6JJJ  lll   LL )JJ  LUIIUI US  J,6                             I 1o' - --                ----— ~-~
A Fully Developed Medium Eighteen Hundred Years Ago.
See The Fortieth Page.
Spirits Exhilarate; Large Potationks Intoxicate; Persistence
Brutalizes.
"WE HAVE TO CONTEND AGAINST OUR OWN FANATICISM; FOR I ASSURE YOU,
FROIM MIY OWN EXPERIENCE AND OBSERVATION, THAT THE FASCINATION OF THIS
INTERCOURSE IS SO GREAT THAT ITS TENDENCY IS TO LEAD MEN AWAY FROM
TIITFTR PROPER JUDGMENT, AND INSTILL A SPIRIT CF FANATICISM MIOST REVOLTING'1TO TIE CALM, AND NATURAI, MIND."-J'-udg.eEdmnond's Lecture, in the Broadway
Tabernacle, N.Y., Februatry Si.xleenth, Eighteen Himdred and Fif/?- Fire.




VERATSUS
OR;
SPIRITUALISM THOROUGHLY EXPOSED
BY
J. W. DANIELS,
A And when they shall say unto you,
Seek unto them that have familiar spirits,
And unto wizards that peep, and that mutter.
Should not a people seek unto their God?
For the living to the dead?"-Isaiah viii: 19.
" If they hear not Moses and the Prophets,
Neither will th e be persuaded
Though one rose fromr, the dead."-Luke xvi: 31.
"' Add thou not unto his words,
Lest he reprove thee,
And thou be found a liar.'-Proverbs xxx: 6.
NEW YORK AND AUBURN:
MI L LER, ORTON & MULLIGAN.
NEW YoTnR: 25 PARIK ROw. —AUBURN: 107 GEENESEE ST.
7 O AR




Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1856, by
J. W. DANIELS,
In the Clerk's Office of the District Court for the Southern District
of New York.
J. J. REED,
PRINTER AND STEREOTYPER,
16 Spruce-St., N  Y.




INTROD UCTIO No
SPIRITUALISM has been in operation in this country about
seven years, during which, it has made rapid progress,
owing to the fact that its character and influence have not
been generally understood. Its adherents have organized a
SOCIETY FOR THE DIFFUSION OF SPIRITUAL KNOWLEDGE.
The chief officers of this Society are as follows:
PRESIDENT.
Gov. NATHANIEL P. TALLMADGE, Wisconsin.
VICE-PRESI DENTS.
Chief Justice JOSEPH WILLIAMS, Iowa.
Judge WILLIE P. FOWLER, Kentucky.
Judge R. P. SPAULDING, Ohio.
Judge CHARLES H. LARRABEE, Wisconsin.
HORACE H. DAY, New York.
Hon. WARREN CHASE, Wisconsin.
Dr. DAVID COREY, Illinois.
Gen. EDWARD F. BULLARD, New York.
Hon. RICHARD D. DAVIS, New York.
Dr. GEORGE T. DEXTER, New York.
Major GEORGE W. RAINES, U. S. A.
E. W. BAILEY, Pennsylvania.
PHINEAS E. GAY, Massachusetts.




iv                 INTRODUCTION.
It seems very strange to us to see a professedly religious association headed by politicians, civilians and warriors! This should, doubtless, be imputed to our predilections for Christianity.
The New York Mirror aptly remarks, that in the " Association of Spiritualists just formed, with Ex-Governor
Tallmadge as President, governors, senators, lawyers, merchants, and manufacturers figure exclusively.   There is
not so much as one carpenter or fisherman among them
all."
GOVFRNOR TALLMADGE, in a letter accepting the Presidency of this society, says:
" Knowing the solid foundation on which' The Society
for the Diffusion of Spiritual Knowledge' is based, and
that those engaged in it intend to spare no pains or means
to advance the great objects for which it was instituted, I
cannot fail to foresee and appreciate the grand results of
its operations. *  Your society is the nucleus of mighty
movements, which will in due time be fully developed. There
are causes now operating which, with Spiritualism as the
fulcrum, will, like the lever of Archimedes, move the world."
The Society says in its ADDRESS:
"Within the last two years, Spiritualism  has increased
in strength and stature, with a growth unprecedented in
the history of mental giants.  If it be a lie, there is
every prospect of its enveloping this world, and, by its
weight, sinking this world one degree lower in the depth




INTRODUCTION.                   V
of degradation. If it be a lie, it has come in so lovely a
garb that men will seek it, unless they be warned by a
strong voice; men will flee to it as though it were an angel sent from Heaven-will become enveloped in its false
light, and will be borne down to death by the weight of its
false glory.  If it be a lie, ye men of America, who have'
one thought toward the good of your fellows, it is your
duty to come forward as one man, to tear the veil from the
face of the lie, and expose it in all its hideousness.  We
challenge you, as men-as earnest men, as men desiring
the good of your fellows-to come forth and meet us in
the fight, expose our errors, draw the shroud away, and
enable the world to see us as we are.  We challenge you
to come and do that thing.
"' We believe that Spirituality is a Heaven-born truth.
We profess to know that angels from  Heaven-that the
Spirits of good men, progressing toward perfection-have"
come here upon the earth we stand on, and talked with us,
face to face, and uttered words to us bearing the impress
of their divine origin.  We sincerely believe this.  We
are respectable men; we do not believe ourselves to be insane.  We ask you to come and meet us, and discuss the
question with us; to examine these facts which we allege,
and to prove, if you are able, either that these facts never
did occur, or that their origin is other than that which it
purports to be.
"We come before you in this present shape to show you




VI                 INTRODUCTION.
to what a height the giant has attained.  We come to you
in this present shape to show you who are Spiritualiststhe madmen in this world, who believe themselves to be
the really clear-minded and sane men of this world.  In
this movement, which we have commenced, we believe we
are the humble instruments in the hands of higher powers,
for the production of great results.  We are proud of the
posts we occupy. We are not ashamed to present our
names for your consideration.  We are not ashamed to
meet you on an equal platform, as men, and talk with you
cerning this subject."
In a work published in this city, entitled "The Rappers," it is said: " In the city of New York, to which circle our personal investigation has been confined, there are,
at the least calculation, forty thousand sincere believers in
spiritual rappings.  We cannot pretend to give the num-,ber of the disciples in the United States.  The rush to
consult the spirits, in both what are called private and public circles in New York, if known, would astound the public. From morning until noon, from noon until night, and
from night until morning again, in parlors where flashing
mirrors reflect rosewood, and velvet, and silver, and gold;
in humble rooms where the floors and walls are bare, the
tables are placed, and around them, men and women, with
their hands spread out, and eyes fixed, as if on vacancy, are
seated waiting for communications from the spirit-world."
The world should not be surprised by these " manifestations."  They are nothing new.  The history of Spirit



INTRODUCTION.                  Vii
ualism is the history of sorcery in all ages. Egyptian sor-.
cery furnishes the most remarkable antecedent to the present movement.  The Spiritualism  of the present was
neither beyond the reach of the prophetic telescope nor
the-ken of Jehovah's prophets.  The world has been premonished of its approach by the Seer of Patmos, the
Apostle to the Gentiles, and the Saviour of the world.
This fact is another evidence of the Divine origin of the
book against which Spiritualism is arrayed, and which is
the most formidable obstacle to its progress. Spiritualism
proves itself to be the anti-christian movement of the present age, and one of the worst delusions which has ever
afflicted the world.  But it is not all to be met by sneers
and cries of "humbug," ~" ventriloquism," "' collusion,"
and " cheat."  Intelligent men, learned men, and strong
men, are conscientiously wedded to the system.  Some of
them have challenged the world to "meet them  in the
fight and expose their errors."  It is no more than just
that they should be met with candor and fairness.
Every work which has been published, denying the alleged
spiritual agency, has failed to meet the case, both in fact
and in the estimation of the public.  No work in which
the agency of spirits has been admitted, has been sufficiently extensive to expose the evils of the system —-evils
which are much to be deplored.  Being in possession of
important facts, some of which had never been published,
and others never in a connected form, we concluded to ac



VWll               INTRODUCTION.
cept the "challenge."   Hence this effort to expose the
system and its evils, so antagonistic to Christianity.
There can be but two questions on this subject, in the
mind of any person who is thoroughly acquainted with the
phenomena.-First, the  character of the spirits, and
Second, the justice and propriety of holding intercourse
with them.
These questions we have endeavored to meet.  The
whole subject has been thoroughly examined in the light
of the Scriptures, profane history, and the developments
of these times.  Waving all cases of mere pretence-of
which, doubtless, there have been many —we grapple with
the real merits of the subject; and while we freely admit
the reality of many of the manifestations, and that the
phenomena are utterly inexplicable on any other hypothesis than that of spiritual agency, we prove that, to whatever other source this movement may be imputed, it is
not the work of God, of holy angels, nor departed saints.
We deem the intercourse sinful, fascinating, deceptive and
very dangerous.
We prayerfully submit the result of our investigations
to an indulgent and candid public.  Should this work be
the means of guarding some persons against " seducing
spirits and doctrines of demons," and twrning others from
broken cisterns to the fountain of living waters, the hopes
of the author will have been realized.
J. W. DANIELS.
NEw-YOREC,.anuary, 1856.




CONTENTS.
INTRODUCTION.
Society for the Diffusion of Spiritual Knowledge. Not a Carpenter nor a
Fisherman among its Officers. Address of the Society.  It Challenges
exposition.  The Challenge accepted.  The Author's position and
hopes.   -.          -                    -                   3
CHAPTER I.
HISTORY OF MODERN MANIFESTATIONS.
First Rappings.  Intelligence discovered by the raps.  Different modes
of communication. Variety of Mediums. Various Wonderful Manifestations. Spiritualism in China.  An old custom revived.  Evil consequences. -                                                    13
CHAPTER II.
REALITY OF SPIRITUAL INTERCOURSE.
A Fortified Point.  A Theory must be consistent with Scripture.  Proof
of Spiritual intercourse anciently.  Sorcerers assisted by Evil Spirits.
Virgil's description of a Demon-Inspired Prophetess.  The Pythoness of
Philippi. Sundry Arguments. History of ancient Demoniacs. -   31
CHAPTER III.
NECROMANCY IS REAL AND SINFUL.
Necromancy Forbidden. Arguments from the Law.  Mr. Campbell's Argument.  Testimony of Ancient Writers. A Conclusive Argument.  47




X                         CONTENTS.
CHAPTER IV.
MODERN PHENOMENA ARE NOT PRODUCED BY HOLY ANGELS.
Angels a Distinct Race. Biblical distinction between Angels and Departed
Spirits. Angels existed before the Death of any person. -     53
CHAPTER V.
SPIRITUALISM IS NOT THE WORK OF DEPARTED SAINTS.
They are in Heaven. Testimony of Paul.  Objections considered. Moses
and Elias. Messenger of the Apocalypse. Samuel, Saul and the Woman
of Endor. Spiritualists versus Apostles. Various Phantasms.  Satan's
Power. Strange Exhibition. Tertullian's Challenge. Testimony of the
Spirits. Logical Argument.                                    63
CHAPTER VI.
EVIL CHARACTER OF THE SPIRITS.
Testimony of Prominent Spiritualists. Lies of theSpirits. Mr. Sunderland
Caught. Spirits against the Bible. A False Christ.  Lying Wonders.
Pretended Cures.  Spirits Fulfill their Prophecies.  A wonderful Physician.  Malevolence of the Spirits.   Demons all Evil. Testimony of
the Fathers. -   -                                            89
CHAPTER VII.
SPIRITUALISM IS A REVIVAL OF SORCERY.
A General Belief.  Testimony of Messrs. Edmonds, Putnam, Davis, Partridge, Clark and Brittan. Simon Magus acknowledged as a Prince in
the Family.      -            -      -      -     -          122
CHAPTER VIII.
THE BOOK OF THE PROPHETS OF THE SPIRITUALISTS.
God's Prophets inspired by the HIoly Spirit.  False Prophets inspired by
Demons. Ahab's 450 Prophets inspired by a Lying Spirit. An Egyptian
Sorcerer. Revelation by A. J. Davis. Sublime Disclosures. The Dangerous point. -127
CHAPTER IX.
ANCIENT ORACLES OF THE SPIRITUALISTS.
Oracles of Dodona and Delphi.  Origin of the latter. Ambiguity of the
Oracles.  Consequences of Consulting Demons.  Croessus and Ahab
Ruined. -                                                    141




CONTENTS.                           Xi
CHAPTER X.
SATANIC AND DEMONIAC MIRACLES.
Who are the Dupes. False Pretences. Perverseness of Sorcerers. Religious
Thefts. Egyptian Sorcerers. Wonders foretold in Scripture.  Poem by
Watts.                -..                         149
CHAPTER XI.
SPIRITUALISM IS REVIVING POLYTHEISM.
The Gods of the Heathen were Departed Spirits.  Proof of the Position.
Hesiod's Poem. Virgil.  Paul.  Josephus.  Scripture Proof. Use of
Images. Spiritualists Inculcate Polytheism-and Worship many Gods.
Their own Testimony. Satan Worshipped.     -      -      -  157
CHAPTER XII.
PRETENDED ANIMATION OF A DIVINING IMAGE.
An Artificial Man with no Soul.  Scandalous Performance. A Mortifying
Experiment, Destruction of the Idol.  Ruin of Dagonm  Heber's Prize
Poem.                                                        179
CHAPTER XIII.
CREED OF THE SPIRITUALISTS.
Reasons for not Publishing their Creed. Anti-Biblical Theology. Testimony
of Messrs. Capron, Fishbough, Brittan, and Newton. Spiritualism Opposed
to the Bible. Seventeen Articles.                            191
CHAPTER XIV.
THE EVILS OF SPIRITUALISM.
Deceptions. Bigamy. A Family Ruined. Trespassonthe Prerogatives of
God.  A Flood of Demoniacs.  Crimes of Demoniacs.  Awful Consequences of the Intercourse.        -      -      -      -   197
CHAPTER XV.
THE WORK OF SPIRITUALISM IS ANTI-CHRISTIAN.
Christ Denied. Satan's Work.  Apostles Deceivers. Making Demoniacs.
From Five to Ten Dollars for a Demon.  Crusade against Christianity.
Blasphemous Language. Picture of a Volcano —a Symbol of Spiritualism. Wesley's Hymn. Duty of Christians.   -      -      -   231




xai                        CONTENTS.
CHAPTER XVI.
LIBERTINTSM INCULCATED BY SPIRITUALISTS.
T. L. Nichols and Mrs. Nichols.  Free Love.  Marriage-" the Monster
Curse of Civilization."  Secret Free Love Society. Free Love a Doctrine
of Demons. Acknowledgment of Spiritualists.                   253
CHAPTER XVII.
PERVERSION OF THE APOSTOLIC INJUNCTION TO TRY THE SPIRITS.
Apostolic Injunction. False Assumptions.  Object and Necessity for the
Trial. Spirits to be Tried. The Test. Spiritualists Deny Christ; hence
they belong to the Family of Anti-Christs.                    265
CHAPTER XVIHI.
INCONSISTENCIES OF SPIRITUALISTS.
Converts to Demons. None Reformed. Haters of Christianity. The Bible
Rejected. Prof. Hare's Theology.  The Beechers Claimed. Spiritualistic Bank. Climax of Absurdity. Christian Anti-Christs! A Fable. 271
CHIAPTER XIX.
GOD HAS PROHIBITED SPIRITUALISM.
Law against Sorcery.  One of the Worst of Crimes.  Judgments for Sorcery. The Canaanites. Saul. Ahab. Ahaziah. Tribes of Judah and Benjamin.  Mannasseh.  Ninevites. Babylonians.'Satan's Masterpiece.
The Sorcerer's Doom. Dr. Stilling. Professor Gausen. Rousseau's Confession. Christianity from God. Christian Graces. -              281




CHAPTER I.
MODERN MANIFESTATIONS.' They are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth
to the kings of the earth and of the whole world."-REV. xvi: 14.
THE spirits commenced their manifestations in
this country by knocking on the door of a house occupied by IMr. Michael Weekman, in Hydesville, in
the town of Acadia, Wayne County, N. Y., in 1847.
Mr. Weekman says, that one evening, about the
time of retiring, he heard a rapping on the outside
door.  On opening it, he found no one there.  He
went in, for the purpose of retiring, and just before
getting into bed, heard the rapping repeated.  iHe
quickly opened the door, went out and looked
around, but found no one. It being frequently repeated, he took hold of the door-latch, and as soon
as the knocking was repeated, he sprang out, went
round the house, but no one could be found.
One night, a little girl, about eight years old,
was heard to scream, the family ran to her, and as
soon as she was able to relate facts, she said she felt
something like a hand on the bed and all over her,
but was not alarmed till it touched her face. It felt




14     SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
cold. It was some days before she recovered her
equanimity.
The next family who resided in the house was
that of Mr. J. D. Fox.  Both Mr. and Mrs. Fox
were members of the M. E. church, well known, and
of unimpeachable character. They moved into the
house where Mr. Weekman had lived, in December, 1847, and in ~March, 1848, first heard the noise.
The knocking was so strong as to jar the floor. It
was first heard one night, just after the family, except Mr. Fox, were in bed. It continued till they
went to sleep, and they were unable to detect the
cause. From that time it was continued each night.
The 31st of March, the family retired early, and
soon heard the knocking.  A little girl, twelve
years old, endeavored to imitate it, by snapping her
fingers, and a response was given by knocking as
many times as she snapped.  When she stopped
the sounds ceased. Another girl said, " Now do as
I do," and began to strike one hand with the other;
the knocks were repeated as before.
When intelligence was thus manifested Mrs. Fox
requested it to count ten: it did so, by rapping ten
times. It also, by request, counted the ages of the
children correctly. Mrs. Fox questioned it as to its
identity. When asked if it was a human being, it
was silent. " Are you a spirit?" Two raps were
given.  "Are you an injured spirit?"  Two raps,
as before, were given.  It was finally ascertained
that it purported to be the spirit of a pedlar, who




MODERN WONDERS.              15
had been murdered in tlhat house for his moneyfive hundred dollars —at the age of thirty-one; and
that he had left a wife and five children, and his
wife had been dead about two years.  The neighbors were then, by consent of the spirit, called in,
and the questions continued.
From this family the manifestations have spread
all over the United States and the Canadas.
It is said the spirits communicate by rapping,
table tipping, writing through a medium, writing
without a medium, speaking through a medium, and
speaking without a medium.
Mediums are distinguished as rapping, tipping,
writing, speaking, drawing, impressional, dreaming,
and seeing mediums.  The seeing and speaking
mediums are deemed to be the highest order. Such
are "C seers" and "inspired" speakers.
JUDGE EDIMONDS says, in the introduction to his
work on spiritualism:
"' I have known a pine table, with four legs, lifted
up bodily from the floor, in the centre of a circle of
six or eight persons, turned upside down, and laid
upon its top at our feet, then lifted up over our
heads, and put leaning against the back of the sofa
on which we sato.... I have seen a mahogany
centre-table, having only a centre leg, and with a
lamp burning upon it, lifted from the floor, at least
a foot, in spite of the efforts of those present, and
shaken backward and forward, as one would shake
a goblet in his hand...   I have known a din



1~6    SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
ner-bell, taken from a shelf in a closet, rung over
the heads of four or five persons in that closet, then
rung round the room over the heads of twelve or
fifteen persons in the back parlor, and then borne
through the folding-doors to the further end of the
front parlor, and then dropped on the floor. I have
known persons pulled about, with a force which it
was impossible for them to resist; and once, when
all my strength was added, in vain, to that of one
thus affected.  I have known a mahogany chair
thrown on its side, and -moved swiftly back and forth
on the floor, no one touching it, through a room
where there were, at least, a dozen people,sitting.
Yet no one was touched, and it was repeatedly stopped within a few inches of me, when it was coming
with a violence which, if not arrested, must have
broken my legs.      My most secret thoughts —
those which I never uttered to mortal man or woman —have been freely spoken, as if I had uttered
them. I have known Latin, French and Spanish
words spelled out through the rappings; and I
have heard mediums, who knew no language but
their own, speak in those languages, and in Italian,
German and Greek, and in other languages unknown to me, but which were represented to be
Arabic, Chinese and Indian, and all done with the
ease and rapidity of a native. I have heard a person who knew nothing of music, except a little that
he had learned at at country singing-school, go to
the piano and play in perfect keeping, as to time




]MODERN WONDERS.             17
and concord, the several parts of an overture to an
opera."'
WRITING AND TABLE BREAKING.
Extract from a letter from Thomas Neibert, of
lNatchez, Miss., to Gov. Tallmage:
W "We have had rapped out -  Lay fifty pieces of
paper in a locked cupboard, and we will write on
them.' In less than half an hour there was a communication of at least ten lines on each piece, and
each communication perfectly characteristic of the
individual professing to communicate.
" We have the remains of a table, all broken to
pieces, by a spirit professing to be Samson.  No
person was near it. The table being near the wall,
commenced moving as we came into the room to
form a circle, and moved until it came to about the
middle, when the spirit commenced breaking it;
and the floor, when he got through, was a perfect
sight to behold-all covered with splinters.  The
whole company, some ten or fifteen, all skeptics except myself, were perfectly convinced." —Epitome of
Spirit-intercourse, p. 102.
AERIAL TRANSPORTATION.
MR. JOHN QUINCY ADAMS, of Ohio, was returning
from an absence, " when within about four miles of
home, traveling on foot upon a turnpike, when he
came to a c bye-path,' which he took, as it was a
nearer way home than the main road. After he
had followed this path about three hundred yards




18     SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRIST!ANIITY.
(it was then between sundown and clark) he was,
by an invisible power, lifted from the ground and
carried though the air over the path, hormeward,
with such astonishing rapidity that he was unable
to count the panels of a fence along which he was
carried, and which he was impressed to number.
He was transported thus nearly a mile. WVhile he
was being carried, a hand-saw and a square, which
he held in his hands, were beaten together, and a
delightful tune rang out. A brilliant light, apparently about four feet in circumference, shone out a
short distance before him as he glided through the
air." —Spiritual %Telegrapoh, July 19, 1855.
A WRESTLING SPIRIT.
" Several friends had come together to witness the
strange power that seemed to be at work at the
house of brother J. A. While the rapping was
going on, one of the company denounced the whole
thing —said he did not believe it was spirits; or if
it was, they could not rap and move tables, etc.
He defied and dared the spirits, saying he could
throw down or whip any spirit.  The Doctor then
inquired of the spirit that was rapping at the time,
if he could wrestle; he said he could.  He thene
asked if he was willing to wrestle and show fight
with that gentlemnan; he said he was. The brave
man then told the spirit to follow him out into the
yard, and started, all the circle rising from  the
table when it commenced moving towards the man,




MODERN WONDERS.               19
and hit him several hard blows before he reached
the door, which hastened his steps; and as he passed
out the table was thrown at him, only missing hirm
a little, striking the door-facing about midway,
denting and scaring the facing, bursting off the
top of the table, breaking the legs, and leaving indentations as though bullets and shot had been fired
into it.
" When the spirit-fighter had reached the yard he
began striking, jumping as though he was contending with flesh and blood, manifesting all the signs
of determined bravery to fight it out to the last.
He was several times thrown hard on the ground,
then struggled and regained his feet, and down
he would come again.   This mode of testing
the invisible continued until the spirit's adversary
was sorely wounded and worried out of breath and
strength. He finally regained his foothold, made a
hasty retreat into the house, up a flight of stairs,
and taking to himself a private room, closed the
door after him, declaring he never wanted to fight
spirits any more, and that if they would let him
alone he would them.-S. ID. PAGE, Purdy, Ohio,
June 19, 1853."-Teegrcaph Pasers, vol. 2, p. 72.
PALACES OF THE SPIRITS.
According to  /r. Partridge, of the Telegraph,
some of the most remarkable manifestations have
occurred in 3Milfield, Athens county, Ohio,  The
family of [r. Jonathan Koons had been holding in



20     SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
tercourse with the spirits, when one night they made
such a noise about his house that the family were
afraid it would be torn down over their heads. Mr,
Koons directed his son to go to the table, and take a
pencil and paper and find out " what the devils
wanted."  The spirits requested that an "' Electrical Table" should be made for their use.  Subsequently the table was commenced according to their
directions; but as its machinery proved defective,
Mr, Koons determined to destroy it, when "frightful noises were again heard about his house, resembling the falling of trees, sometimes upon the
roof of his dwelling, and sounds as if logs were
rolled over it, and falling heavily upon the ground.
His furniture was also moved about fearfully as before,"
" The table was finally completed.  The spirits
then demanded that a variety of musical instruments should be procured. The instruments were
purchased and placed around the table as the spirits
ordered.  The presiding genius called his name
Kinfg. He said he had lived on this earth, 14,500
years ago, and had been acquainted, as a spirit, with
MJIoses and the prophets, Christ and the Apostles.
" After these things were arranged they heard
human voices, but could not distinguish words. The
sounds appeared like shrieks, except at times they
would attempt to speak through the harmonica, and
then they could distinguish words. The spirits requested them to obtain a tin horn two feet long,




MODERN WONDERS.               21
two inches in diameter at the large end and oneeighth of an inch at the smallest part near the
mouth.  Through this horn the spirits speak audibly, so as to be plainly understood.  They say this
horn facilitates articulation, in helping to compress
the atmosphere or direct the forces necessary to the
utterance.' The spirits requested them  to build a room
which is about eighteen by fifteen feet, and about
nine feet high. This is built of logs with mud between, in the way that the cabins at the west are
usually constructed.  There is one door and one
window in it.  When these are closed the room is
dark.  The electrical table is placed at one end of
the room, leaving space sufficient for a person to
pass behind it. In the other end of the room there
are several tiers of seats running entirely across the
room, rising one above the other. There is a round
table placed near the centre of the room, in front
of this electrical machine, and between it and the
audience. Upon this table, instrumlents, paper and
pencils are placed, and with these the spirits play
and write.
" Another room has been erected and similarly
arranged by spirit direction, by Mr. John Tippie,
some three miles from  Mir. Koons, at which place
similar manifestations occur.
a"I attended three public circles in the spirithouse of Mlr. Koons, and three in the spirit-house
of Mr. Tippie; they are situated about three miles




22     SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
apart; the rooms and manifestations are very similar, although the electrical tables, so called, differ
somewhat in their construction; the presiding
spirits are of the same name, King; they claim to
be father and son.
" These rooms will seat about twenty-five or
thirty persons each, and are usually full.  Many
times, while I was there, more persons desired to go
in. than the house would hold, and some of them had
to remain outside. They could hear the music and
the spirits' conversation just as well.  They only
had to forego being touched by spirits and seeing
them. The music is heard, under favorable circumstances, at the distance of one mile, or as far as any
band of martial music can be heard. After the
circle is formed, the door and window are shut, the
light is usually extinguished, and almost instantaneously a tremendous blow with the large drumstick
is struck on the table, when immediately the bass and
tenor drums are beaten rapidly, like calling the roll
no the muster-field, waking a thousand echoes. The
rapid and tremulous blows on these drum are really
frightful to many persons.  This beating of the
drums is continued five minutes or more, and when
ended, King usually takes up the trumpet and salutes us with " Good evening, friends," or something
like it, and often asks what particular manifestations are desired. If none are specially asked for,
King often asks Mr. Koons to play on the violin,
the spirit-band playing at the same time on the




MODERN WONDERS.               23
drums, triangle, tambourine, harp, accordeon, harmonica, etc., etc.; upon these the spirits perform
scientifically, in very quick and perfect time. They
commence upon each instrument at one instant, and
in full blast, and stop suddenly after sounding the
full note, showing that they have some more perfect
method than we have of notifying each performer
of the instant to start and stop. After the introductory piece on the instruments, the spirits often
sing. I heard them sing.  They spoke to us, requesting us to remain perfectly silent.  Presently
we heard human voices singing, apparently in the
distance, so as to be scarcely distinguishable; the
sounds gradually increased, each part relatively,
until it appeared as if a full choir of human voices
were in our small room, singing most exquisitely.  I
think I never heard such perfect harmony; each
part was performed with strict attention to its relative degree of sound or force.... I don't know
that the spirits attempted to utter words with their
song; if they did, they succeeded in this particular
no better than modern singers.  But it was hardly
necessary for the spirits to articulate, for every strain
and modulation seemed pregnant with holy sentiments, and language could scarcely signify more.
After this vocal performance, several pieces of quick
music were performed by spirits on the several instruments. They play faster than mortals generally
do, and in most perfect time throughout.  If any
instrument gets out of chord, they tune it; they




24     SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
tuned the violin in my presence, and did it rapidly
and skillfully.
"Spirits' hands and arms were reorganized in our
presence, on several of these occasions; and that
we might see them  more distinctly they sometimes
wet their hands with a weak solution of _phosphorus
-which Mr. Koons prepared some time previous by
their request-which emits a light so that their
hands can be almost as distinctly seen in a dark
room as they could be if the room were lighted. At
one of these circles which I attended, there were
three hands which had been covered with this solution of phosphorus, and we all saw them passing
swiftly around the room, over our heads, carrying
the instruments, and playing upon the violin, accordeon, triangle, harmonica and tambourine, n Iid all
keeping perfect time.  These instruments were
moved so swiftly and near the faces of the audienceour own among them-that we felt the cool atmospheric current as distinctly as we do that produced
by a fan. Several of the company in different parts
of the room remarked thai they not only felt this
disturbance of the air, but heard it, and distinctly
saw the hand and instrument pass close to their
faces. Several of us requested the spirits to place
these instruments in our hands, or touch us on our
heads or other parts of our bodies; and in most
cases it was instantly done. I held up my hands,
and requested the spirits to beat time with the tambourine on my hands.  They did so, and gave me




MODERN WONDERS.               25
more than I asked for, by striking my knees, hands
and head in a similar manner. I have seen the tambourine players in the minstrel bands in New York;
I have seen the best performers in the country; but
they cannot perform equal to these spirits. The
perfect time, and the rapidity with which they beat,
is truly surprising.
" Spirit-hands with phosphorous upon them passed
around the room, opening and shutting, and exhibiting them in various ways and positions, which no
mortal hand could assume or occupy-demonstrating them to be veritable spirit-hands, physically organized.  The phosphorescent illumination from
these hands was so distinct, that it occurred to me
I could see to read by it; and I took a pamphlet
from my pocket, and asked the spirit to place the
hand over it, that I might see if I could read by the
light. The spirit did so, when I at once perceived
that I held the pamphlet wrong end up. I turned
it, and could read. The members of the circle remarked that they could see very plainly my hands,
face, and the pamphlet I held, and as distinctly could
see the spirit's hand and a portion of the arm.  I
then put out my hands, and asked the spirits to
shake hands with me; they did so almost instantly.
I then asked them to let me examine their hands;
and they placed them in mine, and I looked at them
and felt them until I was entirely satisfied. Others
asked the same favor, and it was readily granted
them. These spirit-hands appeared to be reorgan2




26     SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITYo
ized from the same elements that our hands are;
and, except that they had a kind of tremulous motion, and some of them being cold and death-like,
we could not by our senses distinguish them from
hands of persons living in the form.
"The spirit-hand took a pen, and we all distinctly
saw it write on paper which was lying on the table;
the writing was executed much more rapidly than I
ever saw mortal hand perform; the paper was then
handed to me by the spirit, and I still retain it in
my possession. At the close of the session the spirit
of King, as is his custom, took up the trumpet and
gave a short lecture through it-speaking audibly
and distinctly, presenting the benefits to be derived,
both in time and eternity, from intercourse with
spirits, and exhorting us to be discreet and bold' in
speech, diligent in our investigations;, faithful to the
responsibilities which these privileges impose, charitable towards those who are in ignorance and error,
tempering our zeal with wisdom; and finally closing
with a benediction.
" I am aware that these facts so much transcend
the ordinary experience of mortals, that few persons
can accept them as true on any amount of testimony.
I obtained the address of the following named persons, and hope they will excuse me for the liberty I
take in referring to them in this connection, for the
confirmation of my statements. They were present
at some or all the circles which I attended, when
these manifestations occurred: RI. I. Butterfield,




PIERITUALISM3 IN CHINA.           27
Cleveland, Ohio; William  D. Young, Covington,
Ind.; George and David Brier, Rainsville; Ind.,
David Edgar and daughter, Iercer county, Pa.; S.
Van Sickles, Delaware, O.;. S.  D )ean, Andrew
Ogg, George Walker, and son, Amesville, 0.; Azel
Johnson, Milfield, 0.; W. S. Watkins, New York;
Thomas Morris and wife, Dover, O.; Dr. George
Carpenter, Athens, 0.; Thomas VW hite, Mount
Pleasant, O.  Many other persons were present,
whose names I did not learn.-CHARLES PARTIDGE." —S.oziritual Telegraph, July 7, 14, 21, 1855.
SPIRITUALISM IN CHINA,
Thle Overland China Mail of June 6, 1854, contains an account of spirit-manifestations in China,
by Dr.  acgowan, of Ningpoo.
He says they have had the table tippings, or rather
whirlings, and spirit-writings there for a long time.
Writing is performed with a pencil or a chopstick,
on a table which has been covered over thinly with
bran, flour, dust or any powder to receive the com-munications,
" In a great number of cases the characters thus
traced will be found in perfect accordance with the
best style of composition, accurately communicating
things altogether unknown to the operators.' There is probably not a native living —Pagan
or Christian, Jew or Mallomedan, or anything else,
who does not religiously believe it to be owing to
supernatural agency; and in support of that belief,




28     SPIRlTUALISY. VERSUS CHRISTIANI'iY.
almost any of them will give narratives, which, to
say the least, must be admitted to be extremely curious; for, say they, if you invoke the presence of a
ghost by suitable religious ceremonies, you will asmost invariably have characters traced on the table
by a spirit, which generally reveals something occult
and mysterious.' "Mr. Li is now a fugitive, in danger of losing his
head in consequence of revelations the Kwei or demons made to him  a few months ago, respecting a
new aspirant to the throne of this empire.  Three
of his accomplices were beheaded a few days since
for the part they took in the affair!! We can imagine that some occidental practitioners of the art
will claim superiority over their colaborators in the
far east, averring that they call up at pleasure the
names of Bacon, Franklin, and other sages; and,
as one writes with delectable naivete, possessing the
ability to consult departed greatness,'from a royal
duke down to an American President t' Very well o
The Chinaman is not a whit behind you in that respect.  To select a single illustration-it may be
found in MIorrison's Dictionary: In 1814, a deposed
officer of government was condemned to death for
publishing an answer, which he declared, heb had received in this way from Confucius.  The purport of
the answer was, that the Emperor should depute a
prince to worship at the tombs of his ancestors, instead of going himself; and that the title of' Emperor' should be taken from the demigod KWAN-TI —




SPIRITUALISM IN CHINA.            29
ideas which were declared to breathe the most
daring impiety.  The government commonly discourages the practice.
" Soon after our arrival in NING-POO, in 1843, such
a wonderful impulse was suddenly given to the custom that it could only be compared to the prevalence of an epidemlic.  There was scarcely a house
in which it was not practiced, for a season, almost
daily.  The cause of this remarkable revival of an
old custom  could not be ascertained; but its subsideece, after a short period, was e xpainzed by the
amozunt of mischief occasioned by those who followed or co/fided in the comnmunications from
Hades, and by the complait that little real advantage ever accrued from this form of divination.
" A club of literary graduates were in the habit
of assembling in a Tanist temple for practising the
KI, as the ceremony is called; and many and marvellous are the revelations told of the'spiritual
manifestations' which they elicited.  It was continued for a long time, until the arrival of an intendant, who disproved of the demonaltry; he addressed
the party as a friendly adviser, urging the discontinuance of such practices, on the ground that he
4ad never known any good, but considerable evil to'
result from? them.  His counsel was followed; and
since that tinme this sort of divination has been tried
only occasionally, and by individuals.
" A poor graduate, after worshiping and employing incantations, invoked the presence and instrue



30     SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANI[TY.
tions of his deceased grandfather: whereupon the
pencil traced, in a legible hand, some suggestions,
which were complied with, but wh7ich proved disastrous to the scholar."
DR. DEFXTER, in his introduction to " Spiritualism," says, CC my youngest daughter-scarcely nine
years of age —became visibly agitated all over —her
countenance changed, and she was evidently resisting, with considerable effort, what I supposed a
slight attack of illness from being so long shut up
in one room. I asked her if she was sick.  She replied, " No, but I cannot keep either my body or my
hands still. I am trembling all over."  As soon as
she uttered these words, her hands and arms were
violently shaken.: " " " She became very much
alarmed, and, running to her mother, who was also
deeply moved at this unlooked-for manifestation,
she said, while her voice trenble  with fear, c" 0,
mother, take me away! —take me away 1"  But
her arms were forcibly wrested, as it were, from her
mother's neck, and thrown violently up and down.:':: Being fatigued, about one o'clock, she was
ordered, by the spirits, to leave the circle; and, not
immediately complying with this direction, her chair
was drawn from under her by some invisible agency)
and she fell to the floor."
WVhat a spectacle for parents! iBut, as the
Bible is true, these spirits will " go forth to the
kings of the earth and the whole world"! I




