Spirit manifestations examined and explained : Judge Edmonds refuted; or, An exposition of the involuntary powers and instincts of the human mind / By John Bovee Dods.

  • Dods, John Bovee, 1795-1872.
Date:
[1854], [©1854]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Spirit manifestations examined and explained : Judge Edmonds refuted; or, An exposition of the involuntary powers and instincts of the human mind / By John Bovee Dods. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University.

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    momentary, yet the above argument retains its force, for it is just as applicable to future successive genera- tions, to whom he leaves his improvements, as it would be to himself, even were he to live a thousand years twice told on earth. This being the case in relation to his mental con- stitution and nature, is it not, my dear sir, safe as well as natural to adopt the same mode of reasoning in rela- tion to his moral and religious nature ? Has not this, too, received from the hand of God the stamp of that original greatness which is destined to manifest itself by a ceaseless development of moral attainments and powers ? If so, will not new and successive revelations in relation to the doctrines and teachings of Jesus be necessary, as the moral food of the soul, adapted to its religious and ever-increasing growth and vigor 1 There was unquestionably a revelation made to our first pa- rents adapted to the infancy of our race. There was another made to Noah, and still another to Moses, adapted to the moral science (if I may so speak) of that age. Still greater and ever-increasing light was successively vouchsafed to prophets, adapted to the moral capacity of the world, till, the coming of the Just One. Till then, every revelation made religion consist in externals. The internal and spiritual was begun by our Savior, who laid the foundation of truth so broad and deep, that all future generations, however much inspired, might build upon it, and he let in upon our world just as much light as it was able to bear. The Apostles enforced his doctrine, built upon the foundation, and advanced the work. Emanuel Swedenborg did his duty, for-