Εικόνες σελίδας
PDF
Ηλεκτρ. έκδοση
[ocr errors]

entirely transcending the reach of the native faculties of man ?" Surely, a truth, which is above the "native faculties" of the soul, can not be "enthroned" in the intellect or reconciled to the emotions of any "heart," no matter how pure and exalted that mind and heart may be.

In this connection, I am impressed to inform you, that, to the end that you may become deeply acquainted with the principles of psychological science, it is of the highest importance that you bestow the strictest attention and thought to the present intellectual analysis. The operations of the human mind, like the ever-changing scenes of the kaleidoscope, may be differently seen on every new turn which we give it. Upon every revolution, new thoughts will appear in new connections; and old thoughts or educational impressions will, by the same revolutionary laws, so change their positions and manifestations, that, to the unmetaphysical or undisciplined thinker, it becomes exceedingly difficult to trace out scarcely any similarity between them and what before seemed to occupy the mental dominion.

Hence I solicit your undivided attention to the points at issue, because I feel it to be of the utmost importance, to your mental discipline and spiritual development, that you learn to comprehend the principles of psychology as they apply to the solution of many and various problems connected with the religious operations of the human mind. It is for this purpose, I feel impressed to say, that I bring before you the case of Baron Swedenborg, together with the peculiar mental manifestations of those, who, by instituting, as they suppose, a "most rigid inquiry," have satisfied their "best reason and "all the demands of the intellect," that their prophet is an infallible teacher; hence, worthy of all consistent deification. "And believing so," says the disciple of this teacher, "I dare not confer with flesh and blood." That is to say, having viewed and analyzed a system of religious and theological Truth-“a Truth

[ocr errors]

entirely transcending the reach of the native faculties of man"-the mind “dare not” any longer exercise its own God-given powers of understanding, but sells itself entirely to the dicta of the infallible teacher, and yields to "the most sacred obligations on the score of announcing" his stupendous revealments to the world! In this capacity, what a display of philosophical reasoning do we behold! How majestically the talented devotee stands in the court of his prison-house! How gracefully he bows before, not the "loftiest genius that humanity has ever enrolled in her ranks," but before "the accredited messenger of God,"-a man! In all this I behold no reasoning-no truthful analysis-no intellectually chemical test applied to the foundations of the religious conviction, but simply a strong semblance or show of, or an attempt at, reasoning which would be as likely to psychologize the reader as it did the intellect which "dare not" any longer "confer with flesh and blood." Nor is this all. I perceive in all this a deep and somewhat beautiful illustration of psychological principles which lie at the basis-which form the basis itself, in truth-of much theological faith in the human world, which but few have been able to successfully resist.

LECTURE XIV.

ON THE MORAL OR RELIGIOUS MANIFESTATIONS

OF THE TRANSITION

TRANSITION STATE.

IN the preceding discourse, I gave an introductory description. of the Transition State; and then proceeded to consider the causes of deification, and the self-psychologization of those who, by not fully comprehending the laws and diversified functions of the human mind, induce a faith upon their understanding, and who suppose, at the same time, that they received it only upon the most rigid test of reason. As a faithful type of this universal fallacy, I was impressed to select the case of Baron Swedenborg. In this you may see mirrored forth the precise position which many of you most probably occupy with regard to Moses, or Isaiah, or Paul. It is, therefore, essential that you observe well the looking-glass which will thus be held before your gaze, to the end that your knowledge of mankind may be permanently enriched and increased.

In the first place, let me remind you, that, when a human being is accepted as an infallible revelator-as an unerring teacher of heavenly truths-there is an end to all reasoning upon the probability or possibility of the reality of his revealments. The mere show of reasoning is equivalent to a farce,—it is almost a sacrilegious treatment of divine things,-an insult to utterances of the Lord through his chosen vessels. "Admitting the possibility of such communications as Swedenborg claims," says Professor Bush, question of their probability is the pivot on which the whole controversy turns; and this can only be determined by weighing the probable reasons in the Divine Mind for granting them." Now, can

the

[ocr errors]

this be denominated reasoning? What does he mean by "admitting the possibility" of such professed communications? Why, he undoubtedly means the intimate-perfect-miraculous-supernatural-unphilosophical-unreasonable connection which "the Lord" established between himself and the illuminated soul of the seer with the avowed design of instructing mankind with a third edition of infallible revelations; for these are Swedenborg's claims. Now, with such a foundational admission as the foregoing in the mind to begin with, what an unsound method it is to attempt to decide "the probability" of such communications by "weighing the probable reasons in the Divine Mind" for permitting their development. Assuredly, there can be no absurdity more glaring after analysis than this. Think of the inconsistency of this position, for one moment, and you will perceive that nothing could be more illogical, and yet so seemingly sound and legitimate.

Suppose, upon "weighing the probable reasons," no very satisfactory "reasons" could be discovered for such a new development of infallible doctrine. What then? Would the intellect, whose "demands" had been fully satisfied, reject the "communications" as not altogether reliable? Far from it! But why not? Because he has sold his judgment,―his reason, his understanding, so completely, that he "dare not" any longer "confer with flesh and blood ;"--he does not see Swedenborg any more as a man, physically and mentally constituted as other men are, but he sees "the Lord,” the "accredited messenger," and himself as "the agent" of announcing his revealments to the world. Hence this disciple saysin speaking of the infallible truth emitted through Swedenborg"It is a Truth entirely transcending the reach of the native faculties of man. * * It was designed for propagation. It must be proclaimed in order to be available to the ends for which it was given. This Truth has come to me, and throned itself in the central convictions of my soul; it brings with it the most sa

cred obligations on the score of announcing it to the world. The trust is holy, and through the grace of Heaven I hope to prove faithful to it.”

Let it be understood that I am not impressed to criticise this brother's language as is the method among those who know comparatively nothing of the fine sensibilities which prompted its use; but I am delivering to you a course of philosophical lectures on the psychological laws of the human mind, and therefore select such language and illustrations as will subserve the purpose of their elucidation. It is time that man should comprehend himself. For

the greater his knowledge the greater his power. It is expressly to this end, I repeat, that I bring these psychological cases before you on this occasion.

The mind, unless it be exceedingly well constituted and harmonious in the performance of its functions, will easily deceive and constantly psychologize itself. And no man is so thoroughly satisfied of his own entire sanity as he who is unfortunately insane. But why is it so? Simply, because he does not make a true investigation into the peculiarities of his own state. His impulses are his laws the incoherent whisperings of his own thoughts are the voices of the invisible agents of Jehovah,-and thus, he is psychologically held in mental bondage to certain sentiments; with perfect confidence that he, more than any one about him, has weighed all his convictions in the balance of a candid reason.

These remarks I do not apply to the solution of Swedenborg's psychological state, but particularly to the condition of those who think they exercise their best reason in deciding upon, or in accepting certain points of, a doctrine, in cases where the foundation is admitted without a question-viz., that the revelation is wholly and unqualifiedly infallible. With this admission fixed in the mind, what matters it whether you can see any reasons in the Divine Mind" or not? Suppose you do not see any, what then? There

[ocr errors]
« ΠροηγούμενηΣυνέχεια »