CHAPTER If.
REALITY OF SPIRITUAL INTERCOURSE.
TIE Bible, profane history, and spiritual manifestations establish the fact beyond all successfiul
controversy, that men have had intercourse with
spirits.  The advocate of spiritualism is so strongly
fortified on this point that before all others he prefers such opponents as deny all agency of spirits in
the "manifestations."  Against such a position he
is best prepared to wage a successful warfare.
In all ages persons have claimed to hold intercourse with spirits, whose claims have never been
disproved. It is not to be expected that reflecting
and candid persons who believe in the Divine origin
of the Scriptures, in the midst of such wonders as
surround us, will adopt any theory or philosophical hypothesis to explain these'" manifestations,"
which will not admit of a consistent explanation of
all the spiritual phenomena of the Bible, without
violence to the plain letter of inspiration-its necromancy and familiar spirits-its Egyptian sorcery
and magic-its evocation of Samuel-its pythonric
damsel-inspiration of false prophets-its history of




32       SPIRITUALISM, VERSIUS CHRISTIANITY.
possessions by demons and expulsion of demonsits unclean, wandering and seducing spirits-its
satanic conversations and satanic miracles-its predictions of " devils working miracles," with its witchcraft and worship of devils.  To deny the possible
agency of evil spirits in manifestations like these of
our times, is to deny the truth of the Bible.
JEHOVAH said to Israel: " When thou art come into the land
which the Lord thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do
after the abominations of these nations. There shall not be found
among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass
through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times,
or an enchanter, or a witch, or a charmer, or a consulter with
familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For all that do
these things are an abomination unto the Lord: and because of
these abominations the Lord thy God doth drive them out from
before thee."-Deut. 18: 10-12.
I. DIVINATION.-"'Divination, the art of foretelling future events by previously recognized signs.
The word is derived from  the Latin devinatia, and
that again from  divinus, forming an acknowledgment of the text-' secret things belong to God!'
The Greek word is mnanteia, and this which takes
its derivation from mantis, a prophet or soothsayer,
is generally used in combination to denote the various species of divination.  Thus geomancy, necromancy, cheiromancy, from oe, the earth, nekros, a
dead person; cheir, the hand; and manteia, signifying therefore divination by means of sand or earth,
by calling up the spirits of the dead, and by investigating t1he lines on the palm of the hand.  Divina



REALITY OF SPIRITUAL INTERCOURSE,   3
tion appears to have been early reduced to a kind
of a system, and we find many prohibitions in the
word of God directed against it....The kinds of
divination mentioned in Holy Writ, are1. Cupellomacy, otherwise Berylomacy, divination by the cup or jewel.
2. Rhabdomacy, divination by the wand or arrow.
3. Necromancy, divination by the dead.
4. Splanchnomancy, divination by inspecting the
entrails of victrims.
5. Oneiromancy, divination by dreams.
6. Cleromancy, divination by lot.
7. Idolomancy, divination by teraphim.
8. Phonomancy, divination by voices.
There were some lawful means among the Jews
for inquiring into the future. There were the prophets or seers; there was the Urim and Thummim.
God having thus made provision even for the infirmities of the people, all other modes of obtaining
a knowledge of future events were forbidden under
the severest penalties: to be stoned to death was
the punishment denounced against diviners and
those who consulted them; and it is to be observed,
that none were likely to do so save those who, on
account of the unlawfulness of their designs, could
not consult the lawful oracles, or those to whom, on
account of their offences, these oracles were sealed.
Thus we find Saul declaring to the shade of Samuel:
" God is departed from me, and answereth me no
more, neither by prophets nor by dreams, therefore




34     SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
I have called thee."-(1 Sam. 28: 15.)-Bible
Cylco. Art. Divination.
2. OBSERVER OF TIMES, one who imputes good or
ill fortune to the day when any enterprise is commenced, regarding some days as lucky and other
days as unlucky.
3. ENCHANTER, a person who practices incantation or conjuration; one who calls up spirits by
magic formulas; one who brings into action the
power of spirits.-See Ex. 7 and 8.
4. WITCH, a woman who practices divination by
the aid of evil spirits; one who has a divining spirit
in her; one who exerts supernatural power by the
aid of a familiar spirit; " a medium  for test personations, by which the actual presence" of evil
spirits " can be realized;" a " developing medium."' vWitch, a woman who, by a compact with the
devil, practices sorcery, or enchantment."- Webster.
5. CHARMER, a mesmerizer; a psychologist; one
who entrances by the assistance of evil spirits.
6. CONSULTER WITH FAMILIAR SPIRITS, one who
consults a spirit that is in him, or by which he is
inspired; one who consults an evil or a departed
spirit with which a compact has been made; one
who consults a spirit that inspires another or that
is familiar with another.'Familiar Spirit, a demon or evil spirit, supposed to attend at call." — Webster.
GEsENIUS defines the original of I Sam. 28: 7rendered in our version "'a woman who hath a fa



REALITY OF SPIRITUAL INTERCOURSE,    3
miliar spirit "-" A woman in whom is a divining
spirit."
"M 3ediums" of these days say they have divining
spirits in them.  Some say they have made a compact with spirits to be their constant attendants,
familiars and guardians. Others say that spirits are
obedient to their call.  Thus, Prof. Hare says,
" spirits do exist obedient to his call."
7. WIZARD, a medium for evil spirits, or departed
spirits; " a conjurer or enchanter; a sorcerer."Webster.
8. NECROMANCER.  Necromancy, Greek Necromnanteia, is derived from Nekros, dead, and Mantis, a diviner.  It signifies divination or the revealing of secrets by the assistance of the dead.
" Necromantis, one who reveals future events by
communication with the dead." —D onnegan —  ebster.
9. SOOTHSAYER, a prognosticator, a foreteller; one
who undertakes to tell future events without reliance on Divine inspiration.  Balaam, who went to
curse Israel, is styled a soothsayer.-Joshua 13: 22.
10. MAGIC, the art or science of putting into
action the power of spirits; or the science of producing effect by the aid of departed spirits.- Webster.
Jannes and Jambres, who withstood Moses, were
styled magicians and sorcerers.
11. SORcERY, magic; with craft; or divination
with the assistance of evil spirits.- Webster.




3G     SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
In Revelation 21: 8, sorcerers are classed with
murderers, and doomed to perdition.
MIT.  BRITTAN, Editor of the Sp)iritual Telegracgh,
expressed his belief to the writer, that the Bible
justifies intercourse with spirits; that only the
idolatrousfornm of spiritual intercourse is forbidden.
This is a mistake. Our quotation fronm Deuteronomy prohibits it in six specifications, neither of which
involve idolatry.  All these, with soothsaying and
magic, are comprised in sorcery, which is treated as
a heinous crime.  " Sorcerers... shall have their
part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone." —Rev. 21: 8.
Some persons contend that sorcerers, necromancers, and witches, were always mere pretenders, and
never had anything to do with spirits. This is incredible. The signs imputed to them, the forms of
expression employed, the statements made concerning them, and the severe penalties decreed against
their offences, prove the contrary.
1. The signs wrought by the magicians in Egypt
— such as changing rods to serpents, water to blood,
and bringing up frogs into all the land, prove the
aid of superhuman power. —See Ex. 7 and 8.
2. The forms of expression employed concerning
them-"-' A consulter with familiar spirits" —"'  A
man or a woman that I-IATH a farmiliar spirit;" not
pretendeth to have a familiar spirit.  "T/he soul that
turneth after such as havefamiliar spirits." These
passages prove that some persons really had farni



REALITY OF SPIRITUAL INTERCOURSE.   37
liar spirits, and were not mere pretenders.  The
Bible exposes pretenders, and would have exposed
these if they had been such in this respect; but it
does not contain the least hint of the kind.
GESENIUS, the Hebrew Lexicographer, thus defines: Ob, (Plu. Oboth) nekromantis, or nekuomantis, i. e. a necromancer, sorcerer, conjurer, who
professes to call up the dead by means of incantations and magic formulas, in order that they may
give responses as to doubtful or future things, specially put (a) for the divining spirit, the foreboding
demon, python, supposed to be present in the body
of such a conjurer. Lev. 20: 27.  A man or a
woman who hath the spirit of divination, Engl.'familiar spirit."  1 Sam. 28: 8.  Cosomi-na li
baob, divine unto me by the foreboding spirit;
whence such a sorceress is called esheth baalath ob,
a woman in whom is a divining spirit, I Sam. 28:
7, 8.-(b) for the dead, the shade or spirit evoked.
Isa. 29: 4, Vehayah kiob mderetz kolek, and thy
voice shall be like a shade out of the ground.
Observe, according to Gesenius, Saul's order to
his servants literally rendered, was-"-' Seek me a
woman in whom is a divining spirit." —1 Samuel
28: 7.
" Baalath-6b," says the Bible Cyclopedia, " rendered in our version' one that hath a familir spirit,'
signifies literally' a mistress of inflation or swelling;'
the pretenders to prophecy, among the heathen, as
serted that a spirit of divination entered into them,




38       SPI1trITUA/LISm   VEIRSUS CHRISTIANITY.
and caused their persons to swell out to an unusual
size. Virgil has described an inflated prophetess of
this kind:"The virgin cries the God! behold the God!
And straight her visage and her color change,
Her hair's dishevelled, and her heaving breast
"And laboring heart are swollen with sacred rage.
Larger she seems, her voice no mortal sound,
As the inspiring God, nearer and more near,
Seizes her soul."-_-neid, vi.
Virgil's description of the appearance of the prophetess is so analagous to the effect sometimes produced  by  the  spirits  on  the  "mediums" of our
times, that no person who  has witnessed  the  entrancement of the latter can fail to discover that
the operations are identical.
The case of the pythonic damsel of Philippi is in
point;
" And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel
possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her
masters much gain by soothsaying. The same followed Paul and
us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high
God, which shew unto us the way of salvation. And this did she
many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the
spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out
of her. And he came out the same hour. And when her masters
saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and
Silas, and drew them into the marketplace unto the rulers.-Acts
16: 16-18.
Says a writer " we have here an  unquestionable
proof of such a communication of superhuman knowledge.  It may be first observed, that the term  used




REALITY OF SPIRITUAL INTERCOURSE.    39
by the sacred writer to describe this woman's occupation, manteuomai, and which our translators have
rendered I soothsaying,' signifies' toforetell divine,.prophesy, DELIVER AN ORACLE.'  It is precisely the
same word which is'used by Herodotus when referring to the divination of the Scythians, (Lib. 4, cap.
67,) and which is also employed by him when speaking of the famous oracle at Delphi. (Lib. 6, cap.
76; et lib. 8, cap. 38.)   The  case is, therefore,
strictly in point.
" In this instance, then, it is clear that an evil
spirit gave to  the woman the  power of making
superhuman, or oracular, communications.   The
presence and power of this spirit were absolutely
necessary to the production of those results; for,
when the demon was expelled, her masters c saw that
the hope of their gains was gone,' and their chagrin
and rage led to a fierce persecution."
3. The severe penalties decreed against sorcerers,
witches and consulters with familiar spirits, and
those who possessed them, prove they were not mere
pretenders. It is incredible to suppose that Jehovah
aimed at a mere pretence, when from the thunders
of Sinai he decreed to Israel;
" TLhou shalt not stffer a witch to live!"-Ex. 22: 18.
" The soul that turneth after such as have familiar s2pirits, and
after wizards, to go a whoring after them, I will even set my face
against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people. A
man also or woman that hath a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard,
shall surely be put to death: they shall stone them with stones.Lev. 20: 6, 27.




40       SPIRITUALISM  VERSUS CHRISTIANITY,
Now, let those who in the face of such language
as this, deny that the offenders here named had intercourse with spirits, take the responsibility of asserting  that JEHOVAH  legislated  against nonentities!
" Both the law and the history therefore concede,"
says  Mr. Beecher,  " the  reality of the  practice
doomed with death, and the reason of the penalty is
manifest.   Polytheism  was the disease to be cauterized.   The worship of the dead was the root of
Polytheism. Converse with the dead was the root
of worship. Odylic arts were the. root of converse.
Therefore the law struck at the root by prohibiting
the whole  on the  pain  of death." —Beecher's Beview, p, 44.
The New Testament history of Demoniacs proves
that spiritual intercoburse is real.
" And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the
country of the Gadarenes. And when he was once out of the ship,
immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man
could bind him, no, not with chains: because that he had been
often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been
plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither
could any man tame him. And always, night and day, he was in
the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with
stones. But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshiped
him, and cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with
thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by
God, that thou torment me not. For he said unto him, Come out
of the man, thou unclean spirit. And he asked him, What is thy
name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are
many. And he besought him much that he wonuld not send them




REALITY  OF SPIRITUAL INTERCOURSE.                  41
away out of the country. Now there was there nigh unto the
mountains a great herd of swine feeding. And all the devils besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter
into them. And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd
ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about
two thousand;) and were choked in the sea. And they that fed
the swine fled, and told it in the city, and in the country. And
they went out to see what it was that was done. And they come
to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had
the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they
were afraid. And they that saw it told them how it befel to him
that was possessed with the devil,* and also concerning the swine.
And they began to pray him to depart out of their coasts."-Mark
5: 1-17.' ~[ As they went out, behold, they brought to him a dumb man
possessed with a devil.  And when the devil was cast out, the
dumb spake: and the multitude marvelled, saying, It was never
so seen in Israel."-Mat. 9: 32.
"And one of the multitude answered and said, Master, I have
brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit; And wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him: and lie foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away: And they brought him unto
him: and when he saw him, straightway the spirit tare him; and
he fell on the ground, and wallowed foaming. And he asked his
*The original word is daimon, or daimonion-demon, in all similar
cases in the New Testament. These terms are never applied to Satan. He
is styled diabolus, Beelzebub, ect.
Rev. A, Campbell says: "This evil spirit, whose official titles are the
Serpent, the Devil, and Satan, is always found in the singular number in
both the Hebrew and Greek Scriptures; while demon is found in both numbers. indicating sometimes one, and sometimes a legion."
"In the Scriptures the Greek daimon is rendered devil, and sometimes,
at least, improperly; for nothing is more certain than that different beings
are intended by diabolus and daimon."-WFVebster.  Diabolus is evidently
the Chief of " the angels that sinned." Christ alludes to his fall, saying:
" He was a murderer from the beginning and abode not in the truth."John 8: 44




42       SPIRITUALISMI VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
father, how long is it ago since this came unto him?  And he said,
Of a child. And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into
the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have
compassion on us, and help us. Jesus said unto him, If thou canst
believe, all things are possible to him that believetlh. And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord,
I believe; help thou mine unbelief. When Jesus saw that the
people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying
unto him, T7'Ho?  dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of
him, and enter no more into him.  And tie spirit cried, and rent
him sore, and came out of him: and he was as one dead; insomuch that many said, He is dead.  But Jesus took him by the
hand, and lifted him up; and he arose."-Mark 9: 17-29.
" And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul: So
thatfrom his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or
aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits
went out of them. Then certain of the vagabond Jews, exorcists,
took upon them to call over them which had evil spirits the name
of the Lord Jesus, saying, We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul
preacheth. And there were seven sons of oze Sceva, a Jew, acd,
chief of the priests, which did so. And the evil spirit answered
and said, Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are ye? And
the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them and overcame
them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that
house naked and wounded.  And this was known to all the Jews
and Greeks also dwelling at Ephesus; and fear fell on them  all,
and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.  And many that
believed came, and confessed, and shewed their deeds. Many of
them also which used curious arts brought their books together,
and burned them befbre all men: and they counted the price of
them, and found it fifty thousand fieces of silver.*  So mightily
grew the word of God and prevailed." —Acts 12: 43-45.
Does any one suppose that the so-called spirit
possessions  were  only  lunacy?   Demoniacs  are
clearly distinguished from lunatics.
* According to some the Libraries of these sorcerers cost $28,000.




REALITY OF SPIRITUAL INTERCOURSE.    43
"And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought
unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and
torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those
which were luznatic, and those that had the palsy; and he healed
them."-Mat. 4: 24.
Some persons contend that these descriptions of
possessions by evil spirits, their expulsion and habits are only eastern metaphors. If this were true,
it would prove the existence of the spirits, and reality of the possessions, as a shadow proves the existence of a substance, from  which it is cast.  It
would be as difficult to find a metaphor of a metaphor as to find a shadow of a shade.
"' On the principle that every demon is an eastern metaphor," says an  eminent scholar, " how
incomparably more eloquept than Demosthenes or
Cicero, was he that had at one time a legion of
eastern metaphors within him struggling for utterance!  No wonder, then, that the swine herds of
Gadara were overwhelmed by the moving eloquence
of their herds, as they rushed with such pathos into
the deep waters of the dark Galilee!
" I am sure that the Gadarene speculators were
cured of their belief in eastern metaphors when
they saw their hopes of gain forever buried in the
lake of Gennesereth.  It requires a degree of gravity bordering on the superlative, to speculate on a
hypothesis so singularly fanciful and baseless as
that which converts both reason and eloquence,
deafness and dumness into one and the same metaphor.




44     SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
"' It is reported by Matthew and Luke, and almost
in the same words.'When the unclean spirit,'
says Jesus,' is gone out of man, he walketh through
dry places, seeking rest and finding none. Then
he saith, I will return into my house from  whence
I came out; and when he is come he findeth it
empty, swept and garnished.  Then he goeth and
taketh with himself seven other spirits more wicked
than himself, and they enter in and dwell there;
and the last state of that man is worse than the
first. Even so shall it be also to this wicked generation.' On which observe, that'unclean spirits'
is another name for demons-that is, a metaphor of
a metaphor; for if demons are metaphors for diseases, the unclean spirits are metaphors of metaphors, or shadows of shades. Again, the Great
Teacher is found not only for once departing from
himself, but also from all human teachers of renown, in basing a parable upon a parable, or a shadow upon a shade, in drawing a similitude from a
simile. His object was to illustrate the last state of
the Jews. This he attempts by the adventures of
a demon-first being dispossessed, finding no rest,
and returning with others more wicked than himself to the man from whom he was driven. Now if
this was all a figure, to illustrate a figure, the
Saviour has done that which he never before
attempted, inasmuch as his parables are all founded
not upon fiction, but upon facts —upon the actual
manners and customs, the incidents and usages of
society.




REALITY OF SPIRITUAL INTERCOURSE.    e
"C That must be a desperate position to sustain
which degrades the Saviour as a teacher below the
rank of the most ordinary instructors of any age.
The last state of the Jews compared to a metaphor!
-compared to a nonentity!-compared to a fiction!"
" WVhen I read of the number of demons in particular persons," says a very distinguished  Bible
critic, " and see their actions expressly distinguished from those of the man possessed; conversations
held by the demons about their disposal after their
expulsion; and accounts given how they were actually disposed of; when I find desires and passions
ascribed peculiarly to them; and similitudes taken
from their manners and customs, it is impossible for
me to deny their existence, without admitting that
the sacred historians were themselves deceived in
regard to them, or intended to deceive their readers."
After many of the Indians of Martha's Vineyard
were converted to Christ, they testified that before
their conversion they really had intercourse with
demons.
At the present day, as Roberts informs us, "C the
universal opinion in the east is, that devils have
the power to enter into and take possession of men,
in the same sense as we understand it to have been
the case, as described by the sacred writers. I
have often seen the poor objects who were believed
to be under demonical influence, and certainly, in
some instances, I found it no easy matter to ac



46      SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
count for their conduct on natural principles; I
have seen them writhe and tear themselves in the
most frantic manner.  They burst asunder the cords
with which they were bound, and fell on the ground
as if dead. At one time they are silent and again
most vociferous; they dash with fury among the
people, and loudly pronounce their imprecations.
But no sooner does the exorsist come forward, than
the victim becomes the subject of new emotions;
he stares, talks incoherently, sighs and falls on the
ground; and in the course of an hour, is as calm
as any who are around him. Those men who profess to eject devils, are frightful looking creatures,
and are seldom associated with, except in the discharge of their official duties. It is a fact, that
they effect to eject the evil spirits by their prince
of devils.  Females are much more subject to these
affections than men, and Friday is the  day of all
others on which they are most liable to be attacked."
Bible Cyclo. Art. Possession.
It is no evidence that one is a saint because he
casts out devils.  Says Christ,
"Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not
prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils?
and in thy name done many wonderful works?
"And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." —Math. vii: 22.




CHAPTER III.
NECROMANCY IS REAL AND SINFUL,
" There shall not be found among you, a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer, for all that do these
things are an abomination unto the LoRD."-Deut. xviii: 11, 12.
NECROMANCY is forbidden by Jehovah, treated
in the Scriptures as a reality, and one of the greatest crimes.  God has decreed that no man can be
just who consults the dead. In consistency and
equity he must also have decreed that spirits of the
dead cannot be righteous who converse with men.
Hence necromancers cannot hold intercourse with
departed saints.  The spirits of all saints ascend
to heaven at death.
"The body without the spirit is dead."-James ii: 26.
"And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord
Jesus, receive my spirit."-Acts vii: 59.
"I am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day."-2 Tim. i: 12.
" Verily I say unto thee, To-day shalt thou be with me in paradise." —Luke xxiii: 43.
"Whilst we are at home in the body we are absent from the
Lord... We are.. willing rather to be absent from the body
and present with the Lord."-2 Cor. v: 6.




48      SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
" Having a desire to depart and be with C/hrist."-Phil. i: 23.
When Paul was about to be executed he wrote:
" The time of my departure is at hand."-2 Tim. iii: 6.
" Shortly I must put off this tabernacle."-2 Pet. i: 14.' Then shall the dust return to dust as it was: and the spirit
[of the saint] shall return unto God who gave it."-Ecl. xii: 7.
But to the unbelieving Christ said,
"Ye shall die in your sins: whither I go ye cannot come." —
John viii: 21.
Now since the departed saints are with Christ in
heaven, and sinners are excluded, it is not unreasonable to suppose that the spirits of the wicked are on
the earth with their leader, who " goeth about like
a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour."
The course pursued by the woman of Endor,
proves that she professed to call up the dead. Isa.
8: 19, shows that "familiar spirits" were believed
to be spirits of " the dead-"
" And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have
familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep and that mutter:
should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the
dead 2'
The woman of Endor had a familiar spirit which
was believed to be a departed spirit, and she professed to be a necromancer.  Nothing is said in the
Bible to show that these claims were false.  So far
from it, the language of Isaiah proves that necromancy  was a reality, and  familiar  spirits were
spirits of the dead. If this had not been true,
the pretence and deception would have been exposed, especially as this very belief and practice




NECROMANCY REAL AND SINFUL.          49
wa-s the chief root of all arts of divination and all
idolatry.
The fac that Jehovah has made a law  with a
capital penalty against the discovery of secrets by
the assistance of the dead, is  ufficient of itself to
prove that necromancy was a reality.  The penalty
is decreed against the practice, not against the pretence; and the id-ea that God has forbidden an impos8ibility on pain of death, is too absurd to be tolerated for a moment I
The following argument in proof that the demnons noticed in the New Testament, were departed
spirits, was given by Rev. A. Campbell, in a popular lecture in Nashville,' Tenn., March 10, 1841.
"W WVe have from a carefulsurvey of the history of
the term demon, concluded that the demons of Paganism, Judaism, and Christianity, were the spirits
of dead men.
1. All the Pagan authors of any note, whose
works have survived the wreck of ages, affirm the
opinion that demons were the spirits of dead men.
From iHesiod down to the more polished Celsus,
their historians, poets, and philosophers occasionally
express this opinion.
2. The Jewish historians, Josephus and Philo,
also avow this conviction. Josephus says,' Demons are spirits of wicked men who enter into living men and destroy them, unless they are so happy
as to meet with speedy relief.'": Philo says' The
souls of dead men are called demons.'




50     SPIRITUALISSM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
3. The Christian Fathers Justin, Marty, Ireneus,
Origen, &c., depose to the same effect.  Justin,
when arguing for a future state, alleges,' Those
who are seized and tormented by the souls of the
dead, whom all call demons, and madmen.t
Lardner, after examining with the most laborious care the works of these, and all the Fathers of
the first two centuries, says,' The notion of demons, or the souls of dead men, having power over
living men, was universally prevalent among the
heathen of those times, and believed by many Christians.':
4. The Evangelists and Apostles of Jesus Christ
so understood the matter.
As this is very important, and of itself a sufficient pillar on which to rest our edifice, we shall
be at more pains to illustrate and enforce it: we
shall first state the philological law or canon of criticism, on the generality and truth of which all our
dictionaries, grammars, and translations are formed.
Every word not specially explained or defined in
a particular sense, by any standard writer of any
particular age and country, is to be taken and applied in the current or commonly received signification of that country and age, in which the writer
lived and wrote.
* De Bello Jud. cap. viii: 25; cap. vi: sec. 3.
f Jus. Apol., b. i., p. 65, par. 12, p. 54.
Vol. viii., p. 368.




NECROMANCY REAL AND SINFUL.         51
If this canon of translation and of criticism be
denied, then we affirm there is no value in dictionaries, nor in the acquisition of ancient languages in
which any book was written; nor is there any confidence to be placed in any translation of any work,
sacred or profane; for they are all made upon the
assumption of the truth of this law.
We have, then, only to ask, first, for the current
signification of the term  demon in Judea, at the
Christian era; and, in the second place, Did the inspired writers ever give any special definition to it?
We have already found an answer to the first in
the Greeks and Jews of the apostolic age —also, in
the preceding and subsequent age. We have heard
Josephus, Philo, Lucian, Justin, and Lardner, from
whose writings and affirmations we are expressly
told what the universal acceptation of the term was
in Judea and in those times; and in the second
place the apostles and our Lord, as already said,
use this word in various forms seventy-eight times,
and on no occasion give any hint of a special, private, or peculiar interpretation of it; which was not
their method when they used a term  either not
generally understood, or understood in a special
sense. Does any one ask the meaning of the word
Messiah, prophet, priest, elder, deacon, presbyter,
altar, sacrifice, Sabbath, circumcision, &c.?  We
refer himl to the current signification of these words
among the Jews and Greeks of that age.  Why
then should any one except the term  demon from




52       SPIRITUALISM  VERSUS CHRISTIANITYo
the universal law?  Are we not, therefore, sustained
by the highest and most authoritative decision of
that literary tribunal by whose rules and decrees all
works sacred and profane, are translated  from  the
dead to a living tongue          W Ve are, then, fully authorized to say, that the demons of the New  Testament were the spirits of dead men.
5. But distinct evidence of the historic kind, and
rather as confirmatory of our views than of the authority of inspired authors, I adduce as a separate
and  independent witness, a very explicit and decisive  passage  from  the  epistle  to the  Smyrneans,
written by the celebrated Ignatius, the disciple of
the Apostle John.  He quotes the words of the Lord
to Peter, when Peter supposed  he saw a spirit or a
ghost.  But he quotes him  thus, "C Handle me and
see, for I am  not a daimon asonzaton-a disembodied  demon;"-a  spirit without  a body.   This
places the matter above  all doubt, that with them
of that day a demon and a ghost: were equivalent
terms.
6. We also deduce an argument from  the word
* Our Saxon forefathers, of whom we have no good reason to be ashamed.
were wont to call the spirits of men, especially when separated from their
bodies, ghosis. Guest and ghost, with them, if not synonymous, were, at
least cousins-german.  They regarded the body as the house, and therefore called the spirit the guest; for guest and ghost are two branches from
the same root. William Tyndale, the martyr, of excellent memory, in his
version of the New Testament, the prototype of that of King James, very
judiciously makes the 1Ioly Spirit of the Old Testament the Holy Ghost of
the New; because, in his judgment, it was the promised guest of the Christian temple.




NECROMIANCY REAL AND SINFUL.        55
angel. This word is of Biblical origin, and confined
to those countries in which that volume is found. It
is not found in all the Greek poets, orators, or historians, so far as known to me. Of that rank of
beings to whom Jews and Christians have applied
this official title, the Pagan nations seem never to
have had the first conception. It is, therefore, certain that they could not use the term  detmon as a
substitute interchangeable with the word angel-as
indicative of an intermediate order of intelligent
beings above men, and between them and the Divinity. They had neither the name nor the idea of
an angel in their mythology.  Philo the Jew has,
indeed, said that amongst the Jews the word demon
and the word angel were sometimes used in interchangeably; anid some have thence inferred that
lapsed angels were called demons. But this is not
a logical inference: for the Jews called the winds,
the pestilence, the lightnings of heaven, &c., angels,
as indicative of their agency in accomplishing the
will of God. In this sense, indeed, a demon might
be offcially called an angel.  But in this sense,
demon is to angel as the species to the genus: we
can call a demon an angel, but we cannot call an
angel a demon-just as we can call every man an
animal, but we cannot call every animal a man.
But to return to the word angel.  It is a Bible
term, and not being found in all classic, in all mythologic antiquity, could not enter into the Pagan




t54     SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
ideas of a demon.:  Now, that it is not so used in the
Christian Scriptures, is evident for the following reasons; —
1. Angels were never said to enter into any one.
2. Angels have no affection for bodies of any sort,
either as habitations or vehicles of action.
3. Angels have no predilection for tombs and
monuments of the dead.
In these three particulars angels and demons
stand in full contrast, and are contradistinguished
by essentially different characteristics: for1. Demons have entered into human bodies and
into the bodies of inferior creatures.
2. Demons evince a peculiar affection for human
bodies, and seem to desire them both as vehicles of
action and as places of habitation.
3. Demons also evince a peculiar fondness for their
old mortal tenements; hence, we so often read of
them carrying the possessed into the grave-yards, the
tombs, and sepulchres, where, perchance, their old
mortalities lay in ruins. From which facts we argue,
as well as from the fact that the Pagans had neither
Devil, nor angel, nor Satan, in their heads before the
Christian times, that when they, or the Christians,
or the Jews, spoke of demons, they could not mean
any intermediate rank of spirits, other than the
spirits of dead men.  Hence, in no instance in holy
* The meaning of Mr. C. obviously is that the Pagans knew of no angels
which were an order of spirits-their angels were only earthly messengers.




NECROMANCY REAL AND SINFUL.         55
writ can we find demon and angel used as convertible
terms. Is it not certain then that they are the
spirits of dead men?
Statutes, indeed, are ordained and laws promulgated from Mount Sinai in Arabia, from the voice
of the Eternal King, against the worship of demons,
the consultation of familiar spirits, the practice of
necromancy, and all the arts of divination. Hence
we affirm that the doctrine of a separate state-of
disembodied spirits, or demons-of necromancy and
divination, is a thousand years older than Homer or
Hesiad, than any Pagan historian, philosopher, or
poet whatever.
They make but little argumentative gain who assume that demons are lapsed angels rather than human spirits; for who will not admit that it may be
more easy for a demon than an angel who has a
spiritual body of his own, to work by the machinery
of a human body, and to excite the human passions to any favorite course of action! Were this
not the fact, they must have tenanted the human
body to little purpose, if a perfect stranger to all its
rooms and doors could, on its first introduction,
move through them as easily as they.
"If weak thy faith, why choose the harder side 2"
7. To this we add the testimony of James, who
says the demons believe and tremble for their doom.
Now, all eminent critics concur that the spirits of
wicked men are here intended; and need I add




s56    SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
that oft-repeated affirmation of the demoniacs,  we
know thee, Jesus of Nazareth; art thou come to
torment us before the time?'  Thus all Scriptural
allusions to this subject authorize the conclusion
that demons are the spirits, and especially wicked
and unclean spirits of dead men. A single saying
in the Apocalypse makes this most obvious. When
Babylon is razed to its foundation, it is said to be
made the habitation of demons-of the spirits of its
sepulchered inhabitants. From these seven sources
of evidence, namely; the Pagan authors, the Jewish
historians, the Christian fathers, the four Evangelists, the Epistle of Ignatius, the acceptation of the
term angel in its contrast with demon, and the internal evidences of the whole New Testament, we
conclude that the demons of the New Testament
were the spirits of wicked men.
May we not henceforth reason from  this point
with all assurance as a fixed and fundamental principle?
In one sentence, then, we conclude that there
is neither reason nor fact-there is no canon of
criticism, no law of interpretation-there is nothing
in human experience or observation-there is nothing in all antiquity, sacred or profane, that' in our
judgment, weighs against the evidence already adduced in the support of the position, that the demons of Pagans, Jews, and Christians, were the
spirits of dead Onen; and, as such, have taken possession of men's living bodies, and have moved, i;n



A CONCLUSIVE ARGUMEN T.          57
fluenced and impelled thevm to certain courses of action."
Mr. Campbell has presented a conclusive argument. Hle has shown that when the New Testament was written, the word demon signified the
departed spirit of a wicked person. He has shown
that Christ and his Apostles never hinted at any
other signification nor that that was incorrect. He
has given the philological law by which all dictionaries, grammars, and translations are made; and
he has authorized the conclusion that we are bound
by that law to adopt the signification of the word
then in vogue, unless we have positive evidence to
the contrary.
It is incredible that he who came to bear witness
to the truth, when constantly casting out demons,
which his disciples believed were the spirits of the
dead, would have neglected to disabuse their minds
if they had cherished an error in this particular.
It is no less certain that an inspired Apostle,
whose chief antagonists were " wicked spirits,"
(Eph. 6: 12, margin,) and who shunned not to
declare the whole counsel of God, would have corrected his brethren in this respect, if their belief
had been erroneous.
There is no way of fairly avoiding the conclusion
that Christ and the Apostles adopted the popular
signification of the term demon as the correct one.
Is it not therefore certain that, at least, some of
those demons were spirits of wicked men?




CHAPTER IV.
MODERN PHENOMENA NOT PRODUCED BY
HOLY ANGELS.
"And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel
of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be
transformed as the ministers of righteousness."-2 COR. xi: 14.
SPIRITUALISTS assume that the angels of God are
the spirits of deceased persons, and that they are
the agents in these manifestations.  " Angels," says
one, "are the spirits of just men made perfect."' I know of no other angels than the spirits of the
dead; all become angels after death," said  Mr.
Partridge to the writer. We propose to show that
this is a mere assumption.
That the celestial angels are neither the agents
nor the authors of these developments is obvious
from the following considerations.
Angels are a distinct class of beings, widely different in nature and office from these spirits.. The
latter affirm that they do not eat food like living
mortals; and certainly it is difficult to conceive how
such diet can be adapted to their natures. But the




NO ANGELS IN  SPIRITUALISM.                59
angels have eaten.  When three visited Abraham
his servant:
" Took butter and milk and a calf which he had dressed and set
it before them, and they did eat." —Gen. 18.
" And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in
the gate of Sodom: and Lot seeing them rose up to meet them;
and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground; And he
said, Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant's house, and tarry all night, and wash your feet, and ye shall
rise up early, and go on your ways. And they said, Nay; but we
will abide in the street all night. And he pressed upon them
greatly; and they turned in unto him, and entered into his house;
and he made them a feast, and did bake unleavened bread, and
they did eat."-Gen. xix: 1.
These spirits do not pretend  to have access to
Jehovah's immediate presence.   But of the elect
angels it was said by the Saviour, " they do always
behold the face of my Father who is in heaven."
These spirits are evidently not angels of God in
an official sense-that of a messenger from  God.
They contradict his word, therefore they cannot be
sent by him to minister to the heirs of salvation.
Professor Hare says;' Spirits of the higher spheres
control more or less those below in station, who are
sent by them to impress mortals."   Then they are
messengers of demons, not the messengers of God.
But the angels of God are " ministers of his, that
do his pleasure, hearkening to the voice of his
word.";   CC All.. sent forth  to minister for the
heirs of salvation."t —They ministered to Abraham,
* Ps. 103: 20, 21.               t fIeb. 1: 14.




60     SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
Lot, Elijah, Elisha, Moses, Daniel, Christ, Peter,
John and others.
Some portions of Bible truth were communicated
to men by the ministry of angels. Jehovah has forbidden all communication with  dead men and
demons. To contend that Moses received the law
at the hand of departed spirits, is to contend that
he violated it and incurred its penalty in the very act
of receiving it, by practising necromancy, which it
strictly prohibits.  If departed spirits communicated it they took the most effectual course to exclude themselves from mankind, and to forestall any
subsequent revelations which they might choose to
make.
While the Bible prohibits all intercourse with
the dead, and seekling to those who have familiar
spirits, it represents all such as are honored with a
visit from an angel of light, as " high favored of
the Lord."  Hence Paul urges the duty of hospitality to strangers, with the weighty consideration
that " thereby some have entertained angels unawares" —referringu doubtless, to the distinguished
guests of Abraham, and Lot, in the instances already
cited.
Though the angels of God who minister to his
people, are constant visitors of earth, their communications have been " few and far between," and
contrast strikingly with the hundreds of revelations
so cheap and common of the present day, which so
forcibly suggest that the residence of the agents,




NO ANGELS IN SPIRITUALISM.        61
if they are not always walking through dry places
and seeking rest and finding none, is to say the
least, as far from God the judge of all, the spirits
of just men made perfect and the innumerable company of angels as earth is from heaven.
The communications of our times are generally
the most trivial and often the most senseless mumeries imaginable. But the angels of God " being
greater in might and power," came to men as befits their exalted station, charged with messages of
importance, endowed with power to make those
messages known and understood to the honor and
glory of him they serve.
A  marked distinction is made between angels
and spirits of the dead, when they are mentioned
in connection in the Bible.
Paul makes the distinction when he classifies
the inhabitants of the heavenly Jerusalem, as " an
innumerable company of angels; the church of the
first-born; God the judge of all; and the spirits
of just men made perfect.":
The Pharisees made the distinction when they said
CC"If an angel spirit or an angel hath spoken to
him."
" The Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel nor spirit; but the Pharisees
confess both."t
This distinction would certainly not have been
made, if angels and departed spirits were identical.
* Heb. 12: 22-23.              t Acts 23: 8-9.




