world;
the seed vegetates, the plant grows, matures and
dies; but does the soul within the seed of that
plant pass into nothingness? Does it not, in proper season, and under proper conditions, fructify




150 ANGEL VOICES FROM: THE SPIRIT WORLD.
and reproduce, and in time again become matured
and die, thus showing that life continues; and as
the soul of man becomes unconscious after death,
as it is called, so like the seed, when it again
germinates, is it restored to a conscious state,
ready for the improving influence of divine and
angel instructions.
Annihilation-dismal and disconsolate must be
the feelings of that man who can contemplate such
a terminus to earth-life. With our own convictions, we are compelled to assert our unbelief in
any such mental condition, while man's reasoning
powers remain intact; therefore would we pronounce it altogether the result of a mal-disposed,
morbid imagination, to be deemed by all reasoning creatures merely a disease, which, thanks be
to God, is not a very prevalent one. AMEN.
CHRISTMAS ADDRESS FROM MY
SPIRIT WIFE.
CHRISTMAS-i869.
ONCE again, my beloved husband, am I pertnitted to address thee on the anniversary of a day
when joy and gladness ever seemed the purpose
of our assembled friends and relatives, who, at




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 151
Christmas, strove to cast all care aside and look
but to the present for enjoyment.  Many and
many a time, with gratitude to God, have we assembled around the festive board, our children,
relatives and friends, in joy and gladness, feeling no
apprehension of the future, but using as best we
could the moments given us in such a manner as
to produce the greatest share of harmony and
love, intuitively perceiving, although not actually
demonstrated to us, that our reminiscences
through eternity would be green and fresh, as
beauteous gems of thoughts in after life.
And such we find them, for now we often dwell
on them in fond delight; that those we love on
earth can still enjoy the same. In all things appertaining to our life on earth, the same undying
interest continues, and will, throughout the endless cycles of eternity. No forgetfulness of all
that's good, but an entire oblivion of all that
seems to us as sinful.
Think you, my husband, earthly scenes of virtuous practice can ever be forgotten? 0, no! in
Heaven they are as valued gems laid up in store
to decorate the brow of he or she who has earned
them-treasures which cinnot be stolen, imperishable and valuable above all price.
But, my husband, more particularly would I
now advert to thine own condition at the present
time. Begirt with friends innumerable, if not of




152 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
earth, a superabundance, yet above in the world of
ether, whither thy steps are tending, wilt thou
find host upon host whose love thou'lt realize as
sterling, genuine love, unalloyed by prejudice or
aught objectionable, not transient, but continuous
through all the varied stages of ethereal life, will
be administered in bounteous measure, but suited
to the capacity given thee to enjoy it. Without
hyperbole of thought or action thou wilt estimate
the beauties of thy heavenly home, for with a
mind attuned in that direction, thy thoughts will
be governed by the law of adaptation. Thou wilt
not tire or have undue aspirations before thou
wert fitted to receive them. And herein lies the
beauty of that heavenly condition. The sweet
contentment thus engendered makes the meanest
cottage a much happier home than a palatial mansion, however grand or magnificent its proportions.
Then with such a prospect, need we say to
you, let all your thoughts be centered here, for
here your treasures are. What worldly means
you have, must be for those who'll have the power
to use them. Thou hast nearly done with them.
Loaned, as they have been to thee, with clear and
honest conscience, canst thou make restitution of
them with satisfactory account of how thou hast
used them, and finally make rendition of them as
destiny requires.




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.  153
A thought has just occurred to me, that on
such occasions as the present, a seeming inconsistency appears, in naming that which to some seems
a solemn  and frightful subject-death, seems
somewhat incongruous; yet to you, my husband,
is it not so. We mean by death, the final change
which ushers into life immortal the enfranchised
soul, and makes it what Almighty God intended it
should be-the inheritor of happiness eternal.
Hence, joy and gladness should be practiced by
survivors on such occasion. Ethereal perception
soon would show them what they call death with
all its outward show of gloom, is but a glorious
change —a new birth which should be celebrated
with joyous, grateful feelings. And as ye rejoiced
over the advent of your first-born, so will the
angelic hosts sing hallelujahs when a fitted soul
presents its claim to Heaven.
O, my husband, no tongue can speak, no pen
can write of such a change, for,'till experienced,
conception cannot reach it.  Above, beyond,
around, all seems mythical to those whose minds
are not ethereal.
And now, my husband, another Christmas is
passing; enjoy it, I would say, as if it were your
last; and yet another, and still another may be
yours.  Let not the loss of earthly existence
trouble -thee-thy mind should look beyond it.
What value can it be to thee; its brilliancy has




154 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
becomnie dimmed to thee, comparatively. And yet
thy sight responds to all that is beautiful in
nature. The gist of former years has fled in strict
proportion; as ethereal things have risen in thy
esteem, terrestrial things have dwindled. As,twas said, thou canst not serve God and Mammon, hence thou hast been prepared by angelic
teachings, to become aspirant for that which
seems more suited to thy nature, prepared, and
still preparing for that better life, the Alpha and
Omega of all who are unperverted and free to do
their Master's will.
And here we close our subject, dear to us in
all its several points, with a full conviction that
time alone is needed to accomplish all we have
projected, under wiser counsel than all that priestcraft could devise-that God's own truth with potency should rule and govern all things. When
universal peace and harmony will be the basis
upon which a government shall stand, immovable
as the rocks of ages, permanent as time itself, and
lasting through all eternity. AMEN.
BIBLE DISTRIBUTION  CANVASSED.
How a man, possessing the experience of the
writer of this article, in this enlightened age can,
for a single moment, entertain the conviction
that God, or what he calls Nature, could attempt




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 155:
to palm upon mankind a book containing more
untruths than almost any other book extant, as the
actual work of Deity, written under inspiration
partly, and other portions directly imparted to such
men as Moses, and others, to hand down as truth
imparted to them by divine and holy inspirations,.
thereby making God a greater sinner than all history in the most barbarous times record.
Are these the proofs God gives that infinite
wisdom governs all his acts? Would such a God
be chosen, if choice were given to puny man, to
rule and govern this vast universe?  Forbid it
Heaven! that such a God should ever wield a
power so great. 0, no! God and truth being, as:
it were, co-workers in one common cause, commit no errors. Enactments made by him  bear the,stamp of truth immutable; and, when read as such,
become obeyed and held in duteous reverence by
all who know the source from whence it sprang.
But to the subject —Is the Bible a God inspired
work? To this we answer, No. Where, we would
ask, can proof be shown it is? Take the entire
volume; scan it carefully; give it every favorable
interpretation you can; be lenient as you can in
your research; and where is the infallibility so.
often claimed for it? Know ye a book containing
such an amount of matter, interlarded as it is with
inconsistencies and even falsehood, that would be
for one instant tolerated by even liberal criticism?




156 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
No man of sense or learning, uninfluenced by
some sinister entanglement, would dare to recommend it as a whole to form the basis on which
to found a religious creed, unless God, or Nature,
had provided means whereby its meaning might
be made more clear to millions who have tried to
comprehend its mysterious teachings, held as such
by men who undertake a task they are not able
to accomplish.
True, they may attempt it, but do they succeed?
Has I8oo years' tuition produced a single proof
the Bible is infallible? Age after age has come and
gone, with little alteration made, but such as
have been forced upon them by the power of outside pressure of truth and liberal sentiment. And
as men's minds become enlightened —the blind
fanaticism of bye-gone times will vanish, and
truths, (not Bible truth) as some express themselves, but God's immortal truth, shall sway the
minds of men and women to the extirpation of all
that is doubtful and erroneous, not leaving a single error standing in the way of universal progress, thus bringing man into a more distinct relation with his God and the angel world. Until
then, as time rolls on, this earth will be the scene
of discord, strife, and all the base concomitants of
ignorance and superstition. Hence, all that tends
to bring the minds of men in closer rapport with
their God, the higher and holier aspirations of their




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 15T
souls will rise to Him, and peace and happiness
shall be the lot of all who love the truth, because
it is such?
But once again we turn to Bible matter. God
never created a single human being without imbuing him  with a power adequateto shield him
from all harm that might assail him where most
weakness was exhibited, and that is where the
passions demand restriction.  Even when darkness reigned throughout your land, ferocious men
attacked each other as if the hell that is spoken of
had let loose legion upon legion of incarnate
fiends to sweep your fair and beauteous lands with
fell destruction.
Was it Bible influence that checked the mad
career of horrid war? Did Bible teachings heal
the wounds and bleeding sores of poor humanity
upon the battle-field and in your hospitals, where
groans and sighs were heard from morn till night?
D)id Bibles give the hungry food, or clothe the
naked forms of your emaciated soldiers? Could
Bibles give to man a blanket when it was needed
to protect him in the hours of partial sleep? Of a
Bible he might, perchance, have made a pillow
were it large enough. Would all the Bibles in
your land, heaped high as Babel's Tower, have
turned the tide of battle, and given victory to the
right?  We think no individual possessing common sense would answer otherwise than.No.




158 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
With such conviction how should Bibles be appreciated? Give men solid truths, in language
they can comprehend, and give the Bible where it
is more needed. The money spent in publishing
such stacks of Bibles,: if judiciously expended,
would supply with material comfort thousands
upon thousands who, in misery, bewail incessantly
-their gaunt and squalid poverty. At home, surrounding you in all directions, may be seen what
we have spoken of,. misery and destitution left unnoticed by the strenuous advocates of Bible distributions.
Methinks I see a family in hungered state, almost starvation, presented with a Bible by some,
perhaps good-intentioned person; the gaze of
sheer astonishment brings paleness to the cheek;
indignant flashes from the bleared and sunken
eyes give rebuke and condemnation of the act.
And do you marvel that such an act as this
should stir the angry passions of a starving family?-better have taken as many loaves as the cost
of that Bible would have paid for. The glow of
gratitude engendered by such an act, would have
been impressed upon the donor's soul through
all eternity. Are not these truths no one can contradict? You are' not satisfied with home consumption; but the heathen must be taught its value. Heaven and all its beauties God has shown
through nature; not using His infallible produc



ANGEL VOICES FROM TIIE SPIRIT WORLD. 159
tions for such a gracious purpose, preferring to apply it to some other use. And so conglomerate is
it, that sapient men and women fail to comprehend
its real meaning, and when found at fault, declare,
although a statement, there is made, the meaning differs from what is there expressed. Is this
proof the book is still infallible? We think a
larger share of common sense, and less of mystery, would better suit the purpose. In nature, all
things are simple as need be when the mind of a
true investigator seeks the council of the wise and
good, by which all mystery has vanished as the
dew drop before the rising sun.
But little more we will say about this book of
books, containing truths we willingly admit, but
so covered up with vagaries and untruths, they are
scarcely visible unless by microscopic scrutin'y.
And this we do not want as a means of teaching
that which Nature gives gratuitously to all of every
grade. Her book is always open, and written in a
language known to all. Letters large enough for
all, and being kept constantly before man's vision,
he becomes familiar with the reading, nor wants a
teacher other than some angel friend who, lingering
near your earth, perceives your needs and readily
supplies them. Then lay aside a book worn out, no
longer useful as a means of teaching, but impressed with gratitude for whatever good it may have
done. Speak of it as you would of an old friend




160 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
whose companionship you have often sought to
beguile some leisure moments, but never as a guide
or counsellor; having no faith in such advice as
he would give; and when life's journey seems
about to terminate, look not to Bibles, priests,r or
deacons, for advice to guide you on your road to
heaven, for hosts of angels will be there to give
escort to the summer land. AMEN.
HOPE,
To BE acceptable, must be founded upon something tangible, something man's reason must, or
can grasp, otherwise? it is unsatisfactory or vague.
To hope-what is it? How shall we define it?
A something incomprehensible; a mere shadow,
without the substance; flitting, untenable, and void
of interest; flattering, but uncertain; yet it is
called the anchor of the soul. Strange misconception of its character. Better call it a seducer, offering blandishments where solid truth would
better subserve the interests of humanity. 0, how
often has it flitted across the path of some wouldbe expectant soul, perverting its every movement,
and inducing thoughts so adverse to its prosperity-a fallacious expectation of some fancied




ANGEL VOICES FROM TEIE SPIRIT WORLD. 161
grandeur or renown, until disappointment, may
ensue, and all of expectation thus is lost, sinking
the soul in black despondency.
But still, there is a hope which seems to brighten as it grows within the human soul, under the
fostering care of angel minds, so beautiful and
steadfast, that all around it seemns substantial and
legitimate, being founded on certainty, so pronounced by angel lips, and thus enstamped with
truth immutable.
On this the soul may dwell as firmly as upon
the promise of its God; for, being thus promised,
may be expected, and no failure can ensue. Thus
substituting expectation for hope, thereby arousing the dormant soul to action, giving to it a fer-vent expectation of a serene and happy future in
the Happy Summer Land. AMEN.
A GENERAL EXPIATION THROUGH JESUS.
WE ARE told that the only terms of salvation
to be attained, are by and through the sacrifice of
Jesus; if so, what will become of those who never
heard His name?
This question, of necessity, involves another;
therefore we shall proceed at once to show the fallacy of such a proposition.
LI




162 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
There is no foundation whereon to base so
vague an assertion. It can, at best, be viewed but
as figurative-not positive. Let its advocates
only consult their reason, and analyze each portion
of the subject, giving common sense sufficient
room to act in unison with reason, when suddenly,
the position becomes untenable without a single
prop to sustain its crumbling walls.
Man may attempt to prove the contrary, but
such attempts must fail, because opposed to reason. To think a man like Jesus, endowed with
all the virtues possible to mortal being, should
thus be sacrificed to appease the wrath of God
-His father! Can any thinking being imagine
such a demand being made? and still farther, in
strict accordance with the attribute of mercy, zwisdom and even-handedluystice!
Would a reasoning man, without actual knowledge of the fact, accuse an ordinary fellow-mortal
of such atrocity? And yet it is our universal
Father-God! who is thus maligned.
Justice, thou God-like attribute, thy sword,
though keen and sharp as need be, must seem too
dull to wreak vengeance on the heads of those who
originated such calumnies! The meek and lowly
Jesus never claimed the rank of a universal Savior; never sought equality with God, nor named
himself as more than human.'Yet, would those
devotees to orthodoxy make Him God-the very




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD   163
God-part and parcel of a trinity not comprehended by themselves, though offered as a fact not to
be questioned by the masses-a truth indubitable!
Whereas, a statement of such grand importance
to humanity, demands of right, some proof to be
adduced by which corrobaration may be had, and
all of doubt removed, giving to man a system
well authenticated by means indisputable.
We feel it is needless to offer more, havingshown the improbability, or rather impossibility,,
of such a plan as that universal salvation could
result from one man's death.
To charge such folly upon a God of infinite:
wisdom —to make a father sacrifice His only son;
and even taking their own Bible testimony, copied
into their ritual, a God, triune in His character,
coming down to earth, assuming mortal form, offering Himself a sacrifice to appease His own
wrath! Finally, on Calvary's cross renounces life,
and leaves this stubborn world of humans without a guide or governor. So monstrous a concatenation of absurdities on which to found a'faith,
cannot be found on record, but itself.
While we look upon it as a fable, we must give
its supporters credit for indomitable perseverance.
Had they employed this in a better cause, success
might ultimately have crowned their efforts; but
as it is, disintegration has taken hold upon their
system, and all the exertions they can make will




164 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
be but useless, for men of the present era look for
something better based than such theology.
The angel hosts no longer stand inert, doubtful
as to their reception; the human soul is opening
wide its portals to receive the immortal truths
they bring to banish from the minds of all humanity the darkening influences of mystified theology,
and substituting therefor a brighter, holier doctrine, which asks for no support, other than reason
and common sense supplies.
And now, my brother, we will turn and take a
review of the necessity of such a sacrifice: Will
common sense exhibit to your view a single point
on which to rest a reason why such a sacrifice was
needed? A thousand arguments might be produced to prove it non-essential, without a single
reason appearing to show why it should be enacted. Every person seeking safety comprehends
some danger threatening him, and looks, accordingly, for the aid essential to his security. Nature
prompts such desire; self-preservation being evidently a component in all living things; hence,
would we infer that man, while seeking safety, or
salvation, should strive to attain the most reliable
means to fulfill the desired end.  Can our untrammelled convictions accept as such the plan proposed in Jesus' crucifixion?
What a stretch of imagination, that a single
death of a righteous individual should effect the




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 165
entire salvation of all the myriads who have lived,
now live, and are to live transiently upon this
earth.
Enumerate, if you can, the numbers that have
passed away; and those who are yet to come, and
you may have an aggregate of folly and falsehood
unparalleled! Hence it is, that looking from the
various standpoints, nothing can you see but dark
theology floundering in the midst of chaos, wishing to escape, but utterly incapable. With all
their endeavors, through creeds and dogmas, aided by ignorance and superstition, no progress can
they make towards emancipation from the bonds
and shackles now confining them, and every struggle to be free but binds them  tighter, carusing
moans and groans most sad to listen to.
From such a condition, how can they escape,
we ask, but'by rendition of every claim to truthfulness and total abjuration of a doctrine baseless
in its structure, and quite unsuited to the wants of
man.
On these grounds, we at once pronounce it unjust to humanity to promulgate a creed more fitted
to suit the cravings of a fiend than those whose aspirations seek a pure and holier faith, who speak
and act in,accordance with the law of truth.
With such a faith to guide, no one need err, and
no danger being apprehended, no Savior will be
needed; for then the law of individuality will be




166 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
fully comprehended as being a standard well
adapted to the use of man, showing him the natural boundaries and limits to be observed by him
throughout his earthly pilgrimage.
What further shall we say to convince mankind that a holier, better place awaits the coming
of those who have been able to steer their bark of
life through sufferings and perplexities to the haven
of eternal rest and happiness, not by or through
the conditional influence of a crucified Savior, but
by a close attention to the chart of conscience,
aided by the angel hosts, and thus, in degree,
making for themselves a valid claim to happiness
in the Summer Land?
Agcain you ask: What will become of those
who never heard of Jesus? to which we answer,
man is never called upon by nature to do aught he
is incapable of. As well might he be required to
gain a seat in heaven without angelic aid, eventually accorded to him. But, while such aid is given,
a man oi woman asking it must know to whom
they express their need, or still unnoticed they
remain. Yet can anyone imagine such a God as
ours would make man responsible for acts he is not
guilty of? By every law of right a man is deemed
as innocent till guilt is fixed upon him by testimony quite reliable. And here we cannot see the
slightest taint can rest upon the soul whose every
act is based on ignorance, the result of a condition




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 167
only. But here it is altogether different. The
crime allged is doubtful, dependent only on the
statements of the few; while millions enter solemn protest against an asserted truth from priestly lips, intolerant in their utterance, and led by
bigotry and superstition, to cast aside truth-aye,
God's own truth-and cling to errors baneful to
the interests  of humanity.  Therefore, rather
would we be the unbelievers in such a doctrine,
and chance the penalty attached thereto. AMEN.
UNKNOWN TONGUES.
You speak of Unknown Tongues-is it a mere
fiction, or a reality? If the latter, are they unknown only to mortals in the form, and are they
strictly languages understood in the spirit world,
and spoken there?
My Brother: Your question is too long in
words, and being so, we shall separate it somewhat.
First, you ask, Is it a fiction? to which we
answer, No. Each utterance made by true and
faithful mediums has its meaning, comprehended
by the spirit giving it, and others also in the vast
domain of spirit life; but ethereal life and mun



168 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
dane being opposites this cannot be described to
mortal understanding; yet, the fact remains the
same. Because it is not comprehended by the
finite mind, shows no proof it is not so. Therefore, to deny its truthfulness, is neither wise or
proper. Spirit life and action may be mysteries
not understood by mortal minds. Not being prepared, they are not able to accept such statements,
and thus the world denounces all as false.
But again we turn to scan the subject: "Are
angels all conversant with these Unknown
Tongues?" We answer: Those who, in earthlife, sought to acquire them may, in degree, succeed in attaining such knowledge; what number
have succeeded, is of little moment; the principle or fact is just as well authenticated by a unit
as by a multitude. The privilege belongs to all,
though few may may seek the advantage. "Are
they actual languages?" you ask. Why not? we
ask. Can you imagine that God's gifts are frauds?
To whom is He responsible that He should need
to present a ficction? If designed at all, it is perfect and complete.
This is a fact beyond all cavil; therefore we
answer your inquiry affirmatively; and if a power
exists within the realm of mundane thought by
which a medium can be made to speak in unknown tongues, it proves, conclusively, that God
and Nature must have endorsed the fact as one
approved by them.




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 169
Here, then, we fain would end this essay, somewhat scant of interest, beyond the fact that all
which appertains to Spiritualism should have attention from the world of spirit life, where all is
harmony and love divine. AMEN.
TO-MORROW.
My BROTHER: Your question seemingly demands a reply which may answer the demand of
society at large. Who, we would ask, among the
myrialds now existing, can claim the morrow as
their own? As that they may, perchance, enjoy
in health and vigor; looking forward in hope of
many morrows being their own, and yet unmindful of the various intervening chances' that a tomorrow may not be theirs.  To the reflective
mind, a subject such as this is all-important, as indicating a change they cannot comprehend. To
such an one, it naturally occurs to ask himself, or
others, whence came the necessity for such
change? IWe are happy and contented here,
therefore, we cannot see this change is needed.,
Poor, self-deluded mortals, who gave thee a right
to call in question a decree of God? Think you a
God of wisdom and of love would ever decree a




170 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
purpose which runs counter to the happiness of
all mankind? Does Nature point out a single instance where this love does not predominate? in
favor of the greatest good to man, whose recognition keeps not pace with the efforts of the angel
world to benefit, humanity? Is there naught in Nature's works denying these facts? We opine not; for
in every direction may be seen the divine and holy
efforts made to aid the sufferings of humanity.
To-morrow being our theme, we must turn attentively towards it, hoping to elaborate some
thoughts connected with the future, of which the
morrow  forms a part, being as it were, one of the
stepping-stones to the coming future. A close and
still closer attention to it. must show to the thinking mind that each day's sojourn here on earth but
shows that within the human soul there is a something ever peering towards the future. The past
has done its work, therefore is laid aside, almost
as useless, until resurrected, to corroborate some
present thought corresponding with the past, and
thereby strengthening some resolve to commence
and carry forward some new project on the morrow. With stern resolve man makes his preparation, conning over the chances of success, and
at early dawn of the morrow he essays to carry
out his purpose.  Is he able to fulfill it?  Some
symptom  of disease assails him; all his plans
are frustrated, and he, himself, incapable of




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 171
motion. It is just then his conscience is suddenly awakened to a sense of duties oft neglected, and errors still unatoned.  The prospect of
witnessing a morrow's dawn becomes more dark
and gloomy. The pall of night falls over the
earth, and ntaught but sad reflection seems to occupy his min d. Regretful melancholy takes hold
upon him, and all the past of life arises in the distance; but each moment the panoramic view approaches closer and still closer on his vision,
from which he strives to turn his gaze from scenes
abhorrent to his nature. 0, how he craves relief
from any source, yet gains it not. He knows not
where to make his supplications; all seems a
blank to him, and in dread uncertainty he awaits
the coming morrow. Alas! for him it will never,
never come on earth.' The tide of life is ebbing
fast, despair almost has seized him, when lo! a
whisper sweet he hears from a voice familiar to
him, calling in tones of deep affection on the sufferer; still to hope for life, but not on earth. Oh,
no; but to hope for that immortal life, far more
desirable.  Does he at once receive encouragement from such words?  Ah, no; for worldly
interests now crowd in upon his mind and check
those new, but holy aspirations, just awakened, till
a second and louder tone assures him of a home
beyond the grave, when thus again he is drawn
by the attractive power of divine love to- lay aside




172 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
earth's baubles and not desire to retain them until
the morrow. Thus, is he in a better state to pass
on the road of universal progress and realize the
morrow in a better and holier sphere, where
there is no Inorrow, but a never ending spirit life.
O, my brother, when humanity can realize this
act, how readily will they renounce to-day, tomorrow, and the next, for that condition which, if
properly prepared for, will give them happiness
eternal.,A MEN.
SIN AND ITS CONSEQUENCES.
To DEFINE a subject almost undefinable may
appear somewhat presumptuous, and in attempting it I may hazard a large amount of reputation,
still I am encouraged to do so rather than lose the
opportunity of my well intended purpose. Often
we are led by certain impulses to attempt almost
impossibilities, at least they seem so to the eye of
those who have but little courage to experiment
in things which appertain to ethereal, or heavenly
matters. But to our subject:
All and everything which bears analogy to
truth may be considered worthy of attention, be



ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 1713
cause the same power that rules the one, governs
alike the whole, but, being called by different
names, and under different influences, may be mistaken, and hence the many errors oft committed,
which tend to mystify and influence men and
women to commit their best ethereal interests to
the care of men who are totally unfit to do their
thinking, or make a single move by which their
road to Heaven might be smoothed and well prepared; and while they are thus prostituting time
and talent, their days are passing rapidly, never
again to return and give them opportunity and
ability to rescue from oblivion those precious
hours, and by proper application benefit their- fellowmen. And why is this occurring daily? Why
are men so. indolent that all the attempts they
make but fail in carrying out a well-formed project, on which depends another's welfare? A something, underlying all, may be discovered, and we
think we even now perceive a leading cause which
keeps the entire world in dark submissiveness to
a blind and superstitious influence, totally unfit to
raise up men and women capable of governing
themselves aright, therefore, till change becomes
a need, they cannot comprehend how God and
Nature acts the tyrant; as it were,by their enforcement of each and every law extant. Kings
and potentates are often tyrants from a conviction
that they can be so with impunity. Not so with




174  ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
God. A Being as pure and holy as -le is cannot
act subversive of His own created laws —as binding on Himself as others. A king, or legislative
body making laws, and running counter to their
spirit, could not expect obedience from others;:
and is it not so with God's eternal laws? And on
this hypothesis we claim  all deference should be
paid to them, as being guides infallible to man in
all his intercourse with his fellow-man.
And, keeping closely to our point, we feel no,
other influence should beset us than that which
tends to purify our lives and make us cognizant
that Heaven and all its beauties may be had by
acting righteously and honestly in all things, not
confined to things pecuniary, but to all and everything involving principle. Here lies the difficulty.
Men too often limit their responsibility to the narrow standard of dollars and cents, or other currency, and theieby fail to reach a standard better
suited to the end. Hence, passing by the substance and grasping at the shadow, find nothing
left but vacuum, and consequently become dejected and forlorn, fall back on vice, and soon are lost
within its vortex, never again to rise above or beyond a life of prostituted talent, till death has.
claimed them for his own and put a final stop to
sinning; and here begins the change so needed to;
eradicate the evils of a lifetime. Perchance angel.
friends have watched them through their mad




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 175
career of sinfulness, and often tried to check them,
but all in vain. On and on they rushed till death
o'ertook them. Think you those spirits have now
deserted them?  Oh, no! with tender care and,
assiduity they have watched them till the proper
moment. Weighed down with sorrow and regret
they count the many hours they have wasted in
rounds of dissipation, and the numerous sins committed, property unwisely spent, and all the errors
of a lifetime passing in review before them, their
stubborn hearts begin to yield, their natures seem
to feel the touch of holy sympathy; the germ  of
hidden value seeks an outlet for development and
thus outworks itself, in beauteous form, to seek a
brighter, higher sphere. Can a scene more grand
and gorgeous than Heaven be presented to such
minds, awakened as they have been from the
grovelling haunts of vice and infamy? To a scene
like this, my husband, a future more replete with
grand sublimity can scarcely be conceived.
Little as men think of God and all His glorious attributes-there will come a time whetn,
with an ethereal gaze of wonder and remorse,
they'll take a retrospective glance and view the
acts of sinfulness committed by them, contrasting
their condition with what it might have been. The
anguished tortures of minds that are so oppressed, must almost crush them. Still they will have
to bear it. The undying worm of conscience,




176 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
feeding on an attenuated mind would soon destroy
it, but, in mercy, God has cared for such by sending messengers, well fitted for the task, to watch
and guide them, at the fitting moment, into
brighter paths than hitherto they have trod, to a
more genial atmosphere, winning them into repentance of their past undutifulness to God's holy
law, and thus by degrees, they waft them hence in
improved conditions to seek a higher home.
My husband, can such a God be cruel ot unmerciful?  Impossible! and he who asserts He is
knows nothing of Him, nor ever will in his unchanged condition; and with a hope that this
essay may reach some erring soul whose views of
God are based upon the errors of theologymay see and feel the need of change, we say
AMEN.
COME TO JESUS.
SUCH an invitation seems delightful to an enthusiastic follower, as many oft believe themselves; but far the larger portion of mankind prefer declining it with all its promised blessings, and
more often shrink apalled in expectation of the
summons, and were it possible to get excused,




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 177
would rack their brains to frame an apology for
not being ready to accompany the unwelcome
messenger. Why, we ask, are placards stuck in
every public corner of your streets and stores,
emblazoned o'er with gaudy colored letters, to attract the attention of unwilling devotees? May
we so name them: certainly a paradox, and yet
ironically expressed, conveys our meaning,- devotees in name, but in practice,'Wanting.
Of such, we are convinced, the largest portion
of professing Christians may be found. And here
fain would look to find the source from  whence
proceeds this effort to beguile the unwary and inexperienced of the race to accept their unmeaning
dogmas. Outward show and ignorance seem, as
it were, bosom friends-inseparable companions,
almost patterns to the world in that direction.
The interest of the one becomes the same to both.
Not so in worldly friendships.:Transient in their:
stay, self often interferes and,breaks asunder the
apparently strongest bonds of friendship.
But to our subject, Come to Jesus.  Aye,
come, we say. Come to him as to a friend who w ill
answer with punctilious truthfulness such questions as a friend would put. Nay, start not back,
my friend. No terror shouldst thou show toward
Him thou hast named thy Savior; of such a one
thou shouldst not be afraid. A Savior must be a
friend, therefore fear but ill becomes thee to exhibit.
12




178 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
Come, then, and hold a closer counsel with LHim.
Can all the priests and deacons in His service perform a single act that will compare with what He
suffered, and through that suffering saved a world
from sin and misery?
Methinks I hear the answer given, it was but
an act of retribution for the imprudent utterance of
thoughts inimical to the laws under which i and
others lived, and therefore, no benefit to a world
other than as an example to prevent the repetition
of the crime in others. Ten thousand others have
experienced death in expiation of the self-same
crime. I claim no merit for an act I could not
contravene, and who could blame the authorities
who took a life thus forfeited to appease a law I
had thus transgressed? Then call not these men
murderers who, acting as my judges, claimed the
right of taking life under a law conceived by
them as altogether sacred under their ancient
Jewish code, thus.making me a martyr in the
truest sense. And not content with this claimed
for me a position I never sought, or. thought I
I held, through all my checkered life on earth,
uniting my name with that of Deity, thereby
blaspheming a name too, too sacred to be coupled
with a righteous character. But to associate with
that holy name one to which a stain, became attached by dying'an ignominious death, seems altogether too absurd for acceptation by a world of
humans.




