The Pamphlet Collection of Sir Robert Stout: Volume 48
Method of Spirit Intercourse With the Noblest Reasoning Medium of Ancient Times
Method of Spirit Intercourse With the Noblest Reasoning Medium of Ancient Times.
Spirit Question from Solon.β"Socrates, whom would you select from amongst the youth of your acquaintance for the higher teaching in reference to political power in the republic."
Ans.β"I think I would choose Alcibiades for one as he possesses great reasoning power, is excessively fond of the games that are so excellent and necessary for our country and for all Greece; also he is clever in debate, and if I can persuade him to be thoroughly attached to liberty, then all the interests of the republic, whilst in his hands, ought to be safe."
Spirit.β"Socrates, do your best for Athens, so that you may help to spread liberty not only amongst the Greeks, but eventually to all the human races, we will assist you."
And so they did assist, but not as he had desired. Great were his disappointments and humiliations, but none did he feel so acutely as the losses to Athens by means of Alcibiades, for he had loved him as a son, and believed him to be the one best able to forward the cause of freedom; neverthless a grave blunder was here made by a thoroughly well intentioned friend of humanity, and simply because at that time there was but little biographical and historical science sufficiently authentic to teach him to be cautious with self-asserting and imaginative intellects.
Now Socrates well knows that in this generation his ancient labours will attain more perfect fruition than he in the old time had ever expected. He objected to election of officials by means of ballot with beans according to the Athenian custom, as related in history, because he could see plainly that inferior men were often chosen for the highest offices. What he wished for was a scientific classification, whereby people would with certainty fall into their proper places in life; but on account of reasons stated previously that great spiritual favour was never granted to him. and clever as he was yet was he unable to arrange such a system without Divine help.
A soldier once saw Socrates, when on guard, looking apparently at the moon and remaining in one position for a long time; now Socrates always discouraged astronomical science, because It was likely to draw away too much high intellect from Athens in her great need. No, he was not looking at the moon, but sorrowfully talking with his spirit friends on the necessities of Greece.
Readers of history must remember that on the return of the Athenian army from the defeat at Delium, the spiritually given advice of Socrates saved the lives of a few who took the road that avoided the pursuing enemy, while those who marched the other way were all cut off. Why were not the latter also saved? Because their lives were of no particular importance But the safety of Socrates was of great spiritual value, for he was a thoroughly trained reasoning medium, who had then much philosophical work to do; and although his efforts in the cause of Grecian liberty were nearly all failures even at that time: yet had he been killed at Delium there was no one then ready to continue his work, and in accordance with the Divine will no more such as he were to be developed in Ancient Greece. Thus he and his friends were saved on that occasion, not for the sake of old Greece, but rather for that of modern Europe.
Now let me refer to a most important truth, even if it should be considered a repetition, it is as to the question of the possibility of salvation by faith alone before the justice of a God of perfect reason, and who cannot do an unreasonable thing; is it even possible, much less probable, that such a Being, the ruler of an universe composed of millions of millions of worlds, can care for what you or I believe (much less to be willing to take our advice inasmuch as he cannot possibly need it): the idea is totally unreasonable and absurd, it is simply one of those notions that have been encouraged by the spirit world for a good purpose, namely, to inflate man's self-esteem unconsciously, by causing him to suppose that he was individually of such vast importance. It is usually considered a scientific truth that all matter is based upon the unit or atom, yet the unit itself is as nothing, and even we as spiritual atoms, units or duals, eventually will constitute a portion of the spirit world or godhead, even each one of us when considered with reference to the universe; why, we are certainly of less importance to the Almighty than is a drop of water to the ocean that effects such wonders on this little planet. Nevertheless, individual future happiness is of much importance to each one, both in earth and spirit life, and the greater or lesser amount of that happiness depends to a certain and very important extent, not on what we believe, but on what each one of us does for ourselves and also to our fellows, for we can forget nothing in the future state, the book of memory and also that of our friends can never be shut; it is not like the imperfect remembrance that in this life is sometimes in action and sometimes silent, there it is always speaking to us, whether we will or not, of everything we have done on earth. Also our friends here are, as a rule, friends for all eternity; thus friendship under a right system of selection and honourably kept is a most important matter, and there is also a reverse to this where evils are inflicted on friends by us.
