Critics (e.g., Grant Palmer, An Insider’s View of Mormon Origins [Signature Books, 2003]) have argued that Martin Harris’ claim that he saw the plates with his “spiritual eyes” (eyes of faith) is evidence that there were no physical plates, and that the experience of Harris et al. were hallucinatory and the like. For a good refutation of this, see the FairMormon wiki page, “Book of Mormon/Witnesses/"Eye of Faith" and "Spiritual Eye" statements by Martin Harris.” As the page correctly points out, “spiritual eyes” does not mean a non-physical event, but witnessing an event that is miraculous in nature, which fits the experience of Martin Harris and the other Book of Mormon witnesses.
The following are taken from religious and historical literature pre-1830 where the term “spiritual eyes” is used, showing that Grant Palmer et al. are guilty of misunderstanding this locution:
A bodily eye can only see bodies, like itself: the eye must answer the object: a spiritual object, therefore, as God is, must be seen by a spiritual eye. Moses's soul was a spirit; and that saw the God of spirits: so he, that is in himself invisible, was seen by an invisible eye; and so must be. If we have no eyes, but those that are seen; we are as very beasts, as those that we see: but, if we have invisible and spiritual eyes, we must improve them, to the sight of him that is invisible. (Joseph Hall, Select Tracts, pp. 57-8)
He [Emanuel Swedenborg] asserts that in the year 1743, the Lord manifested himself to him in a personal appearance; and at the same time opened his spiritual eyes, so that he was enabled constantly to see and converse with spirits and angels. (Jon Evans, A Sketch of the Denominations of the Christian World, p. 213)
Our great practical duty is to aim to expect the coming of the Son of Man rightly, as to, I. the Who; II. the Why; and III. the How.
I. We must be clear, definite, and precise as to the nature and circumstances of his coming; the outline of which is a personal coming, and not a change only, however extensive and penetrating, in the face and moral temperament of the world: we do not expect such a change, but it is as the concomitant, not as the essential reality of the promised event. The coming will be first, and the change subsequent. Having come visibly, he will remain visible; with this difference, that, at his coming, he will be visible to the eyes of flesh; subsequently, only spiritual eyes will be capable of beholding him: he shall come to rule; of which the first exercise is to put down the opponents of the assumed authority: this he shall do by judging his church, by inflicting judgments upon all the individuals of those communities who profess his name and service falsely: having previously separated his faithful servants out of the midst of them, to be his assessors in the work of judgment, and his partners in bliss and glory. (Dialogues on Prophecy, 2:289-90)
O Lord, enable my spirit with humility to bow before thee, with thankfulness of heart, and gratitude of soul, gracious and merciful Savior, enable me, if thou pleases, to render unto thee thanksgiving and praises, for thy unmerited mercy, and loving kindness in this preserving and granting my present state of existence, to the present hour, enable me O Lord, to feel fully sensible of thy great mercy, and through thy power, enable my soul, if thou pleases, to bow before thee, in humble prostration and thankfulness. Be pleased O Lord, to help me; enable me though merciful one, to overcome the lusts of the flesh, the pride of the world, and the temptations of the devil. On thy everlasting mighty arm, enable me to rely; be pleased O God to strengthen my faith, and in thy acceptable time, be pleased to open my spiritual eyes; and O Lord, enable me to have patience under thy correcting hand. (William Gardiner and Susannah Gardiner, A Journal of the Lord's Gracious Dealings, pp. 24-25)
I walk there now, the impression seems hardly more real. I used to feel as if I actually pitched my soul there, and that spiritual eyes might have seen it shot over from Tuscany into York-street like a rocket. (Lord Byron and Some of His Contemporaries, p. 383)
The passage of paradise is not now so blocked up, as when the law and curse reigned. therefore finding, beloved Christians, "a new and living way consecrated for us, through the vail, that is to say, the flesh of Christ, by which we may with boldness enter into the holiest, I shall draw near with fuller assurance." And finding the flaming sword removed, shall look again into the paradise of our God. And because I know that this is no forbidden fruit, and withal that is good for good, and pleasant to the spiritual eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one truly wise and happy; I shall, through the assistance of the Spirit, take and eat thereof myself, and give to you according to my power that you may eat. (Ronald Baxter, The Saint's Everlasting Rest, p. 32)
These passages from Dr. Johnson must be read cum grano salis, considering for whose perusal they were chiefly written. That it is impossible for language so to ornament divine truths, as to make them acceptable to an ungodly world, is too serious a fact to be disputed; but that divine truths are without beauty, or the most sublime and enrapturing beauty, can only be affirmed by those, who have no spiritual eyes to see, or gracious hearts to enjoy them. (Erasmus Middleton, Evangelical Biography, p. 387)
It must needs follow, therefore, that the good angels are as close to us, and as inseparable from us: and, though we see neither; yet, he, that hath spiritual eyes, perceives though we see neither; yet, he that hath spiritual eyes, perceives them both, and is accordingly affected to their presence. (Joseph Hall and Josiah Pratt, The Works, vol. 6 p. 344)
