Page:The astral world, higher occult powers; (IA astralworldhighe00tiff).pdf/175

 can easily understand how it is that men and women can act from higher impulses; but still he may not be able to understand how they can act from an incorruptible Divine love—love in its infinity, in its spontaneity, going forth of its own Divine fullness, and bestowing blessings upon all who come within its sphere.

If we look out into society, we see individuals living down in the lower departments of their nature. We wish to reform them and mankind, and talk about Spiritualism doing wonderful things for the world, by way of breaking off the chains of superstition which have bound people down in ignorance; we talk about its removing that superstitious bigotry which causes one man to persecute another for not thinking as he does. We expect it is going to diffuse a liberalizing influence, and thus reform the world. What do you mean when you speak of Spiritualism reforming the world? You mean that it is going to change the characters of those living in it. You thus virtually affirm that this external character that pertains to you, and me, and all others, is the subject of change. We understand, then, that your hope for the reformation of the world is based upon the expectation that the individual character shall be changed. And how are you to change that character? You hope to change the character of the unfortunate female, and place her upon a higher and purer platform, by changing her ruling love, correcting her false opinions and false understandings—by having a purer affection to govern her, and a higher understanding to direct her. You hope to cause her to walk more in harmony with her