Thus it is that God (the Spirit World) cares nothing for our belief, but much for what we do, both for our own sakes and also for the sake of others, and as to our stupid, wrong-headed disputes on theological points which have cost so much blood-shedding and suffering during the world's training; that probationary state being now finished, for God's sake and man's sake, let us bury all dogmatical ideas as soon as possible, yet not doing things hurriedly, and establish a pure, noble, religion without unnecessary theology, giving due thanks for favours received in accordance with the ideas of the higher minds of teachers now belonging to the various denominations; some prefer grandeur, and others simplicity; both, when not carried to ridiculous extremes, are good, the higher reason being our true divinely appointed guide. Let us force none, and try to love all men as God also loves us; let us endeavour to show our love by acting in accordance with the golden rule, which, however, as a matter of reason works two ways; thus, were I to have committed or to be likely to commit any of those fearful atrocities which at the present time are so commonly reported, I would most heartily wish to be hanged at once, as did Tuhi, the reasoning Maori lately executed in New Zealand. What I would in such a case desire should be done unto me, that am I most thoroughly anxious to see effectually carried out on others, thus preventing future fresh evils on the part of the malefactor and their eternal consequences, and I am convinced that this course is true mercy, but only to be unhesitatingly applied to those who are either by training or natural disposition past the hope of reformation. Rome say that while there is life, there is hope: I much doubt the truth of this saying as far as it may refer to the improvement of the more brutalised criminals of our generation.
It is mainly with the spiritual world of this planetary system that we, even in the future, shall probably have much to do with, and even that portion of it is a most incomprehensible power; also the whole of the united godhead is in unison with and if necessary always ready to cooperate, only such a necessity never occurs now: the main points of spirit rule having been planned long ago and brought into existence as matters of the purest and highest reason, they now belong to perfect formalism.
As to what may be the ultimate purposes and meanings of the Creation, shall we ever comprehend them? I believe that during the vast gulf of futurity that lies before each one of us perhaps we may understand thoroughly the general outlines relating to the universe, but no unit or dual will ever be able to say that he knows all that is to be known.
One spiritual suggestion to me on education was this, schoolmasters should classify their scholars according to the position of mind they appear to occupy at the time, such a system amongst the young would be simple enough, most English children being plain self-asserters some few formalists, some reasoning formalists and formal reasoners imaginatives. Let the examiners check the classification every year. When the lads pass from the primary to the higher schools they should take their classification with them, and thence, by means of scholarships or something similar, those who show particular intellect under any of the higher classifications should be entitled to a special training in the direction of their minds; also a scholar who seems to be a formal or other reasoner, should have as a reward a ticket entitling him to be entered as parliamentary candidate when of sufficient age. If this was carried out right through, commencing at the national primary schools, there could then be no objection against it on the score of family preferences, for the whole of those who could have any extra chance of being elected to Parliamentary honours must first enter fairly amongst the people's children. I think, and spirit friends also told me that for those distinctions none but the children of the people, or those who would enter school life on a footing of perfect equality with them, should be permitted as candidates for seats in the national councils, and that this would have a good effect in keeping out low-born rogues, as well as aristocratic blockheads, from parliaments. Then also intellect, from the highest to the lowest in the land, would be on one footing in that respect.