62       SPIRITUALISM  VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
The distinction is made by the Saviour. He says:
"Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of
man also confess before the angels of God: But he that denieth
me before men shall be denied before the angels of God."-Luke
xii: 8.
Did Christ intend to teach that those who confess him  before men  should be confessed  before
themselves?  that those who  denied him  before
men should be denied before themselves? Who is
prepared, in order to sustain a " baseless fabric,"
to make nonsense of the solemn words of th            edeemer!
Angels are not spirits of the dead, because they
existed before any person died.
"Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said,
* * where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding * * when the morning stars
sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy."-Job 38.
" So he drove out the man: and he placed at the east of the
garden of Eden cherubim, and a flaming sword which turneth
every way, to keep the way of the tree of life."-Gen. 3: 24.
These sons of God and cherubim must have been
angels. Is it not certain, therefore, that angels existed when the earth was created, and before the
death of any person, and consequently are a distinct
class of beings?
Let those who assert the contrary in the face of
such Biblical testimony, vindicate if they can, the
absurdity that the Lord had no angels till after the
death of Abel!




CHAPTER V.
SPIRITUALISM NOT THE WORK'OF DEPARTED SAINTS,
"' Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth:
yea, saith the spirit, that they may rest from their labors; and
their works do follow them."-Rev. xiv. 13.
THE  SPIRITS of all departed  saints are  with
Christ in heaven. Those only who have been converted and lived the life of the righteous, together
with little children, are eligible to a seat in the
presence of the Redeemer, and the holy angels. It
is their special privilege to claim what was implied
by the dying protomartyr, c" Lord Jesus receive my
spirit." Well may all such persons " desire to depart and be with Christ; which is far better."
Christ's assurance, "Verily I say unto  thee Today shalt thou be with me in paradise," was ample
consolation for the dying penitent.  Says the Apostle.
" Whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the
Lord: We are confident, I say, and Willing rather to be absent
from the body, and to be present with the Lord."-2 Cor. V: 6.
When Christians are absent from  the body they
are _present with the Lord.  Paul clearly reveals
the residence of all departed saints.




64      SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
"Ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and
that burned with fire. * * But ye are come unto mount Sion, and
unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an
innumerable company of angels. To the general assembly and
church of the first-born, which are written in heaven, and to God
the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and
to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant."-H-eb. xii: 18, 22-24.
According to this, in that blessed city, styled the
" Father's house of many mansions," are:
1. An innumerable company of angels.
2. The church of the first born, those who rose
from the dead with Christ.
3. GOD the judge of all is there.
4. The spirits of just mzen made perfect are there.
5. Jesus, the mediator of the new covenant is
there.
As the old Jerusalem  was located  on mount
Sion, by a tropical allusion the location of the new
Jerusalem is called mount Sion also. Paul's saying
to his brethren " ye are come unto mount Sion,"
is a metaphor, showing that the relation existing
between them and the heavenly city, was analagous
to the relation between the Israelites and mount
Sinai, when they were at the foot of the mountain
and Mloses was on its summit, as the mediator of
the old covenant; because when Paul wrote, as
now, Christ was in the heavenly Jerusalem as medi-.
ator of the new covenant.
Does any one suppose that this text describes
what is to be realized after the resurrection?  I
reply, the Apostle speaks of what had already taken




OBJECTIONS CONSIDERED.                65
place.  " Ye are not come unto the mount that
might be touched —like Sinai-but ye have come
unto mount Sion," i. e., they had obtained a relationship of heavenly grace with that city, the location  of which Paul metaphorically  styled  mount
Sion. And as Paul is true, the abode of departed
saints is there.
"We know that, if our earthly house of thtis tabernacle were
dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made with
hands, eternal, in the heavens."-5 Cor. v: 1.
It cannot be shown from the Bible that Jehovah
has ever commissioned the spirit of a just man to
hold intercourse with sinful mortals, with a solitary exception, that of Samuel.
The appearance of Moses and Elias on the Mount
of Transfiguration will be urged as an objection to
this assertion.'And after six days, Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his
brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, and
was transfigured before them; and his face did shine as the sun,
and his rainient was white as the light. And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him.'"-Math.
xvii: 1-4.
Elijah never died. He was translated to heaven
bodily.~:  Hence he must have appeared on the
mountain in his glorified body.  There was but one
disembodied spirit there-that of Moses, and he had
no intercourse with the apostles.
Hence this text does not effect our position. His
2 K vincs 2: 1 1




66      SPIRITUALISM  VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
holding intercourse with Christ is another matter,
The Saviour is not subject to the law which governs
sinful mortals.  He is LORD of both the dead  and
the  living.   It is his prerogative to  hold  intercourse with both.  Many things which were just and
possible for him  are unlawful and impossible for all
others.
Is it objected that the messenger who communicated the Apocalypse to John was one of the prophets who had lived in a previous age?
" And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I
had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the
angel which shewed me these things. Then saith he unto me, See
thouido it not; for I am thy fellow-servant, and of thy brethren
tie prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book:
worship God."-Rev. xxi: 8, 9.
I admit that this was one of the prophets ~ but
not a disembodied spirit.
There is no hint that it was a disembodied spirit,
and it is- not necessary to suppose that it was such.
Enoch and Elijah had been  translated to heaven
bodily.  For aught that appears to the contrary, it
might have been one of them.
When Christ arose from  the tomb" The graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which
slept arose, and came out of the graves after his resurrection, and
went into the holy city, and appeared unto many." —Math. xxvii: 52.
Paul informs us what became  of them  subsequently:
" For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the' image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn




RESURRECTED SAINTS IN HEAVEN.           67
among many brethren. Moreover, whom he did predestinate, them
he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and
whom he justified, them he also glorified."-Rom. viii; 29; 30.
According to this they were glorified-received
up into glory. And, as I have already shown, this
church of firstborn is in the New  Jerusalem, in the
presence of God and angels, clothed with incorruptible bodies that " came out of their graves," and
are thus distinguished from " the spirits of just men."
Says the Rev. J. Litch,
" Christ is the firstborn from the dead, Col. i: 18.
If he is firstborn from the dead, he is'the firstborn
among many brethren.' Rom. viii: 29.  It is the
opinion of some that the general assembly and church
of the firstborn are the whole church of Christ.But the whole church cannot be the firstborn; this
is an insuperable objection to that view. To remove
the difficulty, it is said, the term' firstborn' applies
to Christ, and that it is his church which is spoken of
as the general assembly. To this we reply, the language of the original will not bear that construction.
The apostle has not used the definite article the, as
our translation indicates; and as he should have done
had he referred to Christ.  But he leaves it quite indefinite. Panegurei kai ekklesia pr6totokdn, literally
translated'a general assembly and church of firstborn.' This confines the termfirstborn to the church;
and, as before remarked, cannot mean the whole
church, because the whole body cannot be firstborn.
The conclusion, therefore, is inevitable that the




68      SPIR1TUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.'church of firstborn' is a class of persons born from the
dead with Christ, who is emphatically the firstborn.
But we have already learned from Rom. viii: 29, that
he was to be'firstborn  among MANY  brethren.'In this event, Christ was the first to rise, and they' arose and came out of the graves after his resurrection.' That they ever went back again into the
grave, or died  again is not intimated.'MANYx
bodies of the saints which slept arose.''That he
might be the  firstborn  among MANY brethren.'The two accounts agree that many were designed,
and many secured for that purpose."
Now  since "' many bodies of the saints" were
raised and glorified, it is by no means reasonable to
suppose the messenger to John was a disembodied
spirit. No hint is given to that effect, and we are
under no obligation to  believe that such was the
case.
SAMUEL, SAUL, AND THE WOMAN OF ENDOR.
"And when Saul inquired of the Lord, the Lord answered him
not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets. Then said
Saul unto his servants, Seek me a woman that hath a familiar
spirit, that I may go to her, and inquire of her. And his servants
said to him, behold, there is a woman that hath a familiar spirit at
Endor. And Saul disguised himself, and put on other raiment,
and he went, and two men with him, and they came to the woman
by night: and he said, I pray thee, divine unto me by the familiar spirit, and bring me him up, whom I shall name unto thee.
And the woman said unto him, Behold, thou knowest what Saul
hath done, how he hath cut off those that have familiar spirits,
and the wizards, out of the land: wherefore then layest thou a
snare for my life, to cause me to die I And Saul sware to her




SAMUEL, SAUL AND THE MEDIUM.                 69
by the Lord, saying As the Lord liveth, there shall no punishment
happen to thee for this thing. Then said the woman, Whom shall
I bring up unto thee? And he said bring me up Samuel. And
when the woman saw Samuel, she cried with a loud voice: and
the woman spake to Saul, saying, Why hast thou deceived me.
for thou art Saul. And the king said unto her, Be not afraid: for
what sawest thou. And the woman said unto Saul, I saw gods
ascending out of the earth. And he said unto her, What form is
he of 2  And she said, an old man cometh up; and he is covered
with a mantle. And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground, and bowed himself. And Samuel
said to Saul, Why hast thou disquieted me, to bring me up.
And Saul answered, I am sore distressed; for the Philistines
make war against me, and God is departed from me, and answereth me no more, neither by prophets, nor by dreams: therefore
I have called thee, that thou mayest make known unto me what
I shall do. Then said Samuel, Wherefore then dost thou ask of
me, seeing the Lord is departed from thee, and is become thine
enemy! And the Lord hath done to him, as he spake by me:
for the Lord hath rent the kingdom out of thine hand, and given
it to thy neighbor, even to David: Because thou obeyedst not the
voice of the Lord, nor executedst his fierce wrath upon Amalek,
therefore hath the Lord done this thing unto thee this day. Moreover the Lord will also deliver Israel with thee into the hand of
the Philistines: and to-morrow shalt thou and thy sons be with
me: the Lord also shall deliver the host of Israel into the hand
of the Philistines. * * So Saul died, and his three sons, and his
armorbearer, and all his men, that same (following) day together."
— 1 Sam. xxviii: 6-19; xxxi: 6.
Here is a well authenticated case of the return
from  the invisible state of the spirit of a child  of
God, to converse with a sinful man.  We have no
sympathy for that principle of interpretation which
would " explain away" this plain statement of facts,
and make out the whole affair-correct prophecy and
all —to have been the result of ventriloquism, jug~Nlr~  V~r-LVV ~V NYYI~IV~CV rVM-V YI  YC-V —-V~leJL~- 1 pp zo




70     SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
glery, mesmerism and deception on the part of this
woman, and virtually yield the whole Bible to infidels. It would be as proper to believe A. J. Davis
and S. B, Brittan when they assert that the history of creation is" a myth," and Christianity is'mythological theology," as to credit the version
of this affair which a few persons desire to palm off
on the public.  This account is no myth, but a
plain statement of facts, from which we learn that
it was customary then, to practice divination by the
aid of familiar spirits-that consulting witches is
dangerous business, better adapted to night than
day, and fitted for darkness rather than light.
Hence Saul chose darkness and a disguise for the infamous work.
Secondly, we learn that witches were sought
unto by those whom the Lord had forsaken, and
that such as do this are, as a judgment, left to their
own delusions, to fill their cup of iniquity. It is
written that Saul died for his transgressions, and
for asking counsel of one that had a familiar spirit,
to inquire of it."-1 Chron. x: 13.
Thirdly. It appears that the spirit of a child of
God is not adapted to the purposes of necromancy,
and unlike the rapping spirits, he has no encouragement to offer for charming or making' mediums;" he engages in no rapping, table-tipping or
writing-he makes no effort to subject a person to
his control, to rob him of hiswill, to inspire, or
possess his body. Unlike the demons of ancient,




AN ANOMALY IN NECROMANCY.           71
and the spirits of modern times, he did not obtrude
himself into notice, he taught none to seek to him
for information. He had no theology to present
which does not perfectly accord with the doctrines
of the Bible; and he arrogated no prerogatives
of Jehovah.
Fourthly. He was in an anomalous work for a
saint, was out of his element and "disquieted."
His repose was violated. In all of these particulars
he presents a striking contrast to the spirits of our
times. It is obvious from this account that the real
appearance of the spirit of a righteous man is an
anomaly in necromancy, that when it does occur, it
is to the consternation of the "C medium" and to announce the doom of her impious employer. Therefore if the siritualists have not heard their condemnation from  a spirit, it is because they have
had no intercourse with departed saints. If all
these spirits teach contrary to the law and testimony it is because they are all from beneath, which
is certainly true.  This case of Samuel is an isolated one-the only well authenticated exception to
an otherwise universal rule. We contend that this
was a real appearance of the spirit of a just man,
intended to convey an important lesson, and there
is no need of another such manifestation.  It could
never be rendered more effectual in its purposes by
a thousand repetitions. There was one Elijah, one
Job, one Daniel, one Messiah, one dividing of the sea,
one deliverance from a furnace, and one appearance




72      SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
to necromancers of the spirit of a righteous man.
WVhile it is granted that by the power of conjuration the spirits of wicked men may be summoned to
the presence of mortals, we contend that the abodes
of bliss are not subject to the arts of necromancers.
The appearance of Samuel simultaneously with
the conjuration, can be reconciled with the principles
of God's moral government, only on the ground that
the sin and high position of Saul, with the exigencies of the case, rendered that the most effectual
moment for Jehovah to strike the decisive blow at
necromancy, by sending a faithful prophet to doom
a rebelious king.   Never was such a rebuke given
to the practice of a forbidden art!
Says Dr. Stillingo —"C The enchantress received
orders to raise the deceased ~prophet, Samuel, who,
with all the rest of the Old Testament saints, abode
in Hades, in a state of blissful rest, until the conqueror of death conducted them  in triumph into
the mansions prepared for them.  The woman employed her art; but instead of one of her familiar
spirits, that was to have acted the part of Samuel,
he appeared himself, by the divine permission and
instigation.  This the witch had not expected, she
therefore cried out for fear, and said,' I see Elohim,
-something divine!  Samuel then announced to
* Theory of Pneumatology by Dr. Johann Jung-Stilling, late Professor of the University of Heidelberg and Marburg, and Private
Aulic-Counsellor to the Grand Duke of Baden. Translated from
the German by Samuel Jackson, London, 1834, p. 207.




SPIRITUALISTS VERSUS APOSTLES.          73
Saul, that the following day he would be with him
in the realm of the dead or of spirits."
We are told by Governor T'allmadge and others,
that the Apostles John and Paul have returned and
conversed with men. One writer alleges that they
aine to explain their writings.  If this were true,
Paul made a great mistake when he said he had
"' fought the good fight and finished his course."
He had no anticipation of fighting his battle over
in a disembodied state; much less did he suppose
that in this " progressive age" he would become so
enlightened as to consider his Christian labors all
"' loss and dross for the excellency" of spiritualism I
His teachings are specially calculated to tare up by
the roots the doctrines of spiritualism. The latter
denies the  resurrection of the dead.   But Paul
declared that if the dead should not rise at the
sounding of the last trump the Christian's hope was
vain and the apostles were false witnesses.v: If he
is now engaged in the same work with these antiChristian spirits, he must have apostatized, since
when living he averred,
" We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities/ against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this
world, against wicked spirits in heavenly places."-Eph. vi: 12.Margin.
Moreover, he kept very choice company, testifying
that "evil communications corrupt good manners,"
1 Cor, 15: 18-15, 52.
4




74     SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
and that no fellowship should be had with the- unfruitful works of darkness.
If the spiritualists are to be credited, Paul and
John were very short-sighted prophets.  For their
writings are specially adapted to forestall any favorable reception which they might otherwise have met,
and' to counteract any influence which they might
have exerted in their spiritual visitations.  The
former cautioned the world  against "'seducing
spirits and doctrines of demons."  The latter referred the doctrines of spiritualism to Anti-christ,
and predicted that demons should " go forth to the
kings of the earth, and the whole world, to gather
them to the battle of the great day."
Some persons suppose they have seen the spirits
of departed saints, and conversed with them. But
the evidences do not warrant this conclusion.
1. It is well known that some persons are at times
afflicted by a species of delirium, the result of debility or the derangement of the nervous system.
At such times they often see spectres which have no
existence except in their disordered imaginations.
A venerable clergyman related to the writer, that
once, when on his bed in feeble health, it appeared
to him that his bed was standing some distance from
its usual place by the wall, and that three men came
twice between his bed and the wall and conversed
in an undertone.  It seemed a reality for the time;
but as he was satisfied that his bed had not been




DECEPTIVE PHANTASMS.            75
moved from its usual position, he inferred the whole
must have been a mere phantom.
Many saints supposed to have been seen by spiritualists, are, doubtless, the creation of their own
excited imaginatidons.
Dr. Stilling says e "The celebrated Frederick
Nicolai, of Berlin, fell once into a state, in which he
saw many spiritual beings around him, which all
gradually vanished on making use of laxative and
cathartic medicines!"
2. Men often psychologize persons and cause
them to see whatever they choose to make them
see, though the persons appear to be in their natural
state, and suppose themselves free from any charm,
when in fact they are under an enchantment. -Now,
since these spirits are generally seen by 6" seeing
mediums"-real clairvoyants, the conclusion is inevitable that the appearance of some spirits to these
mediums should be imputed solely to psychological
impressions. This the spiritualists will not deny.
3. It is well known that what the mediums term
4~ going into the interior state" is often nothing else
than psychologizing themselves. Whatever they may
see in that state no reliance can be placed in their
visions, all of which should be imputed to a galvanized imagination let loose. They may suppose they'
see apostles, saints and friends, when none of them
are present.
Says Dr. Stilling, in "Pneumatology," p. 72:
" I knew a pious female, who, in her trance, was




~7-    SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
surrounded with angels and conversed with theme
too, At length the angels began to sing, the pious
soul sang with them, and what was it  A miserable ballad-song, and a common national air 1"
4. The spirits are said to mesmerize the mediums.
Nelson Selby wrote to the Telegraph, under date of
June 1, 1855 
" Some two years since, when we were witnessing
the manifestations in almost every aspect, we were
informed by the spirits (as we supposed) that they
could magnetize the mediums and excite their phrenological organs. They directed us to place a number of them in a row on seats round the room, after
which, by calling on them to magnetize a certain
organ, the character of that organ would be simultaneously acted out by all of them. By a request to
magnetize the organ' it would be instantly done.
This was always done without any one touching
them. Forming a connection with one of them and
exciting some particular organ, would produce the
same manifestation in all of them."
Others testify to the same effect.  If this is true
it follows that the spirits can psychologize their mediums and cause them  to see apostles, prophets,
saints, or whomsoever they desire them to behold.
Messrs. Grimes, Fiske, and others, have often done
this.  To show how  completely under the control of the spirit the medium  is in such a case,
Professor Grimes, in his' Philosophy of Mesmerism, says:." ~At Saratoga Spa, in the presence of




SATANIC POWER                77
Judge Marvin and many other gentlemen, I made
a young man, of excellent character, take worthless
waste paper for bank notes, and give me a written
obligation for a large amount of money which he
supposed he had received i"
In view of these facts what reliance can be placed
in the visions of any medium?  Who can believe
that any one has ever seen a departed saint?
5. When Satan prefers to take a matter in hand
himself rather than trust his emissaries, he cau
reveal wonders in a moment of time.
It is written concerning Christ:
"And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed
unto him, all the kingdoms of tle world in a moment of time.Luke iv: 5.
The devil could produce an impressive picture
then. Why may he not do the same now?  His
reputation must be unmerited if his process of
daguereotyping in this "' progressive age" is not a
vast improvement on that early experiment.  It
would be very strange if this vigilant deceiver C who
deceiveth the whole world," should not apply his
skill in presenting pictures of saints and angels.
We may be assured he has a hand in this matter.
6. Whatever the agencies are by which modern
manifestations are effected, they have the power to
present pictures to the natural eyes of those who
are not " mediums."  Two facts will show this.
In the house of Rev. Dr. Phelps, in Stratford,
Conn., "C at one time while Anna was in the dining



78    SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
room, and a cousin of hers and some of the children
in the front yard, her attention was arrested by
some one entering the front parlor. She went in
and saw three gentleme.n; two of them sitting on
the sofa, and one on a chair, by the table, all having their hats on, and drawn down over their eyes
more than usual; the one by the table had his feet
upon the table, and was reading a paper.  She was
surprised that neither of them rose up, or looked at
her as she entered the room; and when she was
within five or six feet of the one nearest her, he
leaned over on one side and fell, chair and all, on
the floor, and instantly all disappeared! She was
frightened, and ran to her cousin, who was near
the front door. She came in, but no persons were
there, neither could they have entered without her
seeing them. The chair was thrown down, but no
person near who could have done it." —llodesrn Sirituacism, p. 160.
The second case occurred at the house of Mr.
William B. Lanning, of Trenton, N. J., on the 8th
of February, 1855.
There had been sundry " manifestations" about
his office and his house; but as he and his family
had become convinced that all of these spirits were
evil, and the intercourse was sinful, they determined to have nothing to do with then.
On the day above mentioned, the family received
what they deemed a solicitation to converse with
the spirits. About 11 A. M., Mrs. Lanning, and




A MODERN WONDER.              79
her six children, between the ages of eighteen anc
five years, saw on the white wall of a room in the
house, the entire alphabet in large, beautiful golden letters, on a dark-bordered tablet. They were
placed in six lines, underscored with dark and wide
marks. The eldest daughter described the letters
as the most beautiful she ever saw. All of the
seven persons present saw the tablet distinctly, and
conversed about it for some fifteen or twenty minutes, when it vanished from their sight.
It could not have been a reflection from another
picture. No cause could be assigned by which it
could have been produced, aside from supernatural
power. Mr. and Mrs. Lanning are persons of veracity. I heard them relate the fact, and have no
reason to doubt it.  All parties accquainted with the
affair believed it to have been produced by the spirits. Seven persons saw this, and none of them
were clairvoyants nor mediums for the spirits.
Now since these emissaries can do these things,
would it be at all wonderful if they should undertake to gain influence and accomplish their purposes by presenting the pictures of Apostles and
saints? Nay, verily I It would be a greater wonder if they did not.
A man should no more trust his eyes and ears
with these spirits and their devotees, than he would
trust his confiding and inexperienced son with a
thousand dollars, in a den of the most adroit knaves
and gamblers.




80     SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
It is no new thing for wicked spirits to personate
saints-for demons to represent themselves as gods.
Tertullian in his Apology for the Christian Religion, challenges all heathendom to a trial of their
respective divinities by a Christian ordeal.
Says Tertullian, " Hitherto we have used words;
we will now come to a demonstration of the very
thing, that your Gentile gods are no one of them
greater than another.  For a decision of the point,
let any one that is judged to be possessed by a devil
be brought into an open court before tribunals;
when that spirit shall be commanded by a Christian
to speak, he shall as truly confess himself a devil
there, as elsewhere he falsely claims to be a god;
or let one equally be produced who is among you
Gentiles judged to be inspired by God, who waits at
your altars and is esteemed to be a sacred person
by you; yea, though he be actuated by one of your
most venerated deities, be it Diana, the heavenly
virgin, or Esculapius, who prescribes your medicines,
and who pretends to relieve the dying, yet these or
any others, when they are summoned, if they dare
to lie to the christian summoning) and if they do nzot
confess themselves to be devils, then let that reproaczful Christian's blood be spilt by you upon the spot ":
From this remarkable challenge of Tertullian, it
is obviously no new thing for a demon to prescribe
medicine-pretend to relieve the dying —claim  to
be a god —win a host of obsequious devotees, and' Tertullian's Apol. chap. 23.




ANTI-CHRISTIAN CREDULITY.           81
be in reality a devil! For such, according to Tertullian, were the renowned Esculapius and Diana,
of whom it was said, "all Asia and the world worshipeth."7: 
To affirm the contrary, and that Tertullian gave
such a challenge to the heathen world during the
bloody persecutions of Severus without the most
ample authority, is to charge him with a fool-hardy
recklessness not to be imputed to an eminent Christian teacher. It is certain that unless he was thoroughly fortified in his position he hazarded his life.
Modern spiritualists as readily credit the doctrines of spirits, especially those opposed to Christianity, as the ancients did those of Esculapius,
Baal, Nisroch and Diana; while they reject the
doctrines of Christ concerning probation, regeneration, the resurrection, future judgment and retribution; and earnestly contend that their "spirits"
must be referred to the celestial spheres as all good
and orthodox, because some of them prescribe medicines, exhort, and teach " Harmonial Philosophy,"
while Christ and his doctrines are to be rejected,
notwithstanding all the great and good things he
ever said and did. But perhaps such a result may
be justly imputed to Harmonial Philosophy. Suppose demons do prescribe medicines, repeat some
old sermon or exhortation, and even pray? as
Mr. Beecher says, " if they have healed more
diseases-more than they have generated by con* Acts xix: 27.




82     SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
firmed obsession-it proves no more than the Sisters of Charity prove for Rome.":
As their business is to deceive the world, if they
would not do these things when they can gain ins
fluence by it, they must be greater fools than
knaves.
And who never heard a profane drunkard preach,
pray, exhort, prescribe medicines, and even teach
Harmonial Philosophy, while under the influence
of brandy? As for praying, in the days of Christ
they prayed that they might not be tormented
"' before the time!"
TESTIMONY OF THE SPIRITS.
SPIRIT THEOLOGY CONTRADICTED BY SPIRITS.
In 1853, Mr. William  B. Lanning, of Trenton,
N. J., an esteemed friend of the writer, not being
fully satisfied' of the real character of these spirits,
held the following colloquy with one, through a
writing medium. The spirit on being asked if it
was right and beneficial for the human race to consult these spirits, replied, "yes, it will make them
happier and better." He then testified in substance to the main doctrines of these spirits, and
said, though he died an unconverted man he was
happy-that departed Christians were among these
spirits-all were happy-there was to be no resurrection of the dead, no future punishment, nor day
of judgment.
Essay p. 72.




TESTIMONY OF THE SPIRITS.         83
But on being cross-examined a little, the spirit
became very angry and unwilling to answer, and
begged to depart-said he would go and get more
spirits and return.  Said my friend, " No. When
you go I want you to stay away; but at present
do you answer my questions. In the name of the
Lord I demand it."
The "happy" spirit quailed, and Mr. L. proceeded:
"C Is the Bible true? Yes.
The Bible forbids necromancy and the consulting
of familiar spirits. Which shall I believe, you or
the Bible?  The Bible.
Why then did you tell me that it was right and
useful to consult the spirits? Because I wanted to
deceive you.
What is the business of these spirits with men?
What do you think it is?
I think it is to deceive. Very well, you are correct.
Are you happy? No. I am miserable.
Is there a hell? Yes.
Are you in hell? No, not yet.
Do you expect to go there? Yes.
When? At the day of judgment.
Is there to be a day of judgment? Yes.
Is there to be a resurrection of the dead? Yes.
Have you any prospect of happiness? I HAVE
NO HOPE!
In the name of the Lord, is there a good spirit



84     SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
the spirit of a departed Christian among all of these
rapping and writing spirits? No, not one.
Where are the spirits of departed Christians?
THE LORD HAS TAKEN THEM.
Why then did you tell my brother in Philadelphia the contrary of all this?  Because I wished
to deceive him.
Could you deceive him? Yes.
[The brother was a spiritualist.]
Why could you deceive him    Because he is a
fool.
Why is he a fool?  Because he don't believe the
Bible.
Can't you deceive me?  No.
Why?  Because you believe the Bible.
Will you tell my brother what you have told me?
Yes.
I want to hear from you no more; good-bye forever. Spirit.-Good-bye forever."
Mr. Lanning is a man of veracity, and this account is perfectly reliable
In the Supernal Theology, page 95, the spirits
say; " The apostles of Christ have not been at any
of the circles formed in this country or on the
earth.  They are in heaven, except such of them as
are appointed to govern the spheres, and they have
not descended to superintend circles or write sermbns for them,"1:`
The subjoined account, which was published in
* Spirit-Rapping Unveiled, p. 186.




TESTIMONY OF THE SPIRITS.        85
the Spiritual Telegraph of Oct. 15, 1853, is said to
have been copied from the John Bull, an English
journal, and purporting to have been a narrative
of spirit-intercourse by the Rev. N. L. Godfrey, incumbent of Wertly, Leeds, a clergyman of good repute in the Episcopal Church.
The writer says, on the 4th of July, 1853, he had
the following conversation with a spirit:'Are you one of those seducing spirits spoken of
by Paul?  Yes.
Are you suffering? Yes.
The spirit of a dead person? Yes.
Have you been in hell? Yes.
Are you one of the angels cast out of heaven?
No?
Are you a lost soul?  Yes.
Do you go into the earth? Yes.
Do you go back to hell? Yes."
On the 18th of Julythe following occurred;
"Were you an inhabitant of the world?  Yes.
Do you haunt houses? Yes.
Have you ever appeared to any one? No.
Can you appear now?  No.
Are you prevented? Yes.
Did you ever read the Bible? Yes.
Do you remember the things you read on earth?
Yes.
Do they make you miserable? Yes.
Do you remember the parable of the rich man
and Lazarus? Yes.




86     SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
Have you ever seen the rich man'?  Yes.
Are you in the same place? Yes.
Can you see Paradise? Yes.
Is there a great gulf fixed between? Yes.
Can they see you? (faintly) Yes.
Are literal fire and brimstone the punishment of
hell? Yes.
Are they as dreadful as Jesus Christ has said?
Yes.
Are the spirits punished for answering my questions?  Yes.
Shall you be punished? Yes.
By whom? Spell the name. Spelled " Devil."
Why do you answer then, are you compelled to?
Yes.                   -.
By whom?  Spell the name.  Spelled " God."
Can you resist the power that compels you? No.
Dare you tell me a lie about sacred things? No.
In answer to certain questions, he told us that
the spirit is not in, but about the table, and retains his human form; he has NO POWER TO MOVE
WHEN THE NAME OF JESUS IS MENTIONED. On being
asked whether the unclean spirits ever entered into
any one, he knocked an affirmative; and when asked'into whom? and what diseases were caused by
their possession?' he spelled'Madmen,''Falling
sickness,' (or epilepsy,)'Palsy,'' Murder.'
We also learned from him, that there were good
angels; that he could see them; that they wander
on the earth and protect God's people; but that




TESTIMiONY OF THE SPIRITS.           87
THE SPIRITS OF THE PIOUS DEAD DO NOT WANDER, BUT
REST."  With this latter agrees the Bible:
"And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth; Yea, saith
the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; and their works
do follow them."*
Also to the prophet Daniel, in anticipation of his
death, it was said, "thou shalt rest."t
If the spiritualists believe what the spirits say,
why not believe these three witnesses? We have
their testimony that these spirits are all deceivers;
that there are angels-another race of beings; that
the saints are at " rest;" that s' God has taken
them;" that there is not a Christian spirit among
all these; that there is a hell; that these spirits
must go there; that there is to be a resurrection
of the dead, and a future judgment.
One of these also testified, that the man that did
not believe the Bible was " a fool," and could be deceived by these evil spirits. Let not the spiritualists congratulate themselves with the idea that no
spirits but those who belong t6 their " low spheres"
are deceivers. The ancient idolators had substantially the same theory concerning the. spheres which
they have, and Diana belonged to.the highest sphere,
and she succeeded in deceiving and obtaining the
worship of" all Asia and the world," and yet, according to Tertullian, if she was summoned to testify
in open court by a Christian, she would be constrained to confess that she was a devil!
*R;ev. xiv: 13' t Dan. xii: 13.




88     SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
As God has prohibited necromancy'under the
highest penalty, and has declared it exceedingly sinful for mortals to hold intercourse with the dead, it
follows that if a spirit appears and addresses any
person, that fact proves a wish to tempt that person
to sin. Such an act shows an utter want of regard
to the weal of that person, and none would do thus
but a wicked spirit. The appearance therefore of
a departed saint is entirely out of the question.
Secondly; To contend that God permits the spirits of just men to hold converse with mortals, as the
spiritualists maintain, is to declare that a defect exists in His nmoral government, a defect altogether
inconsistent with the character of Him who is infinite in goodness, justice, and mercy. The law that
would punish with death the person who takes slow
poison, and provides no penalty for, but entirely
exculpates the vender, must not only be radically
defective in its nature and operations, but be founded in injustice, and reflect on the wisdom and goodness of the Lawgiver.  Such is not the law by which
the universe is governed, and such is not the character of Jehovah.
Since it is wrong and sinful for men to hold converse with departed spirits, it must be wrong for
such spirits to attempt intercocurse with men.
Hence, according to the principles of equity, the
appearance and conversation of the spirits of the
just, is entirely inadmissable.




CHAPTER V.
CHARACTER OF THE SPIRITS.
"And behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with
thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment
us before the time."-Matt. viii: 29.
WHETHER these invisible agents are spirits of the
dead as they represent themselves, or " angels that
sinned," as some believe them to be, their character
is obviously evil and deceptive, and all who confide
in them will sooner or later pay dearly for their
presumption. It is unwise to have any intercourse
with them, because no reliance can be placed in v
what they say.
E. W. CAPRoN, in Singular Revelations, p. 63,
writes, " says one you get contradictory answers.
This is true; or rather, there are answers obtained
in regard to coming events which do not accord
with the facts as the time transpires... It is a
great error that many rush into, who are carried
away by a little excitement or wonder, that because there is a medium  of communication with




0O    SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
spirits, that it is therefore an infallible source of
information.  There are, undoubtedly, spirits who
desire to be noticed, and to answer questions, who are
too ignorant to give any instruction, and who would
be as likely to tell wrong as right! Swedenborg
says there are some' spirits so ignorant that they do
not know but they are the ones called for, when
another is meant.' This may be so. WTe are inclined to think it is, for we have known attempts to
be made to imitate the signal which we always
get when we call for a friend."
What charitable logic! When spirits imitate
the rap of another, it follows that they are ignorant, and think themselves called for! Such conduct is not so interpreted by our laws. On the
contrary, when a man counterfeits the signature of
another, they punish him as a knave, instead of
commiserating him as a fool 1
Again, Mr. C. says; "Much depends upon the
mind and disposition of persons at the time of asking the questions, for, as all the universe goes by affinities, it needs a pure mind, calm thinker, and deliberate questioner to get communications from
spirits of a high order."
From the foregoing quotations we learn1. That spirits give incorrect answers and tell lies.
2. Persons who consult them frequently inquire
for friends, and are imposed upon by other spirits,
who profess to be the ones called for, and who counterfeit their signals.




THE SPIRITS ARE DECEPTIVE.        91
3. That much depends on the condition of the
medium as to the nature of the communications.
Now, since these spirits are so accommodating and
pander to the wishes and views of the persons with
whom they communicate, and it is uncertain what
kind of a communication can be obtained from them,
or whether any, what reliance can be placed in
them?
S. B. Brittan compares them to Babel worse confounded. He says   We have never entertained
the idea, even for a moment, that all spirits are
divine in thought and Godlike in action.... Many
communications from the spirit world are obviously
unworthy of preservation, and the record of them
would subserve no important purpose. But the same
may be said of much that is uttered by men in the
flesh. Let any man make a verbatim report of what
he hears during a single day, in the street, the market, and the exchange, and he will easily trascend
the confusion of Babel." —Review of Beechzer, p. 74.
What reliable authorities these must be, by whose
testimony hundreds are shaping their religious views
and indulging a hope of eternal felicity, and whose
communications this "Professor" of spiritualism
compares to the common low talk of the street and
market I
Some of these spirits claim to be those of dogs,
cats and horses.  3Ir. Richmond, in his discussion
with Brittan, in the Telegraph, No. 41, says,
" Ahies Cowles, in Austinburg, called up the ghost




92     SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CIIRISTIANITY,
of a horse —' Old Pomp'-and he tramped like a
horse on the table."
In another instance CC six ladies and gentlemen
assembled around a usually sized mahogany table.
The spirit of some animal was called for.  The
raps gave it by the alphabet to be, in the first place,
that of a pet dog.  Several satisfactory answers
were given relative to its name, and that of its late
master, the time of its decease, &c. Not fully persuaded that they were dealing with the' spirit' of a
dog, one of the mediums requested that the dog
would scratch upon the table, when, to the utter
astonishment of all present, scratching, as audible
and as loud as ever came from the claw of the canine
race, was heard upon the table. This was repeated
several times. The next' spirit' was that of a cat,
who revealed the secret that it had been drowned
while at a very tender age, in a cistern, by a
young lady, who was present.  The answers in
this instance were correct and satisfactory.  After
this, a gentleman (who was a medium) asked if
the spirit of a favorite horse was present.  The
raps were in the affirmative.  The raps then gave
the name of the horse by the alphabet, its age,
the number of years it had been dead, the name of
the place where it had been struck by lightning,"
&c. —Boston Bee.
These must have had excellent schools, and made
rapid " progress" in the spheres. Whether they




THE SPIRITS ARE DECEPTIVE.          93
were members of the " seventh sphere " we are not
advised!
SWEDENBORG says in his larger Diary, " when
spirits begin to converse with men, put no confidence
in what they say, for they will say almost anything,
and will falsify."
They often contradict each other and themselves;
scarcely any two of them bear the same testimony
on any subject unless there is some collusion.
Prof. Hare says, " According to the spirits there
are seven spheres recognized in the spirit-world." —
" The spiritual spheres are estimated as being between sixty and a hundred and twenty miles from the
earth's surface."
BACON, through Dr. Dexter, says, " All good and
pure spirits therefore do not reside any where near
it.  Some reside millions of miles distant,"*
They gave no less than six contradictory accounts
through as many mediums, of the death of the late
Czar of Russia.
" Messrs. Editors:-Please do me the favor to
publish this: On my arrival in this city, a week
since, from France and England, I was surprised to
learn that a report was current that I had departed
this life some time ago; also that my spirit had rapped out messages, and otherwise manifested itself,
some seven or eight mediums in this city, and as
many elsewhere having held intercourse with my
* Spiritualism, p. 111.




