| OCR Text |
Show Page 170 The five pamphlets, scattered by the thousands in Liverpool, Manchester, and Glasgow, were completed in June of 1849. Before the series was completed, however, Kingdom began to stir up a response - the kind of clerical and academic splutters that Orson had always craved. A group of Scots clergymen banded together to oppose Orson, commissioning a Dunfermline minister named Joseph Paton (at least, this was what Orson called him), to compose a general rebuttal. Remarks on Mormonism, with the Approbation of Clergymen of Different Denominations, seems scattered, a sketchy, ill-informed pastiche, grouping together legends about the Saints, the Spaulding theory of the origin of the Book of Mormon, and the standard sectarian attacks on "anthropomorphism." Orson wasted no time in replying - his response was in print by April, and a contemptuous document it was: "As this secret author...has used no arguments, therefore there are none to answer; instead of arguments he seems very much inclined to apply to the Saints and their doctrine such phrases as...absurd notions - a gross, a stupid, and an unphilosophical fraud - delusion - groveling sensualism of Mormonism...Very polite terms, Mr. Author! Genteel epithets! Doubtless the 'clergymen of different denominations'must feel themselves highly honoured in approbating such irresistible logic!" A large part of Orson's reply is devoted to corEecting Paton's misreadings of Divine Authority. Few substantial problems are raised; however, Paton's assertions that the"laws of optics" preclude man's visualizing God or srpirits, makes Orson chuckle a little. He mulls over definitions of "optics" and then calls up some of the Biblical prophets who conversed with God "face to face" and presumably saw him with their "mortal eyes as instruments." Paton advances a rather serious criticism of Joseph Smith's vision of Father and Son, quoting the Gospel of John to the effect that "No man hath seen God at any time." Orson interpolates 'natural man' without much comment and with no exegetical argument, other than to point out num erous examples 21 of Biblical charactexs who apparently "saw" God. |