We see how well in many instances the old Chinese spirit planned system of civil service examinations has worked in modem England in selecting formalists, is it not possible that this newer idea, from the same source, may prove equally satisfactory. I leave it to others to think over. As to the nearly pure reasoners they are but very few indeed, and as children, boys or girls, show their form of intellect partly in asking pertinent questions, but still more in giving sensible replies to questions usually considered to be beyond the understanding of those of their age. Formalists are often good at putting questions, but to give a really original and useful answer on any important, subject requires a thinker: and such, when children are easily trodden under foot by the more self-assorting and formal, and the lad who can learn a lot of parrot phrases will often he thought by the master to be cleverer than he who while weaker in formalism, is yet vastly stronger in striking out an idea for himself.
The spirits say that the only two perfect systems (as far as perfection goes in this life) of government areβ1st that of a well established slavery under a good autocrat: and 2nd, republican and parliamentary freedom under a system similar to the one just proposed, and that all admixtures of republicanism and monarchy in so called constitutional governments have been advancements, and solid advancements on the road to freedom, yet are they not consistent with the liberty now spoken of, for there is always a certain amount of man worship in monarchy, and often it is applied to the wrong person; for if the Russians at one time bowed down to Peter the Great that was bad enough, though necessary at the time, but for Englishmen at the present age to worship even the incarnation of Mr. John Bull himself, would be supremely ridiculous. When such a classification has been properly carried out, both for jurymen and parliamentarians, the spirit world will trust all human governmental affairs to mankind as freemen with the absolute certainty that the greater blunders of past ages will never be repeated, and that as the world rolls on, even the smaller ones will hardly be possible.
Of course in making great alterations it is often necessary to take the will of the people; in England such is usually done by means of a general election, in other countries by a plebiscite; let all nations retain as much of the older forms as may be possible, but let none give a vote in Parliament except those who have passed from the peoples schools as reasoners of one class or the other mentioned in the list as Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, for Parliament, and Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 as Jurymen.
There should also, if possible, be an Upper House or board of pure thinkers to act as check on all legislation before appealing directly to the people, the latter appeal being final.
As to municipal affairs, they would of course remain much as now, on the hands of the ratepayers, and these will have better opportunities of selecting right men, and also public and parliamentary opinion will be vastly keener than it is now to keep corporation selfishness and jobbery in check.
That the truth and honesty of public opinion when rightly appealed to, is as solid as a rock, I myself have had personal experience; the public, rightly trained, never errs from intention of doing wrong; if it makes a blunder, it is nearly always from having been over persuaded by self-interested rogues or fools.
The trading in simulated love is often no spiritual crime on the part of the woman, but nevertheless is injurious to the mental and eternal happiness both of males and females; from its very nature it is degrading to men, and unfortunately doubly so to women, although if justice on this point was possible in our state of civilisation, the stigma should be equally divided between the sexes, indeed in the original seduction, from which most of it springs, common justice would tell us that the seducer ought to receive by far the larger share of it. Girls are usually brought up to be too simple minded in this respect, now the time is coming when all necessary sexual matters will have to be fully explained to them, either at schools or by duly appointed female teachers at suitable seasons.
When in the future time marriage shall have become nearly universal, then people will look back on these crimes of our generation with horror and disgust, similar to that with which we turn from legal slavery and New Zealand cannibalism.
All the important Media of ancient times have been men of large intellectual power, in accordance with the class of mind to which they have belonged; therefore the idea held by some spiritualists of note at the present day, that they may be able to obtain much that is excellent through the mediumship of the weaker minded or morally vicious, is opposed to religious and other history, and also to the present spiritual experience of the world. When such as Jesus, Moses, and Homer have received the Divine afflatus, we need not trouble ourselves as to whether Joseph Smith and Joanna Southcott were spiritually inspired, or only in the way mentioned in Hudibras, of Prynne and Vicars. If God required a great work to be done, He always selected a suitable mind to do it, mental classification being always kept in view; thus the business of a formalist is not to be handed to a self-assertionist, nor that of the latter to an imaginative, either by God or man.