94     SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
departed soul.  According to one oracle I had
fought a duel and got winged; by another account,
I had committed felo de se, although it seems that
I'm a "fellow " yet, d'ye see. One said I died in
Germany; another in France; and still another,
between Dover and Dieppe, France or England.But, sir, to quote from Webster, non verbatim,'I
ain't dead yet.'-PAscHAL RANDOLPH.*.
A. Cridge, a votary, says some of the spirits are
"narrow-minded," "debased," "selfish," and " deceptive." t
They said, last summer, that Dr. Kane and his
party of the Arctic expedition were dead! but they
have now returned to prove the spirits false.
Mr. Sunderland, of Boston, was a very enthusiastic spiritualist, and devoted a journal to its advocacy for a time; but the continuation of his Spiritual Philosopher was superseded and his ardor completely cooled, by the following thorough illustration
of the system.
A writer in the New York Express, who styled
himself Shadrach Barnes, in Feb. 1851, prepared an
ingenious ordeal, and fairly caught Mr. Sunderland
in a trap, by writing a letter, of which the following
is a correct copy:
" respected sur I send one dollar if you please ut
have some questions respecting of my daughter
which departed this lif january the 19, 1851 i brot
* S. Telegraph, No. 178.  t Epitome of Spirit Intercourse, p. 77.




A SORCERER CAUGHT.            95
her up from a child she was a daughter too me her
name is mary ellen Perkins, and was 19 when she
dide my mind is exercised viery much in respect of her
state of mind in a religious point of view which if you
communion with Spirits in the other world she was
flitey and out of her head as the poet says afflictions
soar long time she bore physician was in vain send
me a letter i want to hear if her state of mind is
happy no more at present. PHEBE NEWELL
" new Yorc sity Feb the 31st 1851.
C" mr laroy Sunderland"
Shadrach enclosed a dollar in this letter to pay
Mr. Sunderland for the information desired, and in
due time received the following reply.'~~ ELLIOT-STREET,  BOSTON, MASS.
"Half-past ten o'clock, A. M., Feb. 15, 1851.
" My Sister Dear: I have this moment laid your
letter before the spirits, and received the following
answer:' Tell her Mary is happy, and with her
dear mother Newell all the time. I watch over her
for good; and I love her now more than ever.
"I will be near her, and stand by her when she
-reads your answer. She must not grieve. I will
soon make sounds in her presence when she is alone,
which she can hear, when she will know it is me!
"And I understood the spirits to say that you
are not her own mother, but she loved you as her
own, and she said she came here'to tell what to say
to you when I answered your letter.




96     SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
" In the sphere where Mary has gone none are
miserable, but all are happy as they can be.
"L Yours truly,
" LA ROY SUNDERLAND.
P. S. It is not often that I attempt an answer to letters like yours, but I suppose I was
attracted to Mary's sweet spirit to gratify you.
She has stood by me while writing, as I believe.
"1 L. S."
Mr. Sunderland kept the dollar as the reward of
divination, and the important information received
from the spirits.
He learned in due time, however, that the sorcerer
had been hoaxed, that "Phebe" was a fictitious
character, and " Mary's sweet spirit," was a Delilah. The press heralded the story through the
land, spirit communications became a laughingstock, as they deserved, and Mr. Sunderland was
completely cured of sorcery.
Mr. Partridge, of the Telegrapoh, informed the
writer that the greatest obstacle to the progress of
spiritualism was the implicit confidence which many
persons religiously inclined were wont to repose in
all the spirits say.
A virtual acknowledgment of what ought to be
universally understood, that the spirits are deceivers, and that honest and confiding people are not
fit for sorcerers, nor to hold intercourse with their
divinities.
The most ingenious of these spirits, those who




BASENESS OF THE SPIRITS.          97
imake the greatest pretentions to sanctity, are unable to disguise their vile purposes.  Any living
man who would attempt to teach, and make such:silly, contradictory, deistical, and false statements
as these, who represent themselves to be prophets,
Apostles, and even the Messiah himself, would be
a laughing-stock and deemed a fit subject for the
Insane Asyluml
They deny the Divine authenticity of the Bible,
and degrade its prophets and Apostles to a level
with "mediums" and:sorcerers, and make them
out to have been liars and impostors of the worst
stamp, in pretending to have been inspired by the
HIoly Spirit, when writing the book,
The " spirit6" throug7h Rg. P. Ambler, teacher,
p. 46, speaking of the Bible: "The seers and
prophets whose names are mentioned in the primitive history, were mediums.':  4 It was in this
manner that the writings of the Bible, which have
been properly termed the Scriptures, were originated.' i Therefore will the spirits assure the
world that the Bible is not the direct and infallible
word of God.:' The pirits would claim the authorship of these records as they were primarily
given to the world."
A spirit representing himself to be St. Pau,
through MR. HOAR, medium, says, "The Bible,
when first written, was nothing more than a book
written through mediums, as I am now writing
through my medium.  Its contents were not com-.5




98     SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
posed of all the books that are in it at present.
Some of the Old Testament was written by men who
had no more power than I had to preach the gospel
before my conversion."  He goes through the Bible
thus; 
GENESIS.-"'C About as true as any fictitious work
that is now in print," p. 10.
ExoDus. —" As good a book as could be expected
in that day," p. 10.
LEVITICUS.-" Not directly from God, as man
supposes," p. 12.
NUMBERS. — " Such an absurdity as that [the facts
stated in chap. Ist] ought to be cast into the lowest
depth of the infernal regions," p. 13.
JOSHUA. —" Almost the whole book is false," lb.
JUDGES.-' About the same as the others; and
it needs no argument to show that it is void of inspiration," p. 14.
RUTH.-"- Without inspiration, the same as the
others," p. 15.
SAMUEL.-" A part of it is correct," p. 15.
KINGS.-Multitudes of mistakes-not correctno inspiration," pp. 16, 17.
EZRA. —'C By a person bearing its name, without
inspiration," p. 17.
JOB.-" Written through mediums-would have
been correct, had it not been that men destroyed its
purity," pp. 18, 19. 
PsALMS. —"' Written in the same way and some
of them correct," p. 19.




BASENESS OF THE SPIRITS.                99
The rest of the books of the Old Testament are
said to be "c somewhat correct in the main," p. 20.
"' Let me say unto you, 0 man! at this day, in
regard to the Old Testament,' MENE, MENE, TEKEL,
UPHARSIN,' P. 21.
In passing through the Gospels, Epistles, and the
Apocalypse, this vile spirit exclaims, " Not correct,"
6 mistake," "'fictitious," " contrary to the will of
God."  And to cap the whole, "' Such, 0 man, are
the principles the books you call the Bible, are conveying to the inhabitants of the earth. 0 horrible!" p. 92.
" The  Old  Testament, which  Christ  declared
wrong and wicked, you are still calling the Word of
God....  Although your angelic fathers, by the
wisdom of God, are allowed to come unto you, and
do away with the wicked precepts of your Bible,"
pp. 93, 94.2:~
The language of this impostor presents a striking
contrast to that of the real Apostle 
" All Scripture zs given by inspiration of God, and is profitable
for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:. That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works."-2 Tim. 3: 16, 17.
"Though we, or any angel from heaven preach any other gospel unto you, than that ye have received, let him be accursed."Gal. i: 9.
A FALSE CHRIST.
"There shall arise false Christs."-MAT. xxiv: 24.
A spirit, in 1852, revealed himself through MI L.
* Spirit Rapping Unveiled, pp. 91, 92.




100    SPIRITUALISM VERSUIS CHIRISTIALNITY.
Arnold, of Poughkeepsie, N. Y., as " GOD'S HiaE
AND HOLY SPIRPIT JESUS CHRIST, FORMERLY  OF'
NAZARETHI!
This false  Christ has comm unicated  several
volumes.  To show his real character we quote
from one, entitled " The History of the origin of
All Things."  It seems Mr. Arnold secured the
copyright of a revelation which he supposed he had
received direct from the Saviour of the world! His
genius says:
" Adam  existed about 6,000 years before the
deluge," p. 27.
"-Noahs. death was 600 years after the flood,"'
p. 33.
[This would make Noah 1,200 years old at his
death!]
" Freewill is man's D'eity,"' p. 22.
"My medium first acted in his own will..'Then
I commeneed trying him vwith doubts and false impressions, by fooling himn, as he called it," p. 36.
6 I help this medium on all occasions, either apparently trifling, or even inrmoral," p, 500.
" I am and will be the comforter of all who receive me as an emanation from God's Son, or Sent,.
or as Christ, or as the Holy Spirit, I am not particular about namess, p. 63.  At last every spirit
will be equally the son of God, p. 49.  The first
thing I call on you for is your heart.  Unless you
give me your, heart you cannot do me any gyood, nor
advance your own salvation, p  70.-  The pare et




A FALSE CHRIST.             1 01
stock of Noah.  never secured permanent sway
beyond their original boundaries.  The last time
their sway extended over Asia was ten thousand
years.ago, p. 41."
"I called myself John, in the beginning of this
chapter, not because that was my name in the body,
but, because my servant John acted for me in
writing the book of Revelation, and united with me
in explaining now, what then he did not fully understand, Besides, he is a high son of God, being
in the sixth circle of the sixth sphere.  He is a
noble spirit, who delights to serve God, and who did
reveal himself to my clairvoyant spirit, Davis, when
he was submissive to his directions," p. 62.
"The Man of the Antediluvian world was a very
different being from the present Mane   He was
larger; stronger and more sensual. He was also six
fingered and six toed, and bull-necked.  He had a
tail; and, it was the apparition of beings of the
antediluvian birth, that caused the popular notion
of the appearance of evil spirits with tails. He also
had horns, short and strait, proceeding from his forehead, p. 97."
"Did Joshua march his men about Jericho for
seven days, till the walls fell at the sound of the
trumpets?  Yes. But meanwhile his armies had
underworked the walls, and his attentive enemy
had only watched his outward manoeuvres. Did
the sun and moon stand still at his command or
prayer, so that the daylight and moonlight were




102~   SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHIRISTIANITY'
prolonged?  Yes.  The sun and the moon were
upon the banners of the Cananites; and by his
prayer to God, they were brought to a standstill
upon Gibeon, and Ajalon.  Then the light of day
was prolonged by a peculiar kind of zodiacal light,
sometimes seen in those regions."-p. 44.
"4This Book.. h. as been written... by the
direct revelation of the Son of God, Jesus Christ,
formerly of Nazareth."-p. 5.
" When Jesus started for Bethany, he did so by
a Divine inti'mation that Lazarus was sick. 9
IHis sisters tried to persuade Jesus, that their brother was already corrupted, by decomposition of the
body having commenced. Jesus knew better than
they did, for he perceived he had been buried in a
trance... His life was saved, not restored. EIe
was not dead but was in a trance.   To all appearance, the dead was raised.  But yet there was
no such violation of God's order, and law."-p. 45.' Were it necessary, I would confirm  the truth
of this revelation by miracles ~ such as raising the
dead or healing the sick.  But the time has not yet
come for these.  When the time comes it shall be
done; [i. e. when the spirits have subjected a
plenty of victims to diseases, such as blindness,
palsy, and epilepsy, and have sufficiently practised
the art of suspending and restoring animation to
attempt to imitate a resurrection without too much
risk,] and throzugh this medium first."-p. 75.
What a murdering of chronology, history, and




LYING WON DERS.                  103
theology!  And yet this book is one of the best
and most consistent which the spirits have produced on a similar subject, and this vile personator
of the Messiah is a superior representative  of this
whole race of spirits. If they appear thus in disguise, what must they be unmasked!
LYING WONDERS.
AFTER THE WORKING OF SATAN WITH LYING WONDERS9
2 THES. II: 9.
The following account of prediction and cure,
will serve to illustrate the mode of procedure sometimes adopted by the spirits ~
" Mrs. Capron and Mrs. Tamlin were in Mr. Tamlin's house
alone, when a rapping commenced and gave the signal for the
alphabet. On repeating it over, the following sentence was
spelled out:' Sarah (Mrs. Tamlin), is going to be sick.' As
she was then apparently as well as usual they were somewhat
surprised, and Mrs. Tamlin said:'why! not very sick am I?'
The answer was'yes, very sick, and Rebecca had better not
stay alone with you this afternoon."  This was some time in
the forenoon. Mrs. C. went home at noon and returned about
one o'clock and found MIrs. Tamlin vomiting severely. She
soon fainted, and continued to have fainting fits of very long
duration all the afternoon and through the night. Every
time she was about to faint we were told by the sound, which
would sometimes spell out C" watch her."  The same faithful
guardian told us what medicine to administer-what to dotold when it would be safe for a part of the watchers to leave
-(told them two hours before the time of leaving)-just how
many fits she would have during the night-when she would
begin to recover, and when she would be well-and all was
fulfilled to the letter."-Singular Rev., p. 60.




104    SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
It would be difficult to avoid the conclusion that
in this instance as in others, a demon performed
the part of prophet, tormentor and physician. They
often produced the most violent fits in the days of
Christ, and it is no uncommon feat of theirs at the
present day. We shall be much surprised if they
do not suspend the animation of some obsequious
dupe for a short time, in order to gain the reputation of raising the dead. In this particular case,
the spirit played a part not unlike that performed
by Smith, the Mormon prophet. It is related of
hlim that, cherishing a bitter animosity against Governor Boggs, for driving him and his followers out
of Missouri, he made a public prediction that the
governor would die before the expiration of a year.
Anxious to be a true prophet, he early dispatched
his most efficient protege with rifle in hand, to
shoot the governor.  The vigilant emissary was
missed from Nauvoo, when one of the faithful thus
interrogated the prophet: " Brother Joseph, where
has Rockwell gone?  The Prophet replied, " O!
he hats gone to fulfill prophecies!"
About that time a bullet passed through a pane
of glass, and made a very sensible impression on
the back of the Governor's head, and thence glanced
into his neck; but fr'om the effect of which he speedily recovered, to prove Smith a fctase prophet,
while Rockwell went unhung to be.shot in Nauvoo,
by " a gentile."
But the spirit who made Mrs. Tamlin sick was




SPIRITS FULFILL THEIR PREDICTIONS.   105
subject to no such contingency. I-e did not do his
business by proxy. He could fulfill his own prophecies.  He could foretell that Mrs. Tamlin would
be sick-how sick he intended to make her) and
just how many fits she would have! And as he
knew when he intended to strangle her, he would
kindly tell her friends to " watch her!"  C The
same faithful guardian told when it would be safe
for a part of the watchers to leave-just how many
fits she would have during the night, and when she
would recover!  And all of this two hours beforehand.  Wonderful! 
It is nothing new nor uncommon for demons to
utter prophecies on the strength of a purpose to
fulfill them.  Augustine says, " they for the most
part foretell what they are about to perform."*
A spirit through M. L. Arnold, medium, says of
him-" He shall go forth with power to perfbrm
miracles, and to make outward signs, even as I
may direct him, to reveal their coming or intended
rerformance8."t
Judge Eclmonds understands their predictions to
be generally mere declarations of what they intend
to perform.  tIe says, " for instance they say on
such a day a thing will happen. By this they mean
that they will do the thing."l
Some years since they foretold that an infant
brother of Almira Bezely, a medium  in Provi~ Beecher's Essay, p. 47, from Kiel Opuscula Academica, ch. iil,
-t Hist. of All Things, p. 110.  t Spiritualism, p. 455.




106     SPIRITUALISM  VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
dence, IR. I., would die at a specified time, and
then instigated her to fulfill the prediction by poisoning him!
The foregoing is not the only instance in which
demons have wrought "'lying wonders." Doubtless nine-tenths of all their pretended cures are of
the same character.  For the sake of fairly representing their claims to the public, we insert a few
more of a similar character-those which Air. Brittan adduced in his Review  of Beecher, to prove
the benefit of spiritualism. He admits that he
" selected some of the most favorable specimens of
spiritual facts." He says, " we insist. that the real
character of the spirits is most clearly revealed in
what they do and say." Let us consider some of
these " most favorable specimens."
" Rev. H. H. HUNT, relates that while in Indiana. in September, 1851, a child, a son of D. C. Smith, was very sick. The
physician having given the most favorable medicines for stopping the fits, without effect, the father called me in. I seated
myself by the boy, and was put in communication with him
by an unseen agency. Soon the patient showed too clearly
that another fit was coming on; but instead of his suffering
from the attack, the whole power of the malady fell on me.
The agonizing distress, the clenched fist, and contracted muscle gave me alarm for my own safety; but the second thought
that I was in the hands of Spirits, quieted me; and I threw
off the attack, The boy had no morefits, but got well."*
It is obvious that the spirits caused these fits;
and they had only to suspend operations and
* Review of Beecher, p. 67.




PRETENDED CURES.                 107
leave the boy in order to deceive their followers
with the idea that they had performed a miracle!
Mr. Hunt says, "The whole power of the malady
fell on me.  The agonizing distress, the clenched
fist, and contracted muscle, gave me alarm for my
own safety; but the second thought, that I was in
the hands of the spirits quieted me."  Mr. Hunt
was conscious that he was "'in the hands of the
spirits"-that they had left the boy, and were now
attacking him.
If Mr. Hunt is to be believed, the tormentors performed the cure.  Yet, probably, not only Messrs.
Hunt, Brittan, and Partridge, but the whole class
of spiritualists, swallow this as a wonderful miracIe!
Again, says Mr. Brittan:
" The following instance of a remarkable cure by the aid of
spirits, is related by Mr. John 0. Wattles, a gentleman of intelligence and veracity:
"My brother-in-law related to me an incident that may be
interesting to some. A few days before I was there, he was
at work in the grove, chopping wood; a young man rode up
and inquired'if his name was Whinery?' He said,'Yes.'' Well, you are the man for me; my sister has been at the
point of death more than six hours, and the spirits say,  You
can cure her.' Whinery said,'I can't do any thing; I never did
anything in my life-I do not know anything about it.' But
the young man insisted, and he went-it was nine or ten miles.
When he got there he found a house full of people in attendance, expecting every moment that the young woman would
breathe her last, and anxiously awaiting his arrival. When he
entered the room, he saw the young woman lying in great




108    SPIRm1TALISmV VERSUS CHRTSTTANITY.
agony, the blood frothing from her mouth-in a fit, I suppose.
At this sight he sickened-as he does at the sight of bloodand fell back into a chair.  He then became entranced, and
said,' In twenty minutes I will lay my hand on her head and
she will recover.' He commenced jerking severely-as was related to him afterward —and immediately the young woman
was relieved! At the expiration of twenty minutes he aroused,
and turning to the young woman, asked her how she felt-at
the same time laying his hand on her head.  She answered,
I nam well'-and immediately sat up in bed!  He then went
out to supper, and after that returned to the room, and the
young woman was up and clothed, and in her right mind. She
had been in a partially deranged condition more than a week.
She now walked about the room with himl, and was standing
in the door when the physician-who had left her a short time
before, and had come back, not expecting to see her aliverode up. Being a disbeliever in all the late  manifestations,'
he looked astonished-gazed at her a moment, as if disbelieving his own senses, and exclaimed,'Gods! No more use for
doctors!' and rode off. This can be attested by more than
forty persons."*
This was a very clever feat for the spirits.  Doubtless their success surpassed their expectations.  It
seems they had possessed a woman and made her
crazy for more than a week, when, the restless tormentors, anxious for another victim, sent for a man
whom they could paralyze by the sight of blood-he
came-they strangled her, and caused spasms and
cC great agony, the bloodfrothing from her mouth!"
At this sight the man fainted, when they left her and
took possession of him before he recovered.  He was
astonished to find himself a medium; and she ex* Review of Beecher, p. 67.




LYING WONDERS.                109
claimed "I am well!"  Thus the spirits killed two
birds with one stone. They gained another victim,
and the honor of performing a miraculous cure.
We are "' specially impressed" to say, that a cure
similar to that which a man effects by relaxing his
grasp on the throat of another, whom he had choked
till he caused " great agony, the blood frothing
from his mouth," must be "remarkable!"  Perhaps there would be "no more use for doctors"
while he was living, especially if no other diseases
existed but those of his own production. At least
a practitioner of no other school could successfully
compete with such a sanguinary Titan.
If in the progress of sorcery it should be learned
that a man becomes a superior physician by virtue
of such performances, doubtless nine-tenths of this
class of " lying wonders" of the spirits will be
deemed " remarkable cures!" None but spiritualists can make such discoveries nor appreciate such
doctors.
The duplicity of the spirits is only equalled by
the credulity of their dupes, who are trumpeting
forth such operations as miracles, and glorying in
their own shame.
Rev. H. H. Hunt, of Indiana, relates the following wonder:
"' At a circle held at Adrian the first Saturday in July, the
spirits wrote:' Seek the lame, the halt, and the infirm, and
they shall be healed.' I then remarked to J. M. Reynolds:'It can not be done; if that is read, away go the spirits and




110    SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHERISTIANITY.
the cause together; for some one will be presented and not
cured.'  Nevertheless, the call was read by my colleague,
when Mr. Lyons presented himself, stating that his leg had
been drawn up by rheumatism four years, and was under
acute pain at the time. Without the exercise of my own volition, I was thrown into the spiritual state, and placed before
him.  I was also made to speak by the power of the spirit.
* * * * I put my hand on him, and he was made whole..He
dropped his cane and went away rejoicing, fleet as a boy of
sixteen."*
In this case as in all the foregoing, the demons
were only undoing their own work. They had contracted the muscles four years previous, and when
the fortunate  moment arrived to turn  a feat to
good account, they caused "acute pain"-gave his
leg an electric shock which relaxed the affected
part, and then left their victim.
Nor should this version of the affair be deemed
incredible by the spiritualists.   They should be the
last persons to talk of incredibilities. They say the
spirits are  swayed by  passions and caprice, like
living men.  The rulers of France kept an unfortunate victim in the doleful Bastile forty-seven years.
Is it strange that an evil spirit causes a disease of
four years?.A more remarkable case occurred in the days of
Christ:
"And behold there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years; and was bound together, and could in no wise
lift up herself."
* Review of Beecher, p. 69.




TORM:ENTS OF SATAN.                  11t
In this case it seems a spirit had caused an infirmityfor eighteen years! Christ immediately healed
her, saying'
"And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham,
whom SATAN hatil bound these eighteene years, be loosed from this
bond on theSabbath day' "-Luke xiii: 11-16.
This presents the philosophy of spirit-cures. The
diseases are caused by the spirits themselves.
"Satan... smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot
to his crown."-Job ii: 7.
Christ " was casting out a devil, and it was dumb. And it came
to pass, when the devil was gone out, the dumb spake; and the
people wondered."-Luke xi. 14.
The spiritualists boast that most of the diseases
which the spirits have cured are those which have
baffled the most skilfull physicians.  This is because the victims are either demoniacs, or in some
way afflicted by these emissaries of Satan,  When
the Great Physician was on the earth "he went
about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil."`:
These spirits are endeavoring to gain influence by
counterfeiting the miracles of the Redeemer.
There are probably not less than  two thousand
persons in the United  States, in various ways afflicted and subjected to their discipline for the purpose of deceiving the public with counterfeit cures
whenever they can be turned to account for spiriActs x: 28.




112    SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
tualism.  They cause the above mentioned diseases,
blindness, all the various manifestations of demonpossession, besides I know not how many others.
Theophilus Savill, a young Englishman, stated to
the writer, that in April last he was struck blind by
the spirits nine times in five days, and once he continued so for two hours.
He said, that he told his father he was going to
Australia; that his father was a " medium," and
replied, " I say thou shalt not go, and thou canst
not go." The son declared the spirits could have
no power over him. The father conjured the spirits,
and they closed the young man's eyes so that it was
impossible for him to open them.
Doubtless they will attempt to counterfeit every
miracle performed by the Saviour, not excepting the
opening the eyes of the blind and the resurrection of
the dead. They have declared their purpose to raise
the dead, and selected two mediums to be honored
by an agency in the performance.
Thus when Mr. Spear of Boston pronounced his
inspired benediction on Mrs. Mettler of Hartford,
he says, " Thou shalt say to the dead Arise! and it
shall come to pass!":
A spirit, in 1852, through M. L. Arnold of Poughkeepsie, N. Y., says, "I would confirm the truth of
this revelation by miracles, such as raising the dead,
and healing the sick, but the time is not yet come
* Fowler's Essay.




SPIRITS RAISING THE DEAD.              113
for these.   [They had not the subjects disciplined
for the performances then.]  When the time arrives
it will be done."*
So it seems Mrs. Mettler and Mr. Arnold are
chosen for this sublime work.
Now if these spirits are not liars, they will certainly raise the dead!-though the one which inspired Mr. Arnold, declares such a thing to be a
"C violation of God's order and law "!'t  The process
by which they will probably attempt to imitate
a resurrection, will be that of suspending and
restoring animation, as illustrated by the following  letter by  Nelson  Selby of Maynon, Illinois,
published  in  the  Telegraph/  of June  1, 1855.
" We had been informed that there was a pole of death situated somewhere, but no one knew where. We asked the spirits
to inform us where it was situated, which they did by causing
one of the medium's hands to be placed (I think) under the
right shoulder-blade. When any one formed the connection
with one of them, and touched that spot, the manifestation
would appear in all. I have, in a great number of cases, called
and seen others call, on the spirits to excite the pole of death
in three or four or a dozen mediums, when they would immediately begin to draw their breaths as a dying person naturally
would; and in a few moments they would close their eyes
and fall to the floor, when it would not be in the power of physicians or any one else to detect the least signs of life in them.
Nor was it in our power by manifestations or any other means
to bring them out of that condition. After our curiosity was
sufficiently gratified, we would request them to demagnetize
the organ, when the first symptom of returning life would be
* Hist. of All Things, p. 75. Ib., p. 45.,




114    SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
a feeble pulse.  We discovered that the oftener they were
thrown into that condition the harder it seemed to bring them
out, which alarmed us, and we desisted from the experiment.
As they would begin to come to, they would express a desire
to remain in that condition, as it was delightful."
The foregoing cures! said to have been performed
by the spirits, have been several times presented as
the strongest arguments for spiritualism. When
the real facts are understood, but little credit is due
for their performances. There was no ejecting or
casting out spirits; they had it all in their own way,
and performed for the interests of their own cause.
Doubtless they will be ever ready to leave one medium temporarily, in order to gain another.
MALEVOLENCE 0F THE SPIRITS.
They destroyed not less than two hundred dollars
worth of furniture in the house of Dr. Phelps, of
Stratford, Conn., and not less than twenty dollars
worth of clothing belonging to the family, all " for
fun," as they declared. By the use of matches
they set fire to some papers in the doctor's Secretary, and before it was discovered a score of valuable
letters and papers were destroyed. At the same
time papers were set on fire in two closets under
the stairs.
A lad connected with the family seemed to be
the special victim of their malice. He suffered
much in various ways. His clothes which he wore
were often badly torn; he felt sensations as though




MALEVOLENCE OF THE SPIRITS.      115
he was pinched, and pins were sticking in him;
stones were often thrown at him, and also at others
of the family.
A daughter of Mr. Phelps, in'anticipation of a
pleasant visit to INew Haven, had attired herself
in a valuable dress, and was standing on the piazza
near the front door, the chamber window being
open, when a quantity of ink was thrown out of
the window by the spirits in such a manner as to
totally ruin the dress. Says Mr. Capron, " I cannot conceive of any feelings short of shear malevolence that would prompt such an act."
The reason given by the spirits for thus haunting
the house of Dr. Phelps, was that murders had
been committed in the vicinity. Very significant!
— The regions of crime are not congenial to the
righteous.
A prominent spiritualist assigned to the writer
as a reason why the spirits annoyed Mr. Phelps:
" He was one of these superstitious men who think
they must pray to God every day, and they wanted
to tease him and teach him better!"
Christianity has nothing to hope from such a
source.
It is said they often delight in mischievous pranks,
such as teasing their mediums by disclosing their
secrets in the presence of others.
A young lady in Providence, R, I., a medium
who had been much injured by mesmerism and
spirit mediation, was tormented day and night for




116    SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
a long time by constant knocks and raps.  Unable
to obtain any quiet repose or refreshing sleep, her
life was a continued scene of suffering and sorrow.
Nothing short of malignity could have instigated
such tormentors.
THE SPIRITS ARE DEMONS.
Nothing is more certain than that these spirits
produce the same phenomena, and hence belong to
the same class with the demons-Greek daimnnia —
which anciently were deified by the heathen nations, inspired soothsayers, spoke in oracles, controlled omens, lurked in images, haunted the abodes
and possessed the bodies of men and of beasts. The
spiritualists testify that this is true, and that a
large share of the modern phenomena correspond to
the lowest phases of the ancient manifestations.
gMr. NEWTON, of the New Era, says " the Rev.
Charles Beecher,' concludes that the movement is
essentially one with the demonic possession whereof
the Gospels often speak-that is, the control and
use of the bodily organs of the living, by human
spirits, incorrectly termed'devils' in our English
version of the Scriptures.'  This position, remarkable as it is, is unquestionably correct as regards a
great portion of the manifestations which have
been made in various parts of the country.":
Now since these spirits are the same with the
demons of ancient notoriety, it is only necessary to
* Letter to the Edward's Church, p. 16.




MODERN DEMONS.              1 17
ascertain the character of those, and in what light
they were regarded by Christ, the Apostles and
early Christians, in order to decide the character of
these, and our duty concerning them.
The origin of the word daimon is lost. Dr.
WEBSTER, with all his facilities for extensive research, says: "The origin and primary sense of
this word, I have not been able to ascertain." Its
classical signification was that of a deity or superior
intelligence. Its most common acceptation among
the later Greeks was that of an evil spirit.  Grote
the historian says: "They were most frequently
noticed as the causes of evil, and thus the name
demon come to convey with it a bad sense. The
objectionable ceremonies of the pagan world were
defended upon the ground that in no other way
could the exigencies of such mali  it beings be
appeased.... Christian writers could easily show
that not only in Homer, but in the general language
of early pagans, all the gods were spoken of as demons. "'
We learn from the New Testament the real character of all demons.  The words daimon, and daim5nion are there used in their variations 78 times.
They are never employed to represent a holy angel,
nor a departed saint, nor to signify any other than
an evil spirit. So universal was this acceptation
among Jews and Christians, that demon was one of
the most reproachful epithets in vogue. Says James,
*Hist. of Greece, v. 1. c. 2.




118   SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
"' This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is
earthly, sensual, daimoniodds," like that of demons.*
They are represented as engaged in deceiving and
arraying the world against Christ.   Giving heed
to doctrines of demons " involves a departure from
the Christian faith. Those who were deified by the
pagans and produced the highest and most deceptive
order of manifestations, such as speaking in oracles
and inspiring soothsayers, were no exceptions to the
general character of the race. Paul doubtless refers
to these when he classes evil spirits with the chief
antagonists to Christianity,'" We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but
against principalities against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against ta pneumatikca tes ponejrfas en tois epouraniois, wicked spirits
in high or t   rIly places."t
The spirit by which the damsel of Philippi was
inspired, was wicked, and engaged in a forbidden
work no less than those who possessed the raving
demoniacs.
Demons are represented as being a source of
affliction to the human family-as causing dumness,
deafness, madness, palsy, and epilepsy-as trembling in view of their doom, and pleading that they
might not be tormented before the time. None
are excepted by the Apostle when he says: " The
demons also believe and tremble."   C' And behold
they cried out, saying, what have we to do with thee,
* James, iii: 15.  t Eph. 6: 12.  $ James 2: 19.




TESTIMONY OF THE FATHERSS,        119
Jesus thou son of God? art thou come hither to
torment us before the time."':  The translators
have not represented them all as' devils," in our
version of the scriptures without some very good
reasons.
Tertullian, Lactantius, and Cyprian, show in
what estimation they were held by the early Christians.  Says Tertullian: " Hitherto, we have used
words; we will now come to a demonstration of
the very thing, that your Gentile gods are no
one of them greater than another. For a decision of the point, let any one that is judged to
be possessed by a devil be brought into open court
before your tribunals; when that spirit shall be
commanded by Christians to speak, he shall as truly
confess himself a devil there, as elsewhere he falsely
claims to be a god. Or let one equally be produced
who is among you, Gentiles, judged to be inspired
by God, who waits at your altars, and is esteemed
a sacred person by you; nay, though he be actuated by one of your most venerated deities, be it
Diana, the heavenly virgin, or Esculapius, who
prescribes your medicines, and who pretends to relieve the dying, yet these, or any others, when they
are summoned, if they dare to lie to the Christian
summoning, and if they do not confess themnselves
openly to be devils, then let that reproachful Christian's blood be spilt upon the spot."
Says Lactantius: c Nor is it a slight cause that
Mat. 8: 29.




120    SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY,
of the multitudes whom the impious spirits of demons enter, all who are healed by their expulsion
adhere to the religion whose power they have experienced. These numerous causes have drawn a
great multitude in a wonderful manner to God." "
REEVE, in his translation of Tertullian's Apology,
quotes a remarkable note from  Cyprian, pupil of
the latter, and bishop of Carthage, in the third
century.
CYPRIAN invited Demetrius, proconsul of Africa,
to come and witness the groans and anguish of the
demons who possessed human bodies, when writhing under the power with which Christians were
endowed. He says: " O, if you would hear and
see them when they are adjured by us, when crying
out and groaning with a human voice, and feeling
scourges and blows by Divine power, they acknowledge the judgment to come,-come and know the
things which we speak are true. You will see
them stand bound under our power, and you will
observe them tremble like captives!"
Now since, as the spiritualists acknowledge, these
C spirits" belong to the same family with the demons noticed in the New Testament, every argument which has been, and can be urged against the
latter, is of equal force in reference to the former.
Modern usage corresponds with the New Testament signification of demon, and clearly indicates
* Lactantaii, Inst, lib. v. de Just,, c. 22.




