Quakers, Shakers, and Mormons, with equal zeal and apparent sincerity, flood the world with their contradictory revelations of the spirit, and to doubt their truth is, in their estimation, to doubt all spiritual religion.

Spiritual Knockers, tell us that, they receive their information from the invisible world, through the ghosts of the departed dead, and a single doubt as to the verity of these new dreams is pronounced illiberality, and uncharitableness; and those who dare do so, are charged with the sin of "opposition to all progress."

The thousands of "seekers of religion' or revelations of forgiveness of sins and acceptance with God, in the divers altars, at the mourner's bench, anxious seat, or in the silent grove, profess to receive direct revelations, and witnesses of the spirit, in impulses, feelings, still small voices, and various other ways, too tedious and revolting to mention. Those who hesitate to admit the truth of these revival revelations, subject themselves to the severe charge of denying all spiritual light and holy influ

ence.

All these, either receive the direct revelations of the spirit, or they do not. They get positive light, or they get nothing. There is no compromise in the matter. Those who profess to receive light in these ways, either experience what they profess, or they are mistaken in their conclusions, and are bewildered in their whole religion.

It might be well to take a bird's-eye view, of the works of these singular systems of Spiritualism.

Is it not a startling truth that, persons inclined to such influence, much prefer their direct revelations, perhaps while asleep, or in answer to their prayers, to the written declarations of the Bible? How could it be otherwise? Who, that could obtain fresh revelations, would be satisfied to labor and toil for the knowledge of God, in the Bible? Indeed, we may justly conclude, as we were compelled to do, in reference to the insufficiency of Nature to reveal the unseen, that when we admit direct and perpetual revelations of the spirit, there is no place or work left on earth for the precious Bible. Thus, direct Spiritualism, banishes the sacred

Scriptures from the world, and leaves nothing in their place.

The effect of these things, is most injurious. Those under their influence, are by no means in a condition to read, hear, or believe the word of God. They are directed by feelings, which they tell us, "make them happy," and they desire nothing beyond. If this were the condition of the ignorant slave, we might entertain strong hopes, that the intelligence of the times, would banish it from our world, but it is seen in high places, among the learned and influential. It is said, extremes oft meet; and it is somewhat singular that, zealous religionists are not the only persons who advocate the revelations of feelings. Many church members mean nothing more by the direct witness of the spirit, than a hopeful feeling within that God has accepted them in the Beloved. Some who trust to human nature as a guide, profess to walk by a similar inward light of feeling. We are strongly inclined to the opinion that, such persons must follow in part, if not altogether, the inclinations of their own fleshy desires and

fickle passions. It is well known that, the celebrated infidels, Voltaire and Helvetius, advocated the unlimited gratification of their fleshy appetites. The famous scoffer Rousseau, who, according to his own printed reports, was a thief, a falsifier, and a profligate, had recourse to feeling as his standard of morality.

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"I have only to consult myself," said he,

concerning what I do. All I feel to be right, is right; what I feel to be wrong, is wrong. All the morality of our actions lies in the judgment we ourselves form of them. The tendency of the philosophy, learning and religion of the age, is to make an infallible spiritual standard of each one's passions, desires and feelings. The charitable doctrine in most of the churches is, what each thinks and feels in his own conscience to be right, is right to him."

Men, of course, who preach this, must be popular; such flattery of the flesh, could but delight the sensual. These men gravely pronounce opposition to these sentiments, "dogmatism, popery, and tyranny;" and boldly deny that, there is a written standard

in religion. The Apostle Peter very strikingly describes them thus:

"There are wells without water, clouds that are carried with the tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved forever. For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error. While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption.'

But the reader need not be further detained, in examination of false revelations, and systems which have been of no service to the world.

THIRD. The best of men, since the establishment of the christian religion, have maintained that, the Bible fairly translated into the various languages of earth, is the only safe guide in all spiritual investigations.

On this part of the subject, it will be in place to state clearly, the Romanish and Protestant positions.