If it should be necessary that a medium and his friends and well-wishers have to be burnt, crucified, or otherwise tortured to death for the benefit of humanity in the teaching of better forms of liberty or Divine worship, God (the Spirit World) holds the right of having such torture carried into effect, and those who have in former times suffered most, in similar ways by the cruelty of their fellow-men have always, on attaining to spirit life, fully acknowledged the justice, wisdom, and necessity for what had been Divinely permitted to be done to them.
That it should be submitted to scientific reasoners whether it be possible to invent English in place of Greek and Latin terms in some sciences, so that knowledge may be the more quickly imparted to the working classes, a far more important point in the present and future time, than even it has been in the past; and also can we not adopt a handy English name that shall include all but wilful drones and evil doers as members of one brotherhood of brain and hand workers.
In case of oppression on individuals or communities of any class, creed, or colour, our Anglo Celtic public opinion can now be depended on for enforcing justice with almost absolute certainty, provided each case is fairly put before the people so that the merits or demerits may be thoroughly explained to all by means of the press.
At the time of the war between the Northern and Southern States of America, did the poor sufferers in Lancashire demand the British Government to obtain cotton for them at the price of negro slavery? I think they only asked for bread during the hard times, and northern America nobly sent the "George Griswold to their assistance, and much help afterwards; Australia, New Zealand, and all other English-speaking people and friendly foreigners willingly cooperating in the good work, and equally liberal has been the help afforded to Ireland during several fearful famines. For these reasons it is that the spirit world fully sympathise with those who wish to extend political rights under just conditions to all our people; for now they are in a state of mental advancement, able with the help of the Press and other educating elements, to use those privileges correctly.
While speaking with so much pride of our kinsmen in the northern States, we need cast no slur on their countrymen of the south, who were not intentional traitors to the cause of dignity of labour; it was false training that had caused those who should have been their working classes to prefer the apparent, but not real, interests of a comparatively few slave owners to the solid advantage of the majority.
In the matter of payment of members of Parliament, jurymen, &c., the wealthy should, from love towards the nation, accept as expenses that which, when given to working men, would be considered full wages, thus an approximate equality may be maintained, and all classes be fairly represented.
Those who receive the school prize as entitling them to act as representatives, and also those who obtain the qualification for jurymen, should be invited to hold periodical political and scientific meetings in all parts of the country, their tickets giving them right to speak in the meeting rooms; such being to a certain extent private, but the general public to be always admitted free, and thus to act as a check and also for purposes of national instruction; any person (even though not qualified to be a member), nevertheless to be permitted to speak with consent of chairman and other leading men. Public meetings of course would have to be held as now, when required.
In establishing cooperative societies in the leading trades, such as shoe-making, iron working, &c., it would be advisable to ask the assistance of certain members of the fine arts, actors, painters, &c.; these are often very democratic in feeling, and clever in some kinds of business outside their professions; they are also sometimes careless in their money matters, and not acquisitive enough to lay by a suitable provision for old age; therefore their joining such companies as full (not as honorary members) would be to mutual advantage; they would have to take a money share, in accordance with the amount of their earnings paid into the company; thus they might be entitled to receive as much from that source as to equal the payments made to the foremen and trade managers, the same to be continued in old age. The working men need to bear in mind that genius is usually liberal, and what more money such men would earn and receive, a great part of it is almost certain to be spent in a generous manner amongst those whom they will be proud to own as fellow craft. They could also be office holders, but not to the exclusion, but rather to the assistance, of thinking men belonging to the trade. As to the shares of such societies they should be the property of the company, to be held by members for life or during good behaviour; no selling out, thus avoiding the chance of the introduction of unsuitable persons; exchange from one society to the other to be allowed with consent of each. Every one born in the company to be free of it if willing on the appointed terms to take up his freedom, and provided there is room for him, and his general conduct is decent, six months or less probation being allowed in doubtful cases.
This work, now finished, is entrusted to the Press of all nations to be spread through the world.
Stephens, late E. Purton & Co., Steam Printer, 106 Elizabeth Street, Melbourne.