DEMONOLOGY VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.   121
the vile character of the "spirits."  Hence their
devotees are striving to change the signification of
the word.
It is to be expected that every well-informed
Christian will adopt the views concerning these
spirits which were sanctioned by Christ and his
disciples. They will abide by the decisions of an
inspired Apostle. "I would not that ye should have
fellowshzip with demons. Ye cannot drink of the
cup of the Lord, and the cup of demons: ye cannot
be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table
of demons."*'
In view of the foregoing facts, we affirm that a
departed Christian has never manifested himself
among all of these. We are fully authorized to
brand as impostor every one of these invisible personators who have pretended to be Christ, angels
and saints. We should cry impostor to a spirit who
would represent himself as our departed father,
whatever might be his proofs of identity. The idea
that the abodes of bliss can be reached by the arts
of necromancers and " mediums," is not to be entertained for a moment. To assert that such is
the case, is virtually to contend that Satan and his
agents have not only " encompassed the camp of the
saints and the beloved city," but that the battle
of Armageddon has been already fought, and contrary to the Apocalyptic anticipation, victory has
crowned the arms of the satanic host.
1 Cor. 10; 20.
6




CHAPTER  VII.
SPIRITUALISM IS A REVIVAL OF SORCERY.
" Neither repented they of their.. sorceries. "-REv. ix: 12.
IT is so obvious and so generally believed that
this intercourse is the same with the sorcery prohibited in the Bible, that no argument is necessary
to prove it, in addition to what is presented in
other parts of this work.  We shall therefore only
give a definition of terms, and the testimony of
some of the most prominent spiritualists, in order
to show that we do not misrepresent spiritualism.
Sorcery, magic, with craft; or divination with-the
assistance of evil spirits — Webster.
Witch, a woman who practices divination by the
aid of evil spirits; one who is possessed with a
divining spirit, or has one in her; one who exerts
supernatural power by the assistance of a familiar
spirit; " a medium for test personations by which
the actual presence of evil spirits can be realized;
a developing medium."
GOVERNOR TALMADGE says:'C Now all the magic,
the mysteries, the witchcraft, and necromancy of




REVIVAL OF SORCERY.          123
the ancient world, from the time of the Delphic
Oracle, are explained by these modern investigations." —Spirituaism, by Edmonds, vol. 1, p. 422.
JUDGE EDMONDS says: "I found that both sacred and profane history was full of accounts of
what we are now witnessing.. If we may credit
the traditions and private histories of the Catholic
Church, it was occasionally manifest. After the
Reformation, and the minds of men began to be
somewhat freed from restraints which the religious domination of centuries had imposed upon
them, spiritual intercourse began again to display
itself. But mankind in their ignorance knew not
how to deal with it. Instead of meeting the intelligence rationally, as is now  done, and asking
whence and why it came, it was met with prayers
and fumigations, and exorcisms in a dead language;
nay, with the faggot and the scaffold. About two
hundred years ago, under the administration of one
of the wisest of the English Judges, hundreds were
tried and executed for the crime of witchcraft. The
act of I James I, ch. xii., against witchcraft, was
passed when Lord Bacon, one of the greatest minds
that England has ever produced, was a member of
the House of Commons, and Lord Coke, one of her
most distinguished judges, was attorney general,
and in the House of Lords, was referred to a committee which contained twelve bishops. And Barrington, in his observations on the statutes of 20,




124    SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
Hen. VI., says that 30,000 people were burned for
witchcraft within 150 years.
In our own country, too, where our sturdy ancestors planted amid savage wilds, the seeds of freedom
which now so overshadows the world, it displayed
itself; and the history of qSalern witchcraft is but
an account of spiritual manifestations, and of man.'s
incapacity to understand them."-Spiritualism, V.
I., p. 43-44.
ALLEN PUTNAM,' Unitarian clergyman and spiritualist, of Roxbury, Mass., in the New Era of Oct.
7th, 1854, says: " The doctrine that the oracles,
soothsaying, and witchcraft of past ages, were kindred to these manifestations of our day, I for one,
most fully believe."
A. J. DAVIS, the seer, and the spirits bear substantially the same testimony. He says: "I listened to Fenelon and William Ellery Channing. I
was assured, also, that the time was now past when
these new things would have been ignorantly termed
demonism, enchantment, and witchcraft." —Philosophy of S. Intercourse, p. 77.
CHARLES PARTRIDGE, publisher of the Spiritual
Telegraph, said to the writer-speaking of the
woman of Endor —  Call her witch or what you will,
slhe was a medium for the spirits!"
We asked Mr. Partridge what he deemed the
strongest argument which had ever been urged
against spiritualism. He replied, " Two or three




REVIVAL OF -SORCERY.           125
texts in the Old Testament, such for instance as
thou shalt not suffer a witch to live."
REV. URIAH CLARK, in the course of a lecture in
Williamsburg, remarked that "Saul on one occasion became very much annoyed by the mediums,
and issued a decree that they should all be put to
death; but subsequently, when in trouble, he started
off under cover of night, to consult a medium!"
It is written that " Saul had put away those that
had familiar spirits, and the wizards, out of the land."
According to Mr. Clark, who is himself a medium,
witches, wizards, and those who had familiar spirits,
were all mediums 
MR. BRITTAN, Editor of the Telegraph, says:' If modern spiritualism is to be rejected because
some of its illustrations are wanting in interest, dignity, and truth, or for the reason that they are imitated by cunning imposters, the ancient spiritualism
must go with it. This is strictly legitimate, for the
old Jewish phenomena were at least quite as disorderly as ours, and SIMON  MAGUS was, of all
men, PRINCE among the workers of spiritual miracles." —Review of Beecher, p. 77.
This is sufficient to show that spiritualists deem
this movement identical with sorcery. If this conclusion is correct-which we do not doubt-we
should reckon as the most prominent of the ancient
spiritualists,
Jannes and Jambres, Egyptian sorcerers.
Balaam, the soothsayer.




126      SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
The woman of Endor.
The prophets of Baal.
The pythonic damsel of Philippi.
Elymus, the sorcerer, and
Simon Magus, the   C PRINCE  among the workers
of spiritual miracles."
The history of this noted character will serve to
show with what class of persons " Professor Brittan" has thus instructed the public to identify himself and his spiritual fraternity.
i' But there was a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime
in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one: To whom they
all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is
the great power of God. And to him they had regard, because
that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries.  But
when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the
kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Then Simon himself believed also;
and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered,
beholding the miracles and signs which were done.  And when
Simon saw that through laying on of the apostle's hands the Holy
Ghost was given, he offered them money.  Saying, Give me also
this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the
Holy Ghost.  But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with
thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God. Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought
of thine heart may be forgiven thee. For I perceive that thou art
in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity."-Acts 8: 9-23.




MOSES AND AARON BEFORE PHARAOH.
NOW AS JANNES AND JAMBRES WITHSTOOD MOSES, SO I)O THESE LSPIRITUALISTS1 RESIST THE
TRUTH.I-2 Tim. iii. 8.-See Chapters V1I and X V.








CHAPTER VIII.
THE BOOK OF THE PROPHETS OF THE SPIRITUALISTS.
"Many false prophets are gone out into the world."-1 John iv: 1;
THE ancient false prophets were often as really
inspired as the Lord's prophets, though by a widely
different agency.   The latter were inspired by the
Divine Spirit, the former by demons.
Jehosaphat, king of Judah, joined affinity with
Ahab, king of Israel.  While premeditating  wax
against Ramoth Gilead:
"Jehoshaphat said unto the king of Israel, Enquire, I pray thee,
at the word of the Lord to-day.  Therefore the king of Israel
gathered together of prophets four hundred men, and said unto
them, Shall we go to Ramoth-Gilead to battle, or shall I forbear?
And they said, Go up; for God will deliver it into the king's hand.
But Jehoshaphat said, Is there not here a prophet of the Lord besides, that we might enquire of him? And the king of Israel said
unto Jehoshaphqt, There is yet one man, by whom we may enquire
of the Lord: but I hate him; for he never prophesied good unto
me, but always evil: the same is Micaiah the son of Imla. And
Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so. And the king of Israel
called one of his officers, and said, Fetch quickly Micaiah the son
of Imla.  And the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah
sat either of them on his throne, clothed in their robes, and they




128     SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
sat in a void place at the entering in of the gate of Samaria; and
all the prophets prophesied before them. And Zedekiah the son
of Chenaanah had made him horns of iron, and said, Thus saith
the Lord, With these thou shalt push Syria until they be consumed.
And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, go up to Ramothgilead, and prosper: for the Lord shall deliver it into the hand
of the king. And the messenger that went to call Micaiah spake
to him, saying, Behold, the words of the prophets declare good to
the king with one assent; let thy word therefore, I pray thee, be
like one of their's, and speak thou good. And Micaiah said, As the
Lord liveth, even what my God saith, that will I speak. And when
he was come to the king, the king said unto him, Micaiah, shall
we go up to.Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I forbear? Then he
said, I did see all Israel scattered upon the mountains, as sheep
that have no shepherd: and the Lord said, These have no master;
let them return therefore every man to his house in peace. And
the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, did I not tell thee that
he would not prophecy good unto hie, but evil. Again he said,
Therefore hear the word of the Lord; I saw the Lord sitting upon
his throne, and all the host of heaven standing on his right hand
and on his left. And the Lord said, Who shall entice Ahab king
of Israel, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead? And one
spake saying after this manner, and another saying after that manner. Then there came out a spirit, and stood before the Lord, and
said, I will entice him. And the Lord said unto him, Wherewith?
And he said, I will go out, and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all
his prophets. And the LORD said, Thou shalt entice him, and
thou shalt also prevail: go out, and do even so.  Now therefore,
behold, the Lord hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of these thy
prophets, and the Lord hath spoken evil against thee.  So the
king of Israel and Jehoshaphat went up to Ramoth-gilead. And
a certain man drew a bow at a venture, and smote the king of Israel between the joints of the harness: therefore he said to his
chariot man, turn thine hand, that thou mayest carry me out of
the host; for I am wounded..... And about the time of the sun
going down he died."-2 Chron. xviii.
Here is a case of real inspiration of 400 prophets




RETRIBUTIVE DELUSIONS.             129
by a lying spirit, by which Ahab, as a judgment for
his wickedness, was deluded and fell.  One prophet
of God withstood them.  Ahab believed the mnajority, his own flattering proteges. Jehoshaphat had
no confidence in such demon-inspired prophets.
Hence he inquired: " Is there not here a prophet
of the LORD besides, that wve might inquire of him."
This case illustrates the principle upon which Jehovah permits men to be deceived to their ruin.
"Yea, they have chosen their own ways, and their sou'l delighteth in their abominations. I also will choose their delusions, and
will bring their fears upon them." —Isa. lxvi: 34.
"Because they received not the love of the truth that they
might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong
delusion, that they should believe a lie: that they all might be
damned who believe not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness." —2 Thes. ii: 10-12.
Ahab had been a perverse man. Instead of
heeding the prophets of God, he had " served Baal
and worshiped  him,"  He  married  Jezebel, the
daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Zidonians, and
reared up an altar to Baal in the house of Baal,
which he had  built in  Samaria."':  He allowed
Jezebel to have Naboth murdered in order to obtain his vineyard, and committed other crimes.
Therefore " The Lord said, who shall entice Ahab
king of Israel, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth Gilead?"  God intended he should fall, and
that the false prophets whom  he had patronized,
* 1 Kings 16: 31-32;
6*




130    SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
should be the agents for his deception and consequent ruin.
But he was not allowed to go without a warning.
A prophet of the Lord gave him all the facts in
the case, Hence, when he went he went with his
eyes open, and he might thank his favorite divinities and prophets for the fatal consequences of his
expedition.
The damsel at Philippi, who for many days followed Paul and Silas saying, " These men are the
servants of the most high God, which shew unto
us the way of salvation, and who brought her masters much gain by soothsaying," was an inspired
prophetess, possessed with a spirit of divination.
When the spirit was cast out, her masters were
angry because " the hope of their gains was gone."':,
WVe have no reason to doubt that many persons
in our times, are inspired and possessed in the same
manner, and by the same class of spirits as the
above-mentioned prophets and prophetesses.
Dr. DEXTER says he has "'witnessed the medium
so completely under the control of the spirit, that
speech, motion, and even thought itself, was at the
command of the spirit influencing her."t
It is well known that the seers, prophets and
mediums of modern spiritualism, Messrs. Davis,
Spear, Harris, Ambler, and others, profess to be'
inspired by finite spirits. If this be the factr Acts 16: 16.        f Spiritualism, p. 87,




INSPIRATION OF FALSE PROPHETT8.    131
which we have no reason to doubt-this fact identifies them as a class, with the pythonic women of
Endor and Philippi, with the prophets of Baalim
and Diana, and with those of heathen divinities of
all ages. Their inspiration is of the same character.
There are two kinds of inspiration. One kind is
effected by the Holy Spirit, the other by wicked
spirits. The work of inspiration is the prerogative
of God. None but the Omniscient One is competent to inspire prophets to make revelations concerning the future. The Bible does not authorize
us to suppose that a righteous spirit would attempt
this work. Such an one would not assume the
hazardous responsibility of doing the Lord's work
of inspiring a prophet on whose word was staked
the weal of mortals; much less would Jehovah
permit such an act by one of his children. Hence
the inspiration of a prophet by a holy angel or the
spirit of a saint, is a moral impossibility; and all
inspiration which is not effected by the Holy Spirit,
must be the work of evil spirits, and worse than
useless, inasmuch as it could never be relied on,
and all prophets thus inspired would be false prophets.
A better description in so few words can nowhere
be found of modern inspiration and its results, according to the testimony of the spiritualists, than
is given by an ancient professor of sorcery to represent the same class of phenomena in Egypt.




132    SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
In the third century, Porphyry wrote an ironical
letter to Anebo, an Egyptian priest, requesting information concerning divination. The letter was
answered by Jamblicus, the preceptor of Anebo.
In this reply occurs the following:
"Inspiration is the work neither of soul nor
body, nor of their entire compound.  The true
cause is no other than illumination emanating from
the very gods themselves, and spirits coming forth
from them and an obsession by which they hold us
fully and absolutely, absorbing all our faculties
even, and exterminating all human motions and operations even to consciousness itself: bringing discourses which they who utter them do not understand, but pronounce with furious lip, so that our
whole being becomes secondary and subservient to
the sole power of the occupying god,"
"CC Some are agitated throughout the whole body,
others in some of their members, others again, are
entirely quiet.  Sometimes there are pleasing harmonies, dances, and according-voices, and sometimes the reverse. Again, the body appears taller,
or larger, or is borne aloft thirough the air, or is
affected by the opposite of these.";:"
" Many through divine inspiration are not burned
when the fire is introduced to them, the inspiring
influence preventing the fire from touching them. —
Many, also, though burned, do not apprehend that
*Beecher's Essay p. 38-39-from De AMyst., Sec. iii., c 5i,




ANCIENT SORCERERS.             133
they are so, because they do not then live in animal
life. And some, indeed, though transfixed with
spits, do not perceive it; but others that are struck
on the shoulders with axes, and others that have
their arms cut with knives are by no means conscious
of what is done to them.
" Their energies likewise are not at all hindered.
For inaccessible places become accessible to those
that are divinely inspired; they are thrown into
fire and over rivers, like the priest in Castabalis,
without being injured; but from  these things it is
demonstrated that those who energize enthusiastically are not conscious of the state they are in, and
that they neither live a human nor an animal life,
according to the sense or impulse, but that they exchange this for a certain, more divine life, by which
they are inspired and perfectly possessed.",:~
This description of the concomitants of ancient
heathen sorcery answers so perfectly to modern spiritualism as to show that the latter is a counterpart
of the former.
The spiritualists believe the same. Messrs. Edmonds, Putnam, Davis, Partridge, and Brittan testify-as we have shown in another place-that the
modern phenomena are the same with the sorcery
and witchcraft of former times. In doing this they
have identified themselves with every class of operators in heathen sorcery. Mr. Brittan says, that
Simon Magus was a " PRINCE" in the family.
*Taylor's Jamblicus, p. 122.




134    SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
Spiritualists confess that their mediums and prophets are just as free to serve knaves and liars as
any other spirits.
REV. ALLEN PUTNAM, a spiritualist, of IRoxbury,
Mass., on page 57 of his recent work on the subject,
speaking of the mediums and mode of communication, says, " The use of the instrument is as free to
bad spirits as to good ones; it has no moral nor intellectual tastes or preferences. Our wires will as
readily transfer a message from one villain to his
companion in villany as they will carry the most affectionate sentiment from one devout man to another.
So will the aromal electricity which the spirits have
learned to curb and guide, be the servant of any
si9rit wkitatsoever."
Mr. Fishbough acknowledged to the writer, that
the false prophets foretold by the Saviour were now
in the ranks of the spiritualists.  " There shall arise
false Christs and false prophets, and shall show great
signs and wonders, insomuch that if it were possible,
they shall deceive the very elect."-Math. xxiv: 24.
It is a mistake to suppose that a man cannot be
justly styled a false prophet who does not always
deal in falsehoods.  The man who would tell nothing but lies, would manifest as much stupidity as
knavery, and have very little influence.
It is unreasonable to suppose that the 850 false
prophets, who demonstrated the impotence of Baal
before all Israel on mount Carmel, told nothing
but lies. Their position and influence was too




IMPORTANT REVELATION.          135
prominent to justify such a conclusion. For years
they monopolized alike the royal patronage and
the public favor. The millions of Israel heeded
their counsels, adopted their system of morals and
religion, and were delighted with what they deemed
the inspired eloquence which flowed from their lips
when moved by the patron " gods" of Israel's surrounding foes.
But what important revelation was ever made
by this class of prophets?  Where is it to be
found?  Echo answers, where?  Jehovah has not
deemed it proper to commemorate the sophistry of
the ancient members of this family for the diversion
and ruin of succeeding generations.
As might be expected, the most important of all
their discoveries in this " progressive age," has
been made by A. J. Davis, the " seer." It was
made when attempting to vindicate his developing
theory, by which he teaches that man was originally
an oyster or a clam! from which he has progressed
to his present condition.
Here it is. " Flour damped with a little water,
will, in a few days, or even hours, be transformed
into mnoving, living, feeling organism.  Any man
can develope oats from rye, or oak trees from a combination of chesnut, pine and walnut. If oats are
cast into the ground at the proper season, and
kept mowed down during the summer and autumnal months, and allowed to remain undisturbed till
the succeeding spring, the oats will completely dis



136    SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
appear, and a moderate growth of rye will appear
at the close of the following summer. *
If any person wishes to test the character of
Mr. Davis' inspiration, it can be easily done.
Says professor Mattison, " Henceforth let no good
housewife be alarmed, if, after she has prepared the
flour for the oven, the loaves should suddenly
turn into mud turtles, and the pies into sunfish,
and move off in their respective elements. And
if any of our growers of ornamental trees wish
to produce the oak, and cannot well get the acorn
to plant, let them take a quantity of chesnut, pine,
and walnut chips, get them ground, make the meal
up into little balls, and plant them; and we have
Mr. Davis' word for it, that from the balls will grow
up oak trees! The farmer, also, who wants a crop
of winter rye, and has not the seed, but has plenty
of oats, has only to sow the oats in the spring, instead of rye in the fall, and the next season the
moderate growth of rye will be produced! Verily,
this is not only a'new,' but a very accommodating
philosophy.t
Says Rev. J. N. Murdock, Editor of the Christian Review: " there is only one little drawback in
all this. We are impressed distinctly to say, that
this whole theory, of which Mr. Davis has given us
such a prelude in the above paragraph, is a fabrication. There is not a word of truth in it. The
~ Approaching Crisis, p. 51.  j Spirit Rapping Unveiled, p. 124.




SUBLIME DISCLOSURES.         137
flour is not changed to insects, tle chesnut, the
pine, and the walnut, do not produce the oak, and
the oats are not changed to rye. If we had a boy
ten years of age who could not account for the phenomena to which Mr. Davis refers, without resorting to such a theory, we should be strongly disposed to flog him for his stupidity.
" We humbly submit that a man who can conceive
and deliberately print such absurdities as the above
paragraph, is entitled to no confidence whatever.
Yet this is the teacher on whose authority many of
our citizens have surrendered their faith in the
Bible; for whose crudities they have abandoned historical Christianity! In the sacred name of reason,
what have they gained by the exchange?  What!
May God pity them and their deluded leader."
The ]Mountain Cove Journal says: " In the beginning of the orb-formation preparatory for manformations; vehicles of the Quickening Spirit into
intellectual formation, the universal concavity, and
the universal convexity, were co-enfolded and encompassed in the universal zodiac, and within the
concavity was the visible disclosure into the germ
of the terrestrial*"
The Spiritual Harbinger has the following:"c In the twelfth hour, the glory of God, the life of
God, the Lord of God, the Holy Proceedure, shall
crown the Triune Creator with the perfect disclosive illumination. Then shall the Creator, in effulgence above the divine seraphimal, arise into the




138    SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
dome of the disclosure in one comprehensive revolving galaxy of supreme Beatitudes!!"
What superlative nonsense!!! Who will say,
in the face of such language, that they do not speak
in a tongue, unknown to themselves and everybody else! And these are fair specimens of hundreds of their inspired productions. The " lSp)iritual
Telegraph," No. 182, says: "Ream after ream, of
paper has been covered with curious hieroglyphics
that are perfectly useless to either the medium or
circle-or, in fact, any one else-for the excellent
reason that we have not thus far any CHAMPOLLION
and LAYARD to interpret for us."
Says a writer: 
" It would be well, perhaps, to consider the difference between Divine communications, and the
supposed communication of the present time.
" Divine communications were made through'holymen of old, who spake as they were moved
by the Holy Spirit;' these are made through infidels and sometimes knaves.  The witch of Endor
was certainly no match for some of those engaged
in this holy (!) business.
" Divine communications were made about matters of importance, these about matters the most
insignificant and trifling.
" Divine communications were made always consistent; these are contradictory.
"c Divine communications were always true; these
are generally false.




ANCIENT PROPHETS OF TIHE SPIRITUALISTS. 139
"Divine communications were not made at the
option of men in general; these are made at the
option of men without respect of character.
" The whole affair, beginning, middle, and ending,
is unlike anything God ever did. The removing of
tables and chairs, and the.'raps,' rather indicate'the spirits of devils working miracles,' than the
work of the'finger of God' in raising the dead,
healing the sick, and doing good to fallen humanity.
The work of God is like himself; the work of the
devil is like himself:  By their works we know
them."
This class of prophets was anciently found pandering to the prejudices and desires of sinful mendetailing the minutia in the fortunes of a dupe —
prophesying " smooth things," and crying peace!
peace! to those whose hands were reeking with
crimes of the deepest dye, and committing the
greatest wrongs for the sake of gain.
Did they, by their enchantments and deceptions,
gain the royal patronage, and constrain the deluded
throng to replenish their coffers and laud their
names? Their successors are not behind the very
chiefest of them all in their zeal, absurd pretences,
and delusive wiles.'Were they pronounced " false prophets?" No
reliance can be placed in these! Did the Saviour
declare that false prophets should show great signs
and wonders, insomuch that if it were possible, they
should deceive the very elect? Hundreds of our




140    SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
age will no doubt realize, in despair, that his words
are true.
The faithful man of God who possesses the Scriptures is " thoroughlyfurnis7]ed unto all good works." ":
" The word of His grace," says Paul, "is able to
build you up, and give, you an inheritance among
them which are sanctified."t  Hence we are not authorized to expect any Divinely inspired revelation
in addition to the Bible.
On the other hand, the Old Testament cautions
us against necromancers, and false prophets, and
" adding unto his words;" and the New Testament
warns us against the insidious wiles of " deceivers,"
" false Christs,"   false prophets," " seducing spirits," " doctrines of devils," and " lying wonders."
Hence we infer that the great danger lies not in
any liability to reject any recent Divine revelation,
but in a liability to receive spurious communications
on the authority of " lying wonders."
We are thankful for the Holy Bible as a standard
of appeal. While others may choose the revelations
of heathen divinities, and departed spirits, let us
have the " living oracles."  Theirs of the past are
revelations lost and forgotten: ours are those which
have survived the conflicts and revolutions of ages.
Theirs of the present are such as must perish
with their dupes and the enemies of Jehovah. But
ours must endure when the heavens and earth shall
pass away.
2 Tim. iii: 16, 17.   t Acts xx: 82.




CHAPTER IX.
ANCIENT ORACLES OF THE SPIRITUALISTS
" Shew the things that are to come hereafter, that we may
know that ye are gods."-IsA. xli: 23.
"C THERE were many places in Greece where oracles were delivered. The most ancient and most
celebrated of these were attached to the sanctuaries of Zeus and Apollo, at Dodona and Delphi.
Herodotus says, that Dodona was by far the most
ancient of the Grecian oracles; and tells us on the
authority of Egyptian priests, that it was founded
by a priestess, whom the Phcenicians had carried
away from Thebes in Egypt, giving also another
version of the story related to him by the priestesses of Dodona-but indeed of the same import.
In confirmation of this narrative, he tells us that
the two oracles of Egyptian Thebes and Dodona
resembled each other entirely, and hence draws the
conclusion that the art of divination as practised in
his time in Greece, was derived from Egypt.*:~
* Lib. ii., c. 58.




142      SPIRITUALISM  VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
The oracle of Delphi vied with that of Dodona
in the truth and perspicuity of its answers, but surpassed the latter by far, in magnificence and wealth.
The place in which the oracles were delivered was
called Pythium, and the priestess who consulted
the god, was named Pythia.':*
Diodorus relates that there was a cave on Parnassus, whence rose an exhalation that caused the
goats to leap  and skip about, and which intoxicated the brain.t-   A  shepherd having approached
it, to learn the cause of so extraordinary an effect,
was immediately seized with a violent agitation of his
frame, and pronounced words which, though unintelligible to himself, revealed future events. Others having experienced the same effects, rumors of
it were soon spread throughout the neighborhood.
The cave was no more approached without great
awe. The exhalation was deemed to have something supernatural in it. A priestess was appointed
for the reception of its wonderful effects, and a
tripod placed over the vent.4 The priestess was
seated on the tripod, when she pronounced the
* From Pytho, a serpent-as Apollo was said to have killed
a very large one at the mouth of the cave. t Diod. Die., Lib. xvi.
t What kind of a machine this celebrated tripod was, has
caused much inquiry by the ancient antiquarians-but without
leading to any certain result. Some consider it to have been
a brass vessel through which a miraculous vapor was conveyed
into the belly of the priestess, and then came out of her mouth;
others say that it was large enough to plunge herself into it. B at
these are all mere conjectures. It was called tripod because it
had three feet.




ANCIENT MEDIUMS.             143
answers of the god. A temple to Apollo was
erected near the cave, and the city of Delphi rose
by degrees in its vicinity.
At first a single priestess or Pythia, was sufficient to answer those who came to consult the oracle, as they were then few in number; but in the
course of time its reputation rose, and the applications for advice became more frequent. Two Pythias were then appointed to mount the tripod alternately with each other, and still a third was chosen
as a substitute in case of death.
When Pythia had to consult the god, which at
first could only take place at a certain period in
each year, but afterwards every month, she had to
prepare herself for that purpose by sacrifices, purification, and a three days' fast. Then, having
washed herself in the fountian of Castalia, at the
foot of Parnassus, and shaken the laurel tree that
grew by it, she crowned herself with a garland of
those leaves, and sometimes even swallowed a portion of them. Then she seated herself on the tripod, and waited for the impulse of the god as it
was called. As soon as she had received the
divine afflatus she began to swell, her hair rose, her
looks grew wild, her mouth foamed, a sudden and
violent trembling seized her whole body with all
the symptoms of distraction and frenzy. Sometimes the paroxysm was so terrible, that the priests
as well as the consulters, withdrew from fear; and
once it caused the death of Pythia, as we are told




144    SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
by Plutarch. The repprt even spread abroad that
a dragon or serpent had been seen to return the
answer from under the tripod, and that one priestess was killed by the monster. Sometimes, however, the mind of the Pythia was but gently moved.
She uttered at intervals some words almost inarticulate, which the priests or prophets carefully
collected and arranged with some degree of order
and connection. At last she was conducted to her
private apartment, where she generally remained
in quietude for several days, ere she could after
this violent excitement and fatigue, recover her
usual strength. But Lucan says that sudden
death was frequently either a reward or punishment
from the god, whose inspiration she had received.
Though the prophets were assisted by poets to
reduce the answer to verses, the composition was,
however, commonly so rude, that it gave occasion
for scoffers to remark, how very surprising it was
that Apollo, who presided over the choir of the
muses, should deliver his answers to Pythia in such
miserable verse.  The oracles were also often
given in prose.
The oracular answers were generally embodied
in ambiguous language, admitting of opposite
meanings. It is, however, conceded that they
were sometimes perspicuous, and not to be misunderstood; and that they nevertheless appear to
have predicted what afterwards actually took place."
-HLebbe's Hist., vol. 3, p. 38-43.




A&WBIGUITY OF THE ORACLES.            145
CICERO says 
"I now come to you, Apollo,
Monarch of the sacred centre of the
Great world, full of thy,inspiration;
The Pythian priestesses proclaim
Thy prophecies.
For Chryspus has filled an entire volume with your
oracles, many of which, as I said before, I consider
utterly false, and many others only true by accident, as often happens in any common,conversation.  Others, again, are so obscure and involved,
that their very interpreters have need of other interpreters; and the decisions of one lot have to be referred to other lots.  Another portion of them are
so ambiguous that they require to be analyzed by
the logic of dilectitions.
" Thus when Fortune uttered the following oracle
respecting Crcesus, the richest king of Asia,
When Croesus has the HIalys cross'd,
A mighty kingdom will be lost,'
that monarch expected he should ruin the power
of his enemies; but the empire that he ruined was
his own.  And which ever result had ensued, the
oracle would have been true 1"  [Cicero on Divination, sec. 56.]
"The same ambiguity attends the famous reply
of the same oracle to Pyrrhus:'I do pronounce that Rome
Pyrrhus shall overcome;'
which may be interpreted to mean, either that Rome




146    SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
should overcome Pyrrhus, or that Pyrrhus should overcome Rome. Whoever reads Herodotus and Pausanias
carefully, will find most of their oracles-and they
record a great many-either so dark as to be unintelligible, or so equivocal as to bear whatever interpretation policy might be pleased to impose upon
them."  [Calmet's Die.]
Herodotus informs us that " Croesus, King of
Lydia, alarmed at the growing power of Cyrus,
King of Persia, and meditating an attack on his
dominions, was anxious first to consult the most
celebrated oracles as to the issue of such an important enterprise, before he committed himself to it.
Prior, however, to his submitting to the oracle the
important question upon which his fate depended,
he determined to propound one which should enable
him, as he thought, to test the prescience of the
oracle.  He accordingly sent messengers to Delphi,
and, having carefully considered the period required
for the journey, and allowed them ample time, he
commanded them at the appointed hour to present
themselves before the Pythoness, and propose this
question:'What is Crcesus, son of Alyattes, now
doing?'  They were to write the answer carefully
down, and send it to him.  The answer was to this
effect:'I count the sand, I measure out the sea;
The silent and the dumb are heard by me.
E'en now the odors to my sense that rise,
A tortoise boiling with a lamb supplies,
Where brass below and brass above it lies.'




RUIN OF CROESSUS.              147
The fact was that Crcesus, determined to be occupied in the most unlikely and unkingly manner, was
engaged at that time in boiling the flesh of a tortoise and a lamb together in a covered vessel of
brass.
Crcesus was so impressed with the exactness of
this response, that he determined to do all in his
power to propitiate this oracle, and to trust himself
to its direction.  He accordingly sent to Delphi
the most costly presents in gold and silver —amounting altogether, according to the computation of the
Abbe Barthelemy, to ~879,547-with  orders to
make the following inquiry: " Croesus, sovereign
of Lydia and of various nations, esteems these the
only genuine oracles. In return for the sagacity
which has marked your declarations, he sends these
proofs of his liberality.  He finally desires to know
whether he may proceed against the Persians, and
whether he shall require the assistance of any allies."
The answer was, that if Croesus carried his arms
against the Persians, he would overthrow  a great
empire; and that he would do well to make alliances with the most powerful states of Greece.
Interpreting this reply to his own advantage, but
anxious to put the case in another aspect before the
oracle, he sent a third time, to inquire as to the
duration of his empire.  The answer on that occasion was:
" When o'er the Medes a mule shall sit on high,
O'er pebbly Hermus then, soft Lydian, fly



148    SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
Fly with all haste, for safety scorn thy fame;
Nor scruple to deserve a coward's name."
Still giving to the answers of the oracle the interpretation most favorable to himself, C'resus regarded
the reign of a mule over, Media as an impossibility,
and thence inferred -the stability of his own power.
Under this impression he made war on Persia, and,
as is well known, was soon vanquished, stripped of
his dominions, condemned to death, but ultimately
preserved and supported as a captive by Cyrus."Gentile Nations.
This revelation to Croesus stands at the head of
all responses from  any heathen oracles.  This, and
that of Ahab's four hundred prophets, are the best
feats ever performed by sorcerers.  Both are fine
illustrations of this sort of divination and its consequences. They are far superior to any revelation
of modern spiritualism; though doubtless effected
by the same class of agencies.
Now what is ever gained by consultlng familiar
spirits? Neither Ahab nor Croesus could obtain
any but deceptive information concerning the future.  The former lost his life.  The latter gave
$4,397,235 to be duped-styled a mule-be stripped
of his dominions, and condemned to death?
Nothing better can ever be expected from such
a source, If spiritualists, by hundreds, do not realize a similar fate at the hands of the dclemons, it
will be only because opportunities are wanting for
such a result.  May the Author of the living oracles ever preserve us all from such calamities I




CHAPTER X.
SATANIC AND DEMONIAC MIRACLES.
They "shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it
were possible, they shall deceive the very elect."-MATI. xxiy: 24
As sorcery had been for a long time discarded as
a matter of mere pretence, or at most as another
name for jugglery, most persons were unprepared to
expect anything really wonderful from its revival.
When such persons witness a spiritual sign they are
inclined to impute it to " the great power of God."
Hence they are the readiest dupes of the spirits and
their mediums, and the greatest number of proselytes to modern sorcery have been from this class.
It seems necessary, therefore, in order to be properly on our guard, to understand what signs may
be expected from this source.
I shall be met at the outset with the oft-repeated
assertion that " spiritualists pretend to work miracles which they never perform."   This is undoubtedly true of sorcerers in every age.  Thus we find
in Taylor's Jamblichus, page 220, the following curious note "C from a rare Greek manuscript of Psel



I50    SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY,
lus on devmons, according to the dogmas of the
Greeks," written in the tenth century.
S GOETIA, or witchcraft, is a certain art respecta
ing material and terrestrial demons, whose images
it causes to become visible to the spectators of this
art.  And some of these demons it leads up, as it
were, from Hades, but others it draws down from
on high: and these, too, such as are of an evil
species.  This art, therefore, causes certain phantastic images to appear before the spectators. And
before the eyes of some, indeed, it pours exuberant
streams; but to others it promises freedom fiom
bonds, delicacies and favors. They draw down, too,
powers of this kind by songs and incantations.
But MAGIC, according to the Greeks, is a thing
of a very powerful nature. For they say that this
forms the  last part of the sacerdotal science.
MAGIC, indeed, investigates the nature, power and
quality of everything sublunary; viz  of the -elements and their parts, of animals, all various plants
and their fruits, of stones and herbs; and in short,
it explores the essence and power of everything.
From hence, therefore, it produces its effects. And
it forms statuses which procure health, make all various figures and things, which become the instruments of disease... Often, too, celestial fire is
made to appear through magic, and then statues
laugh and lamps are spontaneously enkindled."
A more remarkable passage occurs in the First




FALSE PRETENCES.             151
Book of the Metamorphosis of Apuleius, written in
the second century:'By macgical incantations rapid rivers may be
made to run back to their fountains, the sea be
congealed, winds become destitute of spirit, the sun
be held back in its course, the moon be forced to
scatter her foam, the stars be torn from their orbits,
the day be taken away, and the night be detained.":
From the foregoing is it not obvious that the
sorcerers on behalf of whom Psellus and Apuleius
wrote, were guilty of a religious theft, in ascribing
the most remarkable miracles of the Mosaic dispensation to " evil" spirits and their own sinful arts?
It is clear that reference is here made to the
miraculous darkness in Egypt, the dividing and
" congealing"t of the Red Sea, the flowing back of
Jordan, the lengthening of the day in the time of
Joshua, the descent of fire on Sinai and Carmel, the
impotence of the Chaldean furnace, and the stilling
of the tempest by the Redeemer. All of these with
some others are imputed to magic I
It appears that the French infidels were not the
first nor the last to- teach that Moses and the Messiah were magicians!  A  perverseness of this
character can be traced throughout the entire history of sorcery, from  its climax in Egypt, to the
most puerile manifestations of modern spiritualism.
It seems to have been natural for the entire family
* Taylor's Jamblichus, p. 222.   t Exodus xv: 8.




152    SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
of every age, either to ascribe the greatest of God's
miracles to their cc denons of an evil species" or to
deny them altogether. Perhaps we have no reason
to expect anything better as the natural consequence of the occupation of these pretenders to
Divine power.
The magicians of Egypt ascribed the signs which
were wrought by Jehovah to the same agencies as
their own, till, as the result of a miracle which they
were unable to counterfeit, they were constrained
to confess their perverseness, exclaiming, " This is
the finger of God!" 
Simon Mlagus, the noted sorcerer of Samaria,
taught the people that his wonders were effected by
Divine power. Hence, "They all gave heed from
the least to the -greatest, saying this man is the
great power of God."
The confessed successors of these ancient masters
are emulating their example.  They contend that
tcheir miracles and inspiration are the same in
character, and effected by the same class of agencies as those of Christ, the Apostles and prophets,
all must redound to the honor of departed spirits!
The spiritualists will do well to bear in mind
what is observable in our first quotation-that the
wonders of sorcery and magic according to the dogmas of the Greeks, are all to be imputed to " evil
demons."  They very well understood that sorcerers could obtain assistance from no other spirits
than those of an " evil  species."'




