Modern mysteries explained and exposed

Front matter

Book *M% l

EXPLAINED AND EXPOSED.

IN FOUR PARTS.

Introduction

Perhaps we cannot better introduce the reader to the treatise before him, than by giving a short statement of the circumstances which led us to adopt the views therein developed in regard to Spiritualism. Since the year 1850, our residence has been in one of the grand centres of this movement, and where, consequently, the mysterious phenomena were continuously pressed upon our attention. Believing it to be our duty as a religious teacher, and an instructor of youth, sufficiently to acquaint ourself with any influences which are abroad in community, and are operative there with great power to give form and direction to the intellectual, moral, and religious sentiments of the public, to be able to speak intelligently in respect to the same, as occasion may require, we accordingly turned our thoughts more or less upon the mysterious phenomena under consideration. One of the circumstances which first impressed our mind was the utter incompatibility of the fundamental characteristics of these facts, as reported even by spiritualists themselves, with the supposition that they are the intended results of intelligent minds who are communicating with us from the heavenly or infernal world. By no laws of mind known to us could we account for the facts, by a reference to such an origin. When they were re-

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IV INTRODUCTION.

ferred to good spirits, our reply was : good spirits cannot falsify as these do ; for these falsify, when spirits, if present, cannot but know the truth ; profess knowledge, when they must know themselves ignorant, and make positive affirmations, when they must know that they are only guessing. Good spirits cannot thus act. When they were referred to bad spirits, our reply was : these spirits do not lie like men in the flesh, nor as any spirits would do whose conduct is governed by any laws known to us. There is a certain " method " even in lying, wherever it appears, and here is lying which has no such method, nor any method at all which can properly be ascribed to spirits aiming at some intelligent end good or bad. When individuals told us, that they had had communications with their spirit friends, our reply was : the spirit here speaking says some things, that that of your mother, if present, might, and no doubt would say. Your mother, however, when alive and with you, never falsified as this spirit does, and would not thus falsify, if now present. We therefore rejected the ah extra spirit hypothesis, as wholly incompatible with the facts.

We were first led to refer the facts to tricks of the mediums. Soon, however, we were confronted with phenomena wholly incompatible with such a supposition. We met, for example, with evidences which we could not resist and maintain our integrity, of the reality of physical manifestations of a very startling and impressive character. We ourselves personally witnessed such facts as we could account for, by no reference to conscious or unconscious muscular action. We also met with individuals of the first intelligence and integrity, and who utterly repudiate the spirit theory, who had themselves witnessed such phenomena. In the Congregational Society's Eooms in Boston, for example, an orthodox Congregational clergyman, of

INTRODUCTION. V

unquestionable intelligence and integrity, affirmed to us, in the presence of several other clergymen, that on one occasion he saw a medium place her hands gently upon a marble-topped table, no other person being near ; that after holding them there awhile, the object began to move after her around the room, that he himself got under the table, and taking hold of its legs, attempted to hold it still, and that he was, with the table, drawn quite a distance over the floor, all his efforts to the contrary notwithstanding. From many others we received precisely similar and equally credible statements. We found, then, that we had to admit the facts, or take the ground that no strange events can be established by testimony. How then could we ask the world to believe in Christian miracles ? We found equally valid evidence for the reality of the facts of Spiritualism, as far as the intelligent communications are concerned. We found ourselves necessitated, therefore, in moral honesty, to admit the facts, and then to seek an explanation of them on some mundane hypothesis, as their character precluded any other supposition than their exclusively mundane origin.

As we reflected upon the facts under consideration, we were forcibly struck with this suggestion, that they seemed evidently to imply the existence in nature of a polar force not yet distinctly recognized in philosophy, a force having, when developed, very strong attractive and repulsive power ; a force, the direction of whose action, when certain conditions are fulfilled, accords with mental states, and is determined by the same ; a force, finally, through which the mental states of one mind may be reproduced in others, and thus embodied, as in these communications. The existence of precisely such a force seemed demanded by the facts, whether we supposed it governed, in the production of these manifestations, by spirits in the body or

A*

VI INTRODUCTION.

out of the body. We were also deeply impressed with the obvious correspondence of these manifestations, physical and mental, with the phenomena of mesmerism and clairvoyance, on the one hand, and those of another class which from time to time have, in all ages, startled and troubled mankind, and which philosophers now refer to a power in nature denominated the Odylic Force, on the other. This led to a careful examination and classification of each of these classes of phenomena, and to an equally careful comparison of the results thus obtained with the spirit phenomena, physical and intellectual.