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 179
Here, then, the error lies. A man becomes
the victim of his own imprudence-power takes
hold upon him, the law demands a sacrifice,'tis
made, and all the world exclaims a miracle is
wrought, and with one united voice proclaim a
Savior has been crucified to save the sou'ls of all
who lived in ages past, the present age and ages
yet to come, from endless torture. But now, since
liberal thought-and speech have made their advent, their hell has burst its boundaries and wandered out of sight, no more to be the destiny of infants, countless as to numbers.
Think of this, ye advocates of theology! A
God of mercy, forgetting, as he must, this attribute, to decree a law of such depravity that must
shock a very fiend while contemplating' such
result, and yet approved and advocated by fiends
in human shape, so void of all that constitutes the
real man, will dare to stand and utter as a truth
such damned libels on their Father, God.
We here must pause and wonder why such
atrocious falsehoods can be tolerated by men
whose calibre of intellect would warrant better
expectations of them. Apparently wise and good
in all things else, but in intolerance fanatical and
bigoted, viewing all things through- a perverted
vision, making white almost black by sad distortion of their reasoning powers.
0, how many a bright and glorious intellect,
capable of soaring to the highest altitude of intel



180 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
lectual grandeur, has sunk in blighted darkness,
where no light can reach it to redeem it from a
fate almost unmerited; but, being surrounded by
unholy influences, can scarcely rise above the lowest grade of intellect, till awakened to a keener
sense of self-unworthiness, by which repentance
comes, and drives away the soul's worst enemysuperstition-aided by ignorance and bigotry,
never again to take so deep a hold within the human soul, as to become repellant of the good
which lies imbedded, where good and holy spirits
delve to find it.
But when it is found, a jubilee is held, and
angels cry aloud Eureka!
Thus, my brother, are we led to hope this cry
of Come to Jesus may resound through every
land, teaching there's a better meaning attached
thereto than so-called Christians comprehend.
And how oft we find a seeming folly become
the avenue through which a wiser thought may
enter, and good result where evil seems portending. Was man'other than progressive, such utterance might be tolerated, but in the present age of
great advancement, he claims the right of thought,
and then a free-expression of it, by which, if good
and righteous in its nature, gains advocates, and
thus receives assistance from the angel world, giving strength and moral force to all its influences,
by which the crude and narrow notions of a world




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT' WORLD. 181
become expanded, so as to embrace a wider field
for thought and action; by which society takes
hold of every new and glorious enterprise which
bears the genuine stamp of truth and usefulness,
nor hesitates to put forth efforts almost superhuman to develop  whatever beauties may be
found by close investigation.
But once again we turn to Jesus. Meek and
lowly as he is shown to be, he would not claim
superiority of rank or e'en' condition. His ambition reached no farther than to aid humanity and
make it what it should be, and in doing so,
showed the God within him, as others of his race
had done before, and at the present day are doing.
For every evidence of kindness to a fellow-being
makes an almost God of man. And while we thus
assert this fact, let no one say we are blasphemous, for hath not God Himself asserted a man who
acts in mercy to his fellow-man and strives to aid
him in adversity and suffering acts a god-like part,
and thus by imitation becomes an almost God?
And is he not in principle, and does not nature
prove the fact? At every turn you see the effect of
moral principle acting on the minds of men, leading them by the cords of love to aid their fellowmen by giving food and' raiment where'tis needed, lifting a fallen brother, or a frail and fallen sister from a state of degradation to a higher grade,
where, freed from the frightful influence of sin and




182 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
wickedness, a disordered intellect becomes brightened, the perceptive faculties more clear; in fine,
the entire system reached and cleansed from that
impurity which presses down the soul, and makes
it truly inert and almost motionless.
My brother, time seems waning and your magnetism more depleted than it should be, wherefore
we shall close our essay, hoping you may not deem
your time misspent in thus transcribing thoughts
so well intended, yet by some may still be unappreciated; but in time they will be sought, and if
read attentively may reach the consciousness of
some searcher after truth. This is all we look for,
all we ask to make us feel our joint labor has not
been in vain. AMEN.
THE BEAUTIFUL IN NATURE.
A MOST beautiful and glorious theme, embracing everything in. nature and giving to the
artist opportunities to copy every beautiful development as it comes fresh from the Almighty hand
of God, the Universal Artist, and who, we ask,
can imitate such mighty specimens of skill Divine?
Who is able to portray the beauteous tints of an
autumnal sky? Who can produce the gorgeous
colors of the rainbow? Who can blend the beau



ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 183
teous tints of a rising or a setting sun'in all its
splendor? the blush of morning's dawn or the dim
twilight's sweet expression? Not one of mortal
kind. They may, and do attempt it, and in degree some may succeed. But in Nature's works
there is a finish so complete as to baffle all the
competition of a world.
My Brother, is there in all your midst one
capable of portraying, with correctness, the human passions?  Can Love, in all its redolence
of beauty and holy fervor of'affection, be portrayed by artist's pencil, pouring from lips ambrosial sweet murmurings of devotion to the
object of her choice? Can the pencil touch those
almost hidden thoughts so fitfully exhibited by
some gentle maiden in her teens? It may often
be attempted, but success is sparse. If adoration be the subject, is the artist capable of presenting all those glowing sympathies which deck
the countenance of one whose, soul seems centered in the heart of some long-cherished friend,
whose inmost thoughts have been  exchanged
and cared for. Which should be prized for its
intrinsic worth?  Can such a countenance be
faithfully portrayed?  It may be attempted, but
where's success?
Hatred may be next essayed. Where is the
man of kindly temper, amiable and just in all his
dealings with his fellow-man? Can he portray




184 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
the angry passions of the man who hates? Can
he present the glare of eyes so set and teeth
so closely clenched, the hands so clasped in wrath
and.vengeful ire, and every muscle in a state of
tension quite unnatural? Could he succeed? Ah,
no. We might take of the passional and other
subjects, -but one we will treat as being the greatest test of skill-Charity, with all the saddening
circumstances surrounding her; the look of' sad
dejection, seemingly despairing, she looks with
fondness on a sickly babe;, unwelcome tears are
starting from her wearied eyes, and every muscle,
as it were, seems shrinking from further contact
with a cold and cruel world. Her children cry
for food. Alas, she has it not. Again, the tears
fall more swiftly down her cheeks as she gently
pats the little treasure, and gives a promise it shall
have its needs supplied. Alas, no succor comes;
the weary hours pass by, but no assistance. " Oh,
God!" she cries, " where, where is help.?  Must
these sinless beings starve, and I alone be left?
Take them, I pray Thee, my Father and my God,
or take us all, and show Thy love in doing so."
Some listening. angel hears her cry, and softly
whispers, "Thy cry is heard, and I am here to
help thee in thy need —yonder comes the help expected. Thy children must not, will nc;t die for
want of nourishment; be comforted, thy God is
merciful; accept the gifts He sends, proffered by




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 185
that man of humble mien. No pomp or show will
he display, but thy needs he will attend to and
supply." Not longtthey needed help, for he was
there in time of need. With fond compassion did
he ascertain their wants, and bountifully supplying them, took them to his home, and watched
them as if belonging to him. And did they not?
Was he not their brother and she his sister.?
Shall we undertake another instance of the artist's inability to copy Nature, and succeed?-The
ocean's angry waves whilst lashing into madness
all around it, and strewing o'er a beach its sundry
victims.
Who can well depict the fury of its foaming
rage?  The whitened foam  and angry surge
strikes terror to the boldest heart. To copy such
a scene is far beyond the art of human skill. Can
aught but God's own power upturn the mighty
mountains which rise in grand succession one
above another, making all beneath them dwarfs
by close comparison; the verdant hills and beauteous glades beneath them seeming as a carpet
sweetly o'ergrown with flowers of brightest hue
and sweetest fragrance, giving to the scene transcendant beauty? To copy such a scene successfully, would plant a laurel wreath upon the brow
of him whose genius had become excelsior. And,
having pointed out a portion of the beautiful in
Nature, let us ask a Father's acceptance of our




'186 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
gratitude for all the beauties given us by Nature's
bounteous hand. AMEN.
SCRUTINY OF CHARACTER ESSENTIAL TO
CONTINUOUS FRIENDSHIP.
THE subject I am about to treat, demands
your utmost attention, and seeing you' are prepared, I shall commence without further preface.
The natural conditions being rather indistinct
to comprehend, there may be some little difficulties to remove before we can come at once to our
subject.
Who, we ask, can scrutinize the human character sufficiently close to ascertain all its component parts, and thus come to correct conclusions
as to what are its peculiar traits and mark them so
unmistakably, that no error can be seen?
If there be so much obscurity, then, is it to be
wondered at that mistakes are continually made
in man's estimate of the character of his felloTwman?  Hence, the frequent disruptions of the
most apparently sincere and ardent friendships,
often broken off by the most trivial causes, and
why? Simply because one had mistook the elements of character in the other; hence, however




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 187
good may have been the original motive, evil has
been engendered, and without explanation, the
holiest, most sacred friendships, have suddenly
ceased, and both parties are made, in time, to regret most painfully the seemingly unnatural issue.
Now, my friend, have you not often witnessed
just such sudden separations between those whose
companionship had been valued by each other as
beyond all things else?
This naturally brings me to the object of this
essay-a desire to suggest some means by which
the evil might be corrected; an evil that is decimating' society, bringing death and desolation,
through means sometimes most violent.
Look around you at the present hour, and
have you not ample proof of how much misery
and suffering ensue from misunderstandings, instigated by base and sordid motives?
Man but studies man to discover his weak
points, and thereby gain an ascendancy over him,
turning the defects he finds in his neighbor to his
own sinister interests.
Let us reverse this picture and show the other
side: Should a man study his neighbor to ascertain how much of good there is in him, perchance
perceiving the bad also, and pushing aside the
latter, that the good may expand and render him
useful amongst those with whom he pursues his
earthly course, would murder, theft, and so many




1188 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT wORLD.
other.crimes, be so rife within your crowded
cities? Would your green and fertile fields be
soaked in blood, and so many homes made desolate by human sacrifice?
Oh, no! my friend,-till men are -brought to
scan each other's disposition from higher and
holier motives, there cannot be those ties of
brotherly love which alone can render the human,
earthly existence, a happy one.
This being a state of probation, assuredly man
is not fitting himself for an ethereal change, a
change which calls for self abnegation toward his
fellow-man.
A preparation suitable must be made for the
final change from mortal to immortal life, if the
seeker desires to enjoy it. Such motives would
conduce ~to happiness here, and in the world
above, celestial bliss. AMEN.
SUNDRY SPIRITUAL QUESTIONS.
QUESTION. Is the earthly condition of man
triune?
ANSWER. Certainly,, body, spirit and soul.
Q. Which is the superior or directing power?
A. The soul, of course.




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD   189
Q. Why of course?
A. The soul is altogether above the spirit
and body in earth life, being the purest and most
ethereal in its nature, a part and portion of Deity
itself, whilst the spirit and body act together as
superior and inferior, the body being subject to
the dictation or governance of the spirit, the soul,
or God-principle, (remaining, so to speak,) passive
or neutral, and making on great and important occasions suggestions as to the twain.
Q. What is the peculiar duty of the soul
while united on earth with the body and spirit?
A. To act as supervisor in all that appertains
to the spiritual or ethereal condition of man, giving
him soul-energy, and directing the better impulses
of its nature to seek all that is pure and holy as a
preparation for eternal life.
Q. When is the soul supposed to take possession of the human form?'
A. At the earliest period of conception it
enters with the life-germ, and becomes part and
parcel of the human form.
Q. Do you separate soul from spirit, or are
they one?
A. After the soul has become possessed of the
organism to which it has been attracted, a change
occurs which seems almost miraculous and truly
wonderful. The body, as it grows, by some mysterious process, engenders and throws off a most




190 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
subtle element, which soon assumes a rapid
growth, more so than any portion of the material
body, and in proportion to its healthy state, a vigorous male or female child becomes the issue.
This may seem a strange and marvelous position
to assume, but not the less a true one, and in time
must be accepted as such.
Q. Please give a more elaborate consideration of this subject.
A. Certainly I will.
Then listen. When the spirit becomes more
powerful than the body, which takes but little time
comparatively, owing to its ethereal nature, its rapid growth is truly wonderful, and being more
subtle, soon acquires an ascendancy over the entire natural fabric, making it more its servant than
its equal.
How  comes this spirit being a mere
outgrowth from the material possessed of reasoning powers?
A. By the same law of progress which enables the first germ of life to assume the human
form; the law of growth beginning with the seed
and passing through the various changes of gestation, results in what it is —thefull grown man br
woman. Do you not see that order and regularity
accompanies all of Nature's works? Designed,
matured and finished, may be seen the handiwork
of God in all things.




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 191
Q. Was that germ from which the spirit grew:
with such rapidity a co-existent occupant of the
human embryo, and thus, during gestation, under
soul-influence developed to the necessary standard?
A. My brother, you have asked and answered
your own question. Some angel must have given
you the intuition to have done so, and while you
are thus supplied, you need but little other means
to guide you in your search after ethereal truths.
Q. Are we to understand that at the birth of
the child the spirit has sufficiently matured to become its guide under the soul's supervision?
A., Again, my brother, have you anticipated
our answer; yet, we may be able to add some few
items which may be instructive to you and others.
A spirit being more sublimated than aught else in
nature, draws around it most rapidly all those influences which tend to purify and enlighten the
material portion of its nature. By such a powerful lever it is at once raised to a condition which
places it side by side with its co-worker, the soul,
who has quietly watched its rapid growth, and
joyfully assisted it to rise above and beyond all
the impediments lying in the way of its improvement. By this means a solid compact made between the soul and spirit, seems, as it were, to
make another change more potently joyous than
mortal mind can possibly conceive, and thus a life




192 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
on earth may well be deemed a state of preparation for the ethereal realms.
Q. When the natural body becomes attenua-.
ted and almost unfit to contain the spirit and soul,
do they both leave it at the same period of transition i
A. Your question partakes of something so,
near akin to etherealism as to make it somewhat
difficult-for us to find language suitable for response; indeed, we know not how'to commence,.
yet we are not willing to pass it by unnoticed..
The soul, so to speak, being the'only part of man
completely fitted for ethereal life, requires no kind
of preparation, but is. ever ready to respond to the
call of death, which to it is but a change of condition-the mundane for the ethereal-therefore, being prepared, soars at once to the spheres celes-.
tial, and there awaits the coming of its counterpart, for such the spirit has become through a life,
on earth of long experience, paying due obedience to the laws of God, and thus fulfilling a destiny that could not be changed but through the
law of retribution.
~. The spirit, having quitted the body, does it
seem unhappy? As in earth-life the death of a
friend causes sorrow and regret, is it so with tbhe
spirit?
A.  Here again we find the same difficultyarises —the. want of language to convey our



ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 193
thoughts. The embodied spirit differs little from
the disembodied; therefore, by analogy, you may
well infer a spirit cannot show indifference at
such a time; but why alone regret should trouble
it we cannot see. The loss may be sustained, but,
as in earth-life, the embodied spirit may oft change
its dwelling, and regret may transiently be felt,
but yet the house remains, and may again, if
wanted, be used as heretofore. Not so the house
of clay; no more can it be used as a fit receptacle
for life. No, my brother, it has at last succumbed
to that law of universal change to which all nature seems subservient. Thus, after the spirit has
become sufficiently ethereal, another change comes
over it, permeating every portion of its spirit nature, imbuing it with pure and holy love for the
late co-occupant of that house of clay, now but a
mouldering clod. The law of divine and holy love
awakens the attractive power, and eventually the
desired reunion takes place, more binding in its
nature than can be conceived by mortal mind.
Q. Suppose the spirit has not lived its allotted
period in earth-life, has it the same privileges in
the land of spirits as one who has reached maturity?
A. My brother, you must not press us too
closely in Such direction, for the cause we have
named. We can but generalize; and here we fain
would ask your reason for such minute inquiry.
I3




194 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
To this I answer, as one who is frequently questioned on this matter,'tis better to be informedno other motive have I. We must admire the
motive and would strain a point to meet your
wishes, but must defer response to future time.
Willyou excuse us?
Q. Is the reunion between soul-spirit for all
eternity with but one individuality?
A. The condition thus assumed can be deemed
no other than a unit.  So perfect is the blending,
the keenest sight could not perceive a difference.
Speech, thought, expression and desire, all from
one source emerging, makes that which was once
the dual state a perfect unit. This, then, may be
deemed a culmination of spirit happiness, coming by degrees to earth-life, even to the regions
of eternal' bliss. AMEN.
LEAD -US NOT INTO TEMPTATION.
THE subject for consideration is one perhaps as
little understood as any that is agitated. Lead us
not into temptation! Was such a request made
by one human being of another, it would imply
so much of distrust as to almost amount to an accusation that such a person would act unjustly to



ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 195
wards him. And if such would be the conclusion
in the one case, what are we to conceive would be
the enormity of asking Almighty wisdom and justice to desist from such an act? 0, monstrous,
almost blasphemy! uttered each Sabbath day in
every orthodox church by millions, and even the
little, lisping child is thus tutored.
We are truly at a loss to conceive how persons
assuming to become the teachers of theology, have
so long permitted such a request to be continued
as a portion of that "he plus ultra" (to them of
prayer). Take from it that, and we admit its
beauty and force; but whilst that is permitted to
sully the remainder, we shall protest against it as.
being an unfit petition for adults, but more so for
those whose minds are yet untainted by errors
which must give them distorted views of Him towards whom their tender natures should be drawn
as to a God of inexhaustible love.
WHAT IS SPIRITUALISM?
A. A. DEEP philosophy based on fundamental
laws, more binding in their nature than aught
else in the created universe.




196 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
Q. Will you define the laws of which you
speak?
A. A law of God demands implicit action in
obeying it. A tardy movement shows unwillingness; hence is not acceptable to God, its author,
and being so, is of non-effect.
Q. How shall we know it is so?
A. The human soul is sensitive at all times,
and cannot9 act unlawfully without a consciousness thereof, needing no accuser, but listening to
the monitor within, feels guilty of a misdemeanor.
Q. Can you describe more definitely what is
meant by the term Spiritualism?
A. Certainly, we should have done so but for
intervening questions asked. The word implies
the profession of a doctrine based on ethereal or
spirit life. God is a spirit, and as such must be
worshipped or rather recognized as the grand
authority by which we move and have existence
here on earth, and to whom a world of human
beings look for life eternal.
No eye has ever seen the great I AM. Humanity cannot conceive or think how grand the
power he wields; space is filled with his immensity; worlds upon worlds are ushered into
being at, his bidding each one ready to fulfill its
destiny, God-directed as it is.
The doctrine or philosophy of Spiritualism embraces every science, reaching beyond the musty




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 197
records of the past, delving deep beneath the surface of your earth and bringing forth  such
mighty proofs of wisdom infinite; whether displayed in every atom of the granite rock, imbedded deep almost beyond the ken of mortal, until
encouraged to investigate he finds marks indellible that a creative power has been at work in
forming geologic stratum on which to build' a
science most profound, giving ample data of the
various periods of formation. Again, on looking
to the starry heavens, the human intellect seems
almost paralyzed at the sight of so much grandeur
and magnificence.
Whether you contemplate their highlt or brilliancy, the senses seems bewildered, and in deep
humility man exclaims: "Lord, what am I!" But
as a worm beneath thy feet. Have mercy, 0, my
God, have mercy on thy servant, and give me
light to guide me!"
Q. How long has Spiritualism been known to
man and recognized by him as a philosophy?
A. Such a question would rack the brain
of a professed chronologist, and not being such,
we must decline response other than by saying,
from the earliest period after man's creation, death
and burial, it has existed.
Q. Do you feel disposed to take the Bible record as proof that spirit power was early recognized?




198 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
A. No; because we antedate long previous to
that time a power all spiritual in its nature-God,
the presiding spirit of the universe-and that He
existed singly in this universe we emphatically
deny. With his creative power it could not be;
therefore, to imagine Spiritualism a philosophy of
modern growth is too absurd to contemplate.
Q. And yet, we find no record indisputable
when first its advent might be recognized?
A. All that may be, and yet no proof recorded
available to mortal vision. How many thousand
things hitherto mysterious, or so-called, have been
proved by science to be true, so simple in their nature, men wonder they have been so hidden or unrecognized.
Q. Has it not been so' with Spiritualism?
As knowledge comes, so ignorance departs.
People express much surprise that a fact of such
importance to humanity as Spiritualism, has been
withheld from public acceptation; that so many
hundred years havie passed away and only so
short a time since has it been given to the world.
God being omnipotent could have blessed man
with it earlier had he chosen.
My brother, your question seems too long, but
we will divide it.
First, omnipotence at once decides the matter,
being an answer in itself, evincing a power that
cannot be contravened, or otherwise directed;




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD   199
and he who questions such authority demeans
himself irreverently towards one who claims a
proper deference from all created nature. The
one that feels aright toward God needs not to ask
such questions, for knowing, not believing that
man's deserts are but as nothing to the bounteous
supply accorded to him; hence gratitude, common-sense and reason, all combined, might raise
contentment in his soul for all the mercies given him. But, in conclusion, man, while merely
mortal, has no power to scan the works of Deity.
The finite falls so short of intellect, while conning
o'er ethereal matters, that if a wise and prudent
being, he will at once decline the effort, despairing of success. AMEN.
THE CHURCH OF THE SPIRIT.
A SUBJECT somewhat strange it may appear to
those who do not comprehend it, yet one,'we think,
there will be but little difficulty in treating;
therefore, we shall first explain, or give our views
of what is meant by Church. The world at large
conceives that all that is meant to be' expressed,
is a building or structure suited to the taste of




200 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
those who desire to worship Deity, agreeable to
their own conceived opinions, and in proportion as
their ideas of Deity are exalted, or otherwise, so
do they erect their edifice. The better educated
portion of society naturaly are more refined, culture having improved their taste, and in proportion to that, their ideas of Deity became more exalted. Taste must be satisfied, hence the amount
of cost is little thought of. Possessing means sufficent, with zeal excited, their vanity becomes inflated, thus a gorgeous structure soon is raised,,
satisfactory, perchance, to all but HIe, who is said
to be the object of their worship.
But let us scan this matter somewhat closely.
Has any one become acquainted with His views?
Who has ever sought to know His peculiar taste in
this direction?
Think you in all his works no better place can
be discovered than that appointed by the inflated
members of a so-called Christian church? We
speak of them in such wise, because we cannot recognize them as true aud faithful followers of the
meek and lowly Jesus. He never sought such a
place to worship the great Spirit, in spirit and in
truth; it matters little, then or now,where true wor —
ship is accorded. The meanest edifice is equally acceptable to the true and loving followers of the Nlazarene. Aye! more grateful than a costly edifice
from which the spirit is excluded. Here, then, we




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 201
find the error practiced. The beauteous edifice
may be erected; pomp and pageantry may be displayed; gorgeous pews and spacious aisles laid
out; the utmost sanctity of mien may be essayed;
elocution, grand almost beyond the power of mortals may be displayed, and yet there is something lacking. Machinery of the present day may
appear complete and beautiful, yet without steam it
is altogether useless. And so of all machinery;
the motive power is needed; without it, no matter what its beauty, it still remains inert and motionless. The spirit there is needed-without it all
is dead. But, with the spirit added, all goes well.
Now let us pause a moment and make the application.
The steam engine as a piece of art demands
the admiration of the people - engender steam,
the thing's complete. With power unmeasured
it cuts its way through the atmosphere, and
like a well formed monster thus fulfills its destiny.
Religonists ofttimes assume a boastful attitude,
and vaunt their sanctity before a doubting world,
but such assumption has it's influence, nor bends
in fit humility before its God, feeling a self-sufficiency most disgraceful, as its insincerity becomes
more potent to the ken of all beholders.
As we have before shown, the edifice is raised,
a pastor, fit, as is supposed, found to guide the erring on the way to heaven; with pomp and cere



202 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
mony and priest ordained and every office fully
filled; the church is dedicated; the organ's grand
mellifluous swell ascends; the roof reverberates the
sound; devotion seems to swell the heart of every
one, and yet there seems a lack of something
needed. The chill of death pervades the inmates
of that beauteous church. What can be the cause
of such sensation spoken of, by every mouth, yet
not understood by many of that assemblage of
professing Christians? They know the want; for
within their souls at home they feel the holy spirit
working in them. But within this so-called or
rather mis-called sacred structure, the spirit cannot
enter-it is not the church it seeks.
The human soul must be the church of the spirit.
Walls of stone have not been needed; within the
human soul it finds a resting place. O! how many
of our churches now are useless, occupying ground
which might be better and more usefully applied.
And now, we ask, what more is needed but to implore the so-called Christians of your time to cease
erecting buildings for their worship of an unknown
God? But with mien erect, as if you felt your claim
was good, ask'his entrance to the only church that
is needed-the inner recesses of the human soul.
There must and will be eventualy, the church, the
Great Spirit, our God and father e'er will enter.
May this be better comprehended, and then those
edifices may be dispensed with, and with them the




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 203
useless hordes of priestly pretenders to truth and
sanctity may be dispensed with, and made to seek
a maintenance by honest labor far more creditable
than all their erratic precepts tendered to mankind.
AMEN.
INTERROGATIONS ANSWERED BY MY
SPIRIT WIFE.
Now, my husband, such questions as you may
wish to ask about Heaven and hell, I am ready to
answer as best I can.
QUESTION. First, I would ask, is Heaven an actual locality, such as a'finite being can comprehend?
ANSWER. My husband, I have answered the
same question before in the affirmative, and again
repeat, it is.
Q. My object in asking it was to have it thus
recorded.
A. Such we thought was your intention.
Q: Have yotu houses, palpable to you as such?
A. We have that which is such to us, affording all'the comforts tb be expected in a well
arranged building.
Q. Shall I ask of what material they are




204 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
formed; do they in any way correspond with
earthly dwellings?
A. The material used, you could not recognize, nor can I describe it to your finite mind.
Description gives but little information where no
comparison is.
Please ask your questions singly, to prevent
confusion and facilitate description. You ask if
they resemble yours, as buildings well intended,
and subject to the law of progress.  All yours
can possess of comfort, ours under that law, must
be better.
Q. Have you institutions there existing?
A. Certainly we have; you recognize the law
of progress. Therefore would we ask, is not arrangement needed to give life and animation to
this Law.  System is as essential to encourage
progress as material food is to your natural appetite.
Q. Are there workshops and artisans of every
kind employed within them-actual workers?
A. Is Heaven and all its doings such a myth
to you and others, that such a question ueed be
asked? While your earth exists, to which we
know no limit, will Heaven's workshops and artisans be needed. Life is but a continuance, and
think you its employmenticeases with the change
called death? Oh, no! on, on, and on for evermore
will the busy ring of industry be heard.




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 205
Q. Are amusements there existing? Can you
so describe them as to suit our finity?
A. Gladly would we enter iuto close particulars, but remembering what we have often told you,
the finite cannot comprehend the infinite. But
this much we may inform you. The intellect of
man's spiritual existence can always be amused.
The arts and sciences of mundane life afford sufficient materials of amusing; being intensified, the
spirit mind can soar higher into its sublimity than
in earth-life; it is possible.
Q. Is Free Masonry an actual, positive institution in the spheres?
A. My husband, the same desire to have it recorded induces such a question. If there be aught
of truth in such communications as are given
you, you know it must be so. The invitations given
to you to preside over two such institutions must
be recognized as a positive fact existing.
Q, When spirit meets spirit in the spheres,
what is the mode of communicating?
A. Symbolic means are used, just as useful in
expressing wants or thoughts as words are to the
inhabitant of earth. Indeed much more rapidly
and correct is a want expressed, so clearly prepared is the symbol given.
Q. You speak of the locality of Heaven,
which we can only recognize as having a founda



206 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
tion such as- must be needed to support that which
is placed upon it Is it so?
A  My husband, let me refer you to that beautiful law of adaptation. All things in Heaven, as
in earth, having been prepared by wisdom infinite
agreeable to the law of adaptation, you must infer
the foundation must be all that's needed.
Q. Are we to understand the spirit land is
what we, when speaking of the earth, called Terrafirma, to you?
A. We cannot better answer your question
than by saying spirit and matter are so unlike
that we find it difficult to make a comparison of
that which is ethereal, and that you have on earth
but again, we' repeat, to us it is as real as your
earth is to you.
Q. How does a disembodied spirit appear in
the spheres? Are they' clothed with palpable
garments?
A. All that we can give you upon this question is to say, that they are subject to the same
wants named before, and provided with every
thing that is needful, which, never having been
seen by you, cannot be described before you pass
away and become associated with such.
Q. Are the spheres innumerable?
A. Yes, no mind can calculate their number.
Q. And we may understand each sphere to
be a separate locality; the higher in rotation
being altogether unknown to the lower?




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 207
A. Y~ our question is put so logically that we
must express our admiration, and fain would answer it minutely; but the same difficulty again
arises —finity and infinity.
Q. Are there spheres to which you have had
no access?
A. My husband, your angel mother and myself are, as it were, upon the confines, working as
we are, upward and onward, with becoming zeal
and energy. Yet are we but learners in ethereal.
matters. Let not this dismay you, my beloved
husband; compare, if possible, thy destiny to
millions in the second sphere, who never yet have
realized a hope of reaching to an altitude beyond
this lower sphere.
Q. Will you describe the spheres below you?
A. Certainly; the first, or earth sphere, bordering close upon your earth, affording great facilities to worlding or earthly spirits to return and
hold  communion with  such as they are  attached' to, by which they attain a grosser kind
ot food than that which suits those less earthly in
their nature. The second sphere  becomes the
abode of spirits so conglomerate in their nature,
not exactly sinful, many of them, but each inhabitant thereof subject to probation,- and when they
are enlightened and prepared, an angel escort will
lead them to a higher sphere.
The third, where light begins to dawn upon the




208 ANGEL VOICES FROM. THE SPIRIT WORLD.
enfranchised soul, and, by degrees, a brighter and
still brighter gleam they see, invigorating their
drooping natures, acting like a panacea for all
they have suffered during their probation, and
when they are fitted for another change, there are
good and holy spirits ready to direct them  on
their course, which, when once commenced, is
ever onward and upward to still higher spheres;
no stopping place, but ever rising to a higher,
holier condition.
Q. After they have passed from the second
sphere, how are they employed?
A. First in the pursuit of happiness, as it was
intended man should do on earth, but perversion
rendered that impossible. But in the third sphere
perversion is not known; naught but love and harmony prevails. Each spirit following its highest
aspirations, no idleness there is seen; that being a
sphere of Love no inharmony can possibly exist;
no coercion there is known, for willing hands and
cheerful hearts are there enjoying those'ethereal
blessings well prepared by angel hands.
Q. How is angel or spirit-life sustained?
A. But little nourishment does a spirit need
but that a God of wisdom has prepared, ethereal
in its nature and thoroughly adapted to the end
desired. Some spirits, being more gross than
others, descend to the earth, and there imbibe
the aroma rising from your viands, and thus replete their depleted systems.




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.  209
Q. How is this nourishment partaken of by
them?
A. To explain this matter demands a language quite ethereal in its character, because
ethereal entities cannot be described to other than
one gifted with ethereal sight, and clear perception; hence, all things ethereal must remain a mystery till man throws off the sensual and becomes
etherealized and sublimated; then he can comprehend things of spirit-life.
Q. I would ask is the locality of Heaven near
this planet?
A. We are aware you ask this question only
to record it. We have before informed you, it is
within your own atmosphere, not outside thereof,
but immediately within it, forming a part and
parcel of your globe, making a glorious home for
spirits, who, by strict obedience to the laws of
Nature have earned inheritance therein, and
thereon.
Q. Will the teachings of theology, as at present given, lead a human being in safety to the
Heaven you speak of?
A. We would in reply ask, would lightning
feed and nourish any human being? As well
might it be expected.  Theology to lead a man
to Heaven? Monstrous distortion of the reasoning power of man! As well might history record
all Nature's madness as to suppose man's safety is
I4




210 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
enhanced one tittle in degree. At once reverse the
matter, and thus come nearer to the truth. No
soul was ever saved, or even comforted, after it had
passed to the shores of immortality by recollecting
all the promises proffered him by Priest or Deacon.
that Christ, his Savior, would be there. Oh, no!
in sad bewilderment and disappointment does he
still adhere in ignorance to such promises, but
finds no reality in all that has been given.
Q. Have you, or do you know any spirit who
has seen Jesus?
A. But little trouble have we in answering
this question. There may have been a man named
Jesus, but that he was more a Christ than any
other human being, then existing, we must deny.
The word Christ, and truth, are synomymous, and
may have been assumed by Jesus; but it is of
little moment. The Christ, or truth principle, is
becoming better understood, and will soon supersede the errors of theology, multiplying each day
and hour, making more Christs than theology
dare crucify, and then exalt them all as martyrs.
Q. Closely connected with Jesus, were the
Apostles, and Judas Iscariot amongst the rest?
Give me an opinion upon that statement.
A. These are mere matters of history, and
have but little to do with man's eternal destiny.
Each martyr, and even supposed martyrs, have
had their admirers, and, hence, some notice may




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 211
be taken of them. The Apostle, Judas Iscariot,
may, like Jesus, have lived on earth, but we
should accept his history as detailed, as a mere
allegorical effort, to delineate treachery in its basest
form, and thereby enhance, if possible, a deeper
sympathy for the Jesus he is said to have betrayed.
Q. Will common sense accept the details of
the Immaculate Conception, birth, etc., of the infant Jesus?
A. My husband, these questions to us and to
the world at large, are of but little moment; yet
we have an opinion upon this, as well as upon any
others you may ask. God and Nature ever has
and ever will be immutable, therefore, such a
statement we believe to be a mere priestly fabrication to beguile the people. The law of Paternity or procreation, like all others of God's laws,
change not for any special purpose. Men may,
in darker times, have assumed they did, but now,
in the nineteenth century, for a man to solemnly
assert it as a fact, would but show his ignorance,
because, to the perception of others, the evil is extensive and injurious. Such a child was born, it
may be, but that nature stepped outside the law of
strict virginity, no power in existence could ever
convince me it was so.
Q. We hear persons speaking of the river of
Death. Is it used as a mere figure of speech?




212 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
A. lVMy husband, such expressions are frequently used in that sense, and that is one. The
figure is intended to convey or express a line of
demarcation between the mundane and the ethereal world.
Q. While in earth-life you must remember
having read a work called Pilgrim's Progress. Do
you ever see the author, or hear him and his work
spoken of?
A. It is here in heaven, just the same as in
earth-life, where men become eminent for some
useful art, whilst others become equally notorious for some outrageous theory, or views expressed
by them. So it is in the spheres; and Bunyan's
Pilgrim's Progress is viewed as a tissue of extravagant untruths, unacceptable to all lovers of truth
in its ungarbled state.
Q. Taking the aggregate of Potentates and
Kings, may Royalty be deemed a passport to the
higher spheres?
A. My husband, this question seems somewhat
injudicious; being a kind of slur upon high and
exalted personages who have at one time deemed
themselves far too exalted to be supposed susceptible of a degradation almost beyond their
powers of endurance, for self-sufficiency is the natural sequence of undue power permitted or conferred
on any individual, and therefore when called upon
to renounce the scepter and come down to sober




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 213
consciousness, they are not able to forget a habit
oft indulged in by them, but by assumption, act out
scenes of deep atrocity based upon that sovereign
power, as God-given to them in many cases, but
falsely so, for if it was a gift of Deity, it must be
given under law, and therefore might be held in
spirit life, but no such case can be discovered; all
is left behind on earth where such trash legitimately belongs, but inflated as they are with earthly
reminiscences they still retain the desire for power,
but find it is gone  from  them  forever.  Thus
they remain under such hallucinations inert and
unconverted members of the second sphere.
Q. Do angels dwell in common?
A. They are, as in earth-life, scattered here and
there, where most attracted, the same as in earthlife, a pleasant site attracts the man of wealth to
build thereon, so in the spheres an angel is led to
locate till change is needed.
Q. Have you varied landscapes, adorned with
trees and flowers, undulating lands etc.
A. Your question embraces many points that
must be answered seriatum. First, then, landscapes
are as beautiful with us as ever such can possibly
appear to you. Umbrageous shades, a soft and
genial atmosphere,, with sweet and gentle breezes,
like the fanning of some zephyr sweet gently bending o'er you, a lovely cadence of some distant music
gently swelling its beauteous strains, almost ravish



214 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT' WORLD.
ing the senses, and steeping them in sweet forgetfulness of all but heaven and its glorious concomitants.
Q. Your second point is: "Have you undulating lands?"
A. In answer to your question, an aspiration so
directed would waft you to a scene you seem to
covet; such a one you soon would find, for by no
limits are the spirits bound, but free to roam
through the entire expanse of Nature's fields and
groves in great variety.
Q. Leaving the supernal for a time, may I inquire whether its opposite, the infernal, exists as a
locality?
A. Following up the general impression of
mundane thought, we are forced to the conclusion
that such a place is more essential than the happier state of heaven. The fear of hell becomes
more potent as an agent used in governing mankind, and, therefore, sought and applied as a
means of terrifying into such obedience as fear
produces on the human mind, and many and many
a stricken soul becomes obedient under such an
influence, where love and keenest sense of duty
e'en would fail.
Q. Will you give your views of hell, and how
the term originated?
A. So far as I am capable I will try. An expression like this, you wish explained, is so familiar to the human ear that each and every individ



ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 215
ual in existence (or those who use the term) must,
of necessity, form a vast variety of opinions as to
what it means, but all, of every grade, invariably
associate the name with tortures horrible to contemplate, and in proportion as they are ignorant
and superstitious, so do its fires burn more fiercely,
and all the added tortures of a distorted fancy
seeking to impress the human mind with terrors
far beyond reality, even if such a place existed of
which no proof has e'er been given, other than
the hell or torture by blackest crimes engendered
in the human soul.' A hotter hell no one need invent, for conscience, quickened as it always is by
fear, stirs up within the soul a" deep conviction of
its own deserts in retribution for the many crimes
committed. This we conceive to be the hottest
hell you will ever find outside the brain of some
fanatic priest whose trading capital is hell, from
which he gains usurious interest, and so applies
his vile-acquired gains as to bring a compound interest on which he hopes to found a fortune large
enough to sway a world in such direction as he
pleases.
You further ask me how such a -term originated. To which I answer in all ages words being
arbitrary in their character have, like all of man's
requirements, originated in necessity; a want experienced had to be expressed, and thus has language been continually expanding coeval with the




216 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
wants of. society. Thus, as government progressed, a silent but effective agent seemed a need to
aid the moral power of governing, a something
suited to the superstitious element within the human
soul, which, by excitement, could be made to
reach the minds of the unenlightened masses, by
presenting terrors beyond their power to comprehend, and, therefore, ten times more potent when
once imbibed. What mind, trammeled as it would
be under the rhetorical flourishes of some wily
priest could long endure such mental anguish and
not succumb? Such was the case in early days,
when ignorance and superstition ruled as with a
rod of iron the peoples of that day.
Q. How do you account for men of intellect
and learning still clinging to such falsehoods?
A. Are men of learning always pure and
honest? Are they not selfish beyond the proper
limits? Could they be- brought to think that
larger gain from being honest would accrue, soon
would they cast aside the hypocrite, which now
best suits their purpose, place virtue at a higher
premium than it now brings in currency, and they
will be virtuous in appearance, only for the AllSeeing Eye of God, and angels too, can easily
penetrate the flimsy veil they use to cloak their
acts of dark hypocrisy.
Q. It often seems a stumbling block to the
would-be investigator how such acts can prosper?