DEMONIAC MIRACLES.                   153
But notwithstanding all the religious thefts, the
false assumptions and extravagant pretences of sorcerers, they have really performed signs, though  of
a low order; and we are authorized  by  the  Bible
to  expect this from  their successors of our own
times.
"And Moses and Aaron went in unto Pharaoh, and they did
so as the Lord had commanded: and Aaron cast down his rod
before Pharaoh, and before his servants, and it became a serpent.
Then Pharaoh also called the wise men and the sorcerers: now
the magicians of Egypt, they also did in like manner with their enchantments. For they cast down every man his rod, and they became
serpents: but Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods. * * And Moses
and Aaron did so, as the Lord commanded; and he lifted up the
rod, and smote the waters that were in the river, in the sight of
Pharaoh, and in the sight of his servants; and all the waters that
were in the river were turned to blood. And the magicians of
Egypt did so with their enchantments: * * And Aaron stretched out
his hand over the waters of Egypt; and the frogs came up, and
covered the land of Egypt. And the magicians did so with their
enchantments, and brought upfr'ogs upon the land of Egypt. * * Aaron
stretched out his hand with his rod, and smote the dust of the
earth, and it became lice in man, and in beast; all the dust of the
land became lice throughout all the land of Egypt. And the
magicians did so with their enchantments to bring forth lice, but
they could not: so there were lice upon man, and upon beast.
Then the magicians said unto Pharaoh, T'his is the finger of God."
-Ex. vii: viii.
Says Dr. Cumming, of London:  "Whatever
God does in the world, satan always gets up something very like it, because his hope of progress is
by deception.  We may quote the  miracles of the
magicians of Egypt: satan got up his miracles too,
perhaps real, at least supernatural ones.  When
7*




154    SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
there were true prophets, Satan had his company
of prophets, too.  When God was manifest in the
flesh, which was one thousand eight hundred and
fifty-one years ago, satan was manifest in the flesh
too: he got up a mimicry-demoniacal possessions.
We find the same fact now-a-days; for as God
manifest in the flesh was the truth that seems to
have struck satan down, so the preaching of this
truth strikes down satan still.  lRhennius hIad the
idea that among many of the Indians there is something approaching to demoniac possessions. And
missionaries declare that they sometimes find manifested among the heathen, the unconverted savages of the desert, a power that is all but superhuman; so that whenever the gospel is preached in
heathen lands, there is always a desperate effort to
crush and extinguish it. My opinion of the church
of Rome is, that it is one colossal demoniac possession. I know  that certain men look  on it
merely as a corrupt church, a church a little astray.
I am not denying that there are good men in that
church in spite of it; but this I do say, and persist in, that the system seems to me one huge demoniacal possession, where satan has his license
and his miracles. I believe that many of the miracles wrought by priests in the middle ages were
supernatural, or infranatural rather. Whenever
I hear a priest say,' Ve have wrought miracles,'
I admit it, I say certainly you have. I do not
doubt it. If you had not done them, you would




DEMONIAC MIRACLES.            155
have lost one of the brands by which your church is
distinguished.' I believe that that system of apostacy is just the counterpart to the true church; and
no man can fail to notice,'throughout the book
of Revelation,' how the two great opposing bodies
are, the Lamb and the wife of the Lamb, and they
that are his, and the' beast' of the apostacy, and
they that belong to him and are his.":'
" And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the
sight of men, and deceiveth them that dwell on the
earth by the means of those miracles which he had
power to do in the sight of the beast."t" And the devil, taking him up into an high
mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the
world in a moment of time.  And he brought
him to Jerusalem and set him on a pinnacle of the
temple, and said unto him, If thou be the son of
God, cast thyself down from hence."4
It is written that " False Christs and false prophets shall shew great signs and wonders, insomuch
that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very
elect."~
" That man of sin, the son of perdition," was to
be revealed "c after the working of satan with all
power and signs and lying wonders, and with all
the dceivableness of unrighteousness in them that
perish. II"
* Cumming on Miracles, pp. 243-244.    t Rev. 13; 13.
$ Luke 4: 5, 9.  ( Mat. 24: 24.   11 2 Thes. 2: 1, 10.




156      SPIRITUALISM  VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
And finally, manifestations are to be expected
from  " the spirits of devils, [demons] working miracdes which go forth unto the kings of the earth and
of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of
that great day of God Almighty.""''Twas by an order from the Lord
The ancient prophets spoke his word;
His Spirit did their tongues inspire,
And warm their hearts with heavenly fire.
Great God! mine eyes with pleasure look
On the dear volume of thy book:
There my Redeemer's face I see,
And read his name who died for me.
Let the false raptures of the mind
Be lost and vanish in the wind;
Here I can fix my hope secure;
This is thy word-and must endure."
~Rev. 16: 14.




CHAPTER XI.
SPIRITUALISM IS REVIVING POLYTHEISM.
"And it shall be, if thou do at all forget the Lord thy God, and
walk after other gods, and serve them, and worship them; I testify against you this day, that ye shall surely perish."-DEur.
viii: 19.
THE gods of the Pagans were the spirits of the
dead.   As evidence of this, the  most of their
images were made to resemble the human form in
some respects; and many of them were the very
likeness of human beings.
They were represented as possessing the qualities, appetites, desires, and dispositions of men.
"Gods partial, changeful, passionate, unjust,
Whose attributes were rage, revenge and lust."
"This was the natural consequence of their origin.
Having once animated human bodies, and being supposed still to retain human passions and appetites,
they were believed, in their state of deification, to
feel the same sensual desires which they had felt




158    SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
on earth; and to pursue the same means for their
gratification.":'
Mr. Farmer, in his elaborate work on the worship
of human spirits, finds that worship first in Egypt,
where it became deeply rooted; and from thence
spread among all the nations of the earth.  He
says the twelve great gods of Egypt, as well as the
CARBIRI of Phoenecia, were dead men deified.  He
believes these were the immediate objects of worship by both of those nations.  In his various and
extensive researches, he traces the worship of departed spirits from these nations to the Assyrians,
Syrians, Chaldeans, Babylonians, Arabians, Greeks
and Romans. He says, " That the gods of Greece
and Rome were derived from Egypt and Phoenecia,
is so universally known, that it is needless to multiply quotations in order to prove that Polytheism,
among the Greeks and Romans, was the same with
that which we have traced in more ancient nations."
C The deification of departed heroes and of statesmen was that which in all probability introduced
the universal belief of material and tutelar gods, as
well as the practice of worshiping those gods
through the medium of a statue cut in a human
figure." He has adduced a great number of testimonies and facts to show that the worship of human
spirits prevailed among the Scythians, Massagetes,
Getes, the Goths, Germans, Persians, Arabians and
* Ency. Brit., Art. Polytheism.




POLYTHEISM REVIVED.          159
the inhabitants of Meroe.  He says, "You may
find everywhere throughout the whole world one
uniform law and opinion, that there is one GOD, the
King and Father of all; and many gods, the sons
of God, who reign on earth."
Nothing appears more certain than that the gods
of the Greeks, usually styled demons, were the
spirits of the dead.  Says GROTE, "The demons
first introduced into the religious atmosphere of
the Grecian world by the author of weeks and days
[Hesiod] are always deserving of attention as the
seed of a doctrine which afterwards underwent
many changes and- became of great importance;
first as the constituent element of the Pagan faith,
then as one of the helps of its subversion.. The
objectionable ceremonies of the Pagan world were
defended upon the ground that in no other way
could the exigencies of such malignant beings be appeased.  They were most frequently noticed as
causes of evil, and thus the name [daemon) came
insensibly to convey with it a bad sense; the idea
of an evil being as contrasted with the goodness of
a god. So it was found by.Christian writers when
they commenced their controversy with Paganism;
one branch of their argument led them to identify
the Pagan gods with demons in the evil sense, and
the insensible change in the received meaning of
the word lent them assistance.  For they could
easily show that not only in Homer, but in the gene



160    SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
ral language of early Pagans, all the gods were
spoken of as demons.":
Says Dr. Hebbe: c; Eternal existence was not a
quality admitted to belong to the gods of Greece;
nor were they represented as the first and original
gods. According to the earliest views of the Greeks,
the gods often wandered among them, shared in
their business, requited them with good or ill, in
conformity to their reception."
" Noah was the original Zeus and Dios of the
Greeks.  He was a planter of the vine, and inventor of fermented liquors —hence Zeuth fermentrendered Zeus by the Greeks.  Bacchus was Chus,
the grandson of Noah.  Ammon was Ham."t'Hesiod taught that'The spirits of departed
mortals become demons when separated from their
earthly bodies;' and PLUTARCH, that'The demons
of the Greeks were the ghosts and genii of departed
men.'    All Pagan antiquity affirms,' says Dr.
CAMPBELL,'that from Titan and Saturn, the poetic
progeny of Coelus and Terra, down to iEsculapius,
Proteus, and Minos, all their divinities were the
ghosts of dead men; and were so regarded by the
most erudite of the Pagans themselves."
HESIOD thus beautifully expresses their views:
"' The gods who dwell on high Olympus' hill,
First framed a golden race of men, who lived
Under old Saturn's calm, auspicious sway;
* Grote's Hist. of Greece, vol. 1, c. 2.
t See Ency. Brit., Art, Polytheism; also Cyclo. Philadelphia ed.,
Art, Demon.




POLYTHEISM  REVIVED.                  161
Like gods they lived, their hearts devoid of care,
Beyond the reach of pain and piercing woes,
The infirmities of age, nor felt nor feared,
Their nerves with youthful vigor strong, their days
In jocund mirth they past remote from ills.
Now when this godlike race were lodg'd on earth,
By Jove's high will to demigods they rose,
And airy demons who benign on earth
Converse, the guides and guardians of mankind.
In darkness veiled they range earth's utmost bound.
This reward from beauteous Jove awaits illustrious deeds."
VIRGIL  represents  Magnus' Apollo as bending
from the sky to address the youth Julius:' Go on,
spotless boy, in the paths of virtue, it is the way
to the stars; offspring of the gods thyself, so shalt
thou become the father of gods."
When Paul'preached Jesus and the Resurrection, at Athens, he was accused of setting forth
strange  daimonia, demons.  To this he replied:
"'Athenians!  I perceive that you  are-deisidai-,monesterous-exceeding]ly  devoted to the worship
of demons. For as I passed by and beheld your
devotions, I found an altar with this inscription:
TO AN UNKNOWN GOD." But how did this
prove them exceedingly devoted to the worship of
demons? Plainly, all their gods were demons, and
they worshiped not only all they knew, but one
whom  they knew  not.* Says Paul, "the things
which  the  Gentiles  sacrifice, they  sacrifice  to
demons, not to God.t
*Acts 17; 18.                      t1 Cor. 10: 20.




162     SPIRITUALISM VERSUS OCHRISTIANITY.
JOSEPHUS represents the daughters of the Midianites, when in obedience to the advice and direction of Balaam, they were endeavoring to seduce
the Israelites to the worship of their gods, as using
the following language'   " You should worship the
proper gods of the country, especially while our
gods are common to all mnen, and yours such as belong to nobody else but yourselves.":"' What those
proper gods of the country were who were " com-,mon, to all men," may be learned firom  the Bible.
The Israelites were seduced by the wiles of the
Midianites to the worship of their divinities, in
consequence of which twenty-four thousand of the
Israelites died of the plague.  It is said of the
daughters of Moab —
"They called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods: and
the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods. And Israel
joined himself unto Baal-peor: and the anger of thle Lord was
kindled against Israel. And those that died in the plague were
twenty and four thousand."-Numi. xxv: 2, 9.
The psalmist says, " they joined themselves unto
Baal-peor, and ate the sacrifices of the dead."t
The foregoing is sufficient to establish the fact
that the gods of the heathen nations, which the
Midianites declared were " common to all men,"
were no others than dead men deifed.
It is a mistake to suppose that the heathen worshiped wood and stone solely in their images. The
* Josephus b. iv, c. vi.           t Ps. 106: 28.




POLYTHEISM REVIVED.            163
images were considered only as representatives of
their deities, which were supposed to dwell in or
about them.
Says Dr. Hebbe: "C The form given to the deities of the East was only considered as a means to
represent them to the senses.'It was, says Mr.
Heeren,'never any more, and this is the reason
why no hesitation was made among the Eastern
nations to depart from the human form, and to disfigure it wherever it seemed possible to give, by
that means, a greater degree of distinctness to the
symbolic representation, or if any other object,
could thus be successfully accomplished."-Ancient
Greece, p. 55.
Says Mr. Beecher: "The Jews before Christ,
and the Fathers after, believed that evil departed
spirits lurked in images, spoke in oracles, controlled
omens, and in various ways encouraged men to
worship them.u:`
Taylor in his translation of Jamblichus, p. 39,
when speaking of the sacred animals of the
Egyptians, inserts the following note from  Plutarch's treatise of Isis and Osiris:
c" Hence the divinity is not worse represented in
these animals than in the workmanships of copper
and stone, which in a similar manner suffer corruption and decay, but are naturally deprived of all
sense and consciousness.  This then I consider as
*Essay, p. 49.




164    SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
the best defence that can be given of the adoration
of animals by the Egyptians."
Paul says: "The idol," i. e. the image, "'is
nothing."  The sacrifices of the Gentiles were made
" to demons" —spirits that were believed to dwell
in and about the images which represented them.
"' The Sandwich Islanders, when they found that
Christians supposed they worshipped the images of
their gods, were much amused, and said,' We are
not such fools.' They used the idol as an aid to
fix their minds on their divinity.  Some of them
supposed their divinity was a spirit residing in their
idol.";:
SPIRITS AND THEIR FOLLOWERS INCULCATE
POLYTHEISM.
Says Mr. Beecher, "Invoking the presence of
many mediators, they revive the essential elements of
both Pagan and Papal apostacy; denying the one
Mediator Christ, by whose blood alone we live and
by whom we approach unto God."t
When Mr. Spear, of Boston, was pronouncing his
inspired benediction on Mrs. Mettler, of Hartford,
on the 30th of January, 1853, the inspiring spirit
made him say: " Deity of deities, thy wills be done
on the earth as they are done in the Heaven of
heavens.":  If a plurality of gods is not taught
here we do not understand language.
~Bliss on the Apocalypse, p. 260.
t Essay, p. 73.         $ Fowler's Essay.




POLYTHEISM REVIVED.           165
MR. EDWARD J. MATTHEWS says, in the Siir itual Telegraph, No. 178, that he wrote the following " by inspiration:"
" God,' c the Infinite!' two distinct terms, but
alas I how misunderstood! -how interconfused in
their signification, alike by the theologian and the
philosopher!
When we look back into the history of the term'God,' we soon discover that giving unto God the
attribute of infinity in any respect whatever, is of
recent origin compared to the origin of the usage of
the term'God' or' gods.'
The idea attaching itself to the word' God' was
first of all' guardian spirit,' and as different nations
were very properly supposed to have different guardian spirits, so did the Jews speak of' Jehovah,'
their'guardian spirit,' as being their God, and
spoke of the gods of other nations as being' strange
gods.' But though acknowledging'strange gods'
(consequently a plurality of gods,) they denied the
attribute of infinity to all except their own God,' Jehovah.' That the Jews believed in a plurality
of gods is evident from  the fact that the Hebrew
Scriptures commence with,'In the beginning the
GODS (ELOH3IM) created the heavens and the earth.'
And again,'The GODS said, Let us create man,'
etc.
The ancient Greeks and Romans believed in a
plurality of gods, who were, in their opinion, spiritual beings who ruled over the affairs of this earth,




166    SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
and who were of different degrees of power and development.  Some had power to produce or develop
new forms of being on this earth; others could only
influence or (psychologize) the minds of men; some
had power over the different forces of nature, and
others (genii) were merely attached to different private families.
But in all these, in my opinion, very sensible and
consistent conceptions of the gods, they never attached the idea of infinity to any of them, except
to one being, for whom they had no name, whom
they called c'Deus summus,'' Deus optimus et
maxifitus,' etc., the ruler and controller of all
things, from whom all things existed, and about
whom, by virtue of his infinite nature, nothing could
ever be known.
Far more sensible, it appears to me, is the above
idea of the nature of' ELOHIM, the gods,' than that
of modern orthodoxy, which arrogantly asserts the
absurd doctrine of special providences from an infinite God.
If special providences do occur, they come from
some special guardian spirit or god, but not an infinite
one; for the infinite can only act by universal laws.
If prayer is to be offered to God, it is absurd to
suppose that the Infinite can be moved by our petitions; it is only a finite god or guardian spirit that
can be so influenced.
The existence of all things in the universe proves
the existence of an Infinite Being, and that one of




POLYTHEISM3 REVIVED.          167
infinite power and intelligence; from  whom'all
things flow;' but who must necessarily be incapable
of doing finite acts. The very existence of a finite
act shows that it was conceived and done by a finite
being.  The creation or development of man, and
the different races of plants and animals, as they
are on this globe, is a finite act, and therefore the
work of finite gods. The progression of the different races and families of men on this earth, are
doubtless influenced by different gods, and some of
them of very different dispositions from each other,
but all of them under the control of still higher
gods, such, for example, as the great Spirit or guardian God of this earth, or rather, perhaps, a circle
of guardian gods for this earth.
Again; as we progress, may we-not be attracting
still higher gods to this earth? and may not this present spiritual movement be caused by this higher influence pouring down upon us from still higher
spheres?
It has of late been fashionable with some, who
have perceived the absurdity of praying to an infinite God, to decry the use of prayer altogether. But
this is going to the opposite extreme. I believe in
praying most fervently, both by action (without
which prayer is a mockery) and by raising up our
hearts and minds to the gods, as I believe that the
gods are but finite beings and capable of being influenced by mental emotion. Pray, pray, I say, intensely to the highest guardian spirit or god that




168    SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
can benefit you. While working actively in all the
duties of life, pray for higher spiritual wisdom, and
you will have it. Are you in misfortune? The
kind and loving sympathy of a guardian God is to
be had for the asking.
Hoping that the above suggestion will influence
some of your readers to disconnect the terms' God'
and'the Infinite,' and thus have some realizing
sense of the sources of special providences.
I remain your sincere friend for progression,
EDWARD J. iMATTHEWS.
IOMER, N. Y., Sept. 15, 1855.
A spirit pretending to be " God's High and Holy
Spirit, formerly Jesus of Nazareth," through M.
L. Arnold, says:" Come unto me all ye heavy
laden, and I will give you rest.:: Come then and
be saved by God's Infinite Mercy.
" The first thing I call on you for is your heart.
Unless you give me your heart, you cannot do me
arny good, nor advance your own salvation."  Man's
acts cannot be foreseen by God, as far as these acts
are the acts of his will." " The seventh circle is
so perfectly one with him that they know all that
God knows."  " The only similarity wanting to
make man God is infinity." "I am a high spirit-I
am the Son of God." " Advice and aid will be freely
rendered to all who serve and obey God; or, what
is the same, his Holy Spirits!"`:'
Origin of All Things pp. 82, 70, 61, 19' 22, 18, 43.




POLYTHEISM REVIVED.             169
The spirit of J. P. Greaves, through William
North, says:  " There is no Supreme Spirit.: 
A personal God, is but one of an infinite spiritworld.  Each spirit is a God.:* No spirit was
ever created by another, or came into existence of
itself. Every spirit is eternal, indestructible, and
indivisible in essence, i'innite in po-tence. ": Polytheism is, on the one hand, a like ivmzersonation, of
Jarioucs forms of pegfection, in the abstract.  On
the other hand, the deVication of heroes and sages is
9no delusio), but a true instinct qf their innate greathess and fJuture glory in advanced conditions of
being.::   an: Jc   is his own maker and his own
jzidge."-Nichols' Hlagazine, Jan. 1855.
Mr. JONATHAN  KooNss, of Athens Co., Ohio,
writing to the Spiritual   Universe, under date of
Nov. 10, 1854, says the spirits teach in his noted
spirit-room, that "' ZDivinity commences with the
first degree of developed human, spirits; from which
degree of Divine intelligence, the Divine minds
become successively involved into higher generated
elementary conditions, and connecting influences,
which give rise to a chain of higher degrees of Divine intelligences, and Deifications, until all flow
together into a positive.Divine unanimity of mind;
into ajoint ruling God-head.  And as many drops
of water compose a lake, so, also, many personal
spirit individualities compose a joint ruling principle in the highest spheres of intelligence."
The Jehovah is only a council of dead men I a




170    SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
PAINE, the noted infidel, has been honored with
a seat among the highest authorities, and in some
respects, bears the palm  among these heathen
deities. His own account of his " Pilgrimage,"
which he has communicated through some medium,
is placed at the head of the list, and constitutes the
first chapter in modern demon-biography.  Messrs.
PARTRIDGE and BRITTAN have honored him with a
publication of his " Philosophy of Creation."
We have been informed by reliable authority,
that a spirit who indulges in profane language occasionally, and who subscribes himself alternately,
"C Devil," and " Tom  Paine," proclaims himself to
be the only God in existence!
It is the avowed purpose of the spiritualists to
subvert Czristianity and establish their own religion
on its ruins.
" THE: NEW  TTHEOLOGY.-It cannot escape the
observation of any individual, who will carefully
note the movements and signs of the times, that
there is a new system of theological teaching arising in the world to take the place of the old and
threadbare doctrines which have constituted the
essence of popular religion.   Y: Yet, though the
theology which has been long cherished and defended by the Chureh, is fast growing old, and is
even now ready to vanish away, there exists an
urgent necessity on the part of the true reformer
to mnake his armn strong for itsfinal overthrow and
extinction."-A mbler's iJiessenger No. 7.




POLYTHEISMI REVIVED.           171
Mr. Brittan says: "' The age is pregnant with
mighty revolutions, which are destined to shake the
political and religious institutions of the world.
The old theological forms and organisms have well
nigh answered the end of their being.. Their
existence must soon terminate, for the mission of
sectarianism is about to close... All existing religious formulas tend to restrict the mental freedom
and spiritual development of man. They are,
therefore, unsuited to the present age, and by a
law which will admit of no exceptions, they must
go back, and mingle with the elements of dissolved
and forgotten things... We must have a church
whose ministers shall be employed to illustrate the
philosophy of the material and spiritual universes,
and to instruct the people in the true science of
life...'The members must be drawn together by
the principle of spiritual attraction. The union, if
real and permanent, will result from the natural
If we understand this language, it teaches that
the present religious denominations are to be
speedily supplanted by this spiritualistic sect. They
are generally deficient in those elements of character which constitute devout Christians, and are
destitute of that charity which tempers Christian
associations, furnishes their chief bond of union, and
is possessed by those only who have been converted
to Christ. Without this all pretensions to religion
* Review of Butler, pp. 61, 62.




172    SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
are no better than " a sounding brass and a tinkling
cymbal."
Hence their aversion to the Christian religion,
and their anxiety for a church with such a " union"
as " will result from  natural affinities;" not from
conversion to Christ.
iMr. Fishbough stated in a public meeting that
he " regretted the too general absence of the religious element among the spiritualists, in consequence of which their fraternity is but a'ball of
sand.' "
~Spiritcalists worshi;p the creature more than the
Creator.
Do they deny this? Has not intercourse with the
dead had this result in all ages?  Is it not its natural fruit?  Do they not devote their timetalents,
means, and influence to the service of the spirits?
Do not the spirits claim the wills of their votaries,
and do not all of the mediums submit theirs before
they can be'developed?"  Do they not believe
the spirits, even when they contradict the Bible?
Do they not observe their instructions as their rule
of faith and practice? Do they not render to
them such devotion and service as the spirits demand?  Do they not deify departed spirits and
advocate Polytheism?  Do they not avow a purpose to war against present religious institutions
and introduce a "new theology?"  Do they not
advertise their meetings as religious meetings.2
Were they not horrified when the Boston Traveller




POLYTHEISM REVIVED.            173
refused to publish their meetings with " Religious
Notices," in February last? Do they not speak
much more about spirits and spiritualism, than
about Christ and Christianity? Do they not entreat the assistance of spirits?  Do they not tell
us that the spirits dispense mercies, and that wisdom, knowledge, strength and protection are obtained from them?  Do they not tell of great illumination, exceeding joy and consolation derived
fronom  spiritual intercourse?  Do they not declare
that by the assistance and instruction thus received
they are much better prepared to buffet the ills of
life, and to meet death with sustaining hope, than
they ever would have been under the instructions
of the Bible?  Yes, candid reader, all this is true.'Why, then, is not our charge made good?
Let them not flatter themselves that they are not
idolators because they do not bow down to spirits as
the Christian does when he worships God.  Idolatrous devotion nwas never a perfect counterfeit of
true religion, nor celebrated with the same ceremonies as the Jewish or Christian worship.  The worship of lemons among the Greeks was very unlike
Christian worship.  Still they were worshipers, and
were candid enougnh to acknowledge it.  One of the
Grecian philosophers said, that during a feast in
honor of Bacchus, he had seen all Athens, men,
women and children, drunk together.  Says Dr.
Helebbe: " The rites assumed a more passionate and
furious character; exhibiting the utmost mental




174    SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
and physical excitement.  The manifestations of
this holy frenzy was strongest among the women,
whose religious susceptibilities overstepped the
bounds of reason and common decency. Crowds of
them, clothed with fawn-skins, and bearing the sanctified thyrsus, flocked to the solitudes of Parnassus,
or Cithaeron, or Taygetus, during the consecrated
triennial period, passed the night there with torches
in one hand, dancing or rather running wildly about,
screaming and shouting the name of the god, and
sometimes divested of all clothing, their heads and
loins encircled with vine-leaves, and indulging in
the wildest antics, until they became giddy and fell
in the most horrible delirium."
It is obvious from  the testimony of prominent
spiritualists that their devotional performances are
" often" not less revolting than those of the Greeks!
JUDGE EDMONDS said, in the Tabernacle last
spring; "We have to contend with our own fanaticismrn; for I assure you, from my own experience
and observation, that the fascination of this intercourse is so great that its tendency is to lead the
mind away from its proper judgment, and instill a
spirit of fanaticism most revolting to the calm and
natural mind."' AMHERsT,"  in No. 187 of the Spiritual Telegrap7h, gives us to understand that spiritualists
-' grovel  in the dirt, howl M1ie wild beasts, and turn
the?neetings into perfect Pandemoniums...  We
often see spiritual circles and meetings character



POLYTHEISM REVIVED.            175,zed by such mzanifdstations as the howlings, etc.,
above referred to.  This may be worship, but it
seems to me that the regards of a kind and loving
Father are not likely to be attracted by rushing into
his presence accompanied by harsh cymbals, Chinesegongs, tom-toms, and other like melodious demonstrations.  If there should be published in the
columns of this paper, a record of the things transpiring at the regular meetings of a large proportion of the circles in our country, it would be considered a tissue of fables. It would be difficult for
most persons-not participants-to believe that so
much trash should be patiently listened to, and,
especially, accredited to a spiritual source. At some
circles, the m~anifestations assrume the mnost grotesque
character, and so far as any one has been able to
discover, withou~t a rational use.  The writer has
seen nedizums rolling on the floor, uttering grunts
like swine; giving venzt to the most hideous yells;
and at trines beatiny their bodies and tearing their
hair like lunatics i"
We have heard of many performances that have
been enacted at the instigation of the spirits, which
are too disgusting to be here described.
Christianity has its forms and institutions. Idolatry has its ceremonies and rites.  They ever have
been, and doubtless ever will be, different in many
respects.
To be an idolator it is only necessary that a man
should sustain the same relation to another being




176    SPIRITUALMSM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
which ought to exist between himself and Jehovah.
The spiritualists sustain this relation to the spirits.
The Lord requires the will, confidence and service
of man.  The spirits demand this.  He has given
his people a rule of faith and practice; has promised them assistance and consolation in this life,
and unending bliss in that which is to come.  Tho
spirits pretend to do the same.
The relation between the Lord and his people is
compared. in the Bible to that of marriage.:" The
spiritualists illustrate the relation between themselves and the spirits by the same comparison.
JOHN  S. WVILLIAMS, medium, of Cincinnati,
Ohio, under oath before gMayor Westervelt, of this
city, deposed, "I am not bound to mny monitors otherwise than a good wife is bound to her husband,
whom she sincerely believes more capable of conducting her through life, and is desirous of continually benefitting her; or, as a good husband to
such a wife, setting aside all legal bonds; yet I
try to obey my monitors."-Synopsis, _p. 16.
Is it not obvious that the spirits usurp the prerogatives of God, and that those who follow  them
are idolators?  The ancient pagans had images,
and the moderns have slpent?much time and money
in attempting to maake a divining imcage!  Their
boasted " progression" is in fact a rapid retrogression towards heathenism.
* Jer. 3: 14-Eph. 7: 22, 23.




POLYTHEISMI REVIVED.           177
Perhaps they may be interested in hearing from
their more benighted, but equally orthodox brethren in foreign lands.
In the  " Youth's Day-Spring" for June, 1853, a
missionary describing the alarm and grief of the
Africans on the Gaboon river, at the near prospect
of a death in their village, says:'the room was
filled with women, who were weeping in the most
piteous manner, and calling on the spirits of their
fathers and of others who are dead, and upon all
spirits in whom  they  believe, Ologo, Njembi,
Abambo, and Mbwini, to save the man from death.
These spirits could not help thenm, but they knew
of none mightier, and so called on them.  Mr.,White, a Wesleyan missionary, says' There is a
class of people in New Zealand, called Eruku, or
priests. These men pretend to have intercourse
with departed spirits,.  by which they are able
to kill by incantation any person on whom  their
anger may fall."':
"' A recent English traveler gives an interesting
account of the Yezidis, an Asiatic tribe, who C serve
the devil,' not in the sense implied by the phrase
in Christian countries, but by actually worshiping
*the devil. The Mahomedan Beys, who cherish a
most orthodox hatred of his brimstoneship, and
always spit with great emphasis when his name is
pronounced, have for many years waged an exterminating war against his disciples, burning them in
* Bliss on the Apocalypse, p. 260.
_..




1[78    SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
caves, crucifying them, and stocking their seracis
with the best looking of the female devil-worshipers; all for the glory of Allah and the Prophet. It
appears that the Yezidis believe Satan to be the
chief of the angelic host, now suffering in Tophet, for
rebellion, but to return hereafter from  transportation, and resume his high estate in the celestial
hierarchy.  On the principle that it is prudent to
conciliate him in his misfortunes, in order to have
a stronger claim upon him when he shall be restored
to power, they sink at his offences, and in their
daily prayers tender to him the assurance of their
highest consideration.  In the meantime, the Musselmens cut them up right and left; and the more
they beseech the devil to help them, the more he
never listens to them."
We have now shown that the gods of the ancient
Pagans were the spirits of the dead, that Spiritualists deify and advocate the deification of dead
men, that they invoke the assistance of departed
spirits, and inculcate Polytheism.
We have shown that Spiritualists deny the existence of JEqHOVAH and contend that nothing but
a council of departed spirits can be justly styled a
Supreme Deity.
We have shown that necromancy results in idolatry, that the devotional exercises of some of the
Spiritualists are as riotous as were those of the
ancient Pagans; and that the boasted " progression"
of the former, is but a progression in Paganisnz.




CHAPTER XII.
PRETENDED ANIMATION OF A DIVINING IMAGE.
" Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth
beneath, or that is in the water under the earth." —ExoDus xx: 4.
THE devotees of demons in this country, if we
except a few Chinese, succeeded in dispensing with
the use of images in their devotions and communion with their divinities for several years.  But as
the want of such an important and time-honored
appendage to this anti-christian intercourse was
deeply realized, and as ordinary patterns, such as
are exhibited in the "Missionary Roons" in Boston and New York, were unsuited to this "progressive age," in 1854, the spirits and their votaries applied their combined skill to supply the lamentable
defect.  The Spiritual brotherhood of Boston and
vicinity, headed by John M. Spear, the Boston
seer, at the instigation and under the direction of
the  spirits, constructed a complicated  divining
image int the shape of a man, at an expense of
about two thousand dollars, and set it up-not on




180    SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
"the plains of Dura"-but on High Rock, Lynn,
tlass.
The constructors of the image claimed that it
was to be the embodiment of principles and forces
in nature, which had never been understood till divulged by the spirits, and that it was to be semizhuzan  31r. Hewett, of Boston, in giving its history in the- New Eira of June 21, 1854, says:' The Electric Motor is an exact correspondeince
of the human body, at least, in so far as involuntary
motion~, is concerned."
The strange mechanism  of this image obviously
originated not only in a desire on the part of the
demons to gain notoriety and influence, but in a purpose to palm off on the world as an " Electricca
Kotor," a machine to be propelled, like hMr. Koons'
"electrical table," by themselves, to represent it to
be an artificial wonder, but the result of natuzral
laws, and a complete counterpart to the " mniraculous concepjtion" of the Redeemer; in order to throw
contempt on the Biblical account of his origin and
destroy the belief that he was the Soln of God!
IMr. Davis, the seer, says of the image, "There
has been an attempt to infuse Izuman  vitality into
the mineral substances, on the religious theory of
the' miraculous conception,' for which, however, the
spirits have divulged what is considered a natural
explanation."
Concerning this most scandalous ".attempt" re



A DIVINING IMAGE.             181
specting the birth of a soul to this idol, the New
Era says:
" There has been such an attempt on the part
of the spirits, and that it has been successful, we
have abundant evidence, in both the principle involved, and in the results which have since followed.
Strange as it may seem, neither of the two distinct
periods of motion arrived, till after a regular and
ordinary arrangement of certain peculiar, mediumistic persons, in certain specific relations to the mechanism of human vitality or living aura had taken
place.' It was announced to Mrs.      -, by spiritual
intelligences, several months since, that she should
become a mother in some new sense-that size should
be the ]Iacry of a New Dispensation.
" Previously to this, Mrs. -, had for some
time experienced certain sensations analogous to
those attendant upon  gestation.  Subsequently
these indications gradually increased, until they at
length became very marked and inexplicable, and
presented some very singular characteristics.  At
length a request came, through the instrumentality
of J. M. Spear, that on a certain day she should
visit the tower at High Rock.  None in the fleshherself least of all-had any conception of the object of. that visit.  When there, however-suitable preparations having been carefully made by superior direction, though their purpose was incomprehensible-she began to experience the peculiar and




182    SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
agonizing sensations of parturition-differing somewhat from the ordinary experience, inasmuch as the
throes were internal and of the splirit, rather than
of the physical nature; but nevertheless quite as
uncontrollable and not less severe than those pertaining to the latter. This extraordinary physiological phenomenon continued for the space of about
two hours.  Its purpose and results were wholly
incomprehensible to all but herself; but her own
perceptions, clear and distinct, that in these agonizing throes, the most interior and refined elements of her spiritual being were imparted to, and
absorbed by the appropriate portions of the mechanism-its minerals having been made peculiarly receptive by previous chemical processes.
(;C;: -'';::;:- The result of this phenomenon was
that indications of life or pulsation, became apparent.
in the mechanism-first, to her own keenly sensitive
touch, and soon after to the eyes of all beholders.
These pulsations continued to increase, under a
process which she was impelled to continue for some
weeks, precisely analogous to that of nursing-for
which preparation had previously been made in her
own organism, while she was in utter ignorance of any
such design-until at times a very marked and surprising motion resulted.
" Neither Mirs.      nor myself can profess to
have, as yet, any definite conception as to what this
new-born child'-the so-called' Electrical Motor'




A DIVINING IMAGE.             183
-is to be. However'enthusiastic' or' extravagant'
may be the expectations of others, we do not know
that we yet at all comprehend the ultimate designs
of the intelligences engaged in it." —New Era, June
28, 1854.
So it appears that when the machinery of this
complicated idol had been completed, it was found
to be minus a soul-that Mrs. Somebody had spiritually conceived by the spirit of some dead man and
had actually borne a soul to the image! and that
she had been nursing the soul, or the image, we are
not informed which, and that this offspring was
likely to live and growo 
The most unbounded hopes were cherished and
the most extravagant language was employed concerning this blasphemously styled " Physical iSaviour 1"
Says Mir. Hewett   The deep satisfaction which
we enjoy, that theworld is by and by to be blessed
beyond conception, by this physical Saviour, through
whose instrument'ality, a permanent material basis
shall be laid for true spiritual salvation, is beyond
allprice."'
Says Mr. Capron: " Quite a number of persons,
of great intelligence, candor, and unimpeachable
character, fully believed in this second edition of
the miraculous conception and birth, and the most
unbounded enthusiasm was manifested by many.
It was denominated the' New Motive Power, Physical Saviour, Heaven's Last Best Gift to Man, New




184    SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
Creation, The Great Spiritual Revelation of the
Age, Tile Philosopher's Stone, the Art of all Arts,
the Science of all Sciences' and various other extr'avagant epithets were applied to this wonderful,
new birth.
The machine itself was constructed at High
Rock, Lynn, MIass.; but several of the prominent
accouchers were residents of Boston!" —-Modern
_Spiritualis m, p. 224.
As we are not informed who was the father of
this child, we are naturally desirous to know what
he will become,  whether he will be a giant, and
what will be his progeny, and their mighty works!
Fortunately we are not left in darkness on the subject.
" In the New Era of July 5th, we find a vision
had by J. Wolcott, which developes what is expected to be accomplished by this machine.  It
appeared to grow in size, and' threw off from itself
smaller machines after its own pattern,' and those
in turn threw off a multitude of other little ones.'
Then he says:
C Next there appeared a movement among the
machines; and the larger ones, which were now
fully developed, moved away over the plain into the
distance.  In their path stood a great number of
churches, of every size and variety, from the diminutive Methodist Chapel, up to  the stately
Gothic Miinster, and St. Paul's Cathedral.  But
the machines did not turn out of their course at




A DIVINING IMAGE.            185
all-running over and through those temples, completely demolishing them to heaps of worthless rubbish."
Thus it appears that this new race of beings,
part wood, part steel, part loadstone, part demon,
and part 3Mrs. Somebody, was to have been chiefly
distiniguished by a wholesale destruction of Meeting
Houses! Probably this was out of a justifiable resentment, for rejection and neglect of the spirits,
on the part of Christians! or, are the spirits determined to destroy all places of worship except those
dedicated to themselves?  This vision is certainly
a very suggestive one.
But these sanguine devotees of demons reckoned
in the absence of their host; they were destined to
be disappointed; a slight defect was discovered in
the divining image.  The sapirits coucld not  ake it
mnove to any pun2pose!
Mr. Davis accounted for this on the ground that
the whole thing was a mere experiment on the part
of the spirits who were incompetent to perfect it.
HIe says:' That the progressive construction, the
private history, so to speak, of this mechanism
— the  manner pursued, by  which, firoml  time
to time, one part has been added after and to
another-proves the whole work to be essentially
experimental, conducted very  ho:nestly, and  at
friend Spear's exi~ense, by several personsin the
other world, who, doubtless, have the correct philosophy of the development of the New Motive




1]86    SPIRITUALIS3M VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
Power, and who are deficient in tlie practical JInowledge of the means to consummate its actualization."
To this, Mr. Hewett of the New -Era, replies:
" We were very early informed that some things of
a subordinate character about the motor, might,
with propriety, be classed among the exp2erimentals,
but the thing itself was sure. From  that moment
among others, it became with us a question of
mzorals, and is so still. Convince us that the main
thing is an experiment, simply, and we shall be
very far from thinking that even the spirits, who
communicate under such circumstances, are honest.
Our reasons are then: In the first place, they
plainly told us, it was not an experimnent.  Now, if
it were an experiment, they falsified, and that was
immoral.  In the second place, they had no right,
though immortal, any more than mortals here, to
involve our reputation and our pecuniary means in
mere experiment, without telling us plainly that it
was such. If it were an experiment, therefore, it
was dishonest, in this second particular, as well as
the first.  But our whole experience in relation to
this matter has been such as wholly and forever to
preclude the idea of dishonest and experimenting
sp)irits."
WVhy then does not the thing work?  The ready
answer of M[r. Hewett is:
" The revelation, as well as the motive power, is
only in its incipient stages of development.  Thze
chlild is born only.  It does not yet claim to be a




DESTRUCTION OF THE IDOL.        187
man. Would it not be wiser to wait a little and
witness its growth, than to attempt the strangulation of the infant?.
s" Did he expect that as soon as the child was born,
he would be able to perform the feat of Hercules,
or fulfill the dream of Archimedes, and'move the
world?' If so, he shows but little appreciation of'
the philosophy of this matter. We repeat, that
although the child is born, he does not claim to be
a man."
But Mr. Hewett was deceived, notwithstanding
his strong confidence in the morality and veracity of
the demons. The whole affair proved to be an
unsuccessful and most mortifying " experimnent,"
and according to the logic of Mr. IHewett, the
spirits "falsified" and were "' immoral."  A large
number of intelligent persons were sadly hoaxed,
as they should ever expect to be, by these heathen
divinities.
This wonderful child did not live! What became
of its soul we are not informed; or whether its'mother' dressed in mourning doth not appear.
Mr. Spear has written its
OBITUARY.
" It was moved, as you know, to Randolph, N.
Y., that it might have the advantages of that lofty
electrical position. A temporary building was erected to shelter it. Into that, under the cover of the
night, the mob entered, tore out the heart of the




183    SPIRUTALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
mechanism, trampled beneath their feet, and scattered it to the four winds. I know the friends who
were engaged in constructing this mechanism, and
those who cheerfully gave of their means to promote
the work, will mourn that the world has not yet
arrived at a condition when it could welcome a
philanthopic effort of this kind; but thus it is. It
did not wish the effort to succeed, and it determined it should not."' From the hour that the Electricizers expressed
a desire to unfold to the inhabitants of this earth
more perfectly a knowledge of electrical, magnetical, and ethereal laws that a new motive power
might be exhibited, I said to them,'Friends, my
time, my strength, my means, my influence to aid
a work so important and so beneficent are at your
disposal.' Aided by several philanthropic and highly
intelligent gentlemen, to whom their plan was
unfolded and the model exhibited, labors were colmmenced, some two hundred highly scientific andl
very philosophic discourses were communicated:
and at precisely the time designated, and at the
point expected, mvotioln aVpeared, corresponding to
emgbryotic life.
" But, the mob has done its work.  The little
mechanism  has been assailed, torn asunder, and
trampled beneath the feet of man." —Teleyraph,
Oct., 1854.