The following are some of the conclusions to which we were thus conducted : 1. There is in nature a force having the identical properties above specified, and which we denominate the Odylic Force. 2. This force is identical with the cause of all the mesmeric and clairvoyant phenomena, on the one hand, and with the immediate cause of these manifestations, on the other. 3. By a reference to the properties and laws of this force as developed in the spirit circles, and to its relations to the minds constituting the same, we can account most fully for all the spirit phenomena, of every kind, without the supposition of the presence or agency of disembodied spirits. Consequently, the hypothesis of Spiritualism is wholly unsustained by any valid evidence whatever. 4. The entire real facts of Spiritualism demand the supposition, that this force in the production of these communications is controlled exclusively, for the most part unconsciously, by the minds in the circles, and not by disembodied spirits out of the same. 5. We finally found, what we did not at first expect, that we had developed facts and principles which gave an equally ready and satisfactory explanation of the phenomena of witchcraft, necromancy, fortune-telling, etc. etc., phenomena which from

INTRODUCTION. Vll

time to time have been the wonder and terror of mankind in all ages. 6. Other consequences of equal and far greater importance seemed undeniably to follow from our facts and deductions. The results of our investigations, the reader will find embodied in the following treatise. Before putting our thoughts in type, however, we first, after fully satisfying our mind upon the subject, submitted our facts and arguments to a large number of the first thinkers, clergymen and laymen, in the country, and requested their careful inspection of, and candid judgment on the same. "We are gratified to say, that we have yet to meet with the first individual who has thus heard, and with us, admits the facts of Spiritualism, that has not expressed the belief, that the mystery that has hitherto hung around these manifestations is now satisfactorily explained, and who has not expressed the earnest wish to have this work presented to the public. Thus assured and thus encouraged, we throw our thoughts abroad upon the public mind, that their merits and demerits may be adjudicated upon.

As we have intended to produce a work which would stand the most rigid test of criticism, we have been exceeding careful in the induction of facts. We have rejected all that came before us, in the reliability of which we were not perfectly assured, that full confidence might be most reasonably reposed ; and if we have, in a single instance, overdrawn a single feature of any fact adduced, it has been contrary to our honest intentions.

The other topics discussed, are now so connected, in the public mind, with the spirit movement, that none will question, we think, the propriety of introducing them, as we have done, into the same treatise. With these suggestions, we leave the work

with the public.

THE AUTHOR.

JULT, 1855.

Contents

PAET I.

CLAIRVOYANT REVELATIONS OF A. J. DAVIS.

Reasons for reviewing this "Work. — Self-assumed Claims of the Author. — His Manner. — Common Argument for his Inspiration. — His Scientific Principles. — His Theory of Creation. — Fundamental Objections to the same. — His Claims viewed in the Light of his Reliability as a Relator of Facts of History. — Specimen of his Revelations in regard to " Things unseen." — His Moral Principles and Character. — Conclusions from the Previous Deductions, .... pages 1-32

Chapter I

HAVE WE VALID EVIDENCE THAT DISEMBODIED SPIRITS HAVE ANT AGENCY IN THESE MANIFESTATIONS 1

Test Principles. — Facts adduced by Spiritualists classified and stated.

— Positions which may be taken by those who deny the Spirit Theory.

— Our Position stated and explained.

First Two Propositions.

Prom exclusively mundane causes precisely similar and analogous Pacts do arise.

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X CONTENTS.

These Manifestations occur in circumstances in which such causes are

known to exist and to act.

Issue stated. — Admitted Facts, 38-48

Section I

Electricity, Magnetism, and Animal Magnetism distinguished. — Effects of Animal Magnetism upon the Human System, . . 48-63

Section II. The Odylic Force

Its Properties. — Illustrations. — Common Facts. — Angelique Cottin. — Case in New Hackensack, N. Y. — Case in Woodbridge, New Jersey.

— Case in Stockwell, England. — The Molesworth Case in Edinburgh, Scotland. — Phenomena at the house of Dr. Phelps, Stamford, Conn.