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 217
A. This all may be, and yet who has the right
to impugn the acts of Deity? Some wise and
righteous purpose underlies his every act, and
finity can never reach the altitude of comprehension sufficient to scan his acts. Who can read the
hearts of those whose outward show betokens
happiness? A golden colored apple, with beauteous external, form and color, may within be all
decay and rottenness, and so the human family by
making outward show, deceive and cover up from
public gaze its miserable condition; but above
and all around are unseen hosts of spirit entities,
watching and bewailing such a state of things.
Q. Is the promised benefit of death-bed repentance a fact to be relied on?
A. Again, my husband, your desire seems to
be the  record of a  purpose  well designed
and much approved by us. If our opinion may be
fairly estimated in answering such a question, we
desire to be emphatic. No, we answer. As well
might Nature sanction crime in its most atrocious
form as to imagine such a sequel to a sinful life.
The priestly prayers have no effect at such a moment, otherwise. than to lull the mind into a dull
and senseless state - that reason, conscience,
thought, are stilled in transient quietude, uncognizant of all surroundings; and in this unconscious
state, similar to that of being poisoned, the deluded soul passes away, and enters a country all




218 ANGEL VOICES FROQM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
unknown to it, and  we, here leave him for
the present, until some other time, we may again
resume the subject.
Q. Dare we venture to inquire why a world
of humans should be thus deceived by such vampires?
A. This question we are not capable of answering because it trenches on the privileges of
Deity.
Q. For what is reason given us if we are not
permitted its fullest exercise? Is it wrong to suppose Deity is in some degree responsible to His
created family?
A. My husband, this is a bold and noble stand
you now are taking, and one which requires judgment while you attempt its scrutiny. Yet is it
correct and worthy of the most profound attention; not devoid of reverence, but demanding such
in fullest measure. May I beg dismissal for the
present, and when I come again this shall form a/
special subject.
[Spirit resumed.] According to my promise,
I am here to redeem the same.
The subject being a grand and mighty one, demands of both implicit care, in my prompting and
your transcribing. To attempt to describe God
and all His holy and divine attributes would prove
a futile effort, neither would it enhance His
grandeur one iota, yet we may form but one con



ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 219
ception, and thereby learn the obligations we are
under to Him as our Father and our Friend, and
in this condition to hold a council with Him, and
thus bringing ourselves in close and holy rapport
with Him, as with one who would sympathize
with us and hear our plaints, and by the love He
bears His children dry up their tears of anguish,
and give them strength to battle with a world
whose souls are so exhausted with a heavy weight
of sin and iniquity as to render it almost impossible to make them fit to become inhabitants of a
pure and holy atmosphere, where God and His
holy angels dwell. And while we speak of God,
clairvoyantly, perceiving you are somewhat inclined to inquire, how we apply this term to an influence that may be described as involving a set of
principles, or attributes (as oft they are called).
This we accept in the abstract only, because of the
impossibility of addressing a single attribute when
its holy influence is needed, causing a confusioh
ill-adapted to a government based on wisdom infinite.
CHRISTIANITY COMPARED WITH SPIRITUALISM..MY HUSBAND, I have called upon you to write
some few thoughts, which may, perhaps, to some
extent benefit humanity. Can you imagine why




220 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
mankind in general seem to think a Spiritualist
almost unworthy to be recognized as truthful?
We think there -are many who, if they possessed
the power, would even destroy them, root and
branch.  And why, I ask?  Is there aught in
Spiritualism that should cause the blush of shame
to tinge the cheek of him who claims a right to
think and act according as his conscience dictates,
and is willing to accept the Spirit teachings,
that there is one God, good and gracious in the
treatment of His children! Is this a crime of
which they accuse you, that should draw down
upon your head the anathemas of men who profess
to be exemplars to the world at large; and further, claim to be the followers of the one referred
to as being a pure and holy medium and spiritual
preceptor?  Yes; from  those pure and holy lips
were ever falling truths ineffably divine, which if
practiced by those who pretend to be his followers,
but who in all directions fail to copy him, and
then assume the right to censure those who are
attempting to follow- in his footsteps, by not only
professing, but practicing each and every injunction to do right towards humanity in all their
daily avocations and worldly intercourse, thus
practically carrying out the several divine inculcations to the letter, by healing the sick and comforting the afflicted, imparting through divine and
holy inspirations spiritual truths, denied by ortho



ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 221
doxy; in fine, doingmuch that professors of Christianity neglect to do; thus showing that the proifessors of a despised belief are more the practical
disciples of Jesus than those who expect, through
pomp and pageantry, to conciliate the good will
and friendship of him they call their Savior. Oh
monstrous folly! to think one whom they believe
a God can be conciliated by earthly baubles and
flimsy show, while the vital principle of good is
little thought of, and, worse than all, becomes perverted. What, then, of success can they lay claim
to? Do they suppose their God is blind or deaf,
that cognizance he will never take of such hypocrisy in their worship, stripped as it is of all sincerity; a mere mockery; a shadow without the
substance?
Poor, inert souls, ye had better throw aside
your tinselled trash, and look for something more
substantial that will feed your hungry souls, so
that you may not continue to hunger and thirst
for that your misnamed Shepherds cannot supply
you with, but of which they boast continually; and
yet with all their boasting, hunger frequently
besets them. And fain you would wander from
them to seek more wholesome nourishment.
Their churches cannot give you the supply you
want. Their salt has lost its savor, hence, decay
and devastation are fast approaching. The spirit
world has heard the dismal cry of Spiritual hunger,




222 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
and in response thereto are daily bringing from
the spheres supplies adequate to meet your
wants. Are you willing to accept of this the
bounty of your God, brought by angel hands to
give you of that bread of life on which your souls
depend for nourishment?
Then linger not, but break the barriers which
awily priestcraft may have thrown around you.
Break! break those bonds with which they'll fetter
every limb, and thus restrict your God-given
liberty to seek that food that is more nourishing.
We want you seeking; we come with gladness to
the rescue, and hence the vengeance whiich is now
aroused in opposition to our purpose. But need
you quail before their efforts, impotent as they are,
when met with an opposing force they cannot
control-the force of righteousness supreme, which
gives to men and women a right to keep intact
their individuality, tempered and governed by
reason, and further ordered by the angel hosts, the
puny efforts of a reverend phalanx can never prevail, but, as the chaff before the wind, must scatter
and be seen no more. How, then, would we say
to ye, 0 mortal! God, your father and your friend,
asks nothing more than strict obedience to his laws
as that which is and ever must be acceptable to
him whose impartial justice overshadows the entire universe. Let truth, virtue, law and justice
be your guide, and all the united efforts of skepti



ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 223
cism and ignorant bigotry will fall before you.
God is with you to comfort and'instruct you,
therefore let your cry be ever Excelsior! Upward
and onward be your motto. AMEN.
IS FOREKNOWLEDGE A GIFT TO MAN?
IN undertaking to respond to this question we
feel a something like reluctance, as it requires but
little ingenuity to show how sparse of interest the
entire question seems within itself, when viewed
as giving to man a power incompatible with his
development, in any phase humanity can claim, as
an inherent principle within his nature.
Foreknowledge! what, we ask, does it imply?
A something so opposed to every principle of wisdom and eternal justice would be illy placed at
man's disposal. Vain and presumptious as he is at
present, had he prescience what limit could be
placed upon him? Knowledge, like all things
else must be restricted, or where would be progression?
In each condition man attains to, can he make
greater progress under a conviction such attainment needs but little effort? By such impressions the mind becomes inert, and sometimes




224 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
almost useless. A certain stimulus is needed to
stir up man's mentality to action, and energize his
soul to follow zealously the proper mode of seeking-that he knows to be his right of close investigation. Can aught of doubt exist respecting such a
maxim? We deem it quite impossible, and therefore claim it as legitimate. In all that appertains.
to man's ethereal condition, we feel confined
within such narrrow limits, we would, from necessity, hesitate to utter thoughts which crowd upon
us thick and fast. Yet silent are we kept from lack
of language to impart it. Here, then, lies the difficulty.  If men and women had foreknowledge,
there would be no need of angel messengers to
bring from Deity that they are commissioned to
impart, or aught of that which calls them from
their bright abodes, to bring such glorious tidings
as they often do. Prescience, to self-opinionated
men and women, would render useless all their efforts to improve humanity under the law of intuition.  It has been said man was made but
little lower than the angels; if so, the question
must occur to every thinking mind, Do spirits lose
that power by the change from mortal to continuous life, for no prescience or foreknowledge do
they claim, but yield to Deity that privilege to
them quite incomprehensible. In fact the supposition seems so thoroughly opposed to common
sense, it cannot be indulged while reason still.
remains intact, within the human mind.




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 225
Does a skillful merchant make known his various projects, if'better kept as secret until his
plans are matured, and then, perchance, but in degree, or so far as he may trust them?  All this
seems necessary caution, but ah, how useless must
it seem, if man is prescient, having foreknowledge
of these secret plans. Is not the absurdity of such
a theory manifest to the man that thinks and ponders o'er the acts of Deity? Such theory we deem
an insult to the majesty of God. God and Nature
bothdemand implicit recognition of every law enacted, but here a competition would arise between
Deity and man as to which was best entitled to
claim foreknowledge of the matter.  In giving to
man a power Omnipotence alone should wield,
would be a folly such as a mind well balanced
would not for a moment sanction. AMEN.
SHALL THE BIBLE BE USED IN PUBLIC
SCHOOLS?
IN attempting to answer such a question, we
feel assured a large proportion of mankind will be
awakened to a lively interest in the matter, and
whatever view we take, we must be censured.
I5




226 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
This is altogether natural; therefore, being prepared, we shall endeavor to shape our course so
as to prove, beyond all doubt, that we are sincere
and candid in the matter.
Our first essay must be to ask the Bible advocates, what are the uses to which they will apply
this book? and, secondly, when applied what will
result from the experiment? and, in order to carry
on the inquiry, we shall have to draw upon our
own imagination, for such reasons as may be given
by them; viewing it as holy and infallible, they
hope to found a faith in strict accordance with their
own, and thus increase the strength of each and
every institution, professing orthodox opinions,
without the slightest reference to those who claim
an equal right to free thought and free expression
of it.
Are those who differ from  such views compelled to abide by such tyrannic acts?  We
answer, no; it were:better far to let all sectarian views be banished from your public schools
and leave the public mind untrammeled by the numerousand erratic dogmas offered, by which
many a nation's green and fertile fields have
reeked with human gore, and thus become the
graves of nature's noblest sons, decimating families
and making man the fell destroyer of his species.
Is not this a truth patent to the ken of all beholders, that war, pestilence and famine, have




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 227
been engendered by this so-called religious education. of the masses?  We would advocate no
such system, by and through which the bitterest
wars have been commenced and carried on with
more attrocities committed, than by any other
means extant. That Bible, hallowed as it seems to
be, by priests and bigots, but by millions viewed
as vague and meaningless, by the people, apart
from some few truths, scattered here and there, in
sparseness, as sugar coated pills are given to render palatable a nauseous bolus, so is that Bible illumined, as it were, to hide the monstrosities contained within its lids, which we should deem altogether unfit to meet the. eyes of youth —statements which would disgrace a publication deemed
obscene.
On this would we base our objections, deeming
them valid; for aught presented to the mind of
youth that is not truly pure, should be objected
to as dangerous to the best interests of humanity;
for to them, as your successors,must you look, and as
they are trained so will be the coming generations,
and while you have the power to restrain the
passions by withholding all contamination,'tis
your duty so to do., The. present and the, future
loudly call upon you as parents or guardians so
to do. The soil that is rich and new accelerates
the growth of vegetation, and is it not so with
youth, whose mind is thus imbued with knowledge,




228 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
either right or wrong? All nature teems with the
truth that weeds grow fast when unattended to,
and is it not so with the yonng and tender minds
committed to your care? How many a bright
and glorious genius has sunk in dark oblivion,
lacking care in rooting up the noxious weeds
which have choked its highest aspirations. Hence,
the necessity of guarding carefully the avenues of
thought, and so directing it that no barriers may
be raised to highly pure and moral inculcations
on which depends its future destiny.
Admitting such to be the case, how essential
does it seem to assume a censorship o'er the work
of teaching those committed to your care, keeping
a strict, judicious surveillance over each work
presented; for by doing so you will make smooth
the path of teaehers who, if well selected and properly restrained by rules and regulations, must
succeed in imbuing the youthful mind with knowledge truly useful to humanity, free from prejudice
and dogmatism. so destructive to that harmony
which should exist in every well regulated society.
By such. a course of action, the countless blessings man is made recipient of would be appreciated, and anarchy and discord measurably removed. But while discontent and bickering still
continues, sin and iniquity seems to flourish, and
death and desolation rushes on and on the downw ard road to misery and destruction.




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.  229
But, secondly, what is to be the expected benefit from  its introduction?  You, perhaps, will
answer, an education, based on Bible truths, we
hold to be essential. To this we answer, a truth
presented to the human mind carries with it its
own voucher, and requires no cassocked priest to
recommend it to the acceptance of the pupil. By
natural intuition does it make its own impression,
and, therefore, needs' no studied effort to impress
it on the mind, and while kept separate from falsehood, runs no risk of being misconceived. Hence
our objection to the introduction of the Bible, containing as it does some beauteous thoughts, which,
if separate from the rest, would seem well adapted
as a moral standard suited to the minds of youth.
But mixed and interlarded with fable, and even
falsehoods, our antagonism to its introduction
grows each moment stronger as thought evolves
conviction of its uselessness-a term by far too
mild, while deprecating the act of introduction.
A public school, conglomerate as it must be of
necessity, is no place for such a book. The human
intellect demands something more advanced from
which instruction may be drawn, without the fiction consequent upon such a laborious effort as
the extracting knowledge from a source -so mixed
and vague; the mind of an adult would naturally
tire of such a task. With such views as these, we
cannot see that a single benefit can accrue from
such appliance as a means of teaching.




230 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
We, perhaps, may almost be accused of atheism, because we would exclude the so-called sacred
scriptures. What makes them sacred, we would
ask, more than any other book containing truth?
Does it become a greater truth because man sees
fit to call it so? What proof can ye adduce inculcations there contained are God's own records?
Ye have none; that ye must admit, other than those
presented, being the concoction of some brainless
priest, who, with unwonted zeal, has manifested
proofs as baseless as the creed professed by him
and millions of deluded followers.
But we must check this seeming outpouring
of denial of the doctrine thus presented for the
guidance of a deluded people.
Whilst we eschew religious dogmas and erratic
creeds, we admit the grand and glorious power
directing the movements of a universe as being
incomprehensible to our finite minds; yet, permeating all things, making Himself known and seen
through all creation. Let this self-same faith be
made manifest in all your public schools; let it be
written in golden letters on your walls, "There is
one God; obey his laws and be happy." Herein
would be religion ample for all man's needs, in an
unperverted state. Parents or guardians have a
perfect right to impress upon the tender minds of
youth that which they conscientiously believe correct, and no one need complain; but as public




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 231
teachers, paid by all of every religious denomination, ye are stepping widely from your path of
duty the moment you attempt to clog the youthful mind; because that moment ye inviolate one
of the most important laws of God-Charity, most
beautiful in. its character, but little practiced in
your midst.
0, was this law better comprehended, this
world might be an almost paradise; sin and iniquity would seek concealment, and all the brighter
scenes of life would be enhanced and made to
reach humanity. in all the dark and dismal places
which still remain unreached by the genial rays
of sunlight to increase the happiness of poor
humanity.
We hope the time, is coming when ignorance
and bigotry shall be removed, and man enfranchized from the incubus, may stand in presence
of his God and the assembled hosts of heaven,
ready to avow the unity and fatherhood of God,
the maternity of nature and the brotherhood and
sisterhood of all humanity. Then will resound
from every portion of this universe, aye from centre
to circumference, " Glory to God in the highest,
peace and good will to all men."
My brother, to contemplate such a result seems
to stir up every faculty of the human soul to increased action. Let us pray the author of all good
that all schism may cease; that one universal be



232 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
lief in God's supremacy may enter the heart of
every living being, to the entire seclusion of all
that is dark and mystified, so that all errors may
cease, and truth, aye,God's own truth, may prevail
and man be benefitted thereby.
With deference we offer the foregoing thoughts,
hoping that they may be received in all kindness,
as they are now presented, for whether salutary
in their influence or not, we have the consciousness
of having performed our duty. AMEN.
MY SISTER'S ADDRESS FROM THE SPIRIT
LAND.
MY BELOVED BROTHER, to whom I am bound
by stronger ties than natural affection'; yes, by the
bonds of holy and divine love-engendered in my
soul by the many efforts you have made to render
me capable of becoming the recipient of angel
teachings.  But, alas! no efforts could succeed,
while every avenue to my inner soul was barred
against their entrance by prejudice so strong that
nothing short of force could break asunder bonds
that chained me down to dogmas most revolting
to the enfranchised soul. Often have I thought
whilst pondering o'er the many proofs you have




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 2833
sought to give me that Spiritualism  was true,
poor, poor, misguided soul you must be to accept
a doctrine based on mere delusion. 0, how many,
many prayers I have offered for your safety,
imagining every time you wrote me on-the subject your final doom would soon be sealed, and
heaven be lost to you for ever more, never for one
moment dreaming' heaven was the place it is.
Theology assumes it is the ultimate of happiness
to those who seek and claim it as their own.
My brother, oft have I thought when' dwelling
on the subject that it seemed so strange to me,
that you, who never seemed to be religiously
inclined, should, all at once, become enthusiastic
and a perfect devotee to that I could not comprehend as possible. To tallk of holding constant
commune with your spirit friends, appeared to me
a perfect myth; hence, in ignorance and superstition I denounced it folly and even false; but since
my advent into spirit life an awakened state of
consciousness has clearly shown me the error I
committed and the injustice shown toward you,
my brother; a miserable return for all your kindness. Will you forgive me, brother mine, for thus
rejecting every attempt you made to bfing about
a changed condition which would have been a
boon to me, indeed? but bigoted and superstitious
as I was, my heart was steeled to all of spirit
power; hence my inattention to your statements.




234 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
It is needless to enter into a minute detail
of my unconscious state in passing to the spheres,.
to you'tis. not unknown —at least, the theory. Suffice it then to say, all was strange and
unfamiliar to my sight. At every turn the busy
din of industry was seen and heard, and thus
without an effort of my own, was I at once ushered
into a place of harmony and love-fit place of rest
for every way-worn, pilgrim from a land of inharn
mony and misrule, both' in the domestic and
public circles.
O, my brothel, when I reflect upon the time I
lost on earth, when listening to the miserable
teachings of a long life, I am truly ashamed, and
wonder why with intellect sufficient I could not
see the errors of that doctrine, which now appear
to me so void of truth that but a little tim e it will
take to remove the veil of darkness used to cover
its deceptive influences, and give to those who
seek it under angel guidance, a brighter and more
glorious faith.
But to my detail. Unconscious as I have been
so long, I scarce could recognize' the beauties of
the place, nor who was there to greet me but my
own sweet Julia. O, my brother, to her I owe a
debt of love and gratitude unbounded, for soothing and consoling me in my bewilderment. She
might be deemed my savior.
But while my mind was on the stretch of




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 235
expectation, a beauteous spirit came towards me,
and with anxious scrutiny peered into my face, desirous of recognizing me as some one known to her.
She suddenly embraced me, and, smiling lovingly,
exclaimed, " Thou art, indeed, his sister! come,
come, thou dear one, and dwell with us within
these realms of bliss; we've wrung thee from the
hands of those who would have still withheld thee
from us, and sunk thy soul in black despair; but
we have watched thee carefully years long past,
hoping, before thy transit from earth-life, to have
changed thee from those erratic views by education fixed, almost beyond our power to remove;
thy brother's efforts failing, we soon perceived'twas useless to continue longer, knowing time
alone would e'en assist us in our design to shield
thee from the priestly meshes of deception."
Thus have we at last the innfate gratification of
meeting thee here, where sorrow cannot come,
and where thy untrammelled nature may act its
part in common with the unnumbered hosts of
spirits, who through earthly trials and vexations
have become bright and shining lights.
Really, my beloved brother, it seems so strange
to be able once again to commune with you, that
all which has transpired since my' death (as it is
called) seems but a dream; and yet so real is it to
my spirit senses as to make a reality of that which
gives me so much pleasure and delight; that,




236 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
with all the 6bstacles removed, I can now look
forward to a joyful reunion with you in the celestial spheres.
My brother, whilst enjoying to a great extent
these proffered blessings, am I wont to dwell
upon the untoward condition of a beloved sister
and daughters two, whose souls are so environed
by the self-same odious dogmas lately advocated
by myself, the soul at once recoils in pure disgust
that they are thus exposed to dangers and perplexities, so overwhelming in their nature as to mar
their prospects in the Summer Land. O, could 1
but come in rapport with our beloved Eliza, such
glowing thoughts of heaven I'd then impart that
no longer would she hold adherence to a doctrine
so destructive to the best interests of humanity,
that all the powers of angel effort scarcely proves
sufficient to arrest the evil. Thus am I ever striving to affect a change which, once produced,
would show her where the treasure lies —not in
the musty dogmas of the past which, long ere this,
should have been consigned to the dead past, but
to the living present should be as things that were
but now are not.
But, my brother, modern Spiritualism presents
a code of laws supremely beautiful in all their
phases, but in no phase more completely so than
their simplicity and truthfulness.  0, could your
world but imbibe this thought and act upon




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 237
it, how readily they would throw aside those baneful teachings which have deadened the souls best
aspirations, teaching it reliance upon all that is
doubtful and pertinaciously objecting to all that
is truthful and instructive.
But while I am thus dilating upon these matters, I am somewhat forgetful of the object of this
my first visit to you, my brother, whose sympathetic nature draws me more closely towards
you than is usual by those ties of closer affiliation
-our twinship-which now seems more clearly
demonstrated than in earth-life where a different
atmosphere encompassed us, rendering us as it
were, repugnant to each other, owing to our surroundings-mine, dark and almost fanatical, yours,
my brother, brighter and still brighter under the
divine and holy influence of spirit teaching, leading you upward and onward to the royal road of
eternal progression.
Strange as it may appear, up to the latest hour
of my conscious state in earth-life, the same uncompromising doubts of spirit power and presence,
still adhered to me. And why, I often ask myself?
But because I had become so saturated with
priestly teachings that no room was there to
accept instruction from the angel world. Thus
did I pass away, ignorant as I was of all ethereal
things. Long, long unconscious was I, as you
have been informed by Julia. You know the rest




238 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
by my brief description given. At present I must
leave, but soon will come again when called. for
by you, my brother. Till then, I say adieu.
COMMUNICATION FROM SAINT PAUL.
MV  BROTHER, no mortal or immortal ever
longed for your commiseration more than I do.
Nothing would induce me thus to urge my
claim on your immediate attention than the fear I
entertain lest something may interfere with an arrangement I have sought to make for centuries
past, by which I might unfold to human ken horrors most foul and noxious'in their import. Oh,
with what eagerness I sought you on hearing you
were gifted with the power of transcribing spiritthoughts without hyperbole, or slightest variation
from the truth as prompted by them. Jesus, my
friend and brother, made this known to me; in eulogistic terms he spoke of thee as being a very
marvel in transcribing angel thoughts, and such I
have already found thee. No inaccuracies appear,
but plain ungarbled statements given.
In that I do rejoice; for, at the present time
sincerity and honesty of purpose dwells not in
the heart of man. The times in which I lived on




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 239
earth, were bad enough; corruption in its basest
form had fastened on the minds of men, unfitting
them as teachers of the good, but thoroughly initiated in all that men's imperfect status might aspire to. Can you imagine a man like Jesus could
approve such things in his day and generation?
In token of his abhorrence did he not rebuke them
in a way peculiarly his own, and never yet improved upon by others who came after? a way
no one but he, the God-imbued, a holy character,
sent as a seeming speciality to check the mad
career of men, who, being ignorant, knew not the
risk they ran in trampling on the laws he enacted
for their benefit, and save them from the penalties
attached thereto. No threats of vengeance passed
those sacred lips; no hasty steps were ever taken
by him; but calm, deliberate action marked his
every movement. Meek, but majestic, was his
mien; awing the rebellious,by a look, and giving
to the afflicted some words of comfort commensurate with their needs; not in pompous mood, but
as ohe who had the power to accomplish all he
promised. And was not such a course majestic in
its character?
But is it needed I should attempt to eulogize a
character I can scarcely comprehend? one, who in
comparison with this world, has not a single compeer, and, in Heaven, no one will seek a competition? But here I find myself at fault. I have no




240 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
language suited to describe his glorious and celestial nature; free, almost as God himself from imperfection, and thus was he the chosen messenger to
impart the glad tidings of continuous life to those
who would seek it in spirit and in truth, with
trumpet voice endorsed by all the angelic hosts of
Heaven.
My Brother, with deep regret, I leave this
grand and noble martyr to the cause of truth, who,
in renouncing life upon the cross, seemed, as it
were, to seal the act as just in retribution of the
crime alleged against him, making himself almost
a God, when he exclaimed: "I and my Father are
one." And was he not then, as ever since that day
of expiation? Were not his utterances but further
proof of the oneness spoken of-truth, that coming
from the Father and accepted by the Son,a seeming
unison of thought and action, not comprehended
by the masses, but true in principle. If aught can
be more clear and comprehensible, I ask the
doubter to avow it, for aught that he presents but
proves conclusively, no man can controvert. Language is sometimes so perverted as to render
common sense but a mere jargon of words. Just
as the inspiration. of the so-called sophist must appear to those who use their common sense and
reason in. adjudging sentences and chapters conglomerate and absurd as pretentious efforts to produce a work of inspiration; but not being genuine




ATGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT MrORLD. 241.
it is like the floundering of a fanatic wThile endeavoring to explain a theory without a foundation.
With oft repeated ahem and much of hesitation,
at length subsides, and is not seen again. And if
it were needed we might add much more in words
and yet not add one tittle to the truth.
Nothing can be more ungrateful to an observarnt mind, than undue repetition of a thought,
however beautiful it may be, because seeminigly
out of place,without companionship or voucher for
the actbeing proper. Pray, my brother, excuse
these brief digressions; they seem to me like  pictuLres in a book, illustrating what is there, described; or like 1eys which open passages  of
seeming difficulty  to  comprehend, ostracisingthought and making clear its meaning. Look at
Nature; like a meandering stream  keeps on its
course in tranquil, quiet measure; in seeming rippling pleasure wends its way in search of such companionship best suited to its destiny. The meeting seems to be a joyous one; the ripple of the
one blending with the new  found streams, seems
like the inter-twining of two loving souls in sweet
affection's bonds. With close adherance do they
cling together, for all their hopes of happiness
seem, as it were, dependant on that union continuinfo intact through a life on earth, even to its natural terminus.
If Heaven is in such condition reached, think
I6




242 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
you we shall need a Savior there, crucified, to appease the wrath of an offending God? Monstrous
supposition that, to imagine a God supremely
wise and me rciful could e'er be wrathful and vindictive, apparently with less of self-control to
guide him than' poor, puny man. Avaunt! we say.
Such a thought is too absurd, too great a compromise of God's eternal majesty, and every phase appears to partake of blasphemy. Retributive justice must o'ertake the authors of such a calumny.
But I find while thus I am moralizing, I almost
forgot the purpose of my visit, being, as I said before, to unfold the errors of the past, by giving a
truthful detail of events' that then occurred; a record garbled in its character, concocted by untruthful men who sought to aggregate the bad,
letting virtue and integrity remain unnoticed and
unprotected.
My Brother, which would be your choice; to
accept my detail of events, consecutive in its
course, or adopt the interrogatory plan?
My reverend friend, methinks your detail would
be interesting unless a question may possibly be
asked. Such a wise decision I will accept, and in
furtherance of such avowal, first I will speak of inspiration, it being an element or gift of grand importance to humanity, both embodied and disembodied in its nature, as it were, joining together
the two worlds in one solid bond of glorious in



ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.  243
tercourse, bridging that gulf of separation so much
talked of by imaginative christians who sapiently
believe the same road which leads from earth to
heaven, unless removed, or perhaps destroyed,
must admit of a return to those who, finding. such
a privilege existing, by natural instinct try  the retracing of their steps to visit earth and seek communion with their friends, and there impart to
them the fact of a continuous life beyond this vale
of tears and suffering, as many think it, but of
which in fitting place we may again revert to. If
common sense and reason play their parts in truthfulness, they must endorse the fact that the road to
heaven is still an open one, their so-called avowal
to the contrary notwithstanding.
Are ye not told in heaven there is no coercion used; its occupants are under no restraint;
the door is left ajar for those who wish to leave,
whilst those who seek an entrance must knocknot loud, but meaningly, and wait admittance
while their right is fully tested by examination of
the needed record asked of them?
With such precautions, heaven is a place that
many seek, but few, comparatively, gain admission
to; but not from any other cause than carelessness
and ignorance on the part of those who have hot
listened to the angel voices speaking to them in
tones of love and tenderness, beseeching them to
share the wiser, better plan which leads to peace




244 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
and happiness in the Summer Land; where dwells
those beauteous spirit form s in love and happiness
supreme.'7es; hlad they listened to their loving
rwords andl wWise injunctions all of mrisery would
cease, and happiness c'lestial theirs.
In -this no inysteiy  can be seen; the psimnple law
of truth to oguimde them; anyel hands outstretched
to lead, a nd heaven's best igTht to make their path
a clear and pleasant oneo.  Why shoulrd they falter
on Lhe rodt, or, perchhtance, prefer some other one,
adorned by ar tficial mlnLeans to mislead the unwary
doubter, look-ing  -o the sdirfa:ce without a knowledge of the many pithills overspread by means
con cot-ed to deceive? We here would ask, is
such the path a malpn of wvlsdomn would iake choice
of?  Oh, no. His path would be the great highway of nature, where slight obstructions may be
met-seemingly, at firSt, impassable, but, seeking
aid that is ever ready, are soon removed, and in
peace the traveler pursues his journey pleased
and satisfied, no retrogression does he contemplate.
My brother, is not this a sermon quite as good
as many an aristocratic congregation listen to?
At all events, more truth is therein contained than
in the costly edifices of your several towns and
cities-mere monuments of human pride, more
numerous than they'll admit. If candor was an
element amongst the infatuated of these churches,




ANGEL VOICES FIROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 24:5'we would not complain; but of that'they seem
entirely ber-eft wvithin their narrowed souls for
that to dwell in; ancd lshould it by mistake otrudcle
its presenCe, a shriek of te1irir,>r Wiouid  be heard
indicaive of' deep d1istress —the sure concomitant
of fr.ight, and wildest a.pplelsens ion some caiamity
was then i'mpendcing.  Can it be supposed an
elernent i ke this of pure and holy paren-tae coul d
feeItat thome witn SUCl assoc;ates?    e deem  it
quite impossible,  lo congceniality exists w1hile
assimulation is the abseontee; a combinatlon of the'
twain iay a i  the one, and givre a stimlus'o.bo Doth'to lay aside the pireudice of' e:tary ed-uca.ion, and
by.much forbea'i-ace  pract iced by th em, better
and more righteouis Teligs m nayT bu enige  de'red
in their minds, sub l  ersive of the ma av  wrongs
committed by r-on- obsrwVl mc of fi-e ] La w of candori,
much to be regretted utd.er thei r new and changed
condition.
Thilk of this ye trained decei vers, tor transient
nu.t be your triumph.  Scanned and scrutinized
by eyes invisible'to you, eyes that never blink in
sunshine's glare, or fail to see in midnight darkness what the sons and daughters of humanity are
doin.g; reporting t/Zat they see both good and bad
to such as are appointed to make the record.
Many are impressed with the idea that crime
can be committed, and in secresy be kept, because
in darkness it may have been committed. Poor,