We are sensible that to us as a people no new thing can be said, having been favoured with a knowledge of the divine law, and the testimony required of us to bear; yet under a fresh renewed sense of Divine regard, we feel a fervent engagement to stir up the pure mind in you, that you may be animated with a lively concern, and that the stakes which remain in our Zion may be strengthened; that we may unitedly continue to hold forth an invitation to those who have not rightly entered the true sheep-fold, to look upon Zion the city of our solemnities, the continued refute of the righteous, a quiet habitation, secure from the interruptions by which and unwearied adversary is seeking to retard our progress, and dim our spiritual eyes, in presenting the glory, wisdom, profits, and friendships of the world, or drawing the mind into its various commotions, whereby it is prevented from seeing the truth in its own purity and simplicity. (An epistle from the Women's Quarterly Meeting from the County of York, pp. 5-6)
I judge that another powerful means to withdraw us from vice, and to induce us to virtue, is, to represent to ourselves, at every moment, the excellency and dignity of our calling; to take delight in beholding, with the spiritual eyes, the white stone where our new name is written, which none knows but he who receives it. (Charles Drelincourt, The Christian's Defence Against the Fears of Death, p. 181)
The Church has already been said to have doves' eyes in the verse just referred to [Song of Solomon 1:15]; and let it be remembered here, in addition to what is there said, that the dove's eye is not only emblematical of love, constancy, and innocence; but as to the dove's eye is quick and penetrating, it shews the penetration and knowledge in divine things, with which Christ enriches all the election of grace after they are regenerated by the Spirit; and as the dove is a well-known emblem of the Holy Ghost, it is evident that the eyes of the Church here mention, are the spiritual eyes of her understanding. (J. Armitage, The Believer's Joy and Rejoicing, a poem, pp. 112-13)
A Christian under the cheerful influences of near communion with God, can, with the more cheerfulness, lay down his neck for Christ, than other men can lay out a shilling for him. In all these twenty particulars, you have an account of the excellency of this privilege; but, O how short an account have I given of it! What remains, is the application of this point, in a double use:
1. Of information
2. Of exhortation.
First, For information in the following inferences.
Inference 1. How sure and certain a thing it is, that there is a God, and a state of glory prepared in heaven for sanctified souls.
These things are undeniable. God hath set them before our spiritual eyes and senses: Beside the revelation of it in the gospel which singly makes it infallible; the Lord, for our abundant satisfaction, hath brought these things down to the touch and test of our spiritual senses and experiences. You that have had no many sights of God by faith, so many sweet tastes of heaven in the duties of religion, O what a confirmation and seal have you of the reality of invisible things! You may say of heaven and the joys above, as the apostle did of him that purchased it, 1 John i.1. "That which our eyes have seen, and our ears have heard, and our "hands have handled," & c. (John Flavel, The Whole Works of John Flavel, vol. 4, p. 260)
And holy awful, silent waiting before God, is spiritual Israel's abiding in their tent, where no divination nor enchantment can prevail against them. This is exceeding beautiful reaching, and convincing to all, whose spiritual eyes are in degree opened, when they see the things, as set forth Numb. xxiv. 5, 6, 7. "How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob! and thy tabernacles, O Israel! as the vallies are they spread forth, as gardens by the river-side, and as trees of lign-aloes which the Lord hath planted, and as cedar trees beside the water. He shall pour the water out of his buckets, and his seed shall be in many waters." (John Griffith, Some brief remarks upon sundry important subjects, p. 52)
The Spirit is considered by [Quakers], not only as teaching by inward breathings as it were, made immediately and directly upon the heart, without the intervention of outward circumstances, but as making the material objects of the universe, and many of the occurrences of life, if it be properly attended to, subservient to the instruction of man, and as enlarging the sphere of his instruction in this manner in proportion as it is received and encouraged. Thus, the man, who is attentive to these divine notices, sees the animal, the vegetable, and the planetary world with spiritual eyes. He cannot stir abroad, but he is taught in his own feelings, without any motion of his will, some lesson for his spiritual advantage; or he perceives so vitally some of the attributes of the Divine Being, that he is called upon to offer some spiritual incense to his Maker. (The Monthly Review, eds. Ralph Griffiths and George Edward Griffiths, p. 160)
[1 Cor 11] v. 22-25. And they did eat, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and brake it, and gave to them, and said, Take, eat; this is my body, &c.
The divine words of blessing do not change or annihilate the substance of the bread and wine (for if their substance did not remain, it could be no sacrament) but it changeth them in use and in name; for that which was before but common bread and wine, to nourish men's bodies, is, after the blessing, destinated to an holy use, for the feeding of the souls of Christians, and where before they were called but bread and wine, they are now called by the name of those holy things, the body and blood of Christ; the better to draw our minds from those outward elements to the heavenly graces, which, by the sight of our bodies, they represent to the spiritual eyes of our faith. Neither did Christ direct these words, this is my body, this is my blood, to the bread and wine, but to his disciples, as appears by the words going before, take ye, eat ye: neither is the bread his body, but in the same sense that the cup is the New Testament; viz. by a sacramental metonymy. (Notes on the Bible, ed. Joshua Toulmin, vol. 2 p. 220)