— Case in Albany, N. Y., stated by Rev. E. N. Kirk. — Drummer of Tedworth, England. — The Case of Frederica Hauffe. — Of Mademoiselle Ranfaing. — Remarks on this Case. — Cases in the Family of Cotton Mather, 63-99

The Odylic Force identical with the Immediate Cause of these Manifestations, 99-106

The Immediate Cause of these Manifestations identical with that from which result the Phenomena of Mesmerism and Clairvoyance,

106-109

SECTION IU.

Principles and Facts applied to the Elucidation of the so called Spirit

Phenomena. — General Statements, 109-112

The Physical Manifestations elucidated and explained, . 112-126 Intellectual Communications explained. — Three Classes of Mediums. — Phenomena through these explained. — Concession of Spiritualists. — Consequences of the same. New Information obtained in these Circles, . . . . . 126-152

Section IV

Third Proposition established, namely, that we have positive and conclusive Evidence, that these Manifestations are the exclusive Result of Mundane Causes, and not of the Agency of Disembodied Spirits. — Points of Agreement and Disagreement.

Argument 1. The Principle of Sufficient Reason, . . . 153, 154

2. No new Truth found in these Communications, . 154-156

3. The peculiar Sentiments and Opinions comprised in these Mani-

CONTENTS. XI

festations uniformly take form from, and correspond with, the peculiar Sentiments of the Circles in which they originate,

157-160

4. Apparent Exceptions confirmatory of the ahove. — Fact which

occurred in a Circle in Leroy, N. Y., . . . 160, 161

5. Communications purporting to come from particular Spirits com-

pared with their Writings and Teachings when on Earth,

161 -163

6. General Character of these Communications considered in an in-

tellectual point of view. — Examples of Spirit Prose and Poetry. — Every Peculiarity of the Inquirer's State of Mind always reflected in these Manifestations. — All Spirits in the same Circles have the same Style. — The same Spirits have a different Style in different Circles. — Bacon and Swedenborg in the Work of Judge Edmonds. — Webster, Clay, and Calhoun in a Spirit Circle in the City of New York. — Apparent Exception, 163-175

7. The same Evidence of real Presence, Identity, and Intelligence,

can be obtained in reference to the affirmed Departed Spirits of Devils, of Men yet alive, or who never existed, — of Brutes, Shrubs, and Stones, as of any other Spirits, . 175-179

8. The same Evidence of Presence and Identity can be obtained in

respect to Persons yet alive, and but supposed to be dead, as in any other Cases. — Example in an intelligent Christian Family.— Important Case in Cleveland, . . . 175-179

9. Similar Communications are obtained by Spiritualists themselves,

in their own Circles. — Case occurring under our own Observation. — Notable Case connected with Judge Edmonds and Others. — Case witnessed by a Lady left a Widow by William

Leggett, of New York, 179-183

10. The Eesults of Observations and Experiments made to determine the Location of the Cause of these Manifestations. — Clairvoyant and Spirit Fact. — Experiment made by a Gentleman at the head of a Literary Institution in Ohio, and Others. — Mesmeric and Spirit Experiments made by two Gentlemen in Cleveland. — Important Experiments and Observations made by another Gentleman in Cleveland. — Those of a Gentleman of strong Mesmeric Power in the State of New York, and also of a Professor of Ohio Medical College. — Eesults of Experi ments and Observations classified. — Facts which occurred at the House of Eev. Starr King, of Boston. — Important Facts furnished by Dr. Bell, of the McLean Lunatic Asylum. — Statements of Dr. Bell confirmed by kindred ones from N. I. Bowditch, Esq., of Boston. — Important Facts furnished by a New England Congregational Clergyman, . . . 183-229

XU CONTENTS.

11. Argument drawn from a Certain Class of False Answers often

obtained in these Circles, 229 - 232

12. Argument drawn from Experiments made to determine the Ex>

tent of Control which may be exercised over the Cause of these Manifestations. — Case in Hamilton, Ohio, 232 - 235

13. Argument drawn from the Experience and Testimony of certain

intelligent Mediums. — A Pupil of Ours. — Intelligent Medium in the City of New York. — Physician in Michigan. — Young Lady in Boston. — Intelligent Clergyman in Cleveland. — Another Clergyman. — Mrs. C — in Rhode Island, . 235 - 241

14. Argument drawn from the Eorms of Contradiction Avhich appear

in these Communications, 241-243

15. The Ealse Communications which are continuously given forth in

these Circles, 243-248

Section II

Tendency of Spiritualism to benefit or injure Mankind intellectually,

257-259 Spiritualism not a reliable Source of Information, . . 259 - 267 Spiritualism has not benefited the World as far as Science is concerned,

268-279 It has done nothing to improve Literature, . . . 280, 281

SECTION HI.