246 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
poor, mistaken souls. Awake! I say, to comprehension of the truth; let reason do her part, and
common sense assist her; let them think the
matter over what truth there is in such avowal.
Men are not all as Gods, knowing good from evil,
embracing the one and casting aside the other, or
being altogether without temptation could glide
along through life apparently in happiness and
joy, nothing annoying or distressing them; no
affliction of the physique, but under conscious
throbbings of the tortured soul, a hotter hell need
not be sought. And yet the so-called christian of
the past and present here denounces that fancied
hell as insufficient to accomplish what a malignant,.
furious God would doom His creatures to experience, and that experience unending in effect.
And here we would expose a fallacy magnifying a
law which, when carried out, becomes an entire
nullity, a very mockery of law or justice.
Law, to be effective, must be just. Its tendency
should be reform. We ask can cruelty, unswerving, implacable and interminable, produce the
desired result? Who, we ask, will answer otherwise than No? Voices doubly vociferated will
rise in deprecation of so base a supposition.
My Brother, if heaven and earth could be consolidated, its intercourse might be increased; the
wants of one, by interchange of holy sentiment in
all things appertaining to the one.or other, must




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 247
excite more interest in ethereal matters, because, at present, they are seemingly a myth to
those who, from indifference and stark inertness,
feel as if heaven and earth are separated by a gulf
so wide and deep,'tis thought impassable.
In and under such condition, men become but
little interested, and thus neglect a most important
duty; for from  whatever standpoint you'may
view it, your every day of life presents such grand
and glorious reasons for investigating.
Does a prudent, careful man purchase' estate
without seeking counsel of his friend, unless by
long acquaintance that friendship had been tried
and found to be reliable, would his advice be followed if time he had to inspect the same himself,
yet being satisfied that all is quite correct, eventually, a purchase he may make?
And if all this caution seems a need in worldly
matters, how measurably beyond all cavil should
man investigate the truth of modern Spiritualism,
which has no parallel in beauty, grandeur, truthfulness and glory; the very acme of eternal wisdom! the all and in all of science and philosophy.
No novel thoughts are preferred here.  From
earliest times it has been known, accepted, and
like a treasured jewel in times of danger, secreted
as best it could be, to save it from the vandal
hands outstretched to harm, or perhaps, destroy it.
But in every time of danger menacing it, there




248 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT AWTORLD.
were those- attentive angel watchers ready to enshrine it within some place of safety, far beyond
the reach of ruffian violence, till days of darkened
ignorance have passed away, and then in modest
but effective mood, sought the accom-iplishment of
a plan concocted in the angel world —having for
its purpose the inaugturation of a brighter, holier,
grander inspiration, as it were, reachinrcg   beyond
the grovelling thoughts of men who live but to
enjoy the luxuries of mundane life without even
thinking of the future; looking no furlher than
life's terminus on earth. AMEN.
AND THERE Si-IALL BE NO MO-RE DEATHMLv HUSBAND, your -r-1-i1end who prepa-ed tniiS
question for solution is one of those minds which
has become, as it were, insatiate' for tru.h, and
spares no time or opportunity to obtain ite Oh,
how we delight in responding to such, even when
our difficulties seem  almost insurmountable, for
they deserve our utmost efforts, and fieely.we
accord them.
Our answer might be brief-a mere " No;"
but we think the subject will bear a further elaboration, and  the  mere negation  might prove




AN-GEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT W~VORLD. 249
unsatisfactory; therefore, permit me to use your
organism for a brief pe:-iod   To define death, as it
is called, -would be allaost impossible, because it
could  be  but a detail of' one's own individual
experience, which, p      h hllps would not prove very
clearly the question. Therefore, we shall omit
the er. lsc-i-o —,  anc  proceed at oc-..e to describe
its use aud end.
Th1e.....'z'   olf a-nimnated existenic  shows most
potently thlFat birtih and deathb are Ceistent itnstit.tions in the r       div e   conoIy of sup-py ani d  emand.
lThe former -is as essential t t'I the people of your
worl1d a's   I e   Iatter, as a    of disposing of a
worn-out or di seased oopulaoin,  meanC's, pCculiari
In Is caatJactc: i,t-,:-st  inco prehensih b tle    to the
human kea; bultc ye=t in all itAi v aious b lings soi
efflc:.ent Cas o 10 fl li    d-i   o -0 hii-nm  *0 C o eClte
all n- 1]  D og5./!T-a   I eC1711CIS....I _ I c  ecss.l
Could noi i10fi1ni-   wisdom   have devised  means
which wv-ouild 1have be3i  iess d-readful t-o lhulan
suscepotibilit-y;  sol+ethli, t-at would ]have  been
less te:ible ib n  con4em rp-l'iiO; something  that
could be  lookeCd a- l ess dreadfui?
Lo~okling  lat iicn as 1 tey  are at. present constituted, these questions o   inhnt be rightly asked
as showing the result of' bigoted aind superstitious
teachings, whic h'tend  to veil and  obscure  the
beauties of the institution called Death; and from




250 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
them our diseased imaginings make death the
very culmination of mental suffering.
Is this a truth, or shall we view it as a inere
excresence from the soul of bigotry, acting upon
the human mind like caustic when applied to a
wound upon the human body? Is there aught of
reason in such teachings, we would ask? Aught
that can assimilate with truth, and being so, is it
not neccessary every effort should be put forth to
check evil so world-wide that the soul of man
seems for ages to have been submerged in misconception of living truths, that they seem to
prefer the erratic dogmas of a worn-out and
decayed theology, which darkens and mystifies
one of the grandest and most sublime institutions
known.
Conceive, if you can, your earth at the present
moment, destitute of a means to answer an inevitable end. Generation after generation in quick
succession are born, live a time in beauteous youthhood, manhood's prime is then enjoyed; old age
even, if health is still continued, brings with it that
which abbreviates its former pleasures and enjoyments; decrepitude and ennui follow in the train.
What is mundane life to such a one? Has he, or
she not measurably lost the attractive principle
which bound him and others together in the bonds
of well tried friendship? True, there are somewhat isolated cases where continuance of those




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 251
ties exist, and yet they are not common; but when
abrogated, is not death or removal deemed a boon
to suffering humanity.
Is it not evident that wisdom has directed all
things appertaining to humanity? Life's limit is a
wise enactment, even was death its ultimate; but
when viewed as it is, a mere change of conditions,
suited to the high and mighty purpose of translating the human soul to more bright and beautiful
condition, it seems as if an eternity could not suffice to express man's undying gratitude for such a
boon.
If any man was inclined to grant a favor, one
unusual in its character, think you the warmest
feelings of his soul would not be fired, and all his
energies aroused to manifest his high appreciation
of the gift? And if a mere material gift demands
such recognition, how should this gift ethereal be
valued?
No power within the human soul would be commensurate with the demand existing.  Surely,
then, he who can contemplate the grandeur of such
an act of goodness should never tire in the exhibition of his gratitude.
But, my husband, how few there are who are
willing to investigate this most important feature
in the divine economy. Many thousands at the
present time erroneously accept the teachings of
theology that death must be esteemed a penalty,




"252  ANGEL VOICES FROM  THIE SPIRIT WOVRLD.
inflicted  on humanity for the disobedience of our
fabled parents, a iol y only equailed by some other
acs, so  chron0icled as saed  in their birth and
oi-iin. il  ere, thien, we see the — l11) of attachin-'
m-luch imlp0ort.ancce  to  pireconeG.iCvedC  opi1nion  so.ong prei-dated2, and cal i the satme, infailible.
W;here  we- ask, s hat i'oa, D..... ". en t    an
~o save  im  firot  ilusio     n rs et rime t   to  his
r esent 1n., ui-L.e pLrNosp:ec   - t5a Lreason which if
uitrnammi~leiid'-by supr.e-rst;io,'  w-;i  be his su rest:uvidhe  ac-Cia t:S it shI 0  -ioul  i   cSe  Ci)neCtion )    w.ith
thie te -!: Znch,-,<'s of T p our -t-,-: a r 1i,  sp"'...*    ho clai —
voyat!  he   okins   of 10heft.r'evson which
being  ell. C-i ected, is e-er fatifa!   to it..
enog   t  A.       b*      3tt     1.  to  s fir_ eLo
-ilL, my  h Lnsbnd, o  he at,  e cx L ore closely:
-1CL te d ei  srhiull be no more D ie.''uco  plorio-nui plo tnise -t Ie-e anno:LCMLuned strikes
upo to   e 1 er  of hua it-y-llJlJ,  s does the cooling'reezCe i.ec-ted  to te    i wa —,iv, 01 a-ori   ier whose
nfatu-:'e  seef - L-s a!ost exha usted, and  there-ir1ie at
on-rce b-com-c les  receptiva' e of its reiilesh'g infl —ence
througlhout his svste't..t -is then -l dI   there his
gra-eful soul i-n silenet mood transmits   his liveliest
tones of tCoret;idde  to        n-O   the L onor
Wthat, Awe  -would inquire, did the ejaculation
of that sentiment mean?  No more death?J  \erily,
we may find  it difficuit to meet the objections of
the skeptic that it is too much  a niystery  to  be
solved.  Amlongst them,   it may be so, but we are




ANGEL VOICES FROSN THE SPIRIT WORLD  2 53
all w-iont to show  that -no mysterry surrounds i'
that all tlhinig.s connected with it can be rationally
accounted for.   -e ma-1  who finds'the hoely arnc
clivine influe-ce   o  -t -iLu   coursin.-f throucrh h is
nat.ure, feels wf ti   s sout i}t hal ater baine i - soLhe
transition siate    e?,'7- 1. enlter u-pon a. li-fe o- eternal.
perpe-tuityo      is 7n-itit53n- te! _'-5..1i  iiso  -iis -Very
in-most..oul resi)in'tCs  WiL,  ly g  it  -le:o te
assulrance      e 1 t-us reckves Irol- ithose i  \To u- nder
t'-eir, do —ne  impe ssion    Litter  %tVi'iot~   -'hich sink
deepo dcow-Vn  it5 man's in:ost natu re..Are ye not told bty an..el lips that t;here is an
immortai sta-te bea-?onlc the e -?ave? a-nd ~f it be immnortai, how, can dea-th  again occur; and  if the
irmmortal or continuiecld l1- be true, reason at once
rejects the idea Oi Death as  quaite  illogical and
altogoether f-alse.
l-0e quarrei not with -those who are thus scripturally in-'atuated.as -o believe a matter called
inspired, which  stands rejected  by  our reason.
WVe have no other guide by which to separate
the truth from error; ttherefofre, whatever bigotry
and superstition may present as a creed to thinking
men and  women  for their endorsement, think
awhile before ye accept, and we feel a settled confidence that thy reason  will evolve objections,
based upon the law of justice, which demands the
utterance of truth  beyond  all the sophistry  of
modern Christianity~  Therefore, we say to ye, as




254  ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
*children of one common parent-God —waver not
in your acceptation of all angel truths, for be
assured the same benign power that has given you
strength of mind and body to accomplish your
destiny here on earth, will not forsake you now,
neither at the time you are called upon to recognize the call Death will make upon you. Be assured
it will be his last and final one, for then will he be
swallowed up in victory over every sinful passion
that has measurably made needful -that so much
dreaded ordeal, which has been instituted as a
means by which the preparation necessary might
be effected, and the redeemed soul of humanity
becomes a sinless applicant at the door of heaven.
My husband, this subject might be carried to
an indefinite length, but we feel the mind imbued
with Spiritualism and free from undue prejudice,
must coincide with us that agreeable to the law of
supply and demand another death cannot be
needed; therefore, acting upon this hypothesis
there will be none. AMEN.
WHAT IS WORSHIP; AND WHAT
ITS OBJECT?
The above question calls upon us for marked attention, as indeed do all connected with the act
and purpose as above propounded; and in treating it, it perhaps were well to explain our views




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT' WORLD. 255
upon the first and main point presented-Worship,
by which you will better comprehend its object.
The term, itself, presents a compound nature,
somewhat complex, made up of many parts and
portions of elements essential to the end designed.
First is implied approval, admiration, deep and
holy appreciation of the character considered, a
something near akin to the highest human conception of perfection; a concentration of all the
purest sentiments the human mind is capable of
realizing, in fine, a condensed mass of infinite purity and God-like wisdom that alone should be the
ideal fit for man to worship. And if he is capable of realizing such an object for his adoration,
let him do so. You then ask the object of so
doing, to which we answer, self, and nothing else.
He seeks, as best he can, an issue pleasurable to
himself; no other motive has he than, as he supposes, to conciliate that God, or power (call it
what you will), whom he imagines he has offended
by an act, or acts, called sinful by some priest,
who claims to know God's will, and thus in angry
tones denounces acts pronounced by him offensive
to his God. At this, the terror-stricken sinner
falls upon his knees, and worships, as he thinks, a
God of vengeance and malignity, and, as such,
proceeds to flatter and offer praises to him, seemingly, as if addressed a being like himself; returns well satisfied; the object of his worship has




256 ANGEL VOICES FROM/ THE SPIRIT WOlLD.
been obtained —-the forgiveness of his sins. Thus,
is his selfish nature satisfied, until a, repetition of
the act, brings him to the samne condition, seelinl-'
each tinme the same ordeal; here, then, is the object of worship in the main. But the exception
may be slhown in the spontaneous      ut-gushing  aspirations of t;he soul toi-air. h'e klnows i J.oy as a 
God of AMercy andl. of  ove, th ius vent.iat'ingl his
soul, O'er charged wfith a deep and lasting sense of
wT-nat- his Godl has clone for hni i   1This rcay -be
termned sou1l-worship; no selfishless is here; the
mere acknowledgement of bounteouls  blessings,
constantly presented, not a wordi of flattery  or
praise, but a continual melling-up from the lowest
depths of his inner soul.  We micght dilate -  pon
this subject to a greater length, but elaboration
would enhance its truth; it mnust be felt before it
is understood.
CAUSE AND  EFFECT,'AS GENERAILLY  UNUNDERSTOOD  AND  ACCCEPTED —-IS
IT A PROPER EXPRESSION?
My FRIEND, in order to meet-the contingincies
of human thought, and comprehension, we shall be
compelled to go far back of the present time,
when the. minds of men were far less cultivated




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 257
than now, when everything presented for elucidation was submitted, not to the reasoning faculties, but more frequently the passional, so that the
rash impulses became the grand motive power
which guided and directed them in almost all
their deductions; hence, the difficulty in discovering whence these impulses came, and the direction they might take. Almost every man in the
Universe is the victim, to some extent, of the passional elements within him, which will readily account for the various imperfections in his resolves.
Reason is seldom or ever consulted, hence every
act is impulsive, destitute of a base upon which to
work out life's problem. With such a want of system, how is it possible the result can be correct, or
satisfactory? for every effort that is made, renew
them often as vou will, partakes but of the same
imperfect element, and must produce but a similar effect. Herein, we propose showing these
imperfect efforts to produce a result, which has
failed, but shows conclusively to our minds that
such impulse, or imperfections, are the cause, and
failure the effect. Again: suppose we admit the
proposition that no cause exists and, consequently,
no effect can be produced. Look into Nature's
works and there behold the most potent proof
that there'must be a cause to produce a result.
Take the acorn, perfect in every particular, let
one be selected with the utmost care, and laid
I7




258 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
aside as a cherished thing-the production of infinity, put it away so carefully, that nothing can
harm it. Spring, summer and harvest, aye, and
winter, too, have all passed by. Look at your
acorn; is it altered in appearance since last
you handled it? Oh, no, it has been kept dry,
and no rude blast of wind has passed over it. You
lay it by, determined once again to try its condition. You select for your experiment one
equally perfect, but of last years' growth. Instead
of treating it as tenderly as you did the first, at a
proper time you plant it in the earth, with no particular care, for now, it is where nature's laws prescribed it should be. In proper season, a tiny
spear of living growth is seen peering into life,
with slow but certain progress; no failure now,
and why?  Because iu the one case you  have
obeyed the law of nature, and placed the acorn
where nature intended it should be in order to
bring into action the life principle of that embryo oak; there, then, you have one illustration
of cause in the following of nature's law: the cause,
and the growing oak; the result, rendering, accord-.ing to our view, a very proper mode of expressing a principle which cannot be gainsaid. In
these times of experimental research, you must expect to find adventurers, who, for the sake of notoriety, will ever be ready to substitute what they
call " new theories," which are, after all, in the




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 259
general, mere carpings at the old. A mere denial
without a difference, with this exception, that the
former has reason's base to work upon, while the
other is a mere phantom of the excited brain of a
would-be philosopher. AMEN.
RESURRECTION.
AFTER T.HE HUMAN BODY BECOMES A CORPSE, WHATWILL ITS CREATOR DO TO RESTORE THE SCATTERED FRAGMENTS AND PREPARE THEM
FOR A RESURRECTION?
To convince mankind a Resurrection is not
needed weare aware is a task of some difficulty,
because, so impressed, has it been, upon the human
mind, that to remove it may be deemed an almost
hopeless task, yet are we willing to essay its accomplishment, because, while reason holds its sway,
there still is hope; therefore, to renounce an effort which may benefit mankind is altogether
wrong, and shows a craven spirit which should
never be displayed by those who claim to be the
messengers of a God, whose love for all humanity has sent us as purveyors of all that can enlighten man in his researches after living truth,




260 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
and by such means all that is false may be removed, leaving the perceptive faculties clear and
unencumbered by the erratic teachings of a priesthood, base in falsehood and in purpose, too.
Upon this we found our theme. Strange as it
may appear to some, it is no less true, as shown
by offering such a thought as that contained in -all
their several rituals, that after death comes the
resurrection; when the last trump shall sound,
each material body shall throw off th'e shroud, and
once again appear as sensient beings, capable
of recognizing and being recognized by former friends and relatives. Yes, resurrected from
the silent tomb many have occupied for ages past
and gone, even far back beyond the earliest records, known, there and then, to give account of
deeds done in the body, and recorded in a book
kept by some angel, or, perhaps, archangel, in the
far off Heaven; a book, forsooth, methinks however large, could not contain a record such as
would accrue for sins committed through the
various ages past and gone. The damning traits
of crime, as there described, would make the angels blush, and God express a keen regret he had
ever created man. But within the so-called Sacred Book, have they striven to show the right
Deity has claimed to call on all the dead to
awaken from the sleep of death, even down into
the dark regions of the damned, to be exhumed




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 261
from endless torture, and once again to breathe
the cooler atmosphere of somewhere, to be again
judged and again condemned to endless torture
with numerous recruits, for: such a horrible condition. Avaunt, we say, ye cruel priests; stir.not
without the limits of your so-called sacred edifices,
butwait, with patience, your allotted doom, for soon
you will find your level among those deluded
victims you have been the foul instruments of
bringing to such conditions that must affright your
guilty souls on becoming companions of those
you have so basely misled. Are you not aware
that he who attempts to deal with his fellow-man
in such wise must soon experience that reaction
which, sooner or later, will recoil upon his own devoted head? And, think you such a fate will not
be yours, if truth there be in what you have taught?
If God demands a resurrection, you, of all nien,
must dread it most, bemired, as you are, with.foul
and nauseous dogmas; no respite can you claim,
for all in heaven would rise and clamor for your
condemnation, as being a just and righteous retribution for'hypocrisy and deception practised by
you. But further would we say, a God of love
and mercy, never could feel compunctions at such
a terminus of evil doings. When the soul of man
becomes thus hardened, by undue punishment, no
effort can be made to bring it into such condition
as to render Heaven a place well suited to contain




262 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
such spirits, whose souls being permeated with all
of hate and vengeance, must rebel and seek some
better place wherein to vent their rage and maledictions on those whose cruel misteachings had
brought them to a condition so deplorable. But I
have somewhat wandered from my subject. A
God whose vengeance could be thus employed,
must feel within himself a strong desire to show
his power, and drive to desperation, those, who
under better teachings, might have aspired to
something holier and higher in the spheres.
Thus punishment and suffering might do its work,
and man's inherent right to immortality be recognized at once, and, with a soul regenerated,
would seek a haven of rest and pure tranquility.
But while this is doing, the very atmosphere he
breathes becomes polluted by the stench of myriads of suffering souls, burning through all eternity, in endless torments, cruel beyond the conception of a fiend, and this for a finite crime,
committed by souls incapable of being otherwise,
while under the guidance of a deceptive priesthood. But I see, my Brother, you are all impatient to be told what God or Nature will invent to
gather up the scattered fragments and prepare
them for the promised resurrection. Strange
conception, this, I think I hear you say, and one
which at all times seems must have a tendency to
abrogate those laws which govern the entire Uni



ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 263
verse; for, when the laws which govern heaven,
are better known and understood, a better state of
things must soon appear, and man, himself, seeing
the' necessity of obedience to them, will at once
become so, thereby aiding and abbetting the angel efforts to accomplish the grand and important
work of man's redemption. Thus, as time rolls on,
allthings will change, and man's opinion must
keep pace, so that all must feel a Resurrection
is not needed, and thus will Deity be saved
the trouble  of seeking out the  fragmentary
portions of decayed humanity, than which a sillier
proposition could not be entertained, or one that
should be summarily expunged from all the records
in creation, by which a stumbling block would be
removed, and better, holier sentiments imbibed,
which soon would bring about a change most
salutary. But while there are so many obstacles
continually presented, there must be anarchy prevailing. There are various opinions as to the anticipated Resurrection, whether it can be effected
by and through -such agencies as are now appointed; for after man has become a disembodied
spirit, and laid aside the mortal coil as useless, (indeed, to which he has no claim, no longer being
his, and indeed, no longer capable of recognizing
the various atoms once forming an integral whole),
how can they be gathered up and made to affinitize together, each atom having formed fresh com



264 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
binations, separated by wind or wave, connecting themselves with other atoms, ad infinitum, altogether beyond the ken of mortal or immortal beings? What agent could be successfully employed
to aggregate these atoms, scattered'throughout
the universe of men?-a limb or portion of a body
here, and yonder, other members of the human
frame, distorted and deranged in form, some mutilated and disfigured so as to baffle' the most
acute observer. Is there, we would ask, the
slightest probability of a recognition?  Then we
would ask, why resurrect a mass conglomerate, as
it would  be, unsuited to  the end designed.
Would He, whose wisdom is infinite, adopt a
course so utterly useless as to call upon the dead,
to arise from'their solemn resting-places to become the mocked of all beholders. Could Wisdom
infinite adopt'a course so reckless and absurd?
We never can accept the thought; therefore shall
infer no such effort will be made by him  whose
wisdom can never be doubted. Therefore, no
preparation need be attempted, other than that
the soul requires to fit it for immortal life; to give
ethereal instruction to the acceptant soul, and thus
in time, lead it onward in the path of eternal progress to the higher spheres. Thus, my Brother,
will man become purified ftom all sin, and rendered fit to ascend to the home of the celestial
good. AMEN.




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 265
CHARITY.
DEFINED BY MARY, QUEEN OF SCOTS.
Mv BELOVED SON, feeling desirous of treating
this question, given upon the broadest scale of
usefulness I am  capable, a term so comprehensive
must draw quite heavily upon the intellect to
reach the many avenues of human receptivity.
A stock however large will soon exhaust itself,
unless repleted by some power adequate to the
task imposed, and such conviction now I feel;
therefore, shall call upon some sister angels to
impart such thoughts as are adapted to the end
designed.
Charity, though seemingly a simple theme
when first considered, yet as its complicated influences are felt and realized by the contemplative
mind, evolve such holy thoughts and bright ideas,
flooding, as it were, the human soul, hour by hour
and day by day, with more of God and all of his
glorious attributes, by which the latent love within
man's soul is stirred to deeds of Charity, more
grand and noble in their character than all the
glittering pageantspf the past or present time.
The soul that feels this genial influence needs no
prompting to do right, but nobly proffers what it
hath. Thus, in time of suffering, the needy are
supplied, and pain is thus alleviated.




266 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
Many and many a stricken soul while writhing
under pain of mind, and body too, has learned to
bless the hand of Charity, not alone by having
food presented, but when a kind and quiet word'is spoken, some lacerated hearts respond to words
that fall like oil upon unirritated wounds, producing for a time, and perhaps for ever, a tranquility of mind so unexpected as to swell the heart
almost to bursting, overloaded as it is by gratitude
overwhelming.
Yes, my Son, this, this is the work true Godlike Charity performs. The mere alms-giving or
supply of food, though always good, reaches not
to the depth of the inner soul's sorrows, whose
deeply seated power spread throughout the entire
system, clouding, as it were, the brightest scenes
of human life. These have to be reached. Will
what the world calls Charity  exhume  them
from their hiding place and heal them too? Oh,
no. Charity cannot, of itself, perform a task of such
importance, and sympathy is what is needed when
it could go out and seek a soul with which it can
assimulate.  There a cord of divine and holy
sympathy is touched; the life principle is again
awakened, and that which before seemed almost
dead, has become a renovated entity, self-recognized and warmed into active life as one prepared
to reciprocate the aid received.
O, my Son, could the world but witness such a




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 267
scone of resuscitation from deadened lethargy to
active sentient life, methinks the due monotony of
earth-life would change, and slothfulness no longer
curse your borders.  The busy din of industry
would soon be heard, increased with force and
energy of purpose. The dull, inactive life they
had passed would soon disgust them, and once
again they would be what God had made them
-active, useful members of society, ready and
willing to bear their alloted portion of a burthen
all'must bear. Whatever condition they may
fill they cannot find exemption from those worldly
cares, the sure concomitants of wealth as well
as poverty. But Charity being our theme, we
must stop digressions and keep more closely to
our subject.
The varied phases Charity assumes would
take more time to name and then explain than
your readers might willingly devote, therefore,
shall we notice them but briefly. Hence, people
speak of Charity as a sylogism,being more frequently
practiced from sinister motives than any generous
impulse; arising spontaneously from a soul imbued
with tender sympathy for another's woes, not confining that sympathy to the mere act of feeding
the hungry and clothing the naked, but to reach
down deep into the inner soul's recesses; to discover the deep-seated cause of anguish oft exhibited in tearful gushes or spasmodic throes;




268 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
betraying the internal struggle to conceal them,
Here in such condition Charity is more often
needed. The soothing touch of sympathy bestowed
in words of kindly import has often dried those
tears and made the sufferer's heart beat quicker
in response to such. We ask, can time and talent
find better use? We think it cannot. The holy
sympathy of kind compassion carries with it a
potent power no one can tell or recognize. unless
it has been felt.'Tis the soul becomes attuned to
Charity in imitation of its God who, by angel
hands is ever scattering His several bounties o'er
your land in measure suited to the needs of man.
But the Charity of which we speak is that
which can alone be given by angels in the form
and out. Nay, start not, my Son,'tis even so. It
is not always needful that a disembodied spirit
or angel must perform a service so sublime and
God-like, for men and women angels have you in
your midst, performing all those holy rites attributed to us alone. Oh, no. In heaven there are
no'brighter angels than on earth we often see
administering to the wants of some poor stricken
mistaught soul, who needs a higher, holier sympathy than priest or deacon can impart.
To do our Master's will is no small task. 0,'tis indeed a glorious one, and Charity in all its
purity is the channel through which we act in
doing so. To heal the sorrowing soul, to make




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 269
the sickly well, to succor all distress is what our
mission calls upon us to perform, and will not
man assist us? will he not withdraw the power
that guards his fancied treasure and give the
angels access to it? Will he not accompany us to
the haunts of wretchedness and woe, and witness
there the glassy eye of some poor death-doomed
mortal, gazing, as it were, on vacancy, quite unconscious of its own surroundings? Yonder, a mother
importuned by her hungry children for food she
has no power to give, the parched and haggard
features of the whole bespeaking wants so gaunt
and wretched in its aspect-thither would I take
the miser, for there would he witness scenes which
should stir within his frigid soul the pent-up fires
of compassion to assist distress.
But ah! he looks around him to escape the
horrors of the scene, in dreaded apprehension such
a fate may. possibly be his. He makes an effort
to depart, when he reels and falls a corpse upon
the floor, nor stirs a single muscle of his form.
Reaction there took place.  The sight he had
witnessed caused a struggle-'twas Avarice and
Charity-'twas fatal to the former, and leaving the
untold wealth to be distributed in Charity, fit
retribution of the wrong practiced and intended
by thiscounterfeit of man.
Again we note another phase of Charity, but
sparsely noticed by  the many.  Oft slander's




270 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
tongue is busy meddling — with the character of
some poor, unoffending being, stealing from such
a one the only thing of value he possessed, with
anxious care for years and years he has watched it
as a mother would her darling son; has souight to
hide it from the gaze of insolent cupidity, when
all at once a rumor floats upon the air conveying
calumny and suspicion of a crime committed.
No charge direct is made, but hints of dark suspicion gather round the victim making almost
a certainty of mere surmise.
My Son, is this a case unfrequent in your midst,
slandering innocence and goodness where'er its
slimy tongue and fetid breath can find an aperture?
Who, we ask, at such a time stands forth a
champion of the right? Who dare investigate the
merits of the case and bring to light the infamy of
such malignant conduct?  Methinks but few, if
any, except an earthly angel such as we have
named, perchance, may come by accident, or by
some angel led towards the spot, from very sympathy becomes a helpmeet in his time of need;
vindicating a righteous cause, and thus by exercising Charity has saved the character and perhaps.
the life of a human being, almost a victim to the
basest crime humanity can dread.
And now, my Son,'tis better I should close
this essay, perhaps too long already, and yet but.
half elaborated as the subject should be yet enough




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 271
to prove that Charity ramifies through all space
seeking advocates to dispense its blessings and
make it better known as God-like in its nature.
AMEN.
INSPIRATION.
MY FRIEND, the moment the above subject
crossed your mind, it seemed to me you and I
became immediately in rapport; therefore, did I
claim a right to occupy your time with some
thoughts upon it. Inspiration-a word expressing
much more than the masses of mankind can comprehend; indeed to speak of it to some is but to,excite their ridicule and incur the shaft of bitter
sarcasm. O, how often do we witness their
attempts to insult the majesty of Him' who has thus
provided means by which the erring condition of
mankind may be improved, and his God-given
intellect turned to some account, in being made
the recipient of angel thoughts for impartation to
humanity at large, and thus fit him for a residence
in the beautiful hereafter.
Would that the tide of humanity were more
willing to accept the inspiration tendered them
from the angel world. 0, what an improved con



272 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
dition would it soon assume; when all things
heavenly became the subject that should give a
bias to man's actions and thus a change so vitalizing would ensue, that men and women soon
would show the influence surrounding them enlarging and purifying their intellectual and physical
conditions.
But while the several senses are mute and
unobservant, how can angel thoughts be recognized? Can the blind see, or the deaf hear?
Well might it be said by the great Teacher, you
have eyes, but you see not; ye have ears, but
ye hear not; thus teaching, -or rather attempting
to, a lesson which, had they understood or accepted, would have been to the suffering generations that have passed into and out of existence
since that period, an advantage to them incalculable.
But to the subject, Inspiration. To define it
so as to be understood; we may find it somewhat difficult, but it is a matter of too much importance not to be attempted.
The mind of man, being somewhat complex in
its character,' must be well and closely studied
before a spirit becomes enabled to grasp it with
sufficient force to hold it under such control as to
abstract its attention from all things else, and to
keep it fixed within the folds of that control which
gives it power over the entire organism, so that it




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 273
becomes, as it were, a second part of the individual
himself, subjecting its co-worker to act and speak
precisely the words and ideas given through the
organism  of the medium  controlled, who, whatever may be hisor her own previously formed
views upon the subject, has lost the power to
devise sentiments differing widely from those with
which such medium has been inspired to utter.
But this is only in extreme cases, because, in
selecting our mediums, we endeavor, in order to
be successful, to select those whose opinions are
not in direct opposition to those we deem correct
and truthful. Therefore, it is but.seldom much
voilence is done to the feelings of speakers.
When a medium has been brought into a suit —
able condition to be used as a means of imparting
our thoughts, there seems, as it were, an element
surrounding him from which he draws a supply, of
that vital magnetism essential to quicken his intellectual powers and make him readily receptive of
such promptings as the controlling spirit sees fit
to impart, or such as the surroundings appear to
need.  Upon the closest spirit scrutiny in this
direction, much of success or failure will dep end;
and here, we would observe, the greatest danger
is to be apprehended; and spirits, inexperienced
as they are at their advent into spirit life, oft mistake their own discriminative powers and invo lve
the medium in a labyrinth of difficulties for which
I8




274 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
he or she becomes answerable to an earthly
audience; yet among the spirits is there a chord
of sympathy excited, which ultimately becomes
beneficial to such mediums who, having, sufficient
strength of mind, placidly and courageously breast
the storm of ignorant skeptics, unknowing as they
are of the underlying cause or causes of such
apparent failure, sneer and jeer at the sufferers in
lieu-of kindly sympathy; unconscious, as they seem
to be, that in such a failure lies a potent proof of
truthfulness., Think you, a man or wdman having
even a modern share of ambition would fail, where
by the exercise of his or her own will power,
success might be attained?  We conceive no
opposition can be presented to such argument, for
naught but mulish obstinacy would advocate a
doubt of spirit power over the minds of those who
are furiously prepared to be deceptive, and being
so, are what is termed as being inspired.
But, we would further observe, we do not claim
that Inspiration is alone conferred. to those who
are known as spiritual mediums. Far be it from
us to limit the comparatively few a world-wide
privilege, although still unrecognized; for although
the men of this and other countries claim for
themselves the ability to write and speak such
thoughts elaborate in subjects of the greatest
interest to humanity. We are bold to say they
know not how or why such thoughts are theirs.




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 275
Let them look back at by-gone times and see
whether a more remote and distant generation has
not uttered the same idea, and giving them the
means of compiling book after book with variations and sometimes disfigurements altogether
perversive and destructive, so that a principle,
however clear, becomes delusive, rather than
instructive. But was this the main consideration,
fain would we excuse it; but, in addition to the
former, we have still another reason to assign.
Why are these writers inspired whose thoughts
appear to rise above the mental calibre of men
and women who are known to speak and act at
variance with what they are inspired to write.
We think a spring that sends forth pure and limpid
water must be clear and pure itself; and when we
see an author's name attached to works containing
thoughts of high and holy character, whose acts
and thoughts in all of life's career partake of lust
and infamy supreme, and. carried out in all their
daily intercourse, whence, we would ask,- come
these pure and beauteous gems of thought?
Certainly not from the mind of such a source as
would pollute a world of beings whose souls were
pure as alabaster and white as snow. No, inri
deed, my friend; such are not the ideas elaborated by such ephemera. They are emanations
from those pure and holy beings who claim but
slight affinity with such.