DESTRUCTION OF THE IDOL.       189
Alas for the fate of the idol! Let not its devotees
mourn as though some strange thing had happened.
A  similar calamity befel one of its most noted
predecessors by a more potent hand:
"And when they arose early on the morrow
morning, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to
the ground before the ark of the LORD; and the
head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands
were cut off upon the threshold; only the stump
of Dagon was left to him."  I'Sam. 5: 4.
" And the idols IHke shall utterly abolish. And
they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into
the caves of the earth, for fear of the LORD, and for
the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shakoe
terribly the earth." Isa. 2: 18, 19.




190     SPIRITUALISM  VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
MESSIAH'S FUTURE REIGN.
PFrom the sublime Prize Poem of
REGINALD HEBER, BISHOP OF CALCUTTA.
"And who is He! the vast, the awful form,
Girt with the whirlwind, sandal'd with the storm?
A western cloud around his limbs is spread,
His crown a rainbow, and a sun his head.
To highest heaven he lifts his kingly hand,
And treads at once the ocean and the land;
And hark! his voice amidst the thunder's roar,
His dreadful voice, that time shall be no more!
Lo! cherub hands the golden courts prepare,
Lo! thrones are set, and every saint is there;
Earth's utmost bounds confess his awful sway,
The mountain's worship, and the isles obey:
Nor sun, nor moon they need-nor day-nor night;God is their temple and the Lamb their light;
And shall not Israel's sons exulting come,
Hail the glad beam and claim their ancient home I
On David's throne shall David's offspring reign,
And the dry bones be warm with life again.
Hark! white rob'd crowds their deep hosannahs raise,
And the hoarse flood repeats the sound of praise;
Ten thousand harps attune the mystic song,
Ten thousand thousand saints the strain prolong!' Worthy the Lamb! omnipotent to save,'Who died, who lives triumphant o'er the grave."'




INCREDULITY OF THOMAS. CHRIST RESURRECTED.
" BEHOLD MY HANDS AND MY FEET, THAT IT IS X MYSELF: HANDLE MEI AND,SEE; FOR A SPIRIT HATH NOT FLESH AND BONES, AS YE SEE ME H-AVE. -
LIuke xxiv. 39.                                      See page 1941
LWI;  
Ll~lkC` XXsv. 3 9.                                   See page 191.2~








CHIAPTER  XIII.
CREED OF THiE SPIRITUALISTS.' Though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel
unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be
accursed."-GALATIANS i: 8.
THE spiritualists pretend that they have no creed.
Creed is from the Latin Credo, which signifies belief; and each and every one of them has his belief
or creed.  It matters little whether their creed be
written or oral; each has his own creed in his mind,
which may be sufficient for his purposes.
Several important reasons militate against the
formal publication of the articles which they now
hold in common.
It would be difficult to trace the orbit of a wandering star.
In their downward course from  bad to worse,
their degeneracy will be less apparent and startling
if their position is undefined and their creed is unpublished. Their faith and works are much better
adapted to darkness than light. The demons can
be seen and work better in a dark room than in the




192    SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
light, and their doctrines appear to better advantage in darkness.
Their system of theology and ethics is not sufficiently matured to be trusted to commend andl defend itself. Like their image, it is only a " babe"
yet.
It would be bad policy frankly to publish their
sentiments to the world before they occupy a
stronger position, and ensnare some thousands more
in their toils. If they were too fast in publishing
their' sentiments, they might be overthrown.
While Christians, whose faith is sustained by the
word of God, frankly proclaim  their belief to the
world, these by the pretence that they are exceeding
liberal and charitable, and to apologize for the nonpublication of their most offensive views, boast that
they have no creed.
They have a creed and system of theology which
may be very appropriately denominated The doctrines of demons.` They are very confident that
their views are correct.
Says MIr. Capron: "Their general theology is
that of Davis, Swedenborg and others, who have
claimed to receive their impressions from the spirits." We know of those who think the theological
teaching wrong, but that cannot be proved."t
Mr. Fishbough informed the writer, that their
doctrines were substantially the same with those of
A. J. Davis.
1 Tim. 4: 1.         t Singular Revelations, p. 65.




CREED OF THE SPIRITUALISTS.              193
Mr. BRITTAN says: " It is readily granted that
spiritualism  rejects the common notions respecting
a fall of angels,''total depravity,' and the atonement."   " We do reject the resurrection as taught
by the accredited  authorities in  mythological theology,"': meaning Christianity.
Mr. A. E. NEWTON, of Boston, styles the Biblical doctrine of the Resurrection of the body, a
"4 crude contradictory Smd impossible speculation."t
SPIRITUALISM  OPPOSED  TO THE BIBLE.
CREED OF THE SPIRITUALISTS.    TESTIMONY OF THE BIBLE.
"ANOTHER GOSPEL,.                 THE TRUTH.
I. We believe it to be right   Should not a people seek unto
and highly beneficial to hold  their God. The soul that turnintercourse with departed spir- eth after such as have familiar
its, and to covenant with them  spirits, and after wizards, I will
to remain with us as our faxmii- even set my face against that
liar friends and guardians.  soul, and will cut him off from
among his people.
II. We believe the Hebinw    The prophecy came not in old
prophets were inspired by the  time by the will of man; but
spirits of the dead, just as me- holy men of God spake as they
diums are inspired in these  were moved by the Holy Ghost.
days.
III. We believe that all of the    Strait is the gate, and narhuman race  will finally be row is the way, which leadeth
saved,                        unto life, and few they be that
find it.
* Review of Beecher, p. 45. t Letter to the Edward's Church, p. 21.




194      SPIRITUALISM  VERSUS CHRISTIANITYa
IV. We believe that Jesus    The angel answered and said
Christ is the Son of God as  unto her, the Holy Ghost shall
much as any other man, and no  come upon thee, and the power
more. He was not begotten by  of the Highest shall overshadow
the Holy Spirit.                thee: therefore also that holy
thing which shall be born of thee
shall be called the Son of God.
V. We  do not believe that    He hath made him  to be a
Christ atoned for the sins of the  propitiation for our sins, and
world.                          not for ours only, but for the
sins of the whole world.
VI. We do not believe in the    The angels which kept not
fall of angels.                 their first estate, he has reserved in everlasting chains under
darkness unto the Judgment of
the great day.
VII. We believe the resnrrec-    I will raise him up at the last
tion takes place at death.      day.
VIII. We believe that Christ's    Behold my hands and my feet,
body was never raised from the  that it is I myself: handle me,
tomb.                           and see; for a spirit hath notfiesh
and bones, as?ye see me bave.
IX. We believe that God will   The hour is coming, in the
never raise the bodies of the  which all that are in the graves
dead from their graves.         shall hear his voice, and shall
come forth; they that have
done good unto the resurrection
of life; and they that have done
evil unto the resurrection of
damnation. *
* The word Resurrection, occurs 39 times in the New Testament,
It is from the Greek Anastasis, which signifies standing up.
Nothing short of the resurrection of the body will meet its signification.




CREED OF THE SPIRITUALISTS.                195
X. We believe the Judgment   He hath appointed a day in
is going on constantly. There  the which he will judge the
is no special day for adjudica- world.  Who shall judge the
tion and rewards.              quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom.
THE ASCENSION OF CHRIST.
XI. We believe that Christ   This same Jesus, which is
will never personally appear on  taken up from you into heaven,
earth again.                   shall so come in like manner as
ye have seen him go into heaven.
Behold he cometh with clouds
and every eye shall see him.
XII. We believe that the spiri-   Then if any man shall say unto
tual developments of the present you, Lo, here is Christ, or there;
time are foretold in the Scrip- believe it not. For there shall
tures as the second coming of arise false Christs; and false
Christ.                        prophets. If they say he is iI
the desert go not forth: behold,
he is in the secret chambers,
believe it not.




196       SPIRITUALISM  VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
XIII. We believe that the mir-    And they shall show  great
acles of the Spiritualists are of signs and wonders; insomuch
the same character and wrought- that if it were possible, they
by the same agencies with those  shall deceive the  very  elect.
of Christ and the Apostles.      After the working of satan with
all power and signs and lying
wonders, and with all the deceivableness of unrighteousness
in them that perish.
XIV. We believe the Scrip-    All Scripture is given by intures to be " the paper and ink  spiration of God.
relics of Christianity, a foundation as impermanent as the
changeful sand." *
XV.  We believe  that the    Now the Spirit speaketh exspirits will communicate univer-  pressly, that in the latter times
sally, that the most of mankind  some shall depart from the faith,
will be obliged to heed them, giving heed to seducing spirits,
which  will bring  the  FINAL  and doctrines of devils.
CRISIS
XVI. We believe that with the    We wrestle not against flesh
aid of the spirits we shall wage and blood, but against princia successful warfare  against  palities, against powers, against
Christianity as it now exists;  the rulers of the darkness of this
against the religious sects  and  world, against spiritual wickedagainst the Bible as they under-  ness in high places; or " wicked
stand it. By  our  astounding  spirits," in "' heavenly places,"
miracles people will be constrain- as the mcrgin reads.
ed to believe.
XVII. We believe that Spiri-    Though we, or an angel from
tualism will introduce the Mil- heaven, preach any other gospel
lennium.  Then all can hold in-  unto you than that which we
tercourse with  spirits.        have preached unto you, let him
be accursed.
Davis' Review of Bushnell, pp. 21, 24.




CHAPTER XIV.
THE EVILS OF SPIRITUA.LISM.
" Manasseh... used enchantments, and used witchcraft, and
dealt with a familiar spirit, and with wizards: he wrought much
evil in the sight of the LORD to provoke him to anger."-2 CHRON.
xxxiii: 6.
"IF there is anything intrinsically wrong in the
course we incline to pursue, or necessarily injurious
in the intercourse itself, we desire to know in what
that wrong or injury is made to consist."-Brittan's Jeview of Beecher, p. 26.
" We challenge you, as men-as earnest men, as
men desiring the good of your fellows-to come
forth and meet us in the fight, expose our errors,
draw the shroud away, and enable the world to see
us as we are.  We challenge you to come and do
that thing." —A ddress of th[e Society fdr the Diffision of Spiritual Knowledge.
We have already shown that spiritualism  is essentially the same with the necromancy and sorcery
forbidden in the Scriptures.  Whatever God has
prohibited must be " intrinsically wrong."
It must be wrong to heed the spirits, because -in




198   SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
so doing every person is liable to be grossly deceived. Messrs. Spear and Hewett, of Boston, with
their associates, were lamentably victimized in the
matter of the divining image.   The demons
assured them that they were not experimenting,
and that when the image was completed they would
surely invest it with life, so that it would speak.
According to Mr. Hewett, the constructors of the
image acted on the presumption that the spirits
would not falsify and would not commit any moral
wrong. But when, at an expense of about 2,000
dollars, the image was completed, it turned out that
the whole thing was an " experiment," the spirits
"falsified " and their confidants were " deceived!"
But, strange to say, this was not enough.  As
though to prove for once that
"  little learning is a dangerous thing,"
Mir. Spear was prepared to take another lesson
of a similar character and be duped again.
A correspondent of the Boston Investigator, writing from Randolph last winter, says:
" The spiritualists here, under the guidance of
Rev. John M. Spear, don't despair of success in
something.  They are now spending $80 per week
digging a hole in the ground for the discovery of
the fossil remains of an ancient race of beings that
lived 18,000 years ago! —The most elevated and
reliable class of spirits have informed Mr. Spear,
that the above race was wealthy, that they made it




EVILS 0F' SPIRITUALISM.        199
a business to accumulate property, and their wealth
was buried with them, the nature of which has not
been disclosed-whether gold, silver, or precious
stones, remains to be ascertained.  One of our most
respectable citizens, a man of wealth and integrity,
is now engaged in this business, and is following the
directions of the spirits in every respect l"
SPIRITUALISTIC BIGAMY.
A' a singular case of bigamy recently occurred in
this city, which illustrates the new uses to which
spiritual raps may be appropriated.  A woman
named Susan A. Hubbard was arrested for the
above offence, and taken before Judge Osborne, of
the Lower Police Court, for a hearing, on the 20th
inst. It was alleged that she had three or four husbands; but it was necessary only to prove the existence of two marriages.  Rev. Mr. Saggart, a
Baptist clergyman, one of the witnesses, identified
the prisoner as the person whom he had, some years
since, mnarried to Hubbard.  Hubbard himself was
present, and was also identified by the witness-i
thus proving that he was not dead, but had unfortunately' turned up.'
" The second husband (or rather one of the subsequent husbands) was also present, and swore to
his recent marriage with  the  defendant.  Mr.
Smucker, the counsel for the prosecution, wished to
know the circumstances under which the last marriage had been brought about.  The witness, Henry




200    SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
W. Smith, was a school-master.  He had first met
the prisoner at an assemblage of spiritualists, on
the corner of Broadway and Lispenard street. She
was a.prominent member of the circle, which met
there from time to time, to summon the world of
spirits to their presence and interrogate them. The
prisoner gradually became acquainted with the witness, (a robust, good-looking young man,) and
having conceived a passion for- him, set about the
work of inducing him to marry her.  He heard that
she had former husbands, and wished to know if
they were dead.  At the next meeting she sumtmoned the whole of them from the land of shadows,
and made them all, one after the other, testify to
the fact that they were dead, (in the body,) and
give other interesting items as to their spiritual
condition. The young man, being a firm believer in
spiritualism, could not, of course, deny such evidence; and being attracted by the smartness, intelligence and good Looks of the'medium,' he married her.  Not long after, he discovered tihat her
spiritual manifestations' were lying manifestations,
and that there were three or four other claimants
to the possession of his wife, one of whom was
black!"-New York paper.
A FAMILY RUINED BY SPIRITUALISM.
Mir. George Doughty, a respectable farmer of
Flushing, Long Island, " possessed of considerable
property, having his interest excited by the reports




EVILS OF SPIRITUALISM.         201
of the doings of the mediums of this mischievous
and absurd delusion, resolved to seek out one of the
professors of the spiritual doctrines, and make himself acquainted with the mysteries which they pretend to disclose. With that intention he proceeded
to the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he
was introduced to. a professed medium, a lady named
Mirs. French, whom, after a short acquaintance, he
invited to visit him and his family on Long Island;
and from that time —some two years ago-up to
within a recent date, she has been a constant visitor
at the farmer's house, where she was, at the wish of
the unfortunate man, treated as one of the family.
" A few weeks since, however, she arrived in the
city of New York, and instead of proceeding direct
to the farmer's, as she was wont to do, took rooms
at the Irving House, where she was accompanied
by a strange man, whom, she informed the farmer
upon visiting her, was about writing an interesting
legend of the spirit land, she furnishing the materials and the matter.  Such was the influence she
had acquired over the farmer, and the strange delusion under which he labored, that she induced him
to adopt her as his daughter, and finally to make
over to her nearly his entire property.
*    The wife of the unfortunate victim  endeavored
to restrain him in his mad career, but did not succeed.  By threats of violence, he compelled his
gentle partner to make an assignment of her interest
in his affairs to him; after which, he proceeded to
94




202    SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CIRISTIANITY.
convert his effects into cash —which amounted to
about 15,000 dollars in all —and this he immediately
paid over to the medium at the Irving House, upon
which the latter took French-leave and departed,
going, it is reported, back to Pittsburgh.  The next
day he seemed partly to realize the extent of his
folly, and called upon his friend the medium —but
lo, and behold! the charming creature was missing,
as was also the fabulous book-writer.  He then
asked to be shown to the room she had occupied,
and declared he would commit suicide. His request was of course refused, and he was driven from
the house. He then proceeded to the residence of
an acquaintance in lNew York, and there repeated
his determination to shuffle off this mortal coil.
He finally went home, and his friends, with very
natural misgivings as to the propriety of permitting
him to have unlimited liberty, had him arrested
and conveyed to the New York Lunatic Asylum,
where he now remains a confirmed lunatic. X *:
The victim of the conspiracy is the father of two
very interesting daughters, and has many respectable relatives and connexions in this city, whose feelings with regard to the sad event may be easily
imagined. Such are the particulars of one of the
most infamous cases of heartless fraud and delusion
which has probably ever been recorded. The reputed medium is reported to be an abandoned female
of the worst character." —Brooklyn Daily Eagle,
Feb. 25, 1852.




EVILS OF SPIRITUALISM.         203
Since the family of poor Doughty were thus left
to grieve in comparative poverty, the successful
medium has occasionally made her appearance in
-New York.  She sometimes rides in a splendid carriage, and parades herself " dressed in the richest
crimson silk, and loaded with heavy gold ornaments,
chains, bracelets, rings, etc., etc.""
Encouraged by her unparalleled success, she continues to officiate in the capacity of a medium. At
the present time a iMrs. French, from Pittsburgh,,
occupies a room next door to the private sanctum
of the Editor of the Spiritual Telegraph!
lie honors her with the following notice e
"' Mrs. E. J. FItENCH, clairvoyant physician, has
taken an office in our establishment, 342 Broadway,
where she proposes to hold her seances for the investigation and treatment of diseases, etc., and where
she will be happy to meet all who may be in
need of her services."
And why should she not occupy the chair of
Chief Mediumn at IHead Quarters?  We were informed by a gentleman engaged in the " establishment," that she was a superior  nedium! —the
veritable Mrs. French from Pittsburgh,-and doubtless the same by whyhom Mr. Doughty was bewitched
and ruined.  Certainly her works and her eminent
success entitle her to a distinguished position in this
* Spirit-Rapping Unveiled, p. 236.




204    SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
N' ew Dispensation," as A. J. Davis styles this
anti-christian delusion.
JUDGE EDMONDS' remarks in the Telegrapc, concerning a letter from  San Francisco, by which he
was deceived, —' If the object was to show me the
dangers of spiritual intercourse, and how liable we
are to be deceived byfalse orfabricated communications, it was quite zunntecessary, for I long ago
learned that, and have earnestly, once and again,
given utterance to a warning against that danger."
The following heart-rending cases were published
in the N. Y. Medical Gazette:
" A  case of insanity has occurred within a few
days, by reason of the revelation made by mysterious raps, that the steamship Atlantic had been
wrecked with the loss of all on board; although
since this melancholy catastrophe, the passengers,
whose' spirits' were declared to have made the rapping, have arrived at home —one of them to find
his wife a maniac, from  a belief in these ghostly
knockings. Another. female has just been sent to
the asylum, by reason of the mesmeric operations
upon her nervous system, avowedly for the purpose
of rendering her clairvoyant, but with the effect of
dooming her to lunacy. And these recent instances
are not merely isolated cases, for in several of the
asylums, the victims of these kindred impostures,
are hopelessly insane."




EVILS OF SPIRITUALISM.          205
THIS INTERCOURSE IS INJURIOUS TO H]EALTH.
Spiritualists testify that it is very injurious to
invalids, to sit in their circles; and that intercourse
with spirits is very exhausting to mediums, who
frequently spend sleepless nights in consequence.
Mr. Sunderland said he had lost ten pounds of
flesh in two months by this intercourse.
Spiritualism, like mesmerism, its forerunner, is
dementing to the mind and injurious to the body.
MIr. Brittan says': "If it be a fact that sloirits
whose influence is unfavorable to the health and
happ9iness of the mnedium, do sometimes infiuence
mnen in the body, as Xr. Beecher has most clearly
shown, it may be proper to dissipate that influence
by such modes as shall prove to be most successful,"'
The "most successful" way to " dissipate" drunkenness, is to abstain from all that intoxicates.
Donuotless total abstinence from  necromancy would
be the best mode of averting its evils.  Mr. Brittan
confesses that the spirits sometimes ruin the health
and happiness of the medium, but he can discover
nothing "wrong" or "' injurious." in this intercourse. 
SPIRITS REQUIRE THE WILL.
The Spirits require their mediums to yield theumselves and their wills entirely to their control.  "in
*Review of Beecher, p. 25.




206    SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
order to prepare a medium, the person must give
up all self-control, all resistence, and resign him or
herself to the entire discretion and control of the
spirits.  Sometimes the process of preparation or
developement is easy and quick, at other times it
is protracted and difficult; but it is always rendered more easy and quicker of accomplishment,
by perfect resignation and entire non-resistence." —
Philadelhzia History of Spiritualism2, 2. 11.
This is what none but God has a right to require.
H:e has given us a will as a barrier against evil influences and temptations.  Without it a man can
scarcely say his soul is his own, not having so much
the control of himself as the debased drunkard, he
is like a city broken down and without walls, or a
dismantled vessel at sea without a rudder.
We cannot " serve two masters."  We cannot
yield our wills to two beings. If we submit to God
we cannot yield to the Spirits, Whoever obeys
the latter sins against the former,  The Spirits require a service also, to which they have no right.
" Many a friend has been estranged from  those
near to his heart, because he yielded up the dictates of his common sense to run wild after some
igznis-fatwus of a real or supposititious Spirit-comnmand.  Does it seem right that a man should not
only waste his precious hours, but be continually
subjected  to an  overpowering influence that is
silently but surely sapping his self-reliance, and




EVILS OF SPIRITUALISM.         207
preparing him for an existence without a purpose?"
— Spiritual Telegralgh, No 182.
SPIRITUALISM IS VERY FASCINATING.
WVhen once a person is brought under its influx
ence, it is difficult to escape. Every form of evil
has its enticements, but the seductive influence of
necromancy is seldom  equalled.  Hundreds, by
taking the first step, have been unwittingly drawn
along till all their efforts to escape were futile.
A physician in Philadelphia, stated some time
since, that he would have nothing more to do with
spiritualism, but that it was not in his power to
extricate himselffromn the izzuence of the Spirits.
Rev. Mr. HOBBS says he become a medium, and
he was at times "powerless in a terrible grasp!"
The spirits are very anxious to subject people to
their control. An intimate friend of ours living in
New Jersey, indulged in a varied and ample experience, several years since, to satisfy himself of the
character of these intelligences. In some instances
they would discourse morality and religion marvellously; but when cross-examined they would become angry, dash the medium's hand along at a terrible rate, contradict themselves and swear most bitterly.  Once they begged him to consent that the
Lord should submit him to their charge. They were
very anxious to become his guardians, but he recollected the afflicted Gadarene and the fate of the
swine, and declined their proposals.




208    SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
On another occasion ten of them, as they said, undertook to subject him by force to their servitude;
but they were unequal to the task, though, as he
declared, they produced an awful skull-splitting
sensation! Once they tried to intimlidate him by
threats, when he defied them all.  " Can't we hurt
you?" said one. "Can you?" "i' Can't we?" " Can
you?"  " Oan't we?"  " In the name of the Lord,
can you hurt any one?"  I' f the Lorcd wills," answered the demons.
I have been informed by good authority that a
woman in Philadelphia was magnetized, when the
spirits took possession of her and kept her in that
condition for two days and nights, in spite of all
efforts to the contrary.  The magnetiser watched
her till the middle of the second night, when, realizing the want of sleep, he tied her in a large armchair so strongly that he supposed she could not extricate herself, and went to bed. He had slept but
a short time, when he was awakened to find her, to
his astonishmnent, entirely clear from chair and bands,
and in the act of leaping out of a high window I
iHe seized her just in time to save her life; when
she exclaimed, c O, Dr.. A, I am not to blame,
the spjirit-s aade me do it!"
DR. DEXTER gives us the following account in his
Introduction to Spiritualisnm.  It will serve to illustrate the conduct of the spirits when they exert
their power:
" It was not till after I had become a writing me



EVILS OF SPIRITUALISM.        209
dium, against my will and determined efforts to the
contrary, that I yielded an implicit faith in the
truth of spiritual intercourse with men. After the
concerted and continued attempt to impress me had
passed over, I refrained from visiting circles, and
thought, by staying away, I might be free from any
impression.  On the contrary, my own arm would
be moved while I was asleep, and awake meby its
m otion.
During the time I abstained from sitting in any
circle,  was thwice lifted bodilyfromt  my bed, moved
off its edge, and thus suspgended in the air!/ -: 
Heretofore my arm had been the organ to which
their efforts had been chiefly directed; now, my
whole body was subjected to their influence, against
my will and desire, and all my struggles to resist
" Often when I am alone in my office, my hand
will be moved, and I am obliged to abandon every
other purpose till the spirits have concluded their
communication. An incident of this kind happened
some months since. After I had retired to bed, I
was awakened from sleep by the rapid and violent
motion of my hand. It was midnight. I could assign no cause for this manifestation, and essayed to
throw off the influence, by all possible means, but
in vain.
"I was compelled to rise, procure pencil and
paper, and a long communication was written before they would again permit me to sleep."




210    SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
From his own account it seems the Doctor became a servant of the spirits against his will and
determined efforts to the contrary! —a mere machine' compelled to do their bidding or be tormented
and spend sleepless nights I"
If we would be saved from  the evils of necromancy we should " let it alone before it is meddled
with.". Said the Rev. Baptist Noel, "May God
save us by his grace; but if ever we are saved we
must shun the beginnings of evil."
SPIRITUALISM IS AN OBSTACLE TO THE CONVERSION
OF THE SOUL.
Spirits impress the minds of mediums and those
susceptible to their influence, and thus array them
against Christ and the Bible. This is the natural
tendency of Spiritualism. It would probably be
very difficult to find a person who had become developed as a medium, or clairvoyant, who has since
been converted to Christ.  Every person feels that
he has as much opposition as he can overcome to
believe in Christ, apart from the influence of Spiritualism.  He needs the full power of an unbiased
mind, so that he can say in truth, like one of old,
I "a will serve the Lord." But Spiritualism deprives a man of this power, and places him in subjection to evil spirits.
If we esteem  Christianity as a blessing, and the
privileges which we enjoy in consequence of its dissemination, as preferable to those of heathen lands,




MODERN DEMONIACS.            211
we must deem Spiritualism, which wars against it,
a great evil.
SPIRITUALISM IS FILLING OUR LAND WITH
DEaMONIACS.
Medium training is analogous to the work of
breaking clown the walls of a city.  When once
the wall is destroyed, the city may be entered by
any enemy. So when a person has become a medium, he can be possessed and controlled by any
prowling demon who chooses to do this.
The fully developed medium, who is entirely subjected to the control of the spirits, is but a passive
automaton for the operation of demons, and just as
really a demnoniac as the victim represented in our
first engraving.
Mrs. CAUGHEY, a venerable Christian lady of this
city, informed the writer that she had seen an
amiable lady of twenty summers possessed by an
evil spirit, thrust on to a couch, raging and frothing at the mouth, with glaring eyes, and agonizing
contortions, cursing and praying almost in the same
breath. The demon even cursed  Jehovah, and
swore by all that was vile and sacred that he would
kill the medium!
Reader, think of a girl of fourteen summers,
modest and mild, who, in consequence of becoming
a medium, is possessed by an evil spirit, and with
the ferocity of the furies, flies at the object of demoniac malice.




212    SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
Imagine a medium of middle age, a lady generally mild, sitting in a "circle" with others, who
instantly becomes furious-kicks over the table and
chairs, and with book, footstool, or any missile assails one of the company.
Think of another of forty years, who is dashed
upon the floor in spasms, possessed by a spirit who
professed to have been a drunkard, who drank to
drown trouble, and who declared that language was
inadequate to describe his misery i
Imagine a man of twenty-five years, acting the
drunkard, reeling, hurling chairs, playing the simpleton, and by turns becoming stupid, gloomy, angry, furious, for six hours together; and when at
last freed from his tormentors, completely exhausted
and unconscious of all that had passed.
These are not mere fancy pictures; they are
drawn from life, and represent a large class of mediums in this city and elsewhere, whose names are
screened from the public eye, out of regard to their
feelings, their welfare, and the wishes of their
friends.
The four cases last portrayed were minutely described to the writer by a Spiritzualist of known
veracity, as cases of which he was an eye witness!
He stated that demoniacs were very numerous ir,
this city and vicinity —much more so than s2iritualists generally were willing to admit-that he
had seen many, and desired never to witness another.




MODERN DEMONIACS.            213
This gentleman was Mr. William  Fishbough, long
known as an editor.of spiritual publications.
JUDGE EDMONDS relates " that an evil spirit visited
one of his circles, took possession of Mrs. S., the
medium-manifested a very unhappy frame of mind,
sometimes setting the company at defiance and acting as though he hated them. The medium  was
very much distressed by the whole thing, frequently
wept bitterly, and resisted as far as she was able;
but he seemed to have obtained entire possession of'her, compelling her to do and to say things which
she would gladly have avoided." After occupying
their attention for most of the evening, " he left
her, but not until he had thrown her 2upon the floor
in, great distress." —Spiritualism, p. 464.
AMHERST" says in Telegraph No. 182, he " has
seen mediums rolling on the floor, uttering grunts
like swine; giving vent to the most hideous yells;
and at times beatiny their bodies and tearing their
hair like lunatics.  If we are doomed to see a
Ibeautiful faith disfigured with such manifestations
as we sometimes now receive, let us pray that there
may be some one raised up amongst tus who shall
be endowed with power to cast out the'unclean:pirits.' "
No wonder that they are apprehensive that their
"beautiful faith " will be " disfigured'"! If demoniacs are so numerous now, what may we not expect
a few years hence, with such a host of " developing
mediums" as are scattered all over the country?




214    SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
The writer is acquainted with a young woman in
New Hampshire, who has been occasionally possessed
by a demon for several years. Her sufferings have
been very great. She has barely escaped death
many times. She must talk when others sleep and
be wearied to death's door by innumerable tossings
to and fro, till she is a mere wreck in body and
mind; and death must soon end the painful scene.
A BITING MEDIUM.
Chillicothe, Ohio, May 22, 1855.
S. W. SMITH, Dear Sir:-I have recently visited
the somewhat noted " Biting Medium," in Scioto
county, some fourteen miles west from Portsmouth..:: The medium is a small boy with fair complexion, light hair, and blue eyes. The little fellow is evidently afraid of the strange order of intelligences that operate through him, as it required
some persuasion on my part to obtain his consent
to sit, in his usual manner, for the manifestations.
He had to be invariably enveloped in a sheet or
something of the kind, before the manifestations
could be obtained.:::' The singular manifestations were rather more conclusive, than pleasant
evidences of an unseen intelligence, as the evidence
of the deep prints of teeth upon the bodies of divers
persons, has pointedly testified. Some have been
bitten till the blood trickled from the wound. Even
the boy himself, escaped not the munchings of this




MODERN DEMONIACS.           215
toothful mouth. Pocket knives were taken from
the hands of persons by the unseen agency, and
their blades wrenched from their handles. Writing
was performed under the cover of the sheet surrounding the boy; likewise musical instruments
played upon. The Bible has been held before him,
and its leaves turned and certain chapters pointed
out, in the nothingness of air, unsupported by any
visible power. Persons have retired to bed with
the boy with the intention of sleeping with him
through the night, but their intention was frustrated,
they slept not, they were so harassed and bitten,
they had to arise and seek repose in some other
quarter. The little medium lives in a neighborhood
where old madam' awfuldoxy,'-Orthodoxy —bears
the sway with her preposterous fables.-Spiritua~
Universe.
A COUNTERFEITING DEMON.' Some eight or nine months ago a well-known
gentleman of this city, and an intimate friend of
the writer, passed into the spirit-world. For several years previous to his death he had been a spiritualist, and during the latter portion of that time
had been a medium.  Previous and immediately
subsequent to the interment of his body, he manifested his spirit-presence in a remarkable manner to
different individuals, and especially to his widow,
the latter being controlled to speak his words, and




216    SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
in one or two instances seeing him, apparently with
the external eye, and as plainly as she had ever seen
him in the flesh.::      While each of these
were mourning the loss of two lovely children,
the spirit of the gentleman aforesaid took possession of his wife's sister and kept her under his control continually for six days.  During this time the
medium was kept upon her bed, and the spirit reenacted, through her, in the most perfect manner,
the scenes of his last sickness, which was consumption. All the little peculiarities of those scenes,
many of which were totally unknown to the medium,
were minutely reproduced,  There were the same
short and labored breathing, the same hacking and
expectorating cough, the same inotions, gesticulations, exclamations, expressions of desire and aversion, that had been witnessed in the dying man;
and what was still more convincing, he repeated,
through the medium, conversations which had passed
only between him and his wife, and alluded to facts
known only to himself and her.  This scene, be it
remembered, was continued for six consecutive days,
during which time the wife was scarcely permitted
to leave the bedside.  A more powerful test of identity  could scarcely be conceived."- Telegraph,
lIarch 3, 1855.
How exquisitely delectable must have been this
experience! All to prove what it did not prove!
Reader, if a spirit should carry you through such
racking, coughing, and agonizing contortions, for




MODERM DEMIONIACS.           217
six days and nights together, could you believe it to
be the work of a relative or a friend?  Just as
though no other spirit could know enough of the
man's last sickness to imitate his sufferings! And
this is published as one of their "most powerful
tests of identity"! Much more poweeful than wise
or merciful.
A DEMONIAC LOSES EMPLOYMENT BY "' GOOD SPIRITS."9
The following was written by the editor of the
Mount Holly, New Jersey Mirror, and copied from
that paper into the Telegrcaph of May 12, 1855:
" A servant girl living in the family of Sheriff
Ivins, at Tom's River, Ocean County, not long since
commenced acting so strangely as to excite the attention of every one who saw her.  She was questioned in regard to her conduct, when she said she
was under the control of some supernatural or
spiritual agency, but could not in any way account
for it-and that the spirits influencing her assured
her they were good spirits. They would come and
go at pleasure, leaving her to wonder at the sudden
transformation in her feelings. While under the
influence alluded to, her strength seemed almost
equal to Samson's, and there was nothing about the
house but what she could move without the least
difficulty.  She would pick up a barrel of flour, and
with the greatest ease carry it up stairs. On one
occasion she had got about half way up the steps
with a barrel when the spirits left her, and with
10




218    SPIRITUALIS3M VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
them her strength vanished, leaving her in a quandary, from which she was only relieved by several
persons assisting in taking the flour down stairs.
She would place her hand upon a table and tell it
to travel, when it would move around the room and
out of doors, and no power3 save her own will, could
stop it. And at one time four strong men attempted
to hold the table to the floor, but they had no more
effect upon it than so many infants.'" The Dutchmen in the neighborhood, when they
conversed in their own language, would be told by
her what they had said, which satisfied them that
she was leagued with the devil.  One day Mirso
Ivins visited a neighbor, and, on her return, the
girl related the conversation that had taken place,
and even told this lady her own thoughts in
reference to discharging her-thougohts that Mrs.
Ivins had never breathed to any one. Upon being
asked how she knew this, she said the spirits had
cominunicated it to her. She is entirely destitute
of education, but, frequently, when the spirits took
possession of her, she would go up to her room and
write, in a fair, legible hand, what they had dictated.
" The family at last became afraid of her, and
notwithstanding she was the best girl for work they
ever had, and her unwillingness to leave, it was
found necessary to discha'rge her, and she reluctantly
departed to hzer father's residence, at Bergen Iron
Works. We have had positive assurances of the
truth of these statements, direct from the family."