Moral Tendency of Spiritualism, . . . ; . . 281-288 Summary Statement of its Tendencies, .... 288-290

CHAPTER IH.

MISCELLANEOUS TOPICS.

SECTION I.

Special Pacts connected with Spiritualism. — Copying the Voice, Manner,

and Handwriting of Individuals, 291-293

Tactual Impressions, 293, 294

Seeing Spirits, 294 - 296

CONTENTS. X1U

Speaking and Writing in unknown Languages, . . . 296 - 300

Fact witnessed by J. G. Whittier, Esq., .... 300-302

SECTION II.

Special Facts which require explanation, .... 303 - 307

SECTION in.

Phenomena of Dreaming, 307-311

Analogous Facts of Common Occurrence, .... 312-315

Premonitions of Future Events, 315,316

Section I

Nature and bearing of Scripture Facts claimed as Miracles, supposing them to have occurred. — 1. If admitted as real, they prove the Divine Origin of Christianity. — 2. Original Witnesses could not have been deceived in regard to the Fact of their Occurrence or Non-occurrence. — 3. Witnesses who testified to their Occurrence gross Deceivers, if they did not occur, 346-350

B

XIV CONTENTS.

Section II

Proof of the Actual Occurrence of these Events. — 1. Antecedent Probability. — 2. More reasonable to suppose their Occurrence than to affirm that Christ and the Sacred Writers were all Deceivers and Impostors.

— 3. Amount of Testimony. — 4. Its Nature and Character. — 5. Widespread and rapid Extension of Christianity. — 6. Must admit the Occurrence of these Events, or repudiate all Evidence of a historical kind,

350-362

CHAPTER II.

ARGUMENT PROM PROPHECY.

Forms of Foresight possessed by Mankind. — Argument stated, 263, 264

SECTION I.

Old Testament Prophecy. — 1 . Uttered long before the Events predicted occurred. — 2. Prophets had before them no Precedents from which to derive their Predictions. — 3. Nations, etc., veiy numerous who were the Subjects of Prophecy. — 4. Harmony of Statement among the Prophets.

— 5. Were very particular in their Statements, and each Nation, etc., was to have a Destiny peculiar to itself. — 6. Greatest Antecedent Probabilities against the Occurrence of the Events predicted. — 7. Every Prophecy perfectly fulfilled, 365-374

SECTION n.

New Testament Predictions. — Examples. — 1. Prophecy pertaining to the Church of Philadelphia, Kev. 3: 10. — 2. Christ's Prophecy pertaining to Jerusalem, and Julian's Attempt to prove it false, 375 - 379

CHAPTER IH.

ARGUMENT FROM INTERNAL EVIDENCE.

Argument stated. — Examples. — 1. The Character of God as developed in the Scriptures. — 2. That of Jesus Christ. — 3. The System of Moral Duty developed in the Scriptures. — 4. Manner in which the Universal is blended in the Particular. — 5. Experimental Argument.

— 6. Undeniable Marks of Honesty and Integrity in the Sacred Writers, 380-398

Chapter IV. Objections Answered

No Objections urged against the Christian Argument in any of tho Forms above stated. — None to show how a Religion sustained by such Evidence can be false. — No Objections of Weight sufficient to overbalance such Evidence, . . . . •. . 399 - 403

CONTENTS. XV

OBJECTIONS RELATIVE TO INTERNAL EVIDENCE.

1. Hume's Objection to Miracles. — 2. Assumption that all Events occur through Unchangeable Laws. — 3. That Scripture Statements are mythical or fabulous. — Jesus Christ, .... 403 - 409

OBJECTIONS BASED UPON WHAT IS FOUND IN THE BIBLE.