176 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
And yet the minds of such are thus impressed,
because they have within them aspirations that
may in time become imbued and made available
as true and holy mediums, with powers beyond
the common lot of human spirits; and whether in
this world of humanity, or in the world to come,
it matters little; because, being thus prepared,
their work is half accomplished, and they made
fit to control the mind of others in the form.
Think you, such minds will long remain inert
after they have thrown off the mortal coil and
ascertain the nature of the prize for which they'll
then contend? Aided, as they then will be by the
good and great of those who have passed away,
they'll cast aside all obstacle to that ethereal improvement so essential to make them wise and
pure preceptors of a mundane sphere.
My friend, I perceive a doubt assails your
mind, as to the possibility of such views being
placed in such position as to make them pure and
holy as they should be, because you think a spirit
must he prepared before it leaves the mundane
sphere to act its part as the preceptor we have
named. But it is not so; although it were better
it should be. Yet an eternity of time is given to
accomplish a work of vast importance to a world
of humans for which assistance is most readily accorded; therefore, no one need despair, for each one
has a destiny to accomplish separate and apart from




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 277
every other individual. For each must act agreeably to his or her own impulses, whether right or
wrong, and thus experience becomes the safest
monitor to guide them whither they should steer
their bark to find that haven of eternal rest the
soul so yearns for.
Here, then, you see that everything in human
life but tends to bring the soul into such condition
that all affliction and distress to which mankind is
subject, but purifies it and makes it ready to
become recipient of that element we call Inspiration. AMEN.
MORALITY DEFINED.
A THEME SO grand and beautiful I have much
pleasure in attempting to define, it being like the
commencement of a pleasant journey-the more
you contemplate it, the more pleasure you receive.
And who can con this theme without a glow of
holy satisfaction that such a principle exists within
the realms of mundane thought, whereby a state
of things may be inaugurated that should thrill
the human soul with gratitude unbounded, and
raise it to the highest pitch of ecstacy? That
man, with all his imperfections, can be brought to
think aright by exercising all his faculties, guided




278 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
and directed by such a standard? for without
morality, life would be like the storm-tossed ocean
beating on a beach their angry waves, unceasing in
strife and heedless of the havoc made on all
around.
Without this moral standard, earth-life would
prove a punishment instead of a blessing. The
passional of man would run around in horrid recklessness, destroying all of life that is valuable and
useful; reaction might appreciate its untold horrors, and raise a power adequate to crush it.
Will not that power be used to break down
every league that may be formed to taint that holy
principle we are now discussing?
Morality, so pure and holy in thy tendencies,
all hail! Thy friendly hand we'd touch and catch
thy magic influence to make us what we should
be. Time may test thy worth; justice may try
thee in the balance, and no lack be found; man
may adopt thee as his oracle, and thus become a
better, holier being. With such convictions; who
can doubt thy potency? The world may often
claim thee as its friend and guide; but, 0, how
little proof it gives of friendship well defined and
comprehended. A faithful friend need ne'er be
doubted, being ever ready by clearest demonstration to prove that nothing short of death can break
the bonds uniting them together.
How long, we ask, would such bonds remain




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 279
unsevered, was Morality excluded from  your
midst? Alas! how short the time would be without that moral cement, binding man to man in
bonds so everlasting in their nature, that while
unperverted, would remain firm as the adamantine
rocks, and preserve intact a well-formed friendship.
But let us once again con o'er our subjectMorality. A furtive thought appears to suit the
inquiry, Can man himself, surrounded as he is,
conceive a thing while altogether ignorant of
what it is like? Can the immoral man imagine
what morality can be? Talk to such a man about
morality, does he comprehend your meaning?
We think it is doubtful; or, if he should, would
he lay aside the one, and take the other? Ah, no;
the idol of his soul he would cling to with unceasing grasp, till apprehension of its loss had ceased.
With fond affection will he hug the accursed thing
as if it were to him invaluable, and is it not?'Tis
all he knows, and therefore fears to lose it.
If such affection can be shown for that which
but degrades humanity, and sinks it lower and still
lower in the murky cesspool of abandoned vice,
how strange an effort is not made to extirpate
this-evil. By such Moral teachings as, perchance,
may reach the souls of men, and by contrasting
Immorality with its opposite, Morality, discovers
a method better suited to remove the blackened




280 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
stain immoral practices have left upon the soul,
making it more holy in its nature, by which a vast
amount of crime will be avoided. But, till that is
done, Morality and Virtue will be alone in name
amongst those who form, perchance, the largest
share of all communities. And is not this an awful
waste of human life, which must be counted on
where Immorality exists? Who would willingly
expose a life'midst pestilential swamps, where
filthy miasmatic vapors rise and fill the air with
poisonous influences, creating terrors which no
power can check, no hand can set aside or drive
away? Would such locality be chosen by a man
of common sense? We cannot think it would,
unless earth's cares had broken every tie which
bound the human soul to earth.
Now, let the application here be made. The
man who lives within the fetid influences of Immorality encounters equal risks of moral death as
the other does of physical departure. But we
have somewhat wandered, making of the Immoral
more a theme than its opposite; for, by contrast,
we desire to show the beauties of Morality, which
being the brightest jewel we can boast of, we fain
would try by contrast to enhance its value; for, as
shadow is as essential to a painting as the bright
and glowing hues, so is Morality with all her
beauties and adornments. Standing side by side
with Immorality, its dark and glowing shadows at




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 281
once destroys attraction, leaving the one unnoticed, while the other stands a beauteous and
attractive picture, pleasing to the senses through
the avenue of sight.
But should this end our essay? Is sight the
only sense attracted by Morality? We feel that
every faculty of the human soul is bettered and
improved by close acquaintance with Morality,
giving off in all directions a sweet aroma suited to
the taste of all who are advocates of purity, combined with intellectual endowments such as a soul
would ask for and never meet denial, thus acting in accordance with the injunction " Ask, and
ye shall receive."  A pure and holy spirit cannot
have misgivings, but asks with confidence, even
as a child would ask a father for what he craved.
A better, holier condition must be seen by all,
as consequent upon a close adherence to Morality,
keeping the mind in constant exercise as to all
things connected with a future state; that being the
ultimate of all moral instruction, leads the soul
into a state of happiness and contentment the immoral man can never know. His condition is one
of constant apprehension lest detection soon
may follow some atrocious act, whilst he who is
moral must also be a conscientious man; therefore he has no sleepless nights, no harrowing
dreams of fancied dangers, but sleeps in quietude
and peace, not caring for the morrow other than




282 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
to perform his duties well as father, citizen, and
neighbor, to whom he is always kind and courteous, giving and receiving courtesies, but never
stepping beyond the proper line of demarcation;
and by such means a tranquil life is his, performing well and zealously his several duties. No
misgivings here assail him, looking on his neighbor as his friend and equal, and in grateful accents
asks assistance of the angel world, while with
reverential mind he aspirates his needs and feels
assured they will be supplied.  With gratitude
unbounded does he lift his face to heaven and ask
for blessings needed by his ardent soul. Such is
what we call a moral man. AMEN.
THE BIRTH-PLACE OF ANGELS-ARE
THERE ANY FREE FROM
EARTHLY ORIGIN?
STRANGE questions often arise about matters
apparently of little moment to the interests of
man, and yet with all the ardor of his nature are
they canvassed, as if the welfare of the entire world
depended on their being proved as facts of great
importance, and this is one of them. First,
then, let us define what we conceive to be the




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.  283
meaning of the word Angel. Nothing more or
less than a messenger, a spirit, pure and holy in
its nature; free from every taint of character;
faithful as a servant, and reliable in every feature
of its work, being ever ready to perform its duty as
becomes a servant of the living God. Such is
what we call Angels in the spirit world.
Whence came they? we are asked. To which
we answer, Angels come from earth-the birthplace of the good and bad alike; a place more like
to yield a larger portion of the latter than the
former, being, as it were, a hot-bed of vice and
iniquity, seething with sin and wickedness beyond
the thought of human power to reconcile. But,
ah! says one, from such a source can Angels come?
Can Angels be outwrought from such pollution?
To this we answer, Yes; and even worse, if search
is made. Here, then, the God. of mercy stands
out in bold relief, as capable of bringing up from
chaos all H1e wills, to make creation what it should
be. And who can gainsay such an act? In beauteous grandeur has he made the sun, the moon
and stars in such abundance, that light and heat
can ne'er be wanting. Then wonder not, my son,
that out of crudest matter Angels may be formed
with symmetry and beauty, far transcending man's
ability to conceive. And if it is, who can make
assertion their origin is not of earth, but a higher,
holier condition must have been the place from




284 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
whence they sprang? Shall we for a moment scan
this question? Shall we trace the matter far back
into the past, and scrutinize most carefully the acts
of God, so far as reason will assist us? and do we
see a single reason why an Angel's birth-place
could be chosen other than that of earth, from
whence has emanated man, described as being the
master-work of Deity, the crowning glory of
creation? who, living here his allotted time, becomes, through sad experience, wiser, better,
holier; therefore, better fitted for the condition
needed to govern the passional within his own
nature, and give to others such as would tend to
purify itself and fit it for acceptance of the high
and holy position of an Angel.
Can mortal man conceive the reason why an
angel seeks a post so full of labor and perplexity
that forever keeps its life a busy one? Indeed, a
time of rest has oft been promised them, where all
the beauties and adornments of celestial life has
been tendered them; and yet they murmur not.
Celestial life is not theirs at once. No Christ-like
sanction will admit them; the record they have
kept themselves must be their passport to the
Summer Land.
But somewhat we have digressed —of Angels
we were speaking. Wheree, we ask, is proof of Angels advent into Heaven from any other source
than earth?




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 285
Is not sympathy the best and surest mode of
governing? The King who rules through such a
means, draws towards him, love, respect and admiration, all combined. Would such a king seek
subordinates from elements antagonistic to his
government? We think a better course he would
pursue, where he could find the sympathetic element more rife with those whose birth-place
was the same; who have together breathed the
same atmosphere; whose assimilating habits drew
them towards each other, in love and friendship,
pure and potent. Then, on what hypothesis can
a man assert the Angel world was peopled from a
source beyond this planet? No proof can they
present, but vague uncertain statements are they
seeking to establish, illogical and altogether false;
therefore, would we reject them as unsound and
useless. Such sympathy existing between the
governing and governed makes pleasure of the
duty; preserving a degree of harmony strengthening to the law required.
To say much more is altogether needless, because, in all things, God-like adaptation will be seen,
which could not be, had nature formed a class of
beings, calling them Angels, claiming superiority
over those of earthly origin; free from all earthly
sympathy; thereby proving their utter inadaptation to conciliate the coming myriads, who, agreeably to the laws of nature, are hourly wending




286 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
their way from earth-life, to that continuous life
beyond the grave. And this we Conceive to be an
obstacle wholly ineffective, in proving the proposition that other than earthly origin is true.
Inharmony must prevail, where antagonistic
feelings exist. The unholy influences engendered
spread with great rapidity, and that which might
have been a state of happiness, is one of untold
misery.
My Son, till recognition of this error is commenced, the world will still remain the same; the
purest element in nature's boundary may be sustained with sin, unless securely guarded and
tainted by protecting spirits, who, having the
power, must use it to protect the truthful. And
now, my Son, we will close our essay, in the earnest hope that it will be read with care by many.
AMEN.
MEDIUMS NEGLECTED.
How many a glorious mind has sunk in
misery, lacking some sympathetic friend to take
him by the hand and give encouragement to his
forlorn condition. To be a good, effective Medium, sensitivenessmust form a very important
feature in his constitution; consequently, all the.




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.  287
finer feelings of his nature, must be active, rendering such a being keenly alive to all opprobrium, direct or indirect, to which he may become exposed; giving a coloring to existence,
dark and gloomy in appearance, so that all the aspirations of the soul are rendered useless, and in
time become submerged in misery and wretchedness supreme; whereas, a word of kindly import
might have raised its sinking nature, and perchance, resucitated one whose wasted genius had
become lost and stultified, by the sad neglect of
those whose sense of duty should have prompted
holier sympathy and care of one who almost lacked
power to ask for what he needed. His worldly
wants were few, yet unencouraged as he was, a
kind of torpor crept around him, shutting out all
hope; and thus despair had driven him to
seek Death's dark and gloomy curtain to hide him
from the gaze of those who might have saved
him, but did not.
Whence comes this sad indifference to a class
of humans ewho should have the unqualfied support of every true and genuine Spiritualist? well
knowing the outer world will give no aid, guided
and governed as they are by blind and wretched
bigotry; all who differ from their own religion are
viewed and treated as outcasts from society, and
deemed unworthy of their sympathy or assistance.
Is it not, then, the more needful, Spiritualists




288  ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
themselves, should be more heedful of those
through whose organisms angels give their utterances of such glorious truths, by which a world
of humans may be saved from sin and degradation
and thus made cognizant of a better, holier condition, which may be reached by close attention to
their teachings, brought down from spheres celestial by the angel messengers continually surrounding them? My Brother, was your world
more attentive to those angel teachings, what a
change you soon would see. Vice and all its base
associates would be rendered harmless, and Virtue
being resucitated,:would be resplendent in all her
loveliness, drawing to her the former votaries of
vice; myriads of souls would join her standard,
around which humanity would rally and raise a
shout of triumph so overwhelming that sin and
iniquity could not show themselves; but in some
dark corner, hidden, would waste away and be
forgotten.
O, glorious epoch, that, when men and women
both shall feel within them the honest glow of
gratitude unlimited, by which they would soon
become alive to everything which shows the untiring care God and His angels take of those who
seek assurance so much needed.
God and nature both give ample proof another
life exists, containing more of happiness; and,
therefore, should be sought as something worth




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 28:
attaining. By close attention to all the laws
which  govern  such  a  place, when  summoned hence, no stranger youi will find yourself:;
for those, who have in earth-life visited you, will
crowd around.you in numbers far beyond your
expectations, and angel hands will lift the veil
which hitherto has shut from you scenes of immortal grandeur, dearer to you than all the tinsel
trash of earth-the  one being transient, the
other for eternity, must be to you of greater value.
But while you thus are elevated beyond your expectations, think not ye have no duties to perform.
Exertion will be there demanded of you. No idle
life will then be yours-all nature works and sets
a bright example to humanity; by copying her
you may make a happy and contented home, and
thus enjoy a life supernal: for, here the secret lies,;
industry and idleness are such opposites but little
contact have they; their interests differ; no clashing have they, which so oft occurs where kindred
interests interfere and mars all happinesss til:l
better views are taken and harmony again prevails, and whilst this harmnony exists we will close
our essay, knowing, as we do, some good may emanate from this feeble, but sincere attempt, to give
instruction where it is needed. AMEN.'9




290 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
AN ABSTRACT OF A LONG ESSAY.
GIVEN THROUGH MY ORGANISM, BY FRANCIS, DAUPHIN OF
FRANCE, CONSORT OF.MARY, QUEEN OF SCOTS.
THUS, my Son, you have, perhaps, the longest
essay ever given you by spirit promptings, trying
your patience, yet giving you a history of things
pertaining to the past of time; yet teeming with
the events of later years, deducing from them precepts and examples which cannot harm or injure a
single human being, but rather would, I hope,
prove a useful adjunct to the investigator in his
search for living truths.
For this purpose have I left my beauteous
spirit-home; in every sense it'is such to me —a
home I would not barter for a world's renown, or
riches great as those of Crcesus.
And now, my Son, and those who perhaps may
read this essay, remember a time is coming when
this, a seeming fiction, at the present, will assume
the form of truth in all its purity. Look back.upon the history of the past, some half century
since. What then was mystery is now a truth;
practically grand in all its bearings; before unknown, and therefore doubted by the savans of
the time, is now accepted, after strict analysis, till
comprehended by the merest school-boy. Such
has been the march of progress in the last half century. Who, then, will dare to set a limit to the




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 291
power of God, or say to man: "Thus far shalt
thou go, and no farther?"
My  Son, that day is past. The glorious
majesty of God, in all its brilliancy, is seen. The
sun, the moon and stars, have limits to their movements, which they tread from age to age, in course
undeviating from the right, and thus a round of
duty is performed under direction of the Infinite.
Then, with all these glories demonstrated, let the
outgushing poans of a Universe sing loud their
hallelujahs to their God for evermore. AMEN.
LAW --- WHAT IS IT?
THERE are few subjects you could present, affording so.wide a field for consideration, as the
above. But few there are on earth who can realize its comprehensiveness, not confined to one particular branch of science, but embracing all of the
entire universe of action, reaching down into the
very depths of creation, and then again to its very
highest altitude, soaring far beyond man's utmost
stretch of imagination, and losing itself in broadest
space. Law, what is it? Let us pause a moment
while we endeavor so to concentrate our thoughts
as to enable us to define somewhat understandingly the proposition in its broadest and most




292 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
comprehensive sense. It is a something intended
by Almighty Wisdom to preserve that beautiful
equilibrium pervading the entire universe, preserving the various planets in their several orbits, controlling matter in its various forms, placing prescribed limits to all in motion, and giving to each element in nature its destined action, thus preserving
that beautiful order and regularity pervading all
of Nature's works, wherein is shown infinite wisdom so incomprehensible to the finite mind. Few
there are who ever direct their attention to the
study of Nature's works, which have been, and
still are, amenable to Law, governed and directed
by it. The tiny blade of grass which springs from
earth, patiently awaits the Law of season; thus re-.
ceiving its growth agreeable to the Law of vegetation. Each flower that buds and blossoms acts in
accordance with the law of progress, observing
regularity in its advent, only governed by the
Law of circumstances.
The Law of vegetation is perhaps more beautiful than aught else in nature; first, the germ being
quickened,into life, then the blade seen peering
into light and sunshine, receiving strength therefrom, and again the leaf so beautifully enfolded,
protected from  all harm; a cherished thing of
God's own care, and worthy of protection such as
angels give it, fostering its budding beauties, and
perfecting a form so lovely as to create an angel's
admiration.




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.  293
Thus its blossom seeks maturity so complete,
that all around it seems to catch the magic influence, engendering gratitude sublime to Him.who
thus creates and perfects all His works. We could
dwell incessantly upon a subject so sublime and
beautiful, but Law as seen in other forms, must
be our subject.
Is it not surprising that man with all the intelligence given him by his God, pays so little heed
to the Law of his own being?
There is no subject within our ken of such imnportance, reaching, as it does, through every
avenue of man's existence. 0, was it more studied
and better understood, the world of humanity
would not be as it is, almost entirely bereft
of honesty of purpose in the various transactions
between man and man; for then each act would
be governed.by the Law of strict integrity, preserving man from the spoilation of his neighbor,
and bringing them into the close embrace of brotherly love.
Here, then, is seen a Law so potent in its character, so world-wide in its value, that when rightly
understood and practiced, binds society together
with bonds imperishable; being the work of Law
inmutable in its character, and when prized as it
should be, becomes indissoluble, giving light and
vigor to the possesser, stimulating him to. acts of
love and kindness, totally unknown to those who
posess it not.




904 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
The Law of Charity is shown to be most
beautiful and divine in its effects upon society. Its deeds oft shine resplendently when properly administered, yet few seem to who comprehend this Law; some. conceive the mere alms-giving makes up a life of charity. 0, poor mistaken
souls; thus blinded canst thou comprehend the
solace of a word expressing kindly pathos, the utterance of which has cost thee nothing? yet upon
that desponding soul whose lacerated state required a loving word to raise its drooping nature,
can you not realize the joyous feeling respondent
to thine own from that poor, yet enlivened soul,
engendered by thy kindly speech?
Here, then, is a feature in' that Law which
should be known to all creation; for often has one
kind word from smiling lips done more to elevate
the soul than aught of riches unkindly tendered
Much might be said on this interesting Law,
which embraces love, kindness, justice, mercy.
etc.; indeed, its ramifications are equal to the demands of all. The Law of Justice seems to call
for some remarks, being perhaps, as little studied
as aught else.
Justice, 0, word of majestic import how shall
we describe' ye? Finite words are quite inadequate to define thy value, for being infinite, how
can we present our thoughts? Yet something must
and should be said. Thou should'st, if properly




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 295
administered, be the stronghold of the poor,
who, when frequently as' they are, oppressed by
those of wealth, essay to seek thine aid. Alas!
how sparingly thou art administered! But let the
rich and pampered man of wealth become a votary at thy shrine, thou wert made to bend in
deep -humility to the fee presented. Then, where
is justice?  We say, environed by vice; it cannot
act with honest freedom; hence, is human justice
nil. Not so with the infinite justice of our God,
who, in all things earthly metes out justice quite
impartially, although perfidious mortals strive
to thwart its even-handed measure.
What more shall we say of Law? Where can
we find a stopping place, while at every step fresh
thoughts come crowding ih upon us, showing Law
to be the grandest institute throughout all nature; which having but briefly touched upon, we
may be permitted to say a few words connected
with, or applicable to man's or human Law
every portion of which should have for its base
the higher Law, God's or Nature's Law, each Law
being suited to the peculiar condition of man; and
those Laws not the concoction of one man, but
the entire nation through its delegates should enact them, thereby rendering it impossible for any
one becoming the victim of that Law to pronounce
it unjust. If such Law, by experiment, becomes
obnoxious, let it be repealed by the same power




296  ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
that created it; but so long as unrepealed, let it
be enforced, and no one murmer. AMEN.
REGENERATION.
PEOPLE who aspire to much of worldly piety,
frequently talk of Regeneration, about which they,
perhaps, know as little as the infant, who has never
recognized a letter in the alphabet; therefore, are
quite inadequate to form a judgment, much less to'express an opinion of it.
This, to us, seems somewhat strange when you
look abroad upon the wide extended field of humanity and see therein the great necessity of
change, for here again is another link in the grand
chain of circumstances connected with that most
important Law. Man often speaks of Regeneration
as a something which can be acquired by purshase or request, at any, or such periods as may
seem necessary or conveinent to himself, or a thing
which can be picked up, and again'laid down at
pleasure, available at all times he considers suitable. 0, miserable, deluded souls; are ye so ob-'tuse to common sense as to imagine ye can so act
and be free from the imputation of neglect? for
surely a time must coine when all things earthly
wVyill appear to you valueless; when the mind betomes convinced there is little of earth's currency




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 297
(so to speak) that will be successfully circulated
in the upper sphere; when the crude notions and
sentiments of earth will be found inconsitent and
unrecognized in the realms of ether; when the
passional proclivities which have been cherished in
earth-life will be found altogether useless, and all
that has transpired here on earth will be viewed
as unhallowed and of no effect in substantiating
a claim to happiness in the Summer Land.  When
all this becomes truly and forcibly impressed upon
your finite mind, you will, perhaps, be induced
to ask as did the Publican of old,'Lord, what shall
I do to be saved?"
Perhaps to this question some agent invisible to
you may whisper " Seek the Regeneration of your
own soul;" a term you are not familiar with, and
not comprehending it, ye cannot ask it. What, we
would ask, must be the condition of a soul needing
it, but not knowing what to ask for; Such is the
condition of thousands who outwardly present the
appearance of independence, but without them are
they deluged with doubts and fear as to a future
state. We ask, would not such Regeneration,.or change, be a boon to them?
Perhaps we may.be asked, What is meant by
Regeneration? WTe would say to such, having by
your surroundings been induced to step aside from
the path of virtue and holiness, and thus becomes
abrogators of God's holy laws, making you amen



298 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
able to the penalty attached thereto, which penalty having been paid in the several ways designed by Providence, the soul becomes awakened
with the sinfulness of disobedience, and thus repentance ensues, accompanied with a determination to reform, and to relinquish these proclivities
which have led to a violation of a divine law. It
is the departure from, and entire renunciation of
all unholy desires of which constitutes a mortal's
claim to Regeneration, and until man becomes
convinced of its necessity, he cannot possibly partake of its benefits, which are of incalculable value
to humanity; yet apparently so little prized and so
palpably neglected, that it would seem, as it were,
impossible man could comprehend its benefit, and
easily and readily grasp the proffered boon. Yet
there are thousands and thousands who pass the
river of Death and make their advent on the eternal shores who never entertained a thought of its
importance, until too late; entering upon -the untried future, conscious of their lack of previous
foresight, which would have spared them regrets
they then must realize. We must say to those
who have yet time on earth they can appropriate?
let them at once seek this regenerating influence
which shall smooth their progress towards the regions of eternal bliss. AMEN.




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 299,
MAN A MYSTERY.
HEAVEN and earth are full of mysteries, but none
so great as man himself, made up of all that constitutes the Universe, or goes to form the smallest
insect in existence.
How then can man assume the right to ask his.
fellow-man to be his slave, and cringe before him
as if he held the power of life and death within
himself?
Will God, the Omniscient Father of all and
every existent creature, tolerate such desire and
not control it by some angel interference demanding whence he derived such power to act the tyrant, and disgrace himself?-for such must be the
issue. The soul of every living being should be
free, and is it not? The body may be impris-.
oned, each limb and arm enchained and fettered,.
but the soul is far beyond the reach of cruel man.
Yes, it may bid defiance to tyranny in all its horrid
forms, the oppressor it may scorn, for being Divine, no earthly power can reach or harm it, but
through the intellect; while connected with the
earthly form, by sympathy it suffers; but, when
enfranchised from the body, all pain and suffering
cease, and to the regions of ethereal bliss the im-.
mortal portion of the man has soared, seeking, as
it should, continuous life, long promised it. No
iron heel of tyrant can now tread it under foot;
protected as it is by hosts of spirits, no terror need




300 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
it feel; for, fed and nourished by angel hands, its
growth will far exceed its expectations, and heaven
become its resting place.
Is not this encourgement to look beyond what
earth can give, to cast aside all earthly pomp, and,
accepting what your anagel friends present you,
praise the God directing them? AMEN.
CELIBACY.
IS IT IN CONFORMITY WITH NATURE'S LAWVS THAT MAN
AND WOMAN SHOULD PRACTICE IT?,
PERHAPS there are few questions of greater importance to humanity than the one above propounded, involving as it does so much of individual and collective interest that- it should not, and,
indeed, cannot, be hastily treated.
Wide as the universe of God, no man can grasp
it and give back a satisfactory response to all who
feel an interest in the subject. Therefore, in attempting its solution, we feel there are continuous
and'wondrous changes amongst this world of
humans, which seems, as it were, destructive of
their recognition; bringing in their train difficulties almost insurmountable, and giving to those
who ask for light, but a feeble ray, a mere glim



ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 301
mer, almost tantalizing, and quite unfitted for the
darkened vision of the multitude.
But to our subject —Celibacy; a condition
seemingly at war with Nature's inculcations; a
state discordant with her Laws; which, when
practiced, seems to dampen soul fires and dry
up the elements of love implanted there for a
wise and holy purpose. A soul without this elemrentseems to have lost the brighter side of lifer
bartering joy for sorrow, companionship for solitude, and existence, even, at an earlier period than
Nature meant you should. And if this is so, there
must be a reason why such a practice should be
adopted. We, ourself, could never deem  the
purpose a wise one.  A  love that is never
gratified must soon lose its strength, a cold and
frigid nature must ensue. The warm endearments of a loving nature must shrink appalled at
such a cruel void presented, and ever and anon
the blighted hopes of early life would rise in judgment on the ascetic being who would wander
thorough the paths of solitude and gloom in preference to the holy, joyous path of wedded life;
blessed with a genial partner who would share his
joys or soothe the sorrows of a checkered life, ofttimes so fatal to the aspirant for fame or for —
tune.
Can the miserable advocate of Celibacy,or rather
would we say its victim, imagine what he loses?




302 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
The mere passional intercourse is but a secondary consideration with those whose souls are
pure.  The holy element of unpolluted love is
broad, expansive in its nature, and ramifies
throughout the entire system, invoking all of
Nature's admiration, lifting the soul above all sensuality, and seeking higher and holier issues than
man's perverted nature can appreciate.
But'tis not here alone its beauties are evolved;
love and purity combined, produce resulits more
grand and beautiful than heated passion can
evolve.
Just in proportion as the soul is pure, so will
all nature give response to those of mortal birth;
yielding to them more pure and holy sympathies
-than rank or fortune can impart.
Here, then, we pause to think what possible ex-.
cuse can man and woman make for leading lives
of Celibacy, cut off and ostracised from all the
social comforts well enjoyed by others? A strange
fanaticism morbid as it is, view it from every standpoint you can recognize, transgressing the Law
of Procreation, subversive as it is of all that is des-tined to improve humanity, and trampling down a
decree essential to the Law of Reproduction in its
equal and God-given form. Who, then, would
advocate a system so void of all that reason and
common sense would hesitate to recommend as
being best adapted to carry out the purpose of a




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 3 03
righteous God, in giving to all humanity a means
by which no dearth of population need occur, if
properly applied? And with all the privileges recorded, need man practice that which is in opposition to God's will? abrogating a law of such importance to humanity on which successors to himself depends? We are not willing to coerce mankind into any measure if their reason dictates other
course of action; but upon principle, we protest
against the practice. Individuals may act their
pleasure, whilst the masses must, and will obey, a
law so needed.
And here we drop the subject, knowing that
he who enacts the law can compel obedience to it.
AMEN.
DEPARTURE OF THE SPIRIT AS SEEN
CLAIRVOYANTLY.
CAN you describe the exit of the spirit from
the human form at death, as it is so-called? The
spirit is altogether invisible to the finite sight,
but to the ethereal, is just as manifest as is the
natural form to the finite sight. At its departure
from the body it may be seen gradually rising by
slow and majestic motion from the apex of the brain,




304: ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
partly enveloped in a kind of vapory mist, until
the entire figure is seen hovering over its late conmpanion; senseless as it is, yet still attractive to the
hovering spirit, looking benignly down upon the
clay-cold form, when suddenly the cord of life is,
broken, and the ethereal portion of that man or
woman rises above and beyond the scenes of earth-,
life, aided in its ascent by its spirit friends. AMEN.
FORMATION'OF EVE.
MY HUSBAND, the symbol, I promised you, I am
now ready to impart, hoping I shall be able to
give you some thoughts, useful to yourself, and to
those who may, in coming time peruse this book
of record, which is intended to benefit humanity
at large; for, when the human mind has become
somewhat more enlightened upon the subject of
their immortal interest, these essays will be sought
after as corroboratives of their own improved
conceptions, which at present are too obscure to
comprehend what is their future and eternal benefit. The symbol I propose giving you is based
upon a circumstance of by-gone occurrence, when
man seemed, as it were, but first emerging from
his earliest and most crude condition suited to




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 305
his then surroundings. Indeed, all nature seemed
to partake of the same rude elements; hence, it
was not strange that man, himself, rude and untutored as he must have been, should partake of
the same character, which was altogether in keeping with infinite wisdom —such should be his
then condition, in order to preserve that harmony
upon which his happiness depended.
Hence, were all things at that period in a state
and condition where each and everything had its
peculiar and wise adaptation. We might easily
enlarge upon these prefatory remarks, but time
demands a nearer approach to the purpose we
have in view, that of presenting to you a singular
and wonderful detail of circumstances connected
with the progress of man from that crude period up
to the present era of wonderful progress. Man, at
the time we commence, could have had but
little conception of a hereafter, because his mental development had but just commenced —
having beensubject to delay whilst the physical
was opening and expanding to those proportions
of size and beauty designed by his Creator.
In all of Nature's operations, slow as they appear, yet there is displayed a oneness of purpose
to complete that which it has commenced; hence,
in the construction of the human body, with all its
beauty of proportions, its labyrinthal intricacies
and beauteous symmetry may be seen the wonder20




806 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
ful working power of. Almighty God. Who can
trace the intricate windings of thought, elaborating man's mortal structure in all its peculiarities,
suited to the purpose of its Creator? And if the
combination employed in  forming  the mere
house or tabernacle as a mere temporary habitation for the soul and spirit, we would ask can the
finite mind come to aught other conclusion than
that the ways of his Creator are, indeed, past finding out? Would we could well define to your
mind the nature of soul and spirit; but that must
remain a sealed mystery until you have become
sufficiently etherealized, and then the truth will
burst upon your etherealized senses like a mighty
avalanche of thought, but for which you will then
be fully prepared.
But, my Husband, I have been carried from
the subject of my symbol. I was speaking of
man's progress mentally and physically. Few,
very few persons, can grasp this thought, that man
in all conditions bf earth-life, has the slightest conception of the untiring care by which  he is
watched and tutored by those angel teachers constantly surrounding him, waiting to unfold ideas
suggested to him, at times best suited to his receptive powers, evolving thoughts elaborative of
ideas and principles so profound in their character and meaning, that withont angel help, would
prove to him a myth on every hand. Thus from




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD., 307
-one stage of development to another, is he enabled
to pluck from that eternal fount' of wisdom to
which the spirits have access. Is it possible, I
would ask, for man to devise the cause of all this
Angel sympathy? Is it because he, himself, has
sought it? Oh, no; but that God, who in his infinite wisdom, has created all things, saw through
Time's extended vista how much assistance
would man require to carry him through the rudimental, or earth existence; beset, as he then
would be by passion's lawless efforts to gain the
ascendant in his human nature. Therefore, has
he been surrounded by these guardian spirits who
have sought by every means to assuage the evils
arising from  man's disobedience of God's holy
laws, and thus have measurably saved him from
the devastating influences of unbridled passion.
But, my Husband, I percieve a question rising
in your mind: why was man gifted with those
passions without the ability of controlling them?
To this I would answer, that Almighty God gave
them in order that man should be endowed with
all necessary vigor to carry out the mighty purposes of his creation, but the perversion of their
uses has often stultified their results by turning into
unintended channels that God-given energy so
necessary in all the important ends of e-irth-life.
With this view of the matter, we cannot see that
any blame can possibly attach to the Creator,




3C8 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
whose intentions, although partially contravened,
must, and will be carried out to the letter; for it
has been decreed that all, however sinful and degenerate they have been and are, shall all be
brought into on, common fold of righteousness.
My Husband, could you gain a glimpse of the
busy scene of preparation in this world of ether,
for the emancipation and improvement of mankind,
how readily would you concede the point that
the happiness of the human race will be the ultimate of angel efforts acting as the agents of Him
who doeth all things well.
This subject offers so wide a field for thought,
that I am constantly digressing, leading you as I
clairvoyantly perceive, to doubt my intention of
giving you the symbol.
As we before said, the time  from  whence
we date was one of peculiar character; rough and
unhewn as all of nature seemed to be, but little
could be seen that would call forth that.refinement, which, at the present period, seems to form
the gist of life; yet even in that period of uncouth
time love was not unknown, for, man being a faint
emblem or representative of Deity, and it being
His grandest attribute, in mercy had received a
portion of the same, and although so infinitesimal
as scarcely to be' recognized; yet, being divine in
its nature is capable of such expansion and attraction, that even the smallest spark of the divine




ANGEL VOICES FROM TEIE SPIRIT WORLD. 309
fire may at once enkindle it, until its blaze lights
up the entire system; and thus the human form
divine, being heated by its holy fires, seeks to
affinitize with some co-existant beings receptive of
its holy influences.
Thus it was with man in the earliest stages of
earthly existence.'The rugged form of nature
then surrounding him, seemed little suited to his
finer nature; hence, solitude no longer seemed to
please his taste, which daily undergoing the refinement consequent upon the workings of divine
and holy element of love, created within his soul
uneasiness and discontent-the sure result of an
unsatisfied craving, for that the soul of man desires.
Thus it was with the being described iin the
outset of our symbol. A wretched, desolate state
of being; discontented and alone, what improvement could possibly be expected under such untoward  condition? Complaint he fain would
make to some one; but no companion had he
there. True, he might moan and groan his miseries to the sterile rocks and deepest glens, from
whence an echo might be heard, an apparent
mockery of his woes, but no solace could he
gain; and still he sighed, and groaned, and wondered whence had come the thought that he alone
was there, with no competitor to thwart his sovereign will, or mar a purpose of his soul. Oh, no;




310 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
and yet he seemed to feel a need of that companionship he knew not of, yet something whispered
he might have. Whence came that whisper,
think you?'Twas not the rocks, or glens, or
trees, or flowers, but something not yet tangible
to him, and yet, it seemed to comprehend the desires of his needy nature.
Was this a situation to be borne without complaining? Oh, no; poor human nature forgets
not to complain, let its fate be what it will. And
so it was with him to whom we have referred;
e'en unconscious what his want, would he murmur that he had it not.
My Husband, I would stop to ask you, Is not
this, your world, made up of such? Is not the
human mind continually outstretched in search of
something craved by sordid nature, all unsated
as they are, forgetting, in their constant search
for more, how good and bountiful their God has
been to them?
Here, fain would I stop, and leave poor human
nature to chew the bitter cud of remorse for such
ingratitude, but I find I cannot in common fairness leave my hero of the forest dense and gloomy
dale, alone, and sorrowing o'er his griefs. Oh, no;
Philanthrophy and common justice cries out, no;
therefore, will I return and join him in that wilderness and, perchance, gain some further insight
of his progress. His want he has expressed in




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD, 811
general terms which seems not understood because it is not complied with.
What, then, shall be his movement?  He
knows not whom to ask, therefore, bewildered as
he is, in agony and total destitution he casts himself upon the earth, and seeks, in sleep, oblivion of
his woes. Poor, fallen, abject creature, there he
lays apparently of life bereft, so deep his slumber,
when, lo! a form appears; a human, like himself, with knife in hand and expert movement.
From the side of that prostrate form  a rib he
takes, and, forthwith, by some mysterious process, a woman, beautiful in countenance and exquisite in proportion, soon is seen standing in all
her loveliness, seemingly expectant. With such
attraction near him, could it be expected the longing, wishful being, lying there before such powerful attractions should long remain in lethargy supreme? Oh, no; for soon with head uplifted from
the ground, with dim observance did he see a
form so potent in her loveliness, that Nature's
promptings bade him rise and cautiously approach that long desired being, who responded
by a mutual recognition; and here we leave them
to solve the mystery which life presented to
them.
Now, my Husband, how does this statement
read? Are you satisfied there's aught that can
meet the views of one who permits Reason her




312 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
full sway in all the essential points of human existence? And yet this is a version of a transaction upon which has turned the final condition of
the human race, showing that the absurd and fabulous creation of woman has brought a curse
upon humanity, made. God a tyrant, man a fool,
and woman a slave!
What shall I say of those who pretend to know
the character of their God, and yet profane His
holy name with such untruths, on which they have
founded an erroneous doctrine, and by which myriads of earth's children are transferred from earthlife to a condition in the spheres worse than the
most abject slavery presents. 0, infamy unparalleled, that education should be so prostituted, giving authority to baseness to do its cruel unnatural
work of poisoning the minds of men and women
of this nineteenth century, by teachings which blast
the hopes of expectant children of earth, and attempt to defame the character of a good and
gracious God. AMEN.
THOUGHTS ON IMMORTALITY.
OUR BROTHER AND MEDIUM: Coming, as we
have,with an intention of strengthening your power
to respond, under spirit influence, to such questions
as your investigator might wish to put, we de-.sire to give some proofs that the doctrine of Im



ANGEL. VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 3133
mortality is true in all its several bearings; that
each man and woman in existence, however skeptical they may now appear, must ultimately yield
obedience to that law of intuition by which things
although unseen become as lucid to the mortal
vision as those which are recognized -by mortal
sight. With this conviction, how can ignorance
and superstition hover round your hearths, imbuing
the human soul with doubts of all ethereal things
presented in such wise as Nature shows cannot be
wrong? Who, we ask, in all creation, doubts the
existence of a God? and if he does, can he find a
substitute to fill the place of such a being,? We
answer, no. With all the sapience man can boast of,
and all the power accumulated through ages past
and gone, no other has been found adequate to
rule and govern this vast universe, varied as it is.
The grand and mighty power which governs and
controls the various atoms forming one integral
whole. To Him should every voice proclaim
honor and glory for evermore. And now, my
Brother, perceiving thy mind is wandering somewhat from the subject, we will close this brief
essay, asking thee to be in readiness for our
assistance at some not distant day, for we are
ready to atta6h ourselves to thee as aid on such occasions when needed by you, and thus a pure
and holy doctrine may be scattered where'tis
needed. AMEN.




314 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
ADAM IN RESPONSE TO MY CALL.
AM I in my senses, well and properly prepared
to search the records of all time, and with eager
scrutiny peer through the ages of the past, and
trace back the centuries that have rolled their
course, yielding knowledge in such measure as
the mind of man becomes developed? thus aiding
him in searching for that wisdom more deeply
inbedded in his nature than he conceives. You,
through impressions given you, are able to transscribe and give them-forth to others as truths, not
originating in your own brain, but through a
means of God's appointment, can transcribe with
accuracy the thoughts of angels, bright and
glorious, in their acts portraying wonders far transcending all that earth presents, with all its gorgeous
decorations of its churches. The like I have never
witnessed.
Understanding nothing of this lower world,
with all its grand improvements, the aggregation
of so many ages, are puzzling to a mind unused
to such; therefore, I must pause a while to contemplate them, and ascertain their uses.
And while I am doing so, I pray you laugh not
at my seeming ignorance of things pertaining to
a world so changed I scarce can recognize it as
the same I once was monarch of by the sanction
of my God, as says tradition, they call sacred.




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 815
And is it not? perchance you will ask; to which
I frankly answer No.
A record credited to Moses, so far removed
from truth, it seems to make the whole a falsehood,
void of truth and open to rejection by the wise and
good of earth.
Here, then, we have fairly launched our bark
upon the sea of strife and controversy, where
shoals and quicksands may be found in all directions; and who can shun them without a chart to
guide him  through the mazy darkness there
exhibited?
But now a light appears; a star of brightest
magnitude is seen to sparkle where no light was
seen before. In bright effulgence it is seen shedding its lurid blaze on all surroundings, being to
your world of darkness, by comparison, wonderful and glorious, universal in its character and
grand in all its, projection; nothing more or less
than light itself, a blessing all should estimate. The
veriest worm that crawls from out its dreary cell
peers up to see the coming glory and partake the
benefit thereof. With such divine impressions given
him, can man be ignorant of what his duty is? For
Reason, backed by common sense, denounces him
as lacking both, and thus, in sad perverted state
forgets his God and leaves undone the many duties due to Him in whom he lives and has his being.




316 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
But is this the object of my coming here? In
response to thy kindly call, I came, and now
would ask the motive of that summons.
To prove the fact that spirits long departed into
spirit-life can be induced to leave their spirithomes to seek communion with embodied spirits
here on earth.
My Brother, such a motive is worthy of our
best approval; first, because such a call awakens
in the enfranchised soul an ambition to retrace its
steps; to see the march of progress in the intervening years of deparure and return; giving an
impetus to research for those important changes
brought about by the united effort of angels, high
in Heaven, aided by those you have on earth, for,
such you have amongst you, known only by their
acts; no trumpet sounds announce them, and, if
not recognized  on earth, in Heaven they'll be
deemed excelsior.
And now, my Brother, we are ready to make
known, as'best we can, the name we bore,'till
death removed us to a place where names are
little known or needed; a place that's free from
all that's mystic in its character; where.everyone
is known for what he is, and not for what he
might be; for in that we see uncertainty, a
thing unknown in Heaven. Reality, based on
truth, is all the current coin that passes there.
No counterfeit can pass as genuine; a scrutiny it




ANGEL V. OICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 3 1 7
undergoes by argus eyes no power can contravene.
But to my name, good friends; are you anxious to obtain it? If so, search the first chapter of
Genesis; there you will find it, surrounded
with a detail such as some clever school-boymight blush to own as his concoction. And yet,
a God of wisdom Infinite, is made to talk in manner
better suited to an almost idiot child of tender
years. We trust no more will such a volume be
the Text Book for as many millions of the future
as the gloomy past has had experience of.
We think, whatever good it may have done,
like all things well intended, calls loudly for our
gratitude as good and honest people to avow it,
yet would strive to seek some more efficient guide
to' Heaven.
That Bible, erratic as it is, worn out with age,
and power abridged, we fain would let it rest
through all the ages yet to come, being well convinced its almost dead remains will never be disturbed by Vandal hands, but in peace remain revered for all the good it may have done.
If so-called Christians murmur at such disposal
of it, let them substitute a better! AMEN.




318 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
ADDRESS FROM MY DAUGHTER.
WITH joyous tidings I am here, my beloved
father, to impart to you some thoughts I wish to
ventilate; not of a scientific character, but to tranquilise your mind, by showing you how good your
God has been to you, by giving you reasoning
powers intact at so advanced an age as yours-a
period few men reach, and many who do attain
it are but imbeciles, unfit for life on earth, and,
if unc/zanged, almost unfit for heaven.
My Father, I say not this to flatter, as if it was
a matter you have the power to control, but to
encourage you in every effort you may make, to
bear with patient fortitude the seeming ills of life
on earth you may encounter as you advance
towards its terminus, for great will be your reward
in heaven. The by-gone acts of former years may
be presented to your failing earthly sight, but
soon a brighter gleam of light will flit across your
almost sightless orbs, a far more glorious, brilliant
light, ethereal in its character, giving to you
glimpses of that ethereal world whither your steps
are tending.
If earthly sight is lost to you, a compensation
there awaits you, grand and glorious in its character. No dimness, such as oft on earth you now
experience, but a soft and genial light, well suited
to your then condition.




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 319
With such a light to guide you, need your steps
e'er falter? Angels will be there to aid thee;
angel eyes will watch around thee; angel tongues
will there instruct thee, and angel love will there
encompass thee.
Need, then, departure from mundane to ethereal life be dreaded by thee? We think it should
not, for in that moment we may call you home.
Those angel friends, who have borne thee on to a
good old age will assemble round thy bed, and
give thee strength equal to thy need to prove the
undying interest thou hast felt in Spiritualism.
AMEN.
MOSES.
A STRANGE sensation now is spreading o'er me;
the light of heaven seems dim to me; strange
figures flit across my brain; all things surrounding me seem changed; reversed are all things; the
thingof yesterday no longer seems what it was.
A truly wondrous change effected by a power
beyond my comprehension —a power no one can
contravene; transcendant in its force and grandeur
being the ne pluzs ultra and climax of all existent
things and principles, absorbing all things and




320 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
directing all things so conglomerate in their nature,
as to render all other forces as nothing when compared to it.
My Friend, forgive me if I trespass on your
time a little while to contemplate this state of
things, and then compare them with the by-gones
of the past. And yet comparison becomes impossible; the strides of science and philosophy completely baffle all research, and nothing can I find
which bears resemblance to the past. Even man,
the crowning effort of his Father, God, as sometimes so expressed, seems changed, but whether
improved or not, seems doubtful. Temptations
appear abundant, and by him seem readily accepted. No distaste can I perceive, for vice and immorality are seen in all their several phases. The
greater sin, the greater credit thrown around the
perpetrator. In fact, it seem  to me that Virtue and Vice are greater strangers than they ever
were-the one a savior, the other a destroyer.
My Brother, does it not seem strange to you,
the latter's popularity increases every moment,
while Virtue seeks retirement from your crowded
streets and sheds tears of sorrow and regret that she
had so little influence among the masses? Every
time she comes she meets rebuff, although kind
and generous in her treatment ofthem-deserving
their love and gratitude. From almost every
soul she meets but contumely and abuse, backed by




ANGEL VOICES FROM TIlE SPIRIT WORLD. 32i,
malignity of purpose, based on all the vilest passions man is heir to.
Think you such conduct can continue?  Can
Justice sleep the sleep of sweet contentment while
Injustice'stalks through every avenue, obstructing her in every effort to fulfill her several duties? She must be blind to stamp her as inmpartial.   Need man abuse that blindness by
taking undue advantage of it, acting in contravention of laws enacted for his safety, bringing
down upon himself a retribution often doubted,
but sure to come when least expected?  Thus
are the acts of Deity' but little comprehended,
unless aided by angelic intuitions; for that purpose do they hover round your earthly dwellings,
imparting and receiving knowledge agreeable to
the Law of Reciprocity —a law which seems an
equipoise needed by all humanity, being almost
a speciality, connected with the changes working
in your midst; changes that seem as all-essential
to man's wellfare-here and in the grand hereafter,
-not merely transient, but continuous through
all the cycles of eternity. Supposing man was
left alone without these angel guides, you, and
others, are familiar with, could harmony and
peace exist untroubled as it used to be?  Wei
think it could not. Thq love of power has grown
to such extent that men, adjudged by merit only,
would be found so sparse that tyranny and mis21




V22  ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
s;ule would soon produce the element of disconlent, and all the baser passions of the human soul
Ahe stirred to action; and war, that cruel scourge of.a humanity, be rife, making demons of the men
wham  God created to be blessings instead of
curses to this beauteous land you occupy under
sufferance of your God.
My Brother, are not such convictions almost
paralyzing in effect upon the being who can realize
the goodness and forbearance of his God? But
here we will stop, and tender you the opportunity
desired to ask such questions of the past as I am
able to respond to.
QUESTION.' Your name, for centuries past, has
stood conspicuous in the Bible, as being high in
mfivoir with the Jewish God, hence you were per-::mit Ced interviews none other had.  Is that an
actual fact, without embellishment?
ANSWER. My Brother, nothing but exuberant
zeal could make you hazard such inquiry as scarce
another would risk the asking; as it were, throwing
down the gauntlet to a world of bigots whose narmowed souls would search no further than that Book
ao find the truth they need-that truth which
cazanot be disputed with success.
Q. To ask a priest are Bible statements true,
think you he would answer no-an assimilating
influence would give its answer yes?
Ao. If of me you ask the question, I can readily




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 32$
respond in the negative, and have no hesitation in
so doing.
Q. Is the statement of your receiving the two
-tables of stone on Mt. Sinai true?
A. Are you prepared to transcribe the thoughts
I purpose giving you, free from prejudice? because
what I shall give you is not merely hearsay, but
facts beyond denial by the good and faithful of
this world. It would be unseemly for myself to
deviate one iota from the truth in the detail I.shall give you. From all that I can feel, you are
reliable, and faithful in discharging your various
duties as a transcribing medium, governed and
directed as you are by angelic beings whose
natures can assimilate with you, and run no risk of
finding myself deceived. I shall unhesitatingly
give you a detail, such as may be viewed as statements totally devoid of truth, having no foundation but in the heated brain of some fanatic priest,
more fraught with an imaginary power than common sense or reason would admit. A fact like
that described as being performed by me, is but a
-fable, written to give importance to my 7character
as a ruler over a nation diffi ult to govern. Gifted
as I was with fair abilities for private life, but as
governor lacking an element essentia 1 to the power
of governing; and, bWing of sickly coast itution, but
firm in intellect, fired with am)ition to carry out the
glorious plan conceived, at once I put in practice




.324 ANGEL VOICES FROM THIE SPIRIT WORLD.
a plan of deep deception, having no partner in my
secret to share with me success, or, if a failure, I
should bear the blame.
Going straightway to Sinai's summit I sat me
down in solitude to form my plan of action. A sinfui act I felt it was, but expediency was the lawwhich governed and directed me. In former tinmes
I had acquired the art of lettering on stone, and
thus became the engraver of some precepts I had
learned as given by sages of the times in which they
lived, long antecedent to the time of which I speak.
Fearing to descend abruply, I rested a while, and
going to the highest peak I saw the outstretched
Israelitish camp in much confusion, as I thought.
With hasty strides I made my way towards it.
Feeling much amazed, I sought to be informed
as to what had caused this seeming tumult, when
lo! a golden calf attracted my attention, uplifted
high, lest, peradventure, the multitude might not
discern it.  At first.I felt some apprehension a revolt had broken out; but, as I conned the matter
o'er, my anxious fears subsided, for, during my
lengthened absence ennizi had seized upon the
masses-a sure result where idleness existedhence they resorted to this mode of filling up their
time.  W\hat might have been the result had I
longer tarried, it was hard to tell, neither did I'desire experience of it.  Suffice it, then, to say,
having again resumed authority, I speedily pre



ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 325
sented the fruits of my indomitable perseverance,
telling the ingenious tale I had prepared. If false,
who was there to give denial to its truthfulness?
My scheme succeeded; my authority was more
than trebled; almost God-like were the honors
paid me, for, with credit much improved,who dare
-question a power they could not contravene, but
yet were willing to obey implicitly?
You asked for brevity.  Such, my Brother; is
not to be. A question has been mooted, and, in
ungarbled manner I have told my story; whether
believed or not it little matters. Deception seems
so natural here on earth, and oft preferred to
truth, let those who'give such preference have it to
their heart's content.
Q. Is the passage'of the Israelites over the
Rifver Jordan a truthful statement?
A.> My Brother, are Nature's laws suspended
to gratify humanity? And further, would such a
privilege have been then accorded to a people acting dishonestly towards their Egyptian neighbors?
lWould a just and righteous God have sanctioned
such an act as the Israelites were then performing?
Q. Have you any idea to whom the world is
indebted for such fabricated statements as that
work contains?
A. Giving them eredit for ingenuity almost
unparalleled, for based upon deceit and arrant falsehood have they produced a book which, with all




326 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE: SPIRIT WORLD.
its imperfections, obscurities and falsehoods, has
seemed to form a bulwark around the so-called
Christian world for many ages past and gone, pertinaciously insisting on.its being the veritable and
infallible work of God himself.  From  earliest.
times the Book has been accepted by a set of men
whose wild and vague ideas have bolstered up a
claim to sacredness of character, and thousands.
upon thousands feel assurance of its truthfulness,
and profess to make it their guide and ruling principle of life.
My Brother, with such'tis useless to confer,
for prejudice forms a barrier formidable and potent to remove; in fact,'tis but a loss of time for
which"no compensation can be had here or in the
hereafter.
My Brother, freedom of thought and free expression of it, gives force to every act from which
the fervent heat of man's ambition gains a force
that is unexpected until it is tested.  At times a
force so potent is evolved that Nature scarce can
bear the tension forced upon it.
Is not this the case when minds of strongest
calibre conceive a thought that is new to science?
Philosophy, unaided by angelic power, fails to render such assistance as is needed to solve a question thus through thought propounded.  The human mind gives way, and all is dark, chaotic
vagueness.




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 327
But, on the other hand, a tranquil mind, welt
balanced as it should be, seldom fails to ask assistance from the angel world, and thus escapes carxmity most dreadful in its character. Suspended{ r,
abrogated reason oft occur, and life becomes a burden. Reason and Prudence both combined, show
where the error lies.  Too proud or ignorant task for what ye need, can ye expect supply?  Y01
no; the ear that's always open to your plaints, if
just, is always ready with response. Then, Vre ask
where lies the fault?  In man alone, we answe a
the hand that gives does so silently to those deserv-.
ing it. With such assurance shall we close this
essay. AMEN.
THE HUMAN SOUL.
ITS DESTINY AFTER IT LEAVES THE BODY AND SPIRXrE
A SUBJECT like the present seems almost impossible to treat understandingly to the finite KniOn
yet, by trying, we may, to some extent, be enabled
to reach a point of receptivity, which, under the
law  of universal progress, may be develoFped
though unseen by us. And, first, we shall ~ma:ke
soul and its component elements our essay.




328 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
The subject we have chosen must be deemed an
all-important one, viewed from  whatever standpoint you may choose. Its earthly adjuncts present many things of vast importance, which cannot
be passed unnoticed. All the better feelings that
pervade the human mind are clustered round the
soul, and, by Supreme authority, are garnered up:for future use, and carefully preserved for distributioni; waiting patiently, till preparation by some
angel mind has been effected; and thus,l in true
and holy conservation, are they meted out as purifying influences for a race of beings who, by reckless expenditure of heaven-born vitality and perversion of the good within them, have fallen far
below the standard nature designed they should.
The soul at once supplies the need, and thus a
change takes place, rendering the triune character
of man more in accordance with his glorious destiny, if unperverted.
But while this is going forward, can aught be
more consistent than to suppose that all should be
equally concerned in bringing to a happy climax
the co-existent partnership between the soul and
spirit, so that, after the purpose of creation has
been attained, in thus engendering life and motion
in the human form, during a period governed and
directed by soul's discretion, till at last the tenement becomes unfitted as a residence for the
refined and holy germ of goodness, a separation




ANGEL VOICES FR'OM THE SPIRIT WORLD.  329
soon is contemplated, and the God-like essence
seeks a resting-place more suited to its ethere.-l
nature, to await in patience the final dissolution of the earthly body, when the enfr-anchised
spirit seeks earnestly to reach its co-partner, and,
by a re-union, becomes its co-worker through the
endless cycles of eternity; for, during its connection with the earthly form, it acquired strength
and growth adequate to make it a fit companion
for the ethereal essence soul?
A more beautiful or consoling thought occurs
not to the humcan mind than this, that while the
soul claimed precedence, the spirit was advancing
step by step under the law of growth, each day
and hour becoming better fitted to claim equality
with one whose holy greeting yields superiority,
and thus the twain becomes, as it were, blended as
a perfect unity, never, through the' countless ages
of eternity, to undergo a separation.
To contemplate a fact like this, under the convictions of ethereal knowledge, must prove to
every seeker after truth the "ne plus ultra" of
desire, the pearl of great price, that which no
priestly effort can make plain to mortals.
But here we leave the subject for the present
not an exhausted one, but from a consciousness
that we have taxed your receptive powers enough.
But at some other tinie we'll open the book of
spiritual knowledge, compiled by Deity for the




3,0 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
instruction of those willing to accept its truths;
and 0! may each angel utterance of them to poor
humanity be powerful in destroying the mazy
teachings which blind the intellect of man and
make him almost feel there is no reality in life.
AMEN.
WHAT AND WHERE IS HEAVEN?
A QUESTION often asked and seldom solved so
as to meet the wishes of an inquiring mind. Ask
the question of an orthodox priest. In solemn
tones he'll answer, It is a mystery, and cannot be
solved till Death has claimed you for his own;
with this exception it is the ultimate of happiness
in the eternal future. 0, miserable subterfuge on
the part of men who claim to be the God-appointed
shepherds of their flocks; displaying far more
ignorance than those they presume to teach; hence
the misleading of the multitude in all that appertains to ethereal life.
We blame them for their assumption, not their
inability altogether.  Experience they say they
cannot have while mortals; nor willing are they to
accept the testimony of spirits who return, to
earth for the avowed purpose of imparting to humanity of what they have seen, yet priestcraft




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 331
says'tis false and shut their eyes and ears to that
which would enlighten them, and make them truthful teachers of their fellow-men, who look to them
for truth and cannot find it. Every day's experience shows conclusively they are not the proper
guides to heaven humanity demands, being but
" blind leaders of the blind." You ask What and
Where is Heaven? We answer it is a place, a location, tangible to all, who, by acts of rightousness,
are fitted there to enter; for here the Law of
adaptation soon is seen, beautiful in operation; thus
tranquility and harmony exist in all things. Theology says heaven is the ultimate of happiness; we
assert it is not so.'Tis but a commencement even
to those who are prepared for such a change. As
well might it be said that he who travels towards
a prospective home has realized expected happiness. It is not so; for perhaps, on entering the
premises, the atmosphere at once seems quite unsuited; he finds no rest; no congeniality within,
and so it is with thousands who transiently'make
heaven their resting place. They lose no farther
time, but seek an atmssphere more suited' to their
own condition. Could such a Heaven become to
them the ultimate of happiness?  We opine not.
Then what is Heaven?  We say a.place where
adaptation fits you to assimulate with all surroundings; where soul can at once affinitize with soul,
and in sweet communion blending, rest assured of




332 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
copious blessings flowing constantly from the eternal and inexhaustible source of all purity and
goodness-a lasting confidence that the soul has
found a resting place from all inharmony, such as
it had experinced in earth-life, in fact, a culmination and realization of all its higher aspirations
for etheareal bliss.
My Brother, when the human soul has attained
to such condition, it may truly say, within itself
this must be Heaven. To which the angelic hosts
respond Amen, Amen! No farther explanation.of an expected Heaven need be given, we think, to,one whose reason still remains'intact; therefore
we shall pass on to the inquiry WT4'crec is Heaven?
Reason must be satisfied by and through its own
perceptive powers. No power on earth can make
a man or woman believe that whichl their reason
cannot recognize; therefore, an attempt to do so
would be folly; but facts presented and corroborated are the means we propose to use.  Thousands upon thousands of well-developed spirits
continually surround your earth to reach the minds
of humanity, to impress upon them the necessity
of preparation for a ftiture state. Think you those
efforts would be made if no reality existed as to a
future life beyond the grave?  And if this proposition be a truthful one, there must be a somezelw/ee
to exist, for by analogy we are taught the fact this
beautiful world of yours was formed and fashioned




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD, 333
for humanity to dwell upon'; suited in every way
to man's condition, crude as he might have been,
yet was there a complete adaptation. Progression
then became a law essential to the growth of man,
fitting him for higher and still higher grades of
development, which  progression  will continuethrough the endless cycles of eternity.
This earth presents a type of future life. Reason says'tis so, and if it is, locality there surely
must be —a place affixed in mighty wisdom and
eternal love suited to the design of an infinite
Creator, who, in all things, shows his love for man.
Think you, my Brother, the grand designer of a
universe would leave unfinished a portion of his.
work, and thus exhibit a partiality for some, and
deep neglect of others in this universe of His?
No candid mind can come to such conclusion;
while Justice holds the balance all things in nature
meets with due attention, and the human soul may
rest assured that each one will find a Heaven best
suited to its own requirements. All nature seems
to ask the question -Where is Heaven? The tiny
blade of grass looks upward, peering, as it were,
through space, seeking a happy terminus to its
brief existence, and so it is with all created matter
seeking happiness through every avenue of life,
knowing no stopping 7place, but onward and upward, as it were, ever.rising, unchecked by aught
of opposition from a world of skeptics, who live




334 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
but on the pestilential thoughts of bigotry and superstition.
But, to conclude our essay, we feel a more
minute reply may be expected to your question.
We have often told you that in Heaven all things
are found in correspondence with all you have on
earth, as tangible to us as yours of earth becomes
to you; hence, the fair conclusion must be, with
such things tangible there must be a spot whereon
to place them; hence, locality is all essential to
carry on the business of a population vast beyond
conception, where progression is the watch-word.
Hence, institutions of learning, arts and sciences,
indeed, all that appertains to human life, exists
within the immortal spheres; therefore, heaven
must be "a locality. And now the question is:
" ltzere does it exist?" And here we pause, wondering how many of those who read this record
at the present moment, may accept our theory.
To you it is such, but to us a knowledge experienced, known and enjoyed in full reality. Alas!
but few, we fear, while so forgetful are they no
friendly mind can grasp it as a truth, but often
flounder in an abortive effort to explain the heaven
concocted by some brainless advocate of a mystified theology.'Not so with angel messengers.
They come with what they know, and are ever
ready freely to impart it. The heaven they spoke
of is no myth; no distant future in the far-off space,




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 335
but almost within the vicinity of your own homes,
within the atmosphere you breathe, enveloped, as
it is, in misty vapor, obscuring from the human
sight its beauties; yet, ever and anon, a glorious
gleam of sunshine passing from behind the blue
ether as if announcing where the Eldorado lies!
Yes, my Brother, its highest altitude reaches to
the very verge of space, if such' there be, and from
that high and glorious position come those angel
intuitions to govern and direct humanity;- yet,
passing as they do, from spirit to spirit, lose much
of their angelic beauty, but yet are better suited for
mortal receptivity. 0, wisdom infinite, in all its
various presentations whereby purification and
holiness may be attained through angel commune,
so that after death no further preparation will be
needed; thus a ready entrance to the celestial
spheres will be accorded, but while we expect to
meet with opposition to our statements, we are
supported by a consciousness that time alone is
needed to convince mankind there is no speculation in the matter, but all is God's own truth, feebly imparted, yet, in sincerity; submitted to the
test of candor.  AMEN.
ETHEREALITY.
THE subject matter of this transcript will be
ethereality and its mysteries; so conceived by the
finite mind.




336 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
Whenever the human mind is brought to dwell
upon subjects with which it is not familiar, it usually imagines a mystery is presented to it, because
of the difficulty it experiences in the attempt to
comprehend it, which would not be under a
changed condition from material to.ethereal life.
But we feel, before proceeding further, it were
better to give you some idea of that condition,,
(ethereal) which we have just spoken of.
Ethereality implies heavenly, or that condition
in which those who have passed through their
earthly ordeal and landed on the shores of the
spirit world, leaving behind them all gross materiality and thus become fitted for the ethereal
regions, free from all that can disturb their mental
quietude, which they have zealously sought in.
earth-life by purity of conduct and holy aspirations, are now reaping their reward. The condition of such may truly be said to be that of pure
and unalloyed happiness; the spirit being unemcumbered of the mortal coil, seems now to indulge
all its better and more holy proclivities, and thus
soars higher and higher in the scale of spirit-life.
We might dilate upon this subject in more
glowing language, but deeming the plainest mode
best suited to the finite comprehension, we have
done so, hoping it may be more.readily and accurately received.
This book of record must necessarily fall into




ANGEL VOICES FROM THIE SPIRIT WORLD. 3o3,
the hands of persons as varied in their m.entat
endowments as they are in their outward forms;
and countenances. - Our aim is, to make ourselves'
understood, even at the risk of being supposed incompetent to adopt the style of eloquence better
suited to the minds of those who prefer display of'
oratory, to the p/ain comnmoua-seiise mode of addressing the human intellect.
We shall now proceed with our instructions as
to what further constitutes the ethereal state. No
individual but has formed within his own mind a
vague surmise of what constitutes that which is
often termed the Better Land. Therefore, we are'
anxious to avoid saying aught that would tend tc
interfere with previously formed opinion, because it is, and must be, based upon their highest.
capabilities of comprehension; hence, all the efforts
we could make would but tend to mystify, until
they have entered the Promised Land, and bAy
their own experience become convinced of the
crude and imperfect ideas they have entertained of
a place estimated by them, throiugh false teachings,
to be one of eternal rest from  all that partakes of
labor or employment; satisfied, as they seem,,withS
that which is better suited to their earthly ideas. of
rest, which is a mere cessation from all labor,. sub —
siding into a state of listless languor, such as M1x
time would rust out all the soul's best enerizies,
making man a mere automatom, incapable of a-p22




338 ANGEL VO'ICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
preciating the teachings of the spirit-world. Thus
would they become useless inhabitants of a world
where idleness is not tolerated; for there each
spirit has its own especial duty to perform, and
in wh-lich performance lies the secret of heavenly enjoyment, destroying  that hideots monotony  consequent upon. a life of idleness, totally
unknown or practiced in the ethereal world.
No sa-ne person would predicate his future happiness upon so wild a theory as is taught within
-your churches, that singing psalms of praise to
G-od will form a suitable employment for the pure
and holy aspirant for immortal truths.  Monstrous
absurdity, to suppose an intelligent mind could be
tbns en-gaged —perchance a mind of deep research
in the mundane sphere, unsated with its exploration of Natur-e's works, and still alive to all its
cravings to increase its store- of knowledge; can
such a mind, with all its energies increased, rest
satisfied with  such  employment, much  better
suited to the imbecile than those giant minds of
men who, in earth-life, stood on the very pinnacle
of science? Think you such men, under the ethereal improvement they are making in their perceptive faculties, could  realize  happiness and
contentment there?  0, no; to them heaven must
seem a desert wild and barren, whither they have
gone in anxious search of a place more suited to
their souls' ecstatic yearnings for more of God and




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT' W&YORLD. 339
1i1is beautiful and Infinite iufluences, leaving th'ose
whose pampered souls had become incapable of
realizing heaven in aught but luxury and ease.
0, poor, poor specimens of humanity;  ye
worildlings who have so often bent yourselves in
front of Mam:mon's altar, it may take an eternity to
raise thee to that form  erect intended by thy MTaAker., God.  AMEN.
WIASI-NT  OiNO   LINCOLN, BElNEI)ICT1 AiRM)LNO1)
AND WtILKES B00TI.'WHAT IS THEI1[R RELATIVE CONDITION N THE SPHE'RE-S?
IN REVIEWING1 this subjct, we feel there are
some obstacles it may be difficult to surmount.
iThe first person namned, having  existed in times so
widely different, needs to be separately discussed,
which would immeasurably extCend this artic'le
therefore, of necesity, we sthall1 have to be very
brief in the expression of our views.
The well known character of the first, justly
termed the Father of his Country,  can receive
no additional honor from aught we might attempt
to express; yet, we think it right to observe that




3340  ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
the times in which he lived and reigned in the
hearts of the people of these United States, was
so different, and by comparison so free from the
entanglement which surrounded your late President, that it required less of that mental vigor and.
sound judgment than latter times have demanded
at the hands of Abraham Lincoln.
We have thought it right to make these few
preliminary remarks, and shall claim the same
privilege in regard to the other two individuals,
whom we much dislike to have associated (even in
detail) with those two exalted specimens of humanity previously named.
As we stated of the immortal Washington, so
we say of that arch traitor, Benedict Arnold. Thetimes in which he committed his crime, great as it.
vas, still admitted of some palliation, as comparec
with that which has lately so disgraced your country. IMNotive is the standpoint from whence all judicial deduction should be drawn.  What, then,
was the governing motive by which Benedict Artnold was instigated to commit his crime?  We.
answer, personal ambition, the gratification of
which seemed the all-absorbing element of his
nature, and for which he would have sacrificed all
things else.
NTow, base as is this feeling, let us compare it
with the leading motives of Wilkes Booth.
Can you perceive one redeeming point in that




ANGEL VOICES FROM) THE SPIRIT WORLD. 341
man's conduct? —anything which seemed allied
to nobillity of thought or purpose?  Could the
interests of humanity be served by his cruel and
attrocious act? We cannot, with all the charity
-we would fain indulge, see one redeecning point,
but all of black attrocity, unparalleled in the history of times most larbarous. But in times like
these, when mankind is boasting of such enlightening principles to govern them, that such a man,
claiming  superiority  of intellect, surrounded
with all of wealth required, but lacking that one
great elemeut to make a great man and a good
one —Principle.
Here, then, the error lay. We solemnly conjure those who have the care of youth to look
well to this; for, wanting it, man's condition becornes unsafe.
With this brief preface, we may now- essay to
speak of their relative condition in the spheres,
asking your indulgence for having to discuss
ethereal conditions; to your finite conceptions it.
may be truly difficult.
Washington, the Father of his country, has be-fore and ever since his exit, been looked up to
with a. filial feeling of respect; perhaps, such as
never, in any age has ruler been esteemed.
Courteous and affable to' all, yet maintaininga
dignity of deportment suited to his high position,
respect, almost amounting to adoration, was readily conceded; hence the appellation Father.