1. Doctrine of Ketribution. — 2. Of Atonement. — 3. Destruction of the Inhabitants of Canaan. — 4. Standing still of the Sun and Moon. — 5. Facts stated in regard to Balaam. — 6. Israelites permitted to give away diseased Meat. — Deut. 15: 21, 409-422

Part IV. Clairvoyant Revelation Of Emanuel Swedenborg

Reasons for Reviewing these Revelations, .... 423 - 428 Objections to their Validity. — 1. Their Cause. — 2. Argument from Sufficient Reason. — 3. From the Character of God. — 4. Subjective Character of these Revelations. — 5. Misstatements in regard to known Facts. — 6. Intrinsic Absurdity of his Interpretations of Scripture. — 7. Character of God, and Swedenborg's Teachings in regard to different Portions of the Scriptures. — 8. His Fundamental Ideas of a Future State cannot possibly be true. — 8. His Moral Teachings. — Reasons offered by Swedenborgians for his Inspiration. — Opinion of Swedenborg and A. J. Davis, 423-466

MODERN MYSTERIES.

Part I

When any new and very gross absurdity is commended to public regard, men of real science, theologians especially, pass it by, under the impression, that should they expose the imposition, they would appear to the public in the repulsive light of " answering a fool according to his folly." It is this fear, we think, rather than a prudent regard to the public welfare, which has shielded modern " spirit revelations " from that degree of scientific scrutiny requisite to unmask the imposture before the world. Whatever may be thought of the subject in general, the writings of the individual whose name stands at the head of this article seem to demand a critical examination. The volume to which we have referred, consisting of 782 octavo pages, purports to have gone through no less than eleven editions in this country. It has been reprinted

* " The Principles of Nature ; her Divine Revelations, and a Voice to Mankind ; by and through Andrew Jackson Davis, the Poughkcepsie Seer, and Clairvoyant. In three Parts," etc.

Z MODERN MYSTERIES.

in London ; and how many editions it has gone through in Great Britain we have not been informed. It has also laid the foundation for that " spirit" movement which now controls the religious, and, to a great extent, the scientific faith of vast multitudes in this country and in Europe. We shall therefore make no further apologies for an attempt at a somewhat critical examination of the philosophy and character of this great primal production of modern spiritualism.

The self-asserted claims of our author are very wide sweeping, and very peculiar. In the state in which his revelations are given to the world, he claims to be possessed of a power hardly less than omniscient, in regard to the past, present, and, to a great extent, future history and condition of the universe. " His philosophy," says his scribe, " is only that which is involved in the laws and principles which control the universe and mankind unerringly, and his theology is only that which is written on the wide spread scroll of the heavens, in which every star is a word, and every constellation a sentence." " And whatever truths," says our seer, " have entered the minds of investigators, they will see the same reflected, " (in these revelations,) " which will be a source of inward gratification. There will also be a consolation derived from the things contained in the revelation, consisting in the reflection that the dross and impurities of systems and theories have become purged off, or rather repulsed by the truth, which is positive and eternal." What the stern Mohammedan did with the celebrated Alexandrian library, the world, if our seer's claims be admitted, should now do with all the books of all investigators of truth, since the world began. " Whatever truths," (the italics are our author's,) " these works contain, is found in this revelation, and found

CLAIKVOYANT KEVELATTONS. 6

here, as it is not found in those works, in a state of total freedom from all dross and impurities. What use is there then for any such works ? Let them be given to the flames. Then these revelations contain not only the truth, but the whole truth. The revelation, our author affirms, " will progressively reveal every visible and invisible existence, until it arrives at the highest sphere of perfection, and then will retrace the links of development back to the original cause and foundation of all things." What investigator, from this time forth, will have the audacity to write another book, when all truth pertaining to the visible and the invisible, and that in its origin and progress, is here revealed in a state of total freedom from all admixture of error ?

The manner of our seer claims a passing remark in this connection. Everywhere he speaks " as one having authority, and not as the scribes." The only foundation that he lays for our faith in his revelations, is the fact, that in the state of clairvoyance in which these revelations are given forth, this Poughkeepsie seer has an impression that things are thus and so, and is impressed to say it. Simply and exclusively because he is thus impressed, in the state referred to, we are to believe that " the material universe is a vortex" and " that the earth, when comprehended as an entire whole, is a stomach;" that the world had a beginning, and yet that it revolved around the sun from eternity ; [after describing the process of the creation of this and all other planets, he tells us, page 430, that the modern philosopher, who discovered the fact, that the earth revolves around the sun, " discovered the truth ; but that the truth had existed the same from all eternity;"] that Jesus Christ was laid in a manger, not at his birth, as the sacred writer affirms, but at a subsequent period, and that he lay there not over forty minutes by the watch ; that the Bible, instead of " bringing life and immortality to light," enshrouds this whole subject in clouds and darkness ; that it does not " present any proper conception of the constitution, character, greatness, omnipotence, and majesty of the divine mind ; " nor " teach that holy virtue, morality, and refinement which should receive the name of religion;" that, in short, it has been a source of injury rather than good to the world, possessing not even the humble merit of preparing the way for the sublime revelations of the Poughkeepsie seer, etc. Take a single example of his manner. " Previous to this journey, [the flight into Egypt,] a necessary circumstance compelled Mary to lay her child in a manger, in which place, I am distinctly impressed, he lay not more than forty minutes." Thus we are to throw away our Bibles, and believe any thing that may be commended to our- regard, for one reason only, namely; — Andrew Jackson Davis, in a state of clairvoyance, has had an impression ; he is " impressed to say ; " is " distinctly impressed"