342i ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
Time rolled on, and varied talent filled the
governmental chair with ebbs and flows of popularity; yet under its sway your country prospered,
each successive year adding greatly to its power
and riches.  In individual life this condition  is:
seldom viewed as healthy, and such became your
cotutry's state.  Undue pride, the  offspring of
wealth, presenteld the sym-ptoas of disease; insubordinlation and distrust became the offshoots of
reLbellion-aye! black  rebellion followed.  iizvir
ca rme the time of difficulty, and who could stay
the whirl-wTind movements of -t11his 1 m onster?
No great, c,,ig antic mind wiv-as thLfre to g'overn
such unbridled  eleiments as werPe1 then let loose.
No YWash-il.anton'was there; and even if he had
been, constituted  as he w7as, was he suited to
the times?  WTe answer no.  The entire masses
seemed bewildered, -for one untried in state intricacies had been chosen by the people, nncertain
of the issue.
With mzodest mien Lincoln assumed the onerlous
task; reckless of personal safety he threw 1himself
into the breach and sought to stop the tide of anarchy which seemed about to rei'g n triumphant.
Self-abnegating-on'all occasions, his country's
good at once became his war-cry and an overruling providence crowned his efforts with success, and sealed, as with his patriot blood, the
freedom of his country!




ANG EL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD, 843
0! hallowed spirit, we hail thee as worthy of
the highest eulogy man or an;el can bestow upon
thy memory, for  o/az- hast been, indeed, the savior of thy country, under the direction of thy
G od.
Need you, then, ask us what is the relativecondition of two such spirits in the spheres, as
Washington, the Father, and Lincoln, the savior
of your land and all its glorious institutions.
Look down deep into thine own heart.  WVhat
would be its decree?  Wert thou a Washingt on,
thy friend a Lincolnt, would not the principle of
(divine love bring -you into such close and holy
rapport with each other that soul would intertwine with: soul?  So now, it is with thel.
Would we could be permitted to pass uinoticed the other two connected with this inte-rtogatory.  But brief response we'll give, so sickening is the task, and with reluctance is the effort
made. The first, Arnold, whose crime we view as
of some lighter hue, (being of design, only), mn.ay
have since become repentantLunder the discipline
he may have undergone, whilst Booth is yet and
may continue unconscious for ages yet to co;he,
with all progression stayed and no effort made by
aught of spirit power to awaken him  Jf-rom  that
deadened lethargy which admits of no relief, b1ut
is in mercy granted to his' guilty soul.    etl a
time mnay come when resuscitation may ensute,




344 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
and with awakened horrors will be presented to
iis view the blackened record of his crime. Unhallowed and unblessed will be his then condition,'ntil some spirit may in mercy be permitted to
fan the divine spark within his darkened nature.
Then will commence progression towards a condition where he will outgrow his cruel nature, and
again be permitted to seek such associations as
wilI eventually fit him for a state more suited to
his then improved condition. AMEN.
INCARNATION OF LOVE.
LOVE is a principle so divine in its character:and functions, and so widely diffused throughout
anirmated nature, that in every direction its influ-.ence is felt, and mankind, revelling in its enjoyzments, must partake of its beautiful influences, with
gr-atitude ever welling up from  his inner soul.
iThe source from whence it springs is so inexhaustible that, with all the universal draughts that
alre made upon it, there seems no diminution of
s p1ply.
To define this beautiful and God-like element
wxe may find it difficult and almost impossible; for,
emanating, as it does, from Deity itself, and we




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 345
but finite, we fear the attempt may fail; hence we
leave our definition of infinite Love to those who
may approach the nearest to infinity., We shall,
therefore, speak of the love of God as being unbounded, limitless, and displayed in all His. works
which tend to the happiness of the human race.
And here we pause, before we undertake to discuss
Love, being the divinest element in man's nature,
by which its crudities and angularities are modified and softened to a condition more harmonious
and acceptable to society, by which the asperities
of hlis nature are removed and the softer element
of love introduced as their successor.
The human mind thus becomes changed in all
its proclivities, and stands before his fellow-man as
a sympathizer in his hours of suffering and distress, never permitting a brother or sister in danger to be neglected or unattended to; but, soothing their tortured minds, alleviating- their sorrows,
supplying their hungry craving's, and, indeed, fulfilling duties which his own conscience suggests to
him as all-essential. This is a very important feature, and comes under the head of Brotherly Love,
so beautifully and emphatically enjoined by the
Holy Nazarene, and so shamefully neglected by
those who presume to class themselves as His
disciples.
The next phase of Love we would present is
that of the Parent. Imbedded deep down in the




346 ANGEL  VOICES FROM THlE SPIRIT WORLDI
i-arent's soul, its out-gushings are sometimes so
overwhelming as almost to unseat reason and lay
it prostrate at the shrine of parental Love, not
so potent in its display with the father, but who
can sound the depth of a mother's love?  Waho
can guage its length and breadth?  For deep
down in that heart is a wvell-spring of holy and
divine love, untiring, devoted, and so holy in its
character that naugoht in Nature can conipare with
it.  -Everything in nature fails in competition.
Here seems the culmination of the. beautiful, uniyersally cdmittecl. For who has not fe-lt that deeptoned sympathy wt-lling Up f-rom  her most interior beilng, ]avishtl yl bestowed upon her of.'pr.ng'iiWhere lives the man or woman who has not,
at somQe period of life, after passing- from a mother's
special care, keenly felt her absence? and il mnoments of mental ang-uishi has pronounced t he sacred
name of Xiother; and often have those exclasmations of distr-ess been, by attendant spirits, carried
to that mother through spirit intuition.'Tis thenI
a mother's love is stirred within her, and her entire soul tries to burst the bonds which keep her
from  that child; and, if''tis sickness, a mlother's
keenest sympathies are drawn towards the suflering child; or, if it be imisfortune or disgrace, when
is a mother known to shrink from  fostering that
erring one? 0, never; for that errinI soul seems
more closely drawn to seek her soothing influ



AN;GEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 387
ences, by which, perchance, the penitent outpouring;s may be heard, and a hardened sinner is redeemed!
The next, and, perhaps, the most important
ph1ase of this beautiful and God-like element, is
that which is, and always has been, least understood; that Love which should be the out-poutrng
of experience acnd sincerity, not that tinselled
exhibition  0on) oft exhibited, a mere dissembling of
the leelings, 7rmoss, sordid and disirace ful in: its
character, el'n-inatin-Io fr:om causes nmost d1isgraceful (when iana'tyzed.)  Thus is the happiness osi
miilio0s wVrecl: ed upon the shores of;rnorance,
with not a ch' Ce of safety; for being only pa. ssional, having- none of' the soul-elevat.ing ini-luences
of divine an:.d holy Love, is merely evanescen:t,
unabiding, and, indced, demnoralizing; not partaking of that purity of soul's experienced Love,
wrhich warmrs it into acts of mercy and devotion
to the interests of all humanity.   Tith such a
guiding element as the former, how can society
be benefit-ted? We cannot see the sligihtest chance
of improvemnent, for all seems mercged in the one
degrading passional elem-ient, Lust; instead of the
beautiful and attractive principle of holy LoT(ve,
drawlin7 tooether as if by magic, two kindred
souls, mutually imbued Awith feelings of affection
totally unknown to those in whom the animal predominates so potently that every  act partakes




,348 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
ther6of, subversive of all that is pure in human
nature, demoralizing society by corrupting the
mind and making sensuality the grand point of
gratification.
0, that we could see in the future a change of
condition, for the happiness of the human race
depends upon it. AMEN.
THE UPS AND  DOWNS OF  HUMAN  LIFE
SHALL be our themne. We shall endeavor to
show the disproportion is not so great as many oft
imagine. To-day the sky may appear so overcast
and gloomy that discouragement almost ensues,
when on the morrow's dawn the atmosphere is
clear and all of gloom has vanished. The oppressive'atmosphere no longer presses on the nervous
system; all is blithe, and cheerful, and joy seems
almost perfect.
Think you, my brother, this condition affects but
man alone?  Experience tells you nay. A bright
and brilliant sunshine gladdens the heart of man,
while every atom dancing in the genial breeze:feels the invigorating influence, ior seems to lack
-the power to show its gratitude. All of animated
nature appears refulgent with its glory.  Who,




ANGEL VOICES FROM TIHE SPIRIT WORLD. 349
then, comparing such a day with that we have
named before, can be unmoved at nature's goodness to the creature man? who, in the exercise
of reasoning thought, stands high upon the plane
of all creation here on earth, and even,. when tired
of such research, through his reasoning faculty,
can soar through space in grand conception of
the world beyond this planet, where, could he
commune with them, he would find intelligence
far beyond his own; and, could he look fromn
hence into the far beyond, still unnumbered worlds
he would see, till, being exhausted and impressed'
-with wonder and amazement, he would return and
sees pictured in his individual nothingness, the
immensity of that power by whose fiat he had
become an existing entity.
Think you discontent would then assail him?
Rather. would he exclaim, "Come weal, come
woe," gratitude is all that I- can show for blessings such as are bestowed on a race of beings
formed for happiness eternal."  Think you, my
Brother, murmuring or complaint would here be
heard, upon this mundane sphere, where God's
eternal bounties are better comprehended? O, no;
fi-om lips unt-,urmbered would come forth a gush of
holy gratitude; the sound of great rejoicing would
be heard; the knee of reverence would soon be
bent; the,body placed in reverential posture in
token of humility exhibited by every son and




350 ANGEI, VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORL,D.
daughter  of  humanity.   The  sweet, angelic
cadence of celestial music, reverberating in a
brigvhter atmosphere, would stir the souls of men
to deeds of grandeur and renown, that all of vice
would v:lnish, and the soul that hitherto had sought
its company would suddenly eschew it as a thing
of' bitterness and distaste.
All this nust come to pass in the few or many
years between the present and the future; the
good which now in embryo lies, will then have
burst its bonds, and Nature will assert her right to
rule.  For, then, the purity.of truth will tread the
path of universal progress in company with the
million aspirants for heavenly joys.
Strifes of the past shall act as beacons to the
hosts of coiming humans; to fill the vacant places
of those who have gone before. Thus, as one gene,
ration quits the field of action, so anot-her fills its
place, with intellect increased, and vital force engendered by coming argels sent from  the higher
spheres with knowvledge before unknown, and such
regenerated power changing the current of human
thought by the sublimating influence of holy and
divine love, making that the glorious standard of
universal action; driving a2way -all grossness from
the souls of men, bringing them, progressively,
nearer and still nearer to the angel world; each
day's intercourse  ziving them  more,purity of
thought, which, having  action correspondent with




ANGEL VOICES FROMZ THE SPIRIT W~ORLD. 351
them, would make of man a being better and more
fullIy fitted for an ethereal residence.
But, my brother, these crowding thoughts have
almost driven, fromi my mind the given subjectThe Ups and Downs of' Human Life. A life's experience of them needs no copious essayv to define
them, if other thoughts were not engendered by
the subject. Man's natural skepticism as to th'ing-s
ethereal makes him  often discontented here in
mundane life; writh mreans quite adequate to his
necessities, how  oft he murmurs, deeming them
but scant; whereas, a better course Ce would pursue by feeling gratefuil for that lie has, nor ask for
angel aid to swell the mneans supplied him. Does
he appropriate that he has to aid some stricken
sufferer?-   If lie does, everxy aspiruation  sent to
anewels hig-h above lhim   will be responded to, and
like the " Widow's cruse," will e'en be f-ull to overfiowin. Is man's condition such, we ask? (whether
up or down) controlled by other than a God of
nmercy, love, compassion and eternai g'oodness?
A.nd if'so, has he the right to dictate what shall
be the changes of his life on earth?  More frequently  the  Downs of earth-life accrue  fr-om
ignorance, and sad perversion of the moral laws
intended for his governance, and then, with unblushing cheek, he'll e'en attribute them to God as
strokes of P-rovidence.
Here, then, my Brother, lies the error.  The




352,ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
little knowledge sought by man of his Creator,
viewing him  as vengeful and maligaant. Such
are the teachings man has had for centuries past;
forgetting all his attributes so beautifully blended
in their characters, basing them on a law of universal grandeur far transcending human thought,
and casting into dark oblivion everything that
tends to mystify the Being we' and all humanity
must worship as the true and holy God. AhMEN.
PIRO0FESSSOIR I JtRE'S RESPONSE TO.M1Y CALL.
-As a friend to all humanity I greet you, and as
an efficient medium I further greet you; therefore, I am here in cheerfulness to answer such
questions  as you may like to put concerning
Spiritualism.
Q. Then I would ask, are you alone with
me?
A. No; myriads cf invisibles are now arouncl
us, but each enveloped in an atmosphere entirely
its own.
0.  Ifyou can describe distances by our rule,
what distance are you from  me at the preselt
time?




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 353
A. About twenty inches, more or less.
Q. In front or behind me?
A. Rather behind you, resting lightly upon
your left shoulder, in a reclining position, giving
to you vitality equal to the demand I make upon
you. With a younger person this would not be
needed, nature maintaining the needed equilibrium.
Q. In such a situation as you describe, can
we feel entirely removed from spirit observation?
A. Yes, my friend; isolated as you then become,
no power can scan your thoughts or hear your
speech, other than the unknown power of Al
mighty God, or those to whom he delegates important trusts, and there your secrets lie inviolable.
Q. In such condition the two atmospheres,
while so close in contact, must there not be a kind
of blending, making each receptive of the other's
nature?
A. Assuredly, it must be so. The blending of
which you speak is undefinable to mortal mind.
An entire vocabulary would not provide words
adequate to do so, and yet, the disembodied spirit
feels and knows it; and you, while thus in sy.m.
pathy with me and others, who so often come in
holy rapport with you, can mutually enjoy it.
My Brother, is there not a beauty in this law,
when understood, that cannot be surpassed, giving
23




354 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
to the earthly aspirant for Heaven a foretaste of
its joys by actual demonstrations of the life beyond; by coming living entities from yonder blissful land, to tell of wonders man has no conception
of?
Q. Are disembodied spirits all around us
while communing thus?
A. I have already told you that a room however large, may be almost filled to overflowing,
yet, still, there is room for more. The air you
breathe will bear compression to such extent as
to burst a cask or bottle, and spirit being light as
air, is not inconvenienced by such pressure as
would kill a human form and drive the spirit from
its flesh encasement; yet, the spirit dies not from
such event, but in proper time, prescribed by law,
unerring,. in resurrected state, it comes again to
earth and manifests itself a living entity, beyond
the power of doubting, by those prepared with
spirit vision, to behold the wonders then presented. And yet, this sight so grand and beautifully
true, to some is manifest insanity. Has God become so powerless he cannot strike with well-directed vengeance the authors of such calumny as
oft you have listened to. But, my Brother, we
had forgotten; ours is not the Christian God; no
vengeance is there in the God we worship; all
Love, and compassion, giving to the wicked and
the good alike, showing no partiality for the




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 355
one or other, bestowing happiness and reward
when earned by strict obedience to his laws; and
to the wicked abrogators of those laws, an eternity of time for that repentence they must evince
before they can outwork their self-kept record of
a wretched life, This is the God whom Reason
seeks and clings to. And does she cling in
vain? Oh, no, at every turn is seen God's goodness
and benificence.
Q. Why are there so few Dial Mediums?
A. In answering such a question we would
state that God and Nature ever uses means best
suited to the end designed. The time has not yet
arrived for man's capacity to grasp the everything by nature now presented. Improvements
made in such quick succession, the human mind
becomes almost bewildered, accepting from necessity of that most needed, or so esteemed at
least, and rejecting that which seems too complex
for their use and comprehension. Was this not
clearly shown, when I, with honest purpose and
intent, yet in sad delusion, made my efforts
(through science) to uproot the truth of Spiritualism, but, through a power I could not stay,
became defeated? With me, defeat became a triumph, greater than a Napoleon or a William
could enjoy. The voice of omnipotence seemed
to say, more will be effected through thy defeat to
bless humanity than had victory crowned thy




856 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
brow in such investigation. Around that brow a
never fading halo rests; a mark of tested wisdom
imparted to thee from a source that's ever open to
the true investigator. Thy work is almost done;
thou hast earned thy crown of glory; enter where
thoul't find it.
Science like nature, ever works by measure.
No chance or guess work in the matter; everything must correspond and everything by law adapted, makes the whole complete. And now, we
turn to Dial Mediums. Why, and how are they
controlled?
A two-fold influence must work within their
natures. A dial medium needs an influence dual
in its character, as we have said before. First,
the impressional in largest measure; for, a
thought, seemingly but whispered, must be grasped with great activity, for being rapidly imparted, the slightest inattention may scatter to the
winds some gem-like thought, which, if then imparted as it should be, would benefit the universe
of man-transferred through various grades of
intellect, might give fresh beauties to this lower
sphere; and on, and on, through all the devious
windings of this mundane life.; But it is not this,
alone, we would revert to. Impression seems a
needed element in evolving dial mediums; because, without another, it must fail. A mind inert and listless in its character, would be unsuit



ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 357
able. Appreciation of a living truth must be inl
stantaneous, or doubts may soon arise to make a
living truth an amzost lie; the mere shadow of a
doubt, would be too readily accepted, and thus,
delay retard expression of it, perverting time and
talent fromn the channel where most needed.
To be a dial medium in the truest sense, it follows, much of worldly interest must cease; for,
upon a tranquil state of mind, so much depends,
that constant intercourse with worldly matters
would render sparse the visits of your angel
friends, depriving mediums of thee instructions
they impart in copious measure to their pupils,
giving of all they have; asking no recompense,
for, free as air is all instruction given.
Q. Will such mediums need an increase?
A. Assuredly they will, and in fullaccordance
with the law of supply and demand, will they be
provided.
Q. Which would you prefer, man or woman
as Dial Mediums?
A. Why ask such a question, where full equality exists?
Q. Because in the Divine economy, degrees
are seen in everything. Each sex being better
adapted for one employment than another, is it
worth the inquiry? We are told to copy nature
to avoid mistakes. Are we swerving from the
right in doing so?




858 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
A. My Brother, I find no fault with such a
question; but, admitting the equality of woman on
the intellectual plane, and doing justice to infinity
as being impartial, leaving woman a fair competitor for what she is adapted by a good and gracious God, we waive a further answer to your
question.
Q. I would ask, have you any means of judging what is the present status of professing spiritualists. Have they a healthy growth on this our
earth?
A My Brother, no better opportunity have I
of judging than yourself, although clarivoyantly,
I see within the human mind a growing hatred to
Priestly Rule, discordant feelings rife, a growing
dislike of church formulas, rituals, and superstitions of the former dark and gloomy ages. Claiming the right of thought and free expression of it,
by which the man or woman is not by the " Thus
Saith the Lord " being an imagined authority to
rule sacred and important in its character, but now
through liberal thought and act, has become almost
a cypher, no longer tyranizing over the human
intellect, till debased and reckless it has sunk into
the slough of superstition and despondency almost
without a hope of ultimate retrieval.
Q. Do you recognize obcession as an evil damaging to man?
A. My Brother, sin, in all its phases, is disgust



ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 359
ing to the mind that's pure, but in this demoralizing phase so monstrous are its influences, that
with trembling hands we contemplate the issue.
The passional of human nature, bestirred to action
by such a means, makes the cheek grow pale, the
heart's blood recede, and stagnant as'it then becomes, paralysis ensues, and almost Death itself
may close the solemn scene. This is no isolated
statement, but a fact that's well attested, and as
time rolls on, the growing evil must be recognized
and grappled with, in firm determination to uproot the evil or die in the attempt.
Q. What are its causes, and what will be the
remedy applied?
A. This, like all things else, must first be
traced with all becoming care to its lowest depths
within the human soul, for there it will be found
imbedded and encrusted with the accumulated
filth of ages past and gone, checking the growth
of virtue, and giving countenance to Vice in all its
base deformity and wretchedness. It now runs
riot in your midst, cherished and admired,
while Virtue shrinks affrighted and restrained
therefrom.  This is a truth beyond all doubt,
and what shall be the remedy applied?  At
present may be seen whole multitudes gliding
down the stream of time, so totally unconscious of
the maelstrom vortex ready to receive them; careless of the certain sequel, they seem to lack all




860 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
power to resist the influence; but, like the cherished babe at its mother's breast, knowing nothing of the danger, falls and dies a victim of unconsciousness. Such, my brother, is tlat you ask
about? Time, indeed, it is the public mind should
be awakened to their danger. While seeminglyin
safety sleeps the unconscious soldier at his post,
a mine is sprung with dire effect, spreading death
and desolation all around.  With vigilance and
proper caution this might have been avoided.
Are the peoples of the present day one whit
more careful? Are they ready to investigate
this evil and remove it, if not modify its virulence? May God and His holy angels so impress
humanity as to wake them up to scrutinize this
matter as it should be, for, sooner or later, it must
outburst the boundaries prescribing it.
Q. Are obscessions practiced in the spirit world?
A. My brother, strange it seems, such questions
should be asked by you, but seeing your motive,
we most readily accord response. Beyond this
earth of yours there is a place where much of
earth's perplexity is realized. Proclivities of earth
are there demonstrable beyond all cavil. The
same demoniac feelings are there exhibited as
when such spirits dwelt on earth, having the desire, but not the power, to sin, and that desire
being potent in their natures, they seek to gratify
the same by finding some assimilating spirit in the




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 361
form on whom they exercise their own willpower
to p.ychologyse their victim to perpetrate the act
desired by them; and thus, by an aggravated sympathy, they seemingly obtain their purpose, leaving
their unconscious victim uncared for and suffering
from such obcession. Oh! if the accumulated ills
of human life could all be heaped together, it would
be as nothing in comparison with this astounding
curse humanity endures.
Q. Can you see an end to such calamity, so
world-wide as it is?
A. How  often are we sought for such a
purpose, hoping we, as spirits, have the power to
look into the future, and foretell events of much
importance to the race. Oh how gladly would
we use it, was it a privilege possessed by us, yet
what credit would the world accord to us-that we
offer at the present is scarce accepted. WVhat credence does the skeptic give to statements made of
spirit-power to return and hold communion with
you? But if given under Church authority they'd
hug it as a sacred treasure, but lacking such,
they ruthlessly denounce it as insanity.
With such a feeling rampant in society few men
are safe.  The utterance of a truth, or that es.
teemed as such, has endangered life and liberty,
the latter of greater value oft than life itself,
But Oh, the blessed God-sanctioned thought;
they may incarcerate the body of the Man, but,




862 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
the Soul and Spirit, the ethereal portion of the
real man, can laugh at such endeavors and taunt
authority with baseness.
Q. Will not compensation be required for
such outrageous conduct?
A. With justice still intact through all coming time, for each injury inflicted by man upon
his fellow, a righteous compensation must be
paid; in what way or manner is of little moment;
governed by the law of justice, it must be met.
Q. Can God or Nature act outside the law to
punish any individual?
A. Law being the limit prescribed by Deity,
is equally as binding on himself as man, Justice
demanding mutual recognition of it; and here
the beauty lies. The wants of man, if unperverted, are God's desires; and farther, the happiness
of man is watched and cared for by his angel
messengers; and every want supplied, together
with assurance of celestial life, if sought in spirit
and in truth.
Q. My Brother, with such assurance given,
how can so-called Christians reject the glorious
doctrine we present?
A. All men are not alike in countenance,
form or constitution; and is not this a wise precaution?  What dire confusion must ensue, were not
this the case! No means of recognition would
there be. The man who prides himself upon his




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 363
individuality, thinks and speaks of it as something
priceless to him. One man might have a claim
upon another, but, without identity, the chance of
being paid would be but small. Thus, diversity
becomes a need of man's existence; indeed, without it, monotony would. rend society, scattering
its fragments far beyond man's recognition.
But here we have digressed. You ask why
such indifference as so-called Christians manifest?
to which we answer the narrow-minded theologian fears encountering Truth in all its glowing
beauty, offering Error in lieu thereof; hence, their
indifference to our glorious doctrine, Spiritualism.
Why the appellation "so-called?" you, perhaps,
may ask? Simply because they should be known
for what they are, with many exceptions, we
must admit. The so cuts off their claim of being
what they assume to be; but, like the wolf in
sheep's clothing, seems to be the thing he is not,
professing, but not possessing, the elements which
go to form the real Christian.  The follower of
Jesus, having no fears, no doubts, that by performance of his duties, His promises will be fulfilled,
such believer needs no persuasion to endorse such
principles as form the basis on which we rest our
doctrine, sublime and glorious in its character,
requiring no hyperbole of words to recommend
it to the attention of a soul prepared by angel
intuitions, who, in gratitude and deep humility,




864 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
becomes the associate of Spirit entities within the
immortal spheres. Thus it seems no marvel that
Christians of modern date treat with contumely
that which bears but slight resemblance to their
own erratic creeds and dogmas. Men of better
thoughts eschew as deleterious to the happiness
of man, sapping the elements of Love and Truthfulness by statements quite absurd, falsely aspersing those who claim to know the promised place
of rest beyond this mundane sphere, where hosts
of pure and holy spirits are, who, not content with promises, leave their beauteous homes at
all convenient periods, to give to men and women
such assurances of after life that to reject the
proffered boon would seem but black ingratitude,
unworthy men of progress.
Q. My friend, was death to you a painful issue?
A. I know on this and other kindred subjects,
your information is extensive, but, as investigation
knows no limits, I feel bound to answer. Death,
or, rather, change, (the latter term is more correct),
cannot be generalized other than as it may be
viewed, by many as a finality. The Atheist may
view it in that light, and there we fain would leave
him to enjoy his dark and gloomy reverie. With
such belief we are at war, because it is not natural;
indeed, we know of nothing but the horrible to
which it bears affinity, and here we leave it, feeling better satisfied to recognize a change in man's




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 365
condition; not, as many erroneously suppose, a
momentary change of earth-life, but to patiently
await the movements of the angel hosts to waft
you to the summer land.'Twere well to end this
subject for the present, for many things as yet
untold I have to give. AMEN.
JESUS' RESPONSE TO MY INTERROGATIONS.
Q. Is the book called sacred by the Christian
World, actually the Word of God? and calculated to guide men through earth-life to a state
of happiness in the future?
A. The Bible as a book contains but little that
is needed by men engaged in business; nothing
that can aid their speculations; nothing that can
lead to fame or fortune, unless to those who take
the road to Church preferment, and that too oft
is:slow, and almost motionless, giving to the few,
superfluous, riches, but adding little to their truthful sanctity.
The Mitred Priest at times may be tempted to step
aside from virtue's path, as is the practiced Liber.
tine, who worships at the shrine of Vice in open




366 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
violation of the sacred laws of God, contained
within that Bible. Here let us trace the line of
difference between the two.  The Libertine unversed in Bible teachings, follows out the course
of his perverted nature and lacking the moral
bonds, which binds the one to virtue's path, he
seeks the haunts of wickedness in open day, and
shamelessly he acts the character he has professed
to be.
It is sin with him assuredly, but the other,
what name is fitted to describe the demoralizing
effect of sad hypocrisy? On bended knees, and
in solemn tones he asks for blessings from his God
and seeks forgiveness of him for all omitted duties, but says nothing of committed sins, and why,
because he knows there is no forgiveness for
them, although, perchance, when called to the bedside of the death-stricken Libertine, redolent as
he is of crime and sinfulness, how does he address
him? Not in tones of chiding and denouncement
No indeed, but in honied tones of softness, tells
him his God is good and merciful, that Jesus died
for such as him, that God will surely grant him
pardon, not for his sake, but for the sake of Yesus,
through whose sacrifice his sins however deeply
damning, may be washed away in the sacrificial
blood of 7esus.
Is this a religion for men of sense and truthfulness? We wot it is not; and further, we denounce
it as damaging in its influence.




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 367
Let men, be told there is no forgiveness here, or
in the world to come, Crime will soon be lessened.
The sinner looks not upon his sin as e'en he
should, as blots upon his. character no Jesus
blood could e'er remove the stain, till compensation has been made, through suffering and affliction merited by all who in impassioned state
violate the Laws of God and man.
Q. Does such a' Priest perform his duty
towards his fellow man, by tendering such a doctrine to a dying Brother?
A. Let reason act her part with common
sense to aid her, she will answer No. The man
entrusted with the care of human souls, (if such is
true and much we donbt it is,) should possess
integrity of pu-rpose in all his several functions,
whether in relation to the present or the future.
Truth, ungarbled truth, should be his motto.  No
matter what the expected fee may be, no falsehood should be told, no sophistry should ever
enter the sick man's room; a purer atmosphere is
needed there, for whether rich or poor it is
equally a need and should not be withheld. The
Priest that flatters a sinking soul in dying moments commits a crime he ne'er can compensate.
Q. Is the life beyond a great improvement
on the present?
A. My Brother, the mind that has a single
doubt on this point must be unhappy. Consult




.368 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
the law of progress; is there aught within that
law, but means or indicates improvement? In all
directions progress shows it, and if it were not
so, how could men endure the hardships they encounter in attempts gigantic in their character,
was not improvement witnessed as the work progresses?
Q. I would further ask, are the general details in the New Testament based upon truth immutable?
A. To this I answer, not in all their several details. Much of it is fabulous, intended to evoke an
enlarged interest in the miraculousness of my
parentage and birth, which was one of shame and
poverty, aggreeable to the chronicled averment,
but was undue publicity a need? Certainly not,
unless to serve some sinister design of an ambitious conclave, seeking to lure the unthinking
and superstitious multitude, into the performance
of acts, subversive of good order and right
principle.
Q. The Holy Ghost is spoken of within that
so-called sacred book, and in the Christian Ritual
as the means used for your paternity. W'ith def.
erence we ask the question. Is that a turth?
A. My Brother, was such a question asked
by other than yourself, if aught of anger lingered
in my nature, I might feel resentment, but your
motive being known to me, I e'en must give reply.