Permit us here to invite special attention to the argument on which, exclusively as we understand, the high claims of our seer are by him and his associates based. In his natural state he appears, it is affirmed, as an uneducated young man ; without learning, without science, without high ideas, or an unusual amount of language. In his clairvoyant state, he has the most wonderful visions, and naturally embodies these visions in the sublime language found in these Revelations. The inference based upon these asserted facts is, that these visions must be the pure embodiment of eternal and immutable truth ; that his " philosophy is only that which is involved in the laws and principles which control the universe and mankind unerringly ; and his theology is only that which is written upon the wide spread scroll of the heavens, in which every star is a word, and every constellation a sentence." Take away the facts above named, and all grounds for the conclusion that such is the character of the revelations of our seer, disappear at once, and that totally. Now, we say that a grosser non sequitur never danced in the brain of Enthusiasm, Superstition, or Fanaticism, than is involved in the above argument. Granting the facts in all their force, how do we know that these visions are the revelations of truth ? How do we know that they are not the exclusive creations of an over-excited and disordered imagination? and therefore the embodiment of error, and not of truth ? The fact that our seer has no such visions in his natural, and that he has them in his clairvoyant state, presents not the shadow of evidence that these visions are true ; unless it can be shown that in a state of clairvoyance the mind sees nothing but truth. If it is not the exclusive character of the visions of universal mind in this state, how do we know that it is the character of those of our Poughkeepsie clairvoyant in the same state ? Should it be said that the visions of our clairvoyant are of a higher order than those of others ; does this, we ask, prove an infallible criterion of truth ? To what degree of sublimity must the fallible rise to become infallible ? The claims of our Seer are too shallow, we should think, did not painful experience evince the contrary, to command the faith even of children. The fact that so many quite sensible people have made shipwreck of a divine faith upon such a visible snag as this, evinces to our mind the melancholy truth, that much of the thinking of this age has little of sound reason or logic in it. 1*

In the case of our seer, however, we have the opportunity to test his claims by an infallibly "^gure word of prophecy." He professes to give us, with no intermixture of error, a knowledge of " every visible and invisible existence." Suppose that we can convict him of the grossest conceivable absurdity and error in his philosophy, and statements in regard to the visible ; his pretended revelations pertaining to the invisible, we shall have no occasion to investigate. We have here indicated the train of thought which we design to pursue. We have little to do with our author, as far as the invisible is concerned ; but confine ourselves almost exclusively to what he is " distinctively impressed " in regard to the visible. Hence we shall pass over unnoticed the first part of these revelations, the part which relates to the principles of nature, and confine ourselves almost exclusively to the second part, in which he gives us his theory of creation, and a professed history of the progress of events from the beginning to the present time. In the progress of our remarks, we intend to show that the theory of creation set forth in these revelations, is self-contradictory and absurd, and its truth impossible, and that in his statements pertaining to known facts, our seer shows a degree of ignorance, recklessness, and error which has but few parallels. We shall then give our impressions in regard to the moral character of our revelator, from facts which have come to our knowledge.

As a philosopher, our seer is an absolute materialist. In one place, he tells us, that " it is a law of Matter to produce its ultimate, Mind." In another, he says, that to him, " all ultimates are matter." Again, " I would, moreover," he says, " have all understand, that I consider (because I perceive) that all things, whether tangible or intangible, are material." Once more, " I use the terms ' spiritual,' ' celestial,' and ' heavenly,' as representing distinct degrees of material refinement.' "