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 369
The man or men that wrote such statement,
lacked every principle of truthfulness. Liars by
nature they must have been; and was there an existent hell, it seems they must have dipped their
pens in the foulest element within its borders. The
brain that could concoct so vile an item,'must
have sought it in sonle darkened region where no
light could come, hence would we denounce them
as wretches unparalleled in history's record.
But as to who my father was, it little matters.
I have neither gained or lost by such'event; angel
messengers have kindly cared for me, as oft they
have for others, fostering all of virtue in my nature, letting reason, aided by angelic love, give
guidance to my acts, making me a useful member
of community, furnishing me with gifts to benefit
humanity, even as at present mediums now are
gifted to impart ethereal knowledge to the masses,,
which, for ages baek was practiced yet not recognized as now it is. Such was my condition andl
with it I felt contented.  Free from all undue ambition to be great, I deemed it better to be good,
to obey the holy intuition given me at times I
needed them. Humility was. ever mine and much
I valued it as being an inspired action of the
soul to obey the laws of Him I felt I had the right
to call my father, such as every son and daughter
of humanity claims they have the inherent right
24




870 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
to do.  With this was I content, nor sought a
higher honor.
Q. Were you crucified between two criminals?
A. In that particular, the record tells the
truth, it was even so. Their priestly fury knew
no limit, and by every means within their power
the Jewish rabble sought to crush me, hence they
placed those victims to the law beside me, but
fruitless was the effort. My soul's best aspirations
was to aid the sufferers and in kindliest tones I
made the effort; with one 1 was successful, with
the other I failed. With hardened heart he scoffed
and railed at me.
Q. It is said on the day of thy crucifiction
the heavens were darkened as at midnight, and
confusion dire seemed to reign; was such the
truth?
AA. My Brother there is just as much truth in
such a statement as in many others made to give
effect to some event mysterious as they tried to
make it. The element of common sense and truthful judgment must have taken their departure,
giving men the opportunity to display their folly
in making Nature's movement a seeming miracle
to aid them in deception.
Q. Did  you raise Lazarus after Death had
taken hold upon him?
A. Had Lazarus been dead no  power on




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 371
earth or in heaven could have done such work.
Omnip6tence itself must have failed in making
such an attempt.  No, Lazarus slept the sleep
that many of the present day are sleeping. In,
trance they lie for days, not in sleep exactly, but
in a state of consciousness, without the power to
speak or move a muscle indicating life or slightest
animation. Such was the state of Lazarus. With
eagerness his infatutated friends and those surrounding us claimed a miracle for that which was
but nature's work. Men of sinister designs were
there, seeking for means to beguile the people. I
never claimed I had the power to work a miracle
or even the desire to endorse them.
Q. Much has been said about your cursing
the Fig Tree. Please explain.
A. My Brother, I am glad you named it, because at first sight such an act would he unseemly
in one whose soul was seldom if ever stirred to
anger that would evoke a Curse; neither is it natural to suppose that I as a teacher among the
Jewish Nation would or could commit an act so
vile as to curse a thing of God's creation, an act
so fraught with injury to myself, by showing the
little power I had over the passional, that I, as a
teacher, should control? No, my brother; whatever faults I had (and of them I never felt myself
exempt)  asperity  of temper never could be
charged against me.  Meekness and humility I




372 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
claimed to be the brightest spots I had to boast of.
The charge I claim is false, and but another item
chargeable to such detraction.
Q. Is eternal salvation (by you) of the entire
human race, as taught by Christians true?
A. Many are the inquiries in this direction,,
and this shall claim attention. God in every way
impresses man to lead a life of purity and holiness;
then, we ask, is a Savior needed?'Let this be my
answer to your questicn.
9. Was your ascension witnessed by five
thousand persons in the form?
A. The atmosphere then, as well as now, was.
filled with hosts of living witnesses unseen by
mortal eyes, for who can see a spirit unaided by
clarivoyant power, and then somewhat imperfectly, or who could number such a host; a Universe would fail in computation of their number.
Hence we deemn the statement doubtful.
Q. Did Satan take you to a high mountain
and there tempt you, as described?
A. Are not all mankind sometimes tempted,
and why should special note be made of my being
iufluenced in the self-same way as other men, the
same passions and desires within my nature, perhaps a little better governed and controlled, and
yet existent?  Exposed as I became at times, need
it be deemed a marvel that I, as well as others,
should become its victim?  Common sense if used



ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 3?$
would show at once the falsity of such a statement. That Satan, if such a being then existed,
should select me out from others to make such
offers as Sacred Writ avers he did, seems more
like a schoolboy fable or a tale not fitted for adults
to name as being real.
Q. Was the descending of the I-Ioly Ghost in
shape of a dove, correct or a mere fable?
A. Often will you find figures used instead of
words, being more brief and pungent in their
meaning. If such a person then or now existed
as the Holy Ghost, no better figure could be used.
To make this question plainer let us. inquire, if by
the Holy Ghost is meant the second member of
the Christian's God-head who left his high abode
in heaven, to visit earth and make selection of
a mortal from the unnumbered masses as a special
favorite, born from all eternity as such, then and
there proclaimed as one in whom the Father took
much pleasure. Can such a God be deemed im-'partial? We think he cannot, and here we take our
stand. That such incongruous statements misrepresenting Deity, makes each and every statement
doubtful, where truth immutable is not exhibited
in form that men may know it. is such. No Holy
Ghost or sacred dove was seen by me or others,
being the mere concoction of some priestly brain
exhibited and well adapted to the superstition of
the times gone by, and even to the I9th century,




374 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
has such trash been given and received as truth~.
To contravane such statements I am here from
yonder blissful home, to show a world of humans
better things than have hitherto been dealt out to
all humanity.
Q. Is the Bible statement of your walking on
the water a truth?
A. My Brother let me ask you, does Nature
ever suspend her laws for any special purpose >
if such is true and man, reliant on them as he is,
what dire confusion must ensue; in all of Deity's
arrangements may be seen order and regularity
no man can imitate. It far exceeds his calibre
of intellect and if used in  proper manner,,
smooths his path and gives him confidence in all
that appertains. to Spirit Life by such assurance
as his angel friends have given him of life beyond the grave.  But I have wandered somewhat from my subject, my walking on the water.
Can such an act, so far beyond the power of man,
be deemed as possible, unaided by some artificial
means? It is not the element prepared for man
to tread upon. No power that he posesses can supercede the law of gravitation and keep him onl
the surface safe from drowning. And here we ask
again, are Nature's laws suspended, or have they
ever been?  They being immutable can never
change. The man who waits for such a change
in times of peril, must surely perish, unless im-.




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 375
pelled by sense of danger he puts forth the strong
right arm to save himself, the means he has within
his nature he must use, and doing so may perhaps escape the danger, or perchance a passing stranger impelled by intuition of some guardian spirit, to obey the natural impulse of his
manhood, hazards his own to save another's lifte.
Such possibly was the case with me. Complaint I
might have heard, and impelled by Nature's bidding, I forgot all self and sprang to rescue one,
who lacking moral courage, had lost the power to
save himself.
Q.'Do you speak of this as a remembered
fact?
A. No, my Brother, but merely give these reasons to remove the erratic show of miracles which
were meant no doubt to make the statement more
impressive on the minds of those who advocate
the marvellous in preference to more substantial
truth. To me it seems but loss of time to say
more npon a subject that common sense can test
correctly.
Q. Did Thomas place his hand within the
wound inflicted in your side, to overcome his unbelief?
A. This is a question based on mere surmise,
for who could see the act performed. Has mortal
vision ever seen a spirit? Do you not say it is invisible? and here you speak the truth. Was not Thomas




376 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
an embodied spirit having no clarivoyant powers
but simple sight as others, and if so what credence
can you give to such a statement? No proof coroborating it, but a mere assertion of the fact. Would
reason, if consulted, readily accept the statement?
In the superstitious ages of the past, and even now,
the marvellous is far more readily accepted than a
well authenticated truth. But whether the fact is
proved or not it little matters; no important issue
can be realized by the imputed act of Thomas,
more than any other man, and with this remark we
will leave the subject for a world's decision of its
truth or falsity.
Q. Did you delegate to Peter the right to act
as Apostolic Head of the Church or Pope, as
claimed by the Romish Church?
A. My Brother, based as that Church is upon
the most egregious falsehoods ever framed by ignorance and sheer assurance, both combined,
what right had I to make appointment for a single moment, much more for future times that now
have passed away, joined with which, what motive could I have for interfering in a matter altogether foreign to my own desires? Jews and Gentiles all I loved as members of one common family.
It was all humanity I came to benefit, no sect or
party did I choose, but the one great humai
family did! I claim as being worthy my attention.
No superiority of creed I ever recognized, feeling




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 377
convinced that Charity should be the guiding star
of all professing Christians. With such a guide
no sect or creed could claim superiority. The
general welfare of the race will mark the genuine Christian's conduct.  No mother church
will claim a Peter for its head, a situation never
sought by him, preferring to remain a follower of
mine. Humble as the station was yet was it preferred by him. The Roman Church may claim
him as their prototype of Popes to strengthen their
assumptive claim to primitive superority notwithstanding.
My mission here on earth has nothing worldly
in its character, other than man's improvement in
ethereal knowledge. Law and Nature are the
guides I recognize, and for this special purpose I
am here to use thy organism, by inspiring thee to
write such thoughts as seem to come intuitively
to the many, who from lack of apprehension lose
the benefit thereof. In this they are not blameable, while pity oft we feel and fain would strive
to raise their comprehension to a higher standard
than yet they have exhibited. Surrounded as they
are with worldly pomp, they try, but try in vain,
to grasp successfully the truth we would present
to them. With dull encircled eyes they peer beyond
the range of mortal vision to seek the far beyond,
of which they may have heard, but could not recognize, and this may terminate their search. Not




378 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
finding what they have sought they become discouraged and abandon what they deem a useless
task; are not millions thus impressed? Therefore
need it be deemed a marvel that your halls are
empty, your efforts to maintain societies are all
abortive.  My brother your present status in
this city stands a monument of carelessness, the
sad result of what we have named. The great
and glorious work of man"s redemption may be
slow, and many years mnay pass before success
may be attained, notwithstanding the saving power
ascribed to me, but does it follow  God has lost
hispower, or that Nature falters in her course?
We wot it cannot be. Man may scoff and call
it a delusion, but where's the proof it is so?
Spiritualism in all its grandeur still is flourishing;.
its brightening rays are giving light in all directions, opening the flood gates of investigation,
making man a wiser and morally a better creature,
more ready to accept of angel teachings,esche wing
Vice,and taking into close enbrace the all of Virtue,
making this lower world an almost Paradise, better fitted for the growth of Virtue, standing as she
is with uplift foot in readiness to crush the incipient growth of Vice in all its varied forms of
base depravity.
With such a prospect, who can doubt that
Spiritualism, with all its grand and noble principles, will be raised to such a glorious altitude that




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 379
those who hitherto have deemed it dead, will inr
astonishment look around to find its compeer.
With God to give it sanction, need it fear what
man can do? In maddened frenzy he may scoff
and threaten but sustained by angel power the
Spiritualist can laugh to scorn the superstitious
ignorance of a world almost engulfed in the
maelstrom vortex of Fanaticisms.
And here we'll close our essay, giving our
medium rest, and hastening forward to some other
place and people needing our instruction. Adieu.
AMEN.
KING DAVID'S RESPONSE AND CONFESSION.
AT last my ardent expectations may be fulfilled,
and I released from bondage most revolting to a
soul that has so long yearned to leave a place but
illy fitted for such aspirations as mine puts forth
for that deliverance I often hear of others gaining; yet my especial case seems to be a marvel, and
alone in misery I have dwelt, year after year, and
century after century, expecting change and yet
relief came not to me! With weeping eyes and
outstretched hands I have implored forgiveness of
my sins, yet no confession could I make; all




380 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
seemed dark and gloomy to me, and constant silence there continuing, my ambition seemed inert
and useless to me; the energy of former ages
seemed to leave me, when at times the thoughts of
what I once had been would stir me up to action,
and with all the efforts I could make I strove
to speak, but that had failed me, and every trial
proved unsuccessful, leaving me a poor discontented being. Yet hope would sometimes flit across
my brain, and once again give courage to my
sinking and desponding soul to still hope on. Eternity was mine as well as others.  Sinful, perchance, as I had been, yet governed and directed by
better and holier impulses, they had sought relief
by ventilation of a sinful life on earth, made all the
compensation in their power, whilst I, with all my
earthly pride unchanged, continued an unyielding
advocate of by-gone habits, yet altogether powerless in every attempt I made to practice them.
What would 1 give to abrogate the recollection
of my life on earth, and sink in deep oblivion
scenes, the mere remembrance of, has often
made me shudder to admit myself their perpetrator. Oh, how often has the blush of shame and
terror mantled on my cheekat thinking of the record made of "The God chosen of my race," "The
man after God's own heart," and other statements
equally untrue.
A lie more foul was never uttered, blasphemous




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 381
in its purport, wicked and profane in its utterance,
producing a reaction in the minds of men while
thinking of their God.
With deep humility I now look back upon those
times with feelings more allied to horror than
aught else, for the sun of Heaven has never shone
upon a greater sinner than he who now is prompting you. I fain would now make full confession of
my crimes, yet what compensation can I make, bereft as I, and all of mortal birth must find themselves on entering Spirit Life, with nothing left
to compensate, but by penitence and truthful prayer
may ask relief, but no forgiveness can I seek, for
that I know to be impossible. All the sins committed while on earth must be admitted and repented ere thou cans't become an aspirant for mer —
cy from thy God, who will yield accordance to thy
needs, if sought in spirit and in truth.
But to my confession: All my acts have been recorded by a pen unused by other than myself,; and
that, a record never known or seen by any one of
earth, of past or present times, but those unseen
by you have looked upon them and know the every item there contained.
To those who doubt, the fact may soon be known,
aye, sooner than expected by them, and then with
sad regrets like mine, deplore the recklessness they
have evinced, when warning after warning has
been given them to have their record ready. My




382 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
Brother, some may laugh and ridicule such statemnents as these I now am making. The scrutinizing
glance of angel eyes is now upon them. Death
may now be in close attendance on them; the dark
and dismal grave may now be yawning to receive
them, and what have they to comfort them? The
icy hand of death perchance has clutched them,
producing chills and terrors they had little expectation of.
Little further must I say upon a subject all must
yet experience. Death, the grand leveller of all
things mundane, making no distinction whether
rich or poor, black or white, we are his, who by
nature's promptings places each where attraction
aided by the law of gravitation may direct him.
But, my Brother, such delay may lead you to sup-.
pose me somewhat reluctant to make the promised
confession, therefore in humblest mood I will now
present the facts as best I can.
Let me ask you am I a murderer because under
law I take another's life in retribution of a sinful
act committed? Does that act constitute me
a murderer in the sight of God?  If avarice
be a crime I am not innocent. Can a man who
cheats his neighbor claim the badge of honesty? Of this I have been accused, and still must
bear the odium. Can lewd obscenity of conduct
be deemed other than a crime? I will not deny
its earthly practice.




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 383
Following out the same idea, for they are all connected, Adultery, Fornication, and all those base
concomitants clustering around each other, as kindred sentiments, working towards one common
center (man's almost total ruin). If this be true,
and overwhelmed as I have been with such, my
case must be beyond retrieval.
Anon, methinks I hear an Angel whisper "Thou
art not lost, for thee there still is mercy flowing from
that fount eternal," meandering from its source
down through its mazy windings into the receptive
soul, that like yourself aspires to gain it.
Cheer up, nor yield one tittle of the ambition
now bestirring thee; withhold no portion of the
confession thou wouldst make; clear thy breast
of all that can disturb thy mind or mar thy holy
purpose in becoming an aspirant for that change
thy soul so yearns for. With such encouragement
I am here, and once again resume confession of
the many sins committed by me while on earth.
Fearing I may tire you with too long a detail,
I shall endeavor to abbreviate as much as possible
my further statements. Fear and dread of public
scrutiny prevents the perpetration of crimes of
deepest dye, such as would make the blood raun
cold to think of. From such I am not exempt, and
many and many a victim to the basest tyranny has
fallen by my hand.'s hatred to his child forms another




384 ANGEL VOICES FROM'THE SPIRIT WORLD.
feature in my acts of sinfulness; that Child I once
had loved with all a father's tenderness became a
thing of hate to me, and the love I once had borne.
him became as poison to me; everything he said
and did was chronicled within my fevered brain
as promise of a means by which I might destroy
him; if in battle he was seen in rear of others, if
present, I would send him to the front, feeling assured his danger was more imminent, and thus his
death might save me further trouble.
But still an over-ruling power seemed ever
present to protect him. At length a battle being
fought, in which my son was conquered, by rapid
flight he sought to save himself. In hottest haste
he was pursued; to avoid being captured he took
refuge in a neighboring wood; the branches hanging low and he being helmetless, his long and flowing hair became entangled in the low hanging
branches, and thus suspended in fearful agony, he
yielded up the life his God had given him. Thus
I became his murderer. Can such a crime as this
receive forgiveness?  And yet the so-called sacred record accuses God of doing the self-same
act. But here the difference lies; God being omniscient does what he pleases, and this cruel and
erroneous statement, uttered by men who know
tqhe law, denouncing murder as a crime, is as binding on the enactor of the law as upon his creature,
man. But does the suppositious crime ascribed to




ANGEL VOICES FROM'THE SPIRIT WORLD. 385
Deity exonerate me from the crime of premeditated
murder?  Oh, no, my brother; the canker-worm
of guilt is ever gnawing at my vitals, rendering
even spirit-life a burthen, preferring annihilation
to obliviate the anguished recollection of my
crimes. "The man after God's own heart."  Can
such avowal become accepted by men of common
sense and truthfulness?  To such it must seem
blasphemy, indeed? Oh, that I had the power to
expunge that record from the world's remembrance; methinks it would pluck one throb of torturefi-om my anguished soul.
But, in conclusion, the men of God, as they are
called, and founders of a faith called "Christianity," professing to be followers of the meek and
lowly Jesus, may have the power to assume the
name, without the inclination to adopt his principles. Such appears to be the condition of that
church at present, but a change must come o'er all
things, and in that direction will be seen a renovated ~Christian Church, free from' blighting pride,
which now suffuses the majority, with principles at war with Jesus' teachings of humility, so
beautifully exemplified by him in every thought
and act. And here I close my essay, grateful as I
feel to him who has transcribed with strict fidelity
my prompted thoughts. AMIEN.
25




886 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
JOSEPHUS.
FREE from prejudice and -all that appertainsthereto, I am here, my Brother, far from  my very
distant home, in respondence to thy call. Justice
to all is the motto I assume, nor crave one moment's credence to aught else but manifest truth.
My Brother, if thou hast any doubts of my being a truthful spirit, give me that so-called sacred
Bible, and I'll swear upon its leaves I am all I represent myself. Art thou satisfied'tis even so?
I am, My Brother, thy oath I'll not exact. Heaven
bless thee for that mark of generous confidence in
one who must be to thee a total stranger. Would
it not seem a marvel to give thine invitation to
one so distant from thee, and then, by doubting,
cast me off as one unworthy of thy credence?
History speaks of me in better terms; yet history
is not always truthful, therefore, thou art right in
asking such a test, which, at this moment I am
ready to comply with. Knowing my own truthfulless, and feeling I have thy confidence, I will endeavor to repay it by utterances of -facts no one
can contradict, for truths I'll give in such ungarbled manner, that your mind and that of others
who may read these lines will have no doubt
about it.
And here I'll take my stand: whether the world
credits me or not it little matters; the truthful




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 387
soul within me flatters no one to' gain applause or
popularity. But of this enough; my path is plain
before me; no side issues shall I seek to make my
statement one deserving credence.
Do you require solution of a special subject?My Brother, I answer no, I will not give thee one,
but if thou canst divine' the one I would have
chosen, I shall be gratified: if not, pursue the
course most satisfactory to thyself.
My Brother, I would have preferred thy utterance of the subject, for underlying thy remarks,
it seems thou still must doubt. Well, be it so;'tis
perhaps, a fair and equitable test indirectly demanded.
The question has often been asked: If Jesus
was and is a living, real entity?" because so sel.
doin named in history, called profane. Wherein
profanity is shown I cannot see. ~ My own, for instance, often there is placed. God and his angels,
too, may scrutinize my works, and no profane expression can they find; not a word or sentence immoral in its character. Why, then, speak of it in
such a manner?  Take my work or works in uncorrected form, and place them close beside the i;Ifallible Word of God, the pride and boast of millions
who call themselves its devotees, and ask them
which they choose, that Bible soon would carry
off the palm of victory, with all its faults, with all
its lewd obscenities, its defamation of a good and




388 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
gracious God, making him a cruel and vindictive
being, creating a -world of humans unasked by
them. Nay, forced by nature's laws into a world
of sin and misery apparently without other guide
or director but that fabricated book which few can
comprehend. Hence, so many sects founding a superstitious creed no one can say is quite correct,
for men of sense and learning to waste their time
upon, and that of others seeking to become authors, and thereby mystify the thoughts of wellintentioned men, seems a refinement upon cruelty
almost amounting to atrocity'; for the man who
attempts to poison and corrupt the avenues of hum
man thought, does that he never can retrieve.
The mind of man in its untutored state often
lacks the power to reject the wily snares which
priest-craft lays within his path, to catch the unwary sons and daughters of humanit y; watching
a favorable opportunity of some unguarded moment, they cast before their feeble minds great inducements to become members of their churches.
Alas! farewell to liberty of thought, of conscience! within the net they hold them, freedom
being a thing unknown to them and seldom practiced by them. No fiction can be seen in what we
say; the world has long acknowledged it, therefore
denial by any of the several sects would be unseemly, rather injuring than forwarding a cause
having no foundation to sustain its superstructure.




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 389
Here then we'll end our stricture and commence
the subject you have proffered, asking: Was Jesus'an actual living entity?
My Brother, little have I ever said upon this
subject, and it would have been much better had
others been as careful as myself; yet I claim that
merit, when exhibited, should have its meed of
praise in like proportion as that merit turned in
right direction; for, by its proper application, the
world at large might be improved.  Such result
we find eliminating from the teachings of the man
called Jesus, of humble parentage, having no peculiar prestige other than his humility of character, evidently wrapped in deep devotion to the
cause of all humanity.
The world became attracted to- one whose
soul's best impulses were ever ready to assist the
sufferer in distress, to share his pittance with the
needy, to uplift a fallen sister or a brother to a
higher standing in society; ever self-abnegating,
just and true in all his several dealings with his
fellow-man. Unsinister in all he said and did,
could one like him remain long unnoticed? and
such a man was Jesus, who by virtue of his acts
was well entitled to the soubriquet of Christ-the
man Christ Jesus, and here you see the name reversed, showing conclusively a man so pure and
holy as he was, deserved a higher, holier name
than Jesus, Christ being deemed synonymous




D90- ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
-with every principle of goodness, assimilating
him more closely with the nature of his father, God,
Why such a man was overlooked and little notic.
ed, we scarce can comprehend, unless the high
encomiums passed upon him, led a fanatic priesthood to make avowal of his God-head; hoping to
become more noticed by the masses, they in deep
fanaticism  feigned to call him Jesus Christ, the
Savior of the world, unsanctioned by himself, his
deep humility controlling him. Having brought
the Jewish mind into or under a wild excitement,
reaction eventually took place and he who had
been by priestly fervor made an almost God, became the victim of a base and murderous multitude. An event like this in priestly hands became
a lever by which to raise themselves to favor and
importance with the most cruel-minded of the
Jewish nation whose prosperity had ever been
baptized in blood. Hence the cry " Crucify him,
crucify him," and demanding the release of Barrabas. Can you conceive it possible that a man
like Pontius Pilate, high in office as he was, could
so boldly have used hypocrisy to please the blood~
hounds of the time, by giving them a choice between Barrabas and the meek and humble being
who stood in bended attitude awaiting their decision.
0, cruel mockery of justice! thus assumed to
cover o'er the coward heart that beat withina breast




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 391
most foul and noisome, more fit to occupy a place
within the bosom of a fiend incarnate or murderous
assassin. Every hour of torment then endured by
him, (the victim of their treachery,) will need a compensation, which, if paid in full, would make bankrupt of a universe and casting back to chaos the
fragments of a world having no parallel, unique
in all that appertains to nature's works, the very
acme of eternal wisdom.
My Brother such harrowing thoughts as now'oppress my brain, while thinking of that cruel and
unneeded act, are almost maddening in effect;
making me feel almost: antagonistic to the God
who suffered such a profanation of misguided
power. Yet, Reason asks, how know you it was
so? Have I or any being the power to scan the
acts of Deity? How know we He had sanctioned
such an act? Yet He who has the power to prevent and does not use it, seems to give sanction to
the act.
Let us scan this subject somewhat closely.
God being the source from whence all power proceeds, metes out that power to those who, seemingly, are fitted to dispense to others the needed
means of governing those committed to their care,
from the highest potentate upon the throne to the
lowest specimen, of his creation in this vast universe of His. Hence, each and every one possessing it, has given to them instructions how to use




392 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
it, which being immutable as every law of God
must be; yet man by sad perversion abrogates the
law  and thus makes God appear to sanction or
permit such acts as make the blood run cold and
humans almost curse their day of advent on your
earth'.
Oh, my Brother, the present state of things
seems so anomalous, giving such evidence of base
ingratitude to that God whose forbearance is a
marvel to those who know Him as HIe is and ever
has been, the friend of all who seek his aid in
spirit and in truth, making the path a pleasant one
by the adaptation of each and every soul whatever its condition may be, whether under torture
or privation, His loving ageits will be there to
give of consolation all it needs. If under the painful grip of poverty,. food would be supplied by
evoking through angel agency son-me pure and
holy being, seeking some worthy object on whom
to bestow His charity.  Thus are God's bounties
sometimes well dispensed. He gives in bounteous
measure: not stinting any one designedly, but
treating all alike, yet,many in this extended universe suffer most severely. Often have the apparently wisest projects failed for wvant of faithful agents;
thus is world-wide suffering and affliction brought
about by means the most far-sighted mind had no
power to guard against. Perversion may be deemed
an element of greatest injury to the entire human




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORPLD. 393
family; destroying all of confidence between man
and man and making God a doubted benefactor;
whilst His every thought is directed to man's happiness here and in the coming future.
Have I not said enough to prove beyond all
cavil that Jesus w'as an actual, living entity?
Giving up his natural life to prove his mission was
a holy one, as many martyrs of more recent date
have done, fearless of the licking flames surrounding them, have uttered words of sheer defiance to
their persecutors?  Not so that meek and lowly
being, whose friends on earth being few, made no
parade, but meekly submitted to his fate; a willing victim to a law he had from sense of duty
impinged  upon. No  murmur  escaped  those
truthfutl lips, till in agony intense, in almtost abbe-,rated state of mind, he exclaimed: 1"Mv God
my God! why hast T'hou forsaken me?"  When al~omost instantaneously somne angel influence called
forth an appeal to God, his Father, -to foi-give his
enemies, they not knowing what they did. This,
then, nay. be deemed the crowning period of his
chequered life; forgiveness sought for those who
had thirsted for his blood; taking from him all he
had to lose, translating him from earth even to the
highest heavemss; not to plead for pardon at the
hands of God, not to advocate an unrighteous
cause, not to ask a thing impossible, for crime cannot be pardoned or forgiven, but must be compen



89'4 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
sated; not in a prescribed time, but having an
eternity before them they hope redemption
nmay be theirs, for their -victim  bore no malice, but,. in return for their vindictiveness comes
back again to earth, teaching the ignorant and superstitious denizens of earth a better, holier doctrine, giving strength and vigor to its advocates
who, by angel power implanted in their receptive
natures, can impart to others the secrets of ethereal life, before unknown to them, proving, beyond
all doubt, the existence of another, better world beyond, typified, to some extent, by this lower world
of yours, where spirits live continuously, and, at
times, return as 1, at present have, to hold
communion with and through such organisms as
thine own.
My Brother, dost thou ever feel thyself as givingthat to mortals which. they scarce can comprehend?  Does thy confidence in spirit power
become diminishe1?  And art thou often disappointed? To this thy answer must be no; and
having such proofs of punctuality, the Law of Reciprocity is truly strengthened, making prompter
and transcriber mutually satisfied with their work
of harmony and love. AMIEN.




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 315
HOME.
MY BELOVED FRIEND: Your theme is beautiful, engendering much of thought; for, present
it as you will, it excites the feelings of humanity,.
and seems to thrill the very soul with ecstacy.
Talk of Home to the mariner on' the shore of some
far off country; note the workings of that man's
countenance.; every muscle of his face in active
motion, with the unbidden tear of sympathy coursing down his sunburnt cheek, emblematic of the
deep-seated feelings of affection for the absent
loved ones. Oh, could that tear speak the workings of his soul, moved, as it seems, in all its hidden recesses by impulses which nought but the
awakened reminiscences of home could possibly
evolve, showing that within the breast of that storm
tossed mariner there existed a well-spring of the
purest affections humanity possesses.
Home seems to be his watchword. During the
silent hours of the midnight watch, when all nature seems hushed in quiet slumber, his thoughts
are traveling with lightning speed, seeking communion with those who are the objects of his
holiest love; so entwined around his heart that
although mute, yet an inner spirit-commune is
going on between them. And thus those hours.
of apparent solitude are passed. Shall we call it
solitude?  Oh, no; for then and there, although




396 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
unseen by mortal vision, stands the spirits of these
loved ones, drawn thither by the attractive principle of divine and holy love, giving to the supposed loved ones those' beautiful imaginings of
wished-for scenes as intuitions of his mind, producing that calm and tranquil influence which
strengthens his faith in spirit commune, and brings
him almost in rapport with his God. How many
persons speak of Home without being able to define its meaning, or what constitutes a home. Indeed we feel it somewhat difficult, and with us
formidable. Perhaps, the best and safest course
is to give our own experience of a Home whilst
in the form. Home is, and is not a mere locality,
in the common usage of the term; for when we
speak of Home, we generally refer to the dwelling we either possess or constantly occupy. But,.as I view it, every place we use as a domicile
where we seek happiness and contentment should;be such. It is not the mere house, location,
-or neighborhood, but the association, the combination, and clusterings of all the affectional in:nature.  The interchange of loving words, expressing glowing sentiments so exquisite in their
character as to elevate the soul, enabling us to impart to others a portion of those joys we are wont
to revel in ourselves.
The constant reciprocity of thought in all the
<circumstances of life, evokes anxiety to be happy,
by and through our own impulses; to throw open
wide the doors of hospitality, and by our conduct
towards our guests, awaken in their souls an affinitizing element, which, when absent, shall remind:them of us as dear and valued friends.
But my friend, these are but the outzward necessities to fbrm  a Home. WVe would speak of
that.Home on which is predicated our hopes of
happiness-the social adaptation  of man and




ANGEL VOICES FROMI TIlE SPIRIT WORLD. 397
woman. as husband and wife. What can successfully compete with two individuals whose connubial happiness is based upon mutual respect,
which has, and is continually ripening into that
love which is of divine origin, being of God, never
varying, but ever constant, and undying in its character? Not that evanescent, worthless passion upon
which the majority of married persons base their
hopes of bliss in that uncertain state. 0 misery
untold! the wreck of happiness from such a cause.
Have they a Home? O, no; in the truest sense
they have no Home;'tis to them a -desert, with
no green spot upon it-a dreary, miserable waste,
from which we turn with joyous feeling to such
as have exhibited more wisdom, or who, have fortunately, been guided less by passion, and thus escaped the charybdis of destruction, becoming
the approved of men and angels. Here, then, is
a nucleus Home. When blessed with those heavenborn pledges of affection, ever greeted as such by
the true father and mother, then does the dwelling we have described assume the features of a
Horne, indeed; increasing the propriety of such
appellation as each day develops some improvement
mentally and physically, in those beauteous inmates
of their happy Home. Thus, then, from day to
day the parents look with hope to a period when
the expansion of their youthful minds requires
much and incessant care in checking the unruly
passions and desires of youth, so as to fit them as
useful members of that society which draws them,
as it were, within its folds by all the allurements
suited to satisfy their eager minds; who, if not
guided by some loving spirit, may yet be wrecked
upon the shoals of dire adversity before they have
yet given. a single thought to that most important
consideration-of a heavenly Home celestially prepared. Here, then, is what we would call




398 ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD.
a culminated Home, tendered to mortality as a
boon inestimable, a Home for all, eternal in its
duration, no mutation, but one continuous round
of happiness unalloyed by aught of suffering. A
Home of universal usefulness; where the principle of brotherly love dictates every movement;
where holy and divine impulses governs all and
everything, making it a place of rest to the weary,
a place of progression to the seeker after truth,
and a finality to which all mankind should endeavor
to attain; being open to all, exclusive to none,
who are attracted thither; but to the unrighteous,
altogether repulsive so long as they continue disobedient to those laws which govern the disembodied occupants of the Summer Land. AMEN.
SPIRITUALISM  OPPOSED BY SKEPTICISM.
NOTHING can be more mortifying to a true
Spiritualist than the unmerited sarcasms and
revilings of those who oppose the doctrine; being
ignorant themselves, conceive all others are the
same, and particularly such as are impressed to
utter sayings much beyond their comprehension,
eliciting severe and unjust criticism of the various
promptings given through you and other mediums
in the shape ot Angel Essays-so condemned
almost without a reading, and then pronounced a
humbug.
Is there aught of fairness in the matter, oft censuring you as the mere amanuensis of our thoughts;
performing your duty faithfully; transcribing to
benefit humanity? Is aught of justice here exhibited? Can reason give endorsement to the practice? We opine not; hence all perplexity with
you should cease.




ANGEL VOICES FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD. 399
Let all the world condemn them; they still will
stand as monuments of truthful promptings from
the Spirit World. No effort will be made to persuade a single soul to accept them  other than as
being messages from the ethereal spheres.
Superstitious bigots and perverters of the truth
must lay aside their unmeaning dogmas, and embrace such truths- as angels from  the brighter
realms are willing to present to them as worthy
of their best attention.
All hail! we say to'modern spiritualism; thy
glories (as yet but partially exhibited,) will fill the
entire world with great rejoicing, as being the
harbinger of bliss unutterable, in realms as yet unknown to mortals,each day and hour comes teeming
with intelligence such as but few are prepared to
comprehend, but which, in time, by angel guidance
must be received as truth, no man can contravene.
Who, then, need falter on the road? With angels
to instruct you can ye make mistakes? Oh, no, thy
sight will be improved, thy pouwer renewed to
overcome the obstacles raised to check thy purpose. Thy angel friends will watch thy progress,
and every obstacle being removed as on eaglet's
wings, thou wilt seem to travel towards thy eternal
destiny, where thou wilt be received with genial
smiles, and outstretched hands extended as a welcome to thee. Cans't thou doubt this fact, Oh,
Sceptic; can'st thou shut thine eyes and ears to
facts so palpably presented to thy senses by coming spirits, seeking those who need assurance of
Ethereal Life being theirs? With all the love we
bear humanity:  with all the angelic energy posessed by us, we would entreat thee to embrace
the glorious doctrine, sent to tell thee of the grand
hereafter, which thou may'st call thy own; for
by seeking thou can'st find it, and, when found, it is
thine to hold forever; no power can wrest it




400 ANGEL VOICES FRO()M THIE SPIRIT WY'ORLD.
from thee, being thine by virtue of obedience to
the laws of God and-nature.
Oh, that the time had come when Spiritualism,
with all its brilliant scintillations of a glorious epoch
was arrived,to lead the truthful ambition of the scep
tic student to investigate its glorious truth; when
the beatifying influences may work within the
souls of men and women; when righteousness and
truth may so pervade their natures, that vice and
crime shall flee your presence, and joy and gladness smile on every countenance.
For this purpose are these essays given, in fullest hope they may prove salutary to those
who need them; -"for seeking ye shall find."
Then we implore ye do so while time and opportunity is yours; lose not the' precious moments
given you; use them diligently; needful as it is, fbo,
time  being  uncertain,  demands  attention  to
its fleeting movements; a brief delay may produce unheard of difficulties in the way of that improvement needed. Let this conviction fasten on
your soul, and soon you'll see its grand importance.
The present is the time; delay, short as it may be,
may lead to untold misery. Life is quite uncertain;
eternity is ever ready to receive you.
With feelings of most kindly import, we would
close our essay, hoping the thoughts contained
within it may be received as they are given —in
holy love and fi-iendship, brought by loving spirits
who have but gone before to make preparation for
your advent into the Ethereal Realms beyond your
present ken, where love and gratitude will rise to
God, your Father-in fine, where dwell those
kindred spirits once your earthly companions,
now your angel friends and directors on your
journey home. For this purpose are these Essays published. May they under the divine and
holy influence of our Father, God, be realized byv
all mankind.  AMEN.