MODERN DEMONIACS.              219
A CLERGYMAN BECOMES A DEMONIAC.
TriE REv. B. S. HOBBS, of Little Falls, N. Y.,
thus writes on lMay 15, 1855, to the Spiritual
Telegral)h'It is now about four years since I professed
faith in the doctrine that spirits can and do hold
intercourse with man. Then, for a season., I had
little doubt of its importance and its truth.  But it
was not mine to profess and cherish this then to me
most precious faith, except for a short time, without literally falling a martyr to its profession  I
was then regarded by some as a medium; and thus
I verily believed myself to be, as I exhibited the
various phenomena common to, I was about to say,
that unfortunate class.  But of that time, and its
consequent results, I wish not now to speak further
than to say, that till that period I had never knoton
sorrowz and suffcering in comparison to what I then
was, most strangely indeed, compelled to endure.:
While on a visit to a distant part of the
State from where I reside, I was called on by a
friend to officiate at the funeral of a departed
neighbor. I had, as usual, went through the introductory services, and commenced_ discoursing from
mny text, when, to my utter horror and mortification, my mnouth was szuddenly closed, and for a time
I could znot utter a word,  Judge, reader, of my
consternation and surprise, when the influence of
former times returned upon me with redoubled fury,




220    SPIR1TUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
and I was again powerless, in, a terrible gras2p from
which I in vain sought for release; and to add to
my consternation, I was compelled, in spite of all
my efforts, to speak the words,' Spirits have powzer
on the earth.' Oh, reader! that day to the writer
of these lines, was a painful one indeed. That
strange power did not release its hold until I had
acted in several places in the capacity of a Spiritmedium, being, so far as I know, regarded as an
undoubted one of that class.         Since that
period until a few weeks past, I have not even made
the attempt to speak again in public. But on the
first Sabbath in the present month, I again made
the attempt and succeeded. The following Sabbath
I attempted to speak again, and now, reader, listen
to the result! ly mouth was ayain closed, and
not opened until I was thrown into the same state
as mentioned before, and then and there was I conmpelled to deliver an address to the audience, professing to come from the spheres. I had another
appointment at another place for the following
Sabbath, but it is now withdrawn, and I here freely
confess that I have no desire to make the attempt
to preach another sermon, if I cannot do so without
passing the ordeal I did on that occasion.
" I come now to the main object of this letter,
which is to ask, Is what.I have experienced Spiritcontrol? and if so, why should my mouth be closed
while endeavoring to preach the Gospel to my fellowmen? Again, admitting this to be the fact, ought




MODERN DEMONIAC&S             22l
I to submit to such control as this, in so far as I
have the strength to resist its severe and strange
power?  The truth is, I have little fellowship for
much that I have seen, called Spirit-influence.  It
is of a stcrange character, indeed l It is to me even
more than strange that spirits of the spheres can do
the work many now believe come from heaven.' One thing is to me rationally clear-that much,
very much that comes through that supposed channel, is scarcely worthy of the inmperfection of earth;
and of the little I have seen there is still less that
bears to me the evidence and the pimpress of truth."
So much for dabbling with the spirits! Mr. Hobbs
should not think it strange that the demons closed
his mouth when lie was preaching. It is their chief
business to oppose Christianity.
DEMONIAC MURDERS AND SUICIDES.
M/ATTHEW  LANGDON, a printer in this city, 38
years of age, followed up the circles and consulted
the spirits, out of anxiety to become a seeing mediumz, till he was instigated to cut his throat, which
ultimately caused his death!
Dr,. ELLIOT  surgeon at the Bellevue Hospital,
to which Mir. Langdon was sent after his throat was
cut, testified: " He told us he had been influenced
by spiritual manifestations to commit suicide."AN. Y. Times, Jan. 8, 1853.
Two girls in Lawrence, Mass., a few years since,
one the daughter of Mr. Ramsdell, a medium, be



222    SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
lieved the lie which the spirits then taught, that
all were happier after death, and determined to
commit suicide. When purchasing laudanum  for
this purpose, the druggist inquired what they wished
it for, they replied, "To cure the ear ache."  The
laudanum was taken, and, if we recollect right,
proved fatal with one of them.
MR. SAMUEL COLE, "residing in Washington
County, Ohio, who was made insane from the
workings of the spirit-rapping delusion, became
possessed of the idea that he must offer, like Abraham, a sacrifice to the Supreme Ruler of the Universe. He accordingly proceeded to carry his object
into execution, by taking off one of his feet, which
he succeeded in doing some days since, in a very
scientific manner, and with an heroic determination
that would compare with the self-sacrificing deeds
done in the earlier ages. His family, fearing that
some other of his limbs might be demanded in a
like cause, had him conveyed to the Lunatic Asylum
at Columbus, where he is now in the enjoyment of
as much liberty as the nature of his disease will
warrant."-Register, Phila., Feb. 28, 1 853.
A correspondent of the Puritan Recorder, in
1852, supposed to have been Dr. Enoch Pond, of
Bangorl, ie., said: " Only a few days ago the
papers gave an account of a man in Barre, Mass.,
who had been much given to the rappings and other
spiritual manifestations, who became a raving maniac, threatened the life of his family, and was con



DEMONIAC CRIMES.              223
mitted to the Lunatic Asylum near Worcester. He
was led to attempt the life of his family in obedience to a supposed revelation from the spirit-world."
ALMIRA BEZELY, a medium, in Providence, R. I.,
predicted that her infant brother'would die at a
specified time, and then bought arsenic, with which
she poisoned him! On her trial for murder, Samuel
B. Holliday testified: " It was in evidence before
the [coroner's] jury, that the death of the child was
predicted by the rappings.  My impression is that
the child died at about the time predicted.  I do
not think she could have committed the crime without this infiuence."-Providence Joumnal, October
22, 1851.
This case illustrates the mode by which the spirits
sometimes verify their predictions!
MR. BRITTAN says: "Under the head of' Spiritual Diabolism,' an exchange paper has the following' The spirits are inciting their victims to all
sorts of nefarious deeds.  Here is an instance:'F. A. Edwards, at Equinank, Pa., a medium, thinks
that one of the spirits communicating through him
is the devil, to whom, as directed, he offered a sacrifice of burnt cats.  Then the spirit told him  he
must kill his daughter and an apprentice-boy at
work in his shop, and offer them up.  He told his
folks that the spirit had directed him so to do, and
he must do so. Fearful lest he should do so, as he
appeared perfectly under the control of the so-called




224   SPIRITUALISM VERSUS' CHRISTIANITY.
spirit, indeed, perfectly insane, his friends had him
placed under restraint."-Telegr3aph, May 12, 1855.
Is it possible that Mr. Brittan and his fraternity
can discover nothing "wroncy" in hazarding such
consequences as these?   Would they play with
vipers and scorpions and throw them to their children?  If this would be wrong, so is necromancy.
If we play with vipers, scorpions and demons, we
must expect their play in return!
ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF DEMONIAC MURDEhRS AND SUICIDES.'"A possible cause of Suicide, and Remnedy.-We
see in the Ohio State Journal of Dec. 6th, 1854, an
account of the suicide of a Mr. Dunbar.  He complained on Mionday of depression of spirits; reasoned
about it; prepared for his marriage, set for Wednesday morning.  In the afternoon of Tuesday he
bought strychnine, ostensibly for a neighbor to kill
rats.  On Tuesday evening he again spoke of his
melancholy, saying hie knew no cause for it. At 10
P. M. went to bed, and soon after was dead from
strychnine.
" A Mr. R., of Ohio, was cut down during an attempt to hang himself. He was thankful for the
service.  Said he knew no cause for his making the
attempt.
"A man of, or near Knightsville, Indiana, went
to a spirit circle, holding it in great contempt. He
was in good health.  Twelve days afterwards he
died.  He was affected strangely from that period




DEMONIAC CRIMES.            225
till his death, committing hostilities on himself,
thrusting his hands into the fire, etc. This was told
me by a respectable-looking traveler.  No name
was mentioned.' Philip Jarret's daughter, aged fifteen, of Belmont County, Ohio, was singularly affected from
October, 1851, to March, 1852. She had paroxysms
of extreme profanity and obscenity, though uniformly decent when in health.  They held her at
times, to keep her from biting her own limbs.  During her illness the  dwelling-house was much
annoyed by raps from invisible powers.  A reputed witch-doctor was called in the latter part of
February, 1852. He made passes, or operated by
the laying on of hands.  She then recovered suddenly (in a few minutes her father says,) and the
noises ceased. She had been attended in the fall
and winter by allopathic doctors, who did not consider her insane, but develish.
"' Mr. Pinel —quoted by Dr. Rush in his lecture on
Medical Jurisprudence, page 382, mentions the case
of a man who had a murdering impulse' in no degree obedient to his will,' but whose memory, judgment, and imagination were perfectly sound.  The
doctor reports several cases similar, in which persons
apparently sane have committed hostilities on themselves, wives, or children, without knowing a cause
for it. Whether these persons owe their afflictions to
the cause stated in the 5th of larlk, as affecting the
man who was' always crying, and cutting himself




226    SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
with stones,' until delivered of the unclean spirits by
Christ, may deserve consideration. His cutting himself was suicidal."
" When one is diseased in the will, and hostile
to himself, though in other respects rational, he
may be possessed by a Spirit, who controls his actions, and makes him commit such hostilities. The
case of Jarret's daughter seems; to indicate demesrzerization as a curative; also that in Mark v.;
Christ in Matthew xii. 27, implies that others cast
out spirits as well as he: A If I by Beelzebub cast
out devils, by whom  do your children cast them
out?"  Josephus, in the 8th book of Jewish Antiquities, chapter 2d, speaks of it as a sanativepractice, and that he had seen one Eleazer do it in the
presence of the Emperor Vespasian; and that he
fplaced a bowl of water before the patient, and commanded the spirit to upset it as he passed out.
" As to the power of evil spirits to take possession
of one, there may be causes for it, both moral and
physical.  Touching the case at KInightsville, our
guardian spirits may be repelled by extreme perverseness, leaving us to be controlled by bad spirits,
whose presence is said to be known by a certain
feeling of despondency and uneasiness. The same
causes that make our neighbors despise us, may
make the spirits despise us, and abandon us to bad
spirits, obduracy, hardness of heart, or utter disregard of truth, if it conflicts with prejudice-persisting to hold the same opinion, if convinced




DEMONIAC CRIMES.           227
against the will. No offence against the Holy
Ghost or the laws of nature is forgiven. Who
walks over a precipice in contempt of the law of
gravity, will suffer the penalty. Who retains the
same opinion still, if convinced against his will,
must, disgust all good spirits.  They cannot cling
to him with pleasure, and if forsaken by them, the
bad may possess him, and make him war on himself as he has warred on the truth, bite his own limbs,
thrust his hand into thefire, muzrder his wife and
children, take poison, or the halter.
" THOS. IIH. GENIN.
6"St. Clairsville Ohio, Dec. 17, 1854."
[Spiritual Telegraph, Hfay 12, 1855.
Mr. GENIN has favored the public with some very
important information.
1. The spirits afflict persons with despondency.
2. They afflict them with paroxysms of extreme
profanity and obscenity!
3. Make them "; devilish."
4. Cause them to commit hostilities upon themselves-to bite their own limbs and thrust them
into the fire.
5. Instigate them to do violence to their friends.
Instill into them  a "murdering impulse," and
cause them to murder their families!
6. Constrain them to commit suicide!
If this is true, we may add as an inevitable result, they " doom them to a part in the lake which




228    SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the
second death."":
Mark, reader, here is one case of attempted suicide with a rope-a fatal one with poison-a death
which ended twelve days' self-torment immediately
succeeding a visit to a spiritual circle-an instance
of " devilishness" and " paroxysms of profanity and
obscenity;" a person possessed of a "murdering
impulse," and the Spiritualists admit them all to
have been produced by the agency of spirits. According to their own showing, then, these torments
and crimes must be expected to follow in the train
of Spiritualism!
Surely, after this, they cannot complain that any
pereson accuses Spiritualism1 of anything worse than
they have acknowledged themselves!
Mr. Genin teaches that if a person once becomes
a devotee to " good spirits," and does not obey them
in all things like a faithful idolator, they will " despise and abandon" him to evil spirits to be ruined
at once i
If this is true, the Spiritualist is in a sad predicament, and the only safe course is to shun the spirits altogether. If he holds intercourse with the
"good spirits," and obeys them, he is condemned
by the Bible as a necromancer. If after yielding to
their control he disobeys their commands, they will
hand him over " to be controlled by bad spirits,"
who will "lpossess him, and make him war on him* Rev. 21: 8.




.~~~~~~~~~~~4
it~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ -.',tI','i   _,
P A,'''Ma illiI!wiiirl.I
a rlil                                                                                    Z
M0DERN DEMONIACS.
~VIIT- kPINGANDTAB LE-TI~PPING.  INFLUENCE  OF  PROFESSOR HARE S    IMIMORTAL ADVISERS?    INEVITABLE
-T.Rrrrz~PPIG   ANDCONSEQUENCES OF SpIRITUALIS'-e~a'~21,1.
~'~"I  "iii'~'                   si-/e         p ge     21,   12








DEMONIAC CRIMES.              229
self, bite his own limbs, thrust his hands into the
fire, mnurder his wife and children, and commit
suicide"!
Spiritualists may cease from all further charges
as to "' the intolerance of Jehovah."
If this treatment is to expected at the hands of
their "' good spirits," may we be saved from  the
tender mercies of their " bad ones," which according
to Mr. Fishbough, have been let loose " to give the
world an idea of the'hells"!
It is obvious that those most horrible murders
recently committed in Connecticut by the Wakemanites, were the result of intercourse with spirits,
and that the chief actors were demlloniacs. In the first
case, it was agreed that Mr. Matthews, the victim,'had a bad spirit," that he came to Mrs. Wakeman's house, " with his hands tied to get rid of his
bad spirit," that "c he was hurting her with his bad
spirit," that " he wanted the evil spirit out, and
said' you had better kill me,' that Uncle Sammy
said'We had better take a stick and knock this
evil spirit out of hims'" that " Mrs. Hersey said,'the witch-hazel stick was better than any other,'"
that MBr. Jackson " believed that witch-hazel would
keep away evil spirits; that they gave him a walking stick of witch-hazel to keep away the evil spirit,"
that he "told Mir. Sly that he had better strike
Matthews only one blow, and that might break
the' power.'"  Mr. Sly, like all demoniacs, " appeared extremely nervous.  He said'I cut this




230    SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
witch-hazel stick about two weeks ago; I believe
there is great power in the hazel; thought I might
drive out the evil spirit, and break the enchantment
by tea made of the bark; I struck Mir. Matthews
on the rig'ht temple with this stick; he fell down
and did not say a word; I struck him several times
after he was down; I did this for fear he would cast
his evil spirit on my sister; I held up his head and
cut his throat several times, and stabbed the fork
into his breast several times.  The influence I was
Under led gme to do this; I was influenced by a
~wrong Spirit to go further than I had anticipated,
or had any idea of." —Daily Tribzune, D)ecember
28, 1855.
On the 31st of December, Mr. Charles Sandford,
another demoniac, "who ]had formerly attended the
meetings of the Wakenmanites," murdered Messrs.
Enoch Sperry and Ichabod Umberfield, of Woodbridge, Conn.
Here then we have the ripe fruit of Spiritualism
-the inevitable consequences of intercourse with
demons. It is obvious that these Wakemanites
were conjurers, dealers with familiar spirits, and
students of witchcraft.  The conduct of Mr. Matthews shows that he was a demoniac; as himself and
all the parties believed.  Mr. Sly believed himself
to be a demoniac; in accordance with this belief,
he proved himself to be a follower of him who was
a murderer from the beginning.




CHAPTER XV.
TIE WORK OF SPIRITUALISM  IS ANTI-CHRISTIAN.:But Elymus the sorcerer withstood them, seeking to turn
away the deputy from the faith." —ACTS xiii: 8.
" Now, as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these resist the truth."-2 TIM. iii: 8.
THE mission of spiritualism  is emphatically one
of deception.   The fulfillment of this mission involves, as a specific work, opposition to the claims
of Christ, the Bible, and Christianity.  This work is
prosecuted in almost every conceivable form.
To commence at the head and front of this offending, spiritualism denies that Jesus Christ was
what he declared himself to be —" The Son of God."
The Bible teaches that Christ was begotten by the
Holy Spirit, hence in his humanity he was the Son
of God.
"And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost
shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee, thcesifore also that holy thinzg which shall be bo??b of thee
shatt be catled the Son of God."-Luke 1: 85.
Here is a plain statement of the origin  of the
M.an Christ Jesus —" The only begotten  Son of




232    SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
God."  He sustained the truth of this statement
saying, c" I aC the Son of God.":-'
It is well known that spiritualists generally deny
that Christ was begotten by the Holy Spirit; they
deny that he was the Son of God any more than any
other person.
Mr. Boynton, of Waterford, N. Y., represents
John Wesley to have used his hand to write the following: " It has been supposed and believed that
Jesus was all of God, and also a perfect man, which
thing is false.  Jesus was a great and good man,
but there was nothing more miraculous about his
conception, birth, life, and teachings, than any good
man.  Jesus never taught people to pay divine
homage to him; lie never taught that he was the
Son of God, except in the sense in which other men
might be the sons of God." — Unfoldings, p. 7.
A spirit pretending to be the Apostle Paul, speaking through A. W. Hoar, says: " God adopted him as
his son from his birth, as he would every individual
who should walk in the path that Christ walked in
from his birth."-The Bible as a Book, p. 22.
"' What is the meaning of the word Christ?'Tis not, as is generally supposed, the Son of the
Creator of all things.  Any just and perfect being
is Christ.... The miraculous conception of Christ
is merely a fable."-Spirit of Elias ficlcs.-Telegrapct)h, TNo. 37.t'
Here, then, we have the doctrine of these de* John 10: 36.  t Spirit Rappings Unveiled, p. 85.




ANTI-CHRISTIAN WORKS.           233
mons.  They know very well that the most direct
mode of assailing Christianity is to represent its
founder to have been an impostor! They very well
understand that whoever believes that Jesus Christ
was not " Thle only begotten $Son of God," must believe that he was a deceiver, and that the Bible is
made up of lies! By assailing this doctrine they
strike at the very vitals of Christianity.  No man
can be a Christian who does this.
This is the same point of doctrine which Beelzebub contested with Christ-these demons teach the
same as their prince!  Said Satan: "If thou be
the Son of God, command that these stones be made
bread."  " And he brought him to Jerusalem, and
set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto
him, If thou be the Son of God. cast thyself down
from hence." —Luke iv: 3, 9.
This contest has been revived, another war has
been commenced against this faith, and spiritualism
is doing the work of Satan.
APOSTLES DECEIVERS.
R. P. Ambler, medium  for the " spirits of the
sixth circle," says in the'"Sp~iritual Teacher:"
A The spirits would therefore speak in the outset
of the real origin of the book which is reverenced as
the word of God.. Far back in the depths of huinanity's history, there lived individuals who were
morally and spiritually advanced beyond the medium
development of the age in which they lived..




234    SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
The spirits have reference to the persons mentioned
in the Old and New Testaments; such, for exarm-,
pie, as Isaiah, Jeremiah, Christ, Paul, and John.
Those persons were seers and prophets. In their
systems dwelt that peculiar essence of spiritual life
which prepared them for an intercourse with the
dwellers of the second sphere; they were unconscious of this truth, and knew not the source of
their inspiration; they naturally ascribed the impressions which they received to the direct agency
of the Supreme Being, and really imagined that
they wrote and spake as they were dictated by the
Deity himself... The seers and prophets, whose
names are mentioned in the  Primitive History,
were mediums... It was in this manner that the
writings of the Bible, which have been properly
termed the Scriptures, were originated... Therefore will the spirits assure the world that the Bible
is not the direct word of God... The spirits would
claim the authorship of these records as they were
primarily given to the world."
Thus the spirits deny the agency of the Holy
Spirit in the inspiration of the prophets.  They
wish all the honor for themselves.
Their followers teach that the sacred writers
were inspired by departed spirits.
J. H. Fowler has published a pamphlet in which
he attempts to show that the demoniac miracles of
these times are identical in origin and character
with those wrought by Christ and the Apostles.




ANTI-CHRISTIAN WORKS.           235
He sneers at the idea of the miraculous conception
of Christ, rejects the record of the resurrection of
Lazarus, as a "big story," and gravely concludes
" that whatever may have been the moving cause
in the early Christian manifestations, the same
cause is now operating to produce similar phenomena.
Professor Brittan confounds the inspiration of
the sacred writers with demoniac possessions, and
for aught that appears to the contrary, would have
us believe that they were inspired by demons! He
says': " Some of the inspired words of Jesus are recorded, and the Evangelists have given us an account of the sayings and doings of the apostles.
The Spiritual phenomena through Peter, Paul and
John are briefly described; but what do we know
of the manifestations through the mass of ancient
Jewish medi 2  Great numbers were subject to
the influence of spirits, but the New Testament is
silent respecting the details of their experience..
Mary Magdalene was a medium for seven spirits of
a low order, but we have no circumstantial account
of the phenomena exhibited in her case.  We are,
however, informed that the " legion" of demons
troubled a certain man who was accustomed to
dwell among " the tombs," but about all that we
know respecting their manifestations is, that they
imparted to the man a preternatural power, so that
no chains or fetters could bind him.."t
* Essay, p. 92.   t Review of Beecher, pp. 75, 76, 77.




236    SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
We heard the Rev. Uriah Clark, in a lecture in
Brooklyn, make what he appeared to dceem a successful attempt to prove that God's prophets were
inspired by the spirits of dead men.  Said he: " It
is written of John the Baptist,' He shall go before
him in the spirit and power of Elias.'  What! In
the spirit and power of a dead man?  Yes, in the
spirit and power of a dead manl!"  Unfortunately
for MBr. Clark's only argument, Elias was translated!
He never was " a dead man"!! /: The angel
obviously meant that the character and work of
John, would be analogous to the character and work
of Elias. t
Jir. Clark in attempting to show that the same
miracles could be performed by the aid of departed
spirits, which were wrought by the Apostles, endeavored to prove that devils had been cast out by
their assistance.  Said he, L" On one occasion the
Apostles said to Jesus:' Master, we saw one casting
out devils in anzother name, and we forbade him
because he cast them not out in thy neame.' He was
casting out devils in another name," said MSr. Clark.
The truth is,'" John said,' Master, we saw one
casting out devils in thy name; and we forbade him,
because he followeth not with  as.' "*  What expounders these mediums are?
Alfred Cridge, a medium, says:   that all of
the signs which Christ said should be performed by
2 Kin. 2: 11. t Luke 1: 17. $tLuke 9: 49.




ANTI-CHRISTIAN WORKS.          237
the Apostles-except serpent handling-have followed, and do follow, modern Spiritualists."  He
adds: " Where is the impropriety of attributing
them  to the  same cause?   Objection. - They
are demoniac. Answer. —That many of them proceed from low spirits is granted."7:" Mr. Cridge
grants that many of these signs are performed by
"low  spirits," but he can see no impropriety in
attributing them  to the  " same cause" with the
miracles of the Apostles! The Apostles professed
to be inspired to prophesy, and endowed with
power to work miracles, by " that one and the selfsame spirit,"-" Tlie Spirit of the livinzg God."t
But these Spiritualists contend that they were
assisted by the spirits of dead men-even " low
spirits I"  They degrade them by representing them
to have been necromancers, mediums and sorcerers.
They even malce out that they were icars, impostors,
and deceivers of the very worst character, in representing themselves to have been inzspired and en-.
dowed by that one Holy- Spirit of God —when inspired and assisted by the spirits of dead men! 
DEVELOPING MEDIUMsS.
DEVELOPING MEDIUMs are engaged in effecting
demoniac possessions.
CHRIST gave his disciples power and authority over
all demons, with the express command to " cast
*Epitome, p 91. t 1 Cor. 12: 11. 2or. 38: 3.




238    SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
them out.":  These mediums are casting them in!
The following are specimens of the advertisements
in the  pirictual Telegrap3h and other papers.
"' MIss A. SEABRING, Tipping, Rapping, Writing,
Seeing, Personating and Speaking Medium, assisted
by two other ladies, will hold Test Circles daily, at
No. -- Broadway.  They will also hold Circles for
the _Development of Mediums."
"C C. HUGHES, Medium for Test Personations, by.
which the actual presence of the departed can be
realized.  Develolping  Iediums can be seen at his
office."
So here is one of the same stamp with the Witch
of Endor,  Said she:' Whom  shall I bring up
unto thee?" " The actualpiresence of the departed
can be realized," says Mr. Hughes.
They compare this work of developing mediums
to that of br'ealking colts / A Philadelphia correspondent writes to the Telegraph    "Have you any
drawbacks in New York? We have. The meetings
held at Jefferson Hall, third story, are in the judgmlent of many doing great damage in the way of
exciting ridicule,  I xwas there on several occasions.
After sitting awhile, a female voice screamed out
rudely,' Sing.' After this request was complied
~Vith, a stoutt man (medium) arose and exhibited a
medliumship about one-eighth developed: said but
little, and fell heavily to his seat.  Then another
arose, and displaying about the same amount of' Luke 9: 1. Matt. 10  1.




ANTI-CHRISTIAN WORKS.           239
semi-developnment, fell led-like into his seat.  Here
arose a third; commenced vociferating as if he was
going to say something, but resumed his seat without fulfilling our anticipations.  One declared that
such a thing as a disembodied spirit never spoke
through a medium.  Another denied this strange
assertion.  One represented the Bible as the book;'
another denounced the previous spirit as a bigot.
A female spoke often in a wandering way, accompanying her speech with the most strange twisting,
straining action imnaginable, giving strangers to
suppose she had been indulging in bad liquor.
These exhibitions, strange to say, are public.  The
meetings are sometimes crowded with a giggling,
mirth-seeking audience.  It is doing great, injury
to the cause, as it is seized upon by the enemies of
the cause as an. instrument of ridicule, when all
other means fail.  The brethren who have it in
charge should at once close this pubic' exhibition.
It might be proper enough to encourage mediumtraining like this privately, but to exhibit to skeptics these iunbroken colts is highly imprudent."
All " proper enough" to make demoniacs and
false prophets "Cprivately!  B2ut to exhibit to skeptics
these UNBROIKEr COLTS, is highly imprudent"  No
doubt it is! For an evil work, darkness is doubtless
preferable! The members of this medium-training
family are becoming very numerous.  Since so large
a number are anxious to be possessed of demons, it
has become a lucrative employment: hence many




240    SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
follow the business as a regular profession.  We
heard a lady complain that the spirits had promised
many times within a year to make a medium of her;
but that they. had " fibbed every time;" nevertheless she " knew of no earthly sacrifice which she
would not willingly make, if she could only become
a medium"!
Christ directed his disciples to cast out all demons without distinction or exception.  Spiritualists are laboring to get them  inz!  Mediums make
a regular business of effecting demoniac possessions!-doing the same work which Christ engaged
in  cndoing.
A spirit purporting to be the spirit of a departed
son of Adin Ballou, in answer to the question, by
his fither, "c Call you describe how you are able to
write through a medium?" says, " I feel as though
I enter into her for the time being, or as if my spirit
entered into her.  I am disencumbered of my spiritual form, and take hers.  Mlore than one spirit can
enter the medium  at once.  The mediums all go
into the trance by means of several spirits entering
the body at one time." —Spiritual Telegraph, May
8, 1852.
J. F. WHITNEY advertises that " at the solicitation of miny believers in spiritualism, he will continue to form Circles for the Development of Mediums."  It seems that " many" are anxious that
all should possess familiar spirits who desire them;
hence Mr. Whitney will " continue" his business.




ANTI-CHRISTIAN WORKS.          241
J. MAYHEW " will hold Circles for development
two evenings each week.  Terms —For each circle
during twelve weeks, five dollars —in advance, or
fifty cents admission to each circle."
Five dollars! for getting a demon into a man! 
" Advance" payment is now required in consequence of the danger that subjects will become mad,
and that the demons will repudiate the debt, as
none of their contracting.
REV. URIAH CLARK advertises, as the price of
membership to his s" Classes for Spiritual Development, $10."
CHRIST said: "I cast out demons, and I do
cures."*  These cast in demons andinduce diseases.
VI r. BRITTAN says: " If it be a fact that spirits,:whose influence is muzfavorable to the health and happiness of the medium, do sometimes influence men
in the body, as Mr. Beecher has most clearly shown,
it may be proper to dissipate that influence by such
modes as shall prove to be most successful."  He
admits that it is proper to cast out demons "C to
afford relief in such cases, though it may be conceded that the methods already adopted are exceedingly crude and imperfect."t  It seems from
this that spirits produce disease and destroy happiness, that spiritualists have attempted to eject them
and met with difficulty!    The methods already
adopted are exceedinglg crude and im2erfect."
They evidently are becoming alarmed in appre* L-uke xiii: 32.    t Review of Beecher, p. 25.
11




242    SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANIMTY.
hension of much trouble from these demons,  C" _Leg:us pray that there may be some one raised up
amongst us who shall be endowed with pover to cast
out the unclean spirits i" says G'Amherst',"'`
31r. Brittan appears to think that ministers of
the gospel should assist them in this difficulty. He
says: 6c The great Master gave his disciples power
over unclean spirits, commanding them to exercise
it in the deliverance of those who were infested by
them; and so long as the early ministers of the
gospel were faithful to their office and principles, their triumph was sure in every conflict with
the interior powers of evil.  And allow us to say
kindly, yet in all frankness, clergymen, that if you
had not sadly degenerated from your ancestors in
the ministerial family, youl would have the power
and the willingness to do the same thing now."t
Does Mr. Brittan suppose that ministers of the
GCospel will leave their parishes and follow these
demoniac-makers over the country and undo their
wicked work " willingly 3"  WVe contend that he
has no right to expect any such thing, that those
who get the unclean spirits in ought to be able to
get them out. If they cannot do this, let them
quit their " developing" at once.
CRUSADE AGAINST CHRISTIANITY.
Between the prophets and people of God on the
one hand, and the prophets and devotees of demons? Telegraph, No. 182.  I Telegraph, Aug. 5, 1854.




CRUSADE AGAINST CHRISTIANITY.                 243
on the other, a marked animosity has ever existed,
and sometimes, open hostility. The Egyptian sorcerers withstood  Moses to  their utmost.  Balaam.
went out to  curse Israel.  He devised  means by
which they were ensnared, and  twenty-four thousand fell.  Eight hundred  and  fifty  prophets  of
Baal were opposed  to Elijah  on  Mount Carmel.
Four hundred of Baal's prophets opposed M[icaiah
in the presence of Ahab and Jehosaphat.  One of
them  " came near, and  smote  Micaiah  upon  the
cheek.,"
When Paul and his associates " had gone through the isle untlo
Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew.,
whose name was Bar-jesus: Which was with the deputy of the.country, Sergius Paulus, a prudent man; who called for Barnabas and Saul, and desired to hear the word of God. But Elymas
the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood them,
seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith. Then Saul, who
also is called Paul, filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him,.
and said, 0 full of all subtilty and all mischief, thaoe child of the
devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not -cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord. And now, behold the hand of
the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun
for a season. And immlediately there fell on him a Fist and a
darkness; and he went about seeking some to lead him by the
hand. Then the deputy, when he saw what was done, believed, being
astonished at the doctrine of the Lord."-Acts xiii: 6, 12.
Modern  sorcerers, like their predecesso-rs, seem
determined to do their utmost; against Christianity.
"' Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also  do  good that are
accustomed  to do evil."




244    SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
A correspondent of the' New England Spiritua6ist, writing from Albion, Michb, May 5, 1855, thus
discourseth:
CC Our cause has prospered finely in this place for
the last year.  We now have regular preaching
through Mlrs. Sprague, of Bellevue, twice on Sundays and once on Thursday evening of each week.
Our numbers have increased within the last year
from about a dozen to from three to five hundred
believers, and the ranks are swelling daily. We
now have most of the different phases of the phenomena.  Mediums are increasing in numbers and
improving in development all around us. W~e have
had a strong opposition from the churches (as a
matter of course) and their hold has been strong on
the public mind till within a short time past. It.
has recently very much diminished.  The Methodist
State Theological Seminary is located in this place,
with its dozen ministers and more in making.  But
their ranks are weakening.   Several of their
strongest supporters have bolted and come over to
the spiritualist ranks, and many more wavering and
enquiring the way. I would state as a proof of progress, that the Baptist and Episcopal churches are
closed for want of a support; and a few weeks since
the Presbyterian minister had a sudden call to leave,
on two week's notice, and remove to Connecticut, and
the society are left to the mercy of the elements,
with their house also closed —probably no more to
be opened as an orthodox church. The Methodists




CRUSADE AGAINST CHRISTIANITY.    245
have been straining every nerve to sustain themselves, but their minister was heard to tell one of
his members that if the Spiritualist meetings were
kept up in the Hall, by that woman, three months
longer, they would have to close up their church for
want of hearers! This last winter theyr had a protracted meeting for about a week, every night.
When the evening came for Mrs. Sprague to speak
in the Hall, it was crowded to overflowing, and many
went away for want of room to stand.  Some of
them went over to the protracted meeting at the
3Methodist. house, and on their arrival there found.onlyfourteen besides the minister, who was trying.to rally them to battle against the common enemy.:: Light is springing up, and the dark forms of
formal worship are fast passing away. Many minds
that have hired their thinking done for them, are
now trying to reason for the first time for themselves; hence their progression.
"Yours for the promulgation of the Harmonial
Philosophy.              ELMER WOODRUFF."
So Albion has its patron demon, its heathen god,
who furnishes the place with " regular preaching
through Mrs. Sprague."  A regular onslaught has
been made on the Baptist, Methodist, Episcopal and
Presbyterin churches; the influence of a protracted
meeting has been resisted; some C are now trying to
reason for the first time for themselves "/  Hence
their great progressi6n!"
SELDON J. FINNEY advertises in the Spiritual




246     SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHERISTI ANITY.
Universe, that he is ready " to discuss with any
orthodox  clergyman; First, the Divine and JlIiraculous Origi n, Authority, Infallibility, and Influence of the Jewish and Christian Scripturesthe Bible-and secondly, the Principles and Influence of the JHarmonial Philosoplhy."   He " will
deny the first proposition, and affirm the reasonableness and truthfulness of the second."
Spiritualists denominate Christianity, " learned
skepticism, baptized in the name of Jesus."" They
teach that " This is the commencement of the millennium, and it will be established on the ruins of
all churches. Sectarianism must come down before
truth and love can reign among men.  The clergy,
instead of leading men to God, are barriers ip their
way."-ITel'egraph, No. 8.
Mr. Boynton represents the spirit of Lorenzo
Dow to have said through himn: " All Christians,
or professed Christians, are idolators; they preach
against idolatry, but they are paying divine homage
to a created being. All are not thus hypocritical;
many are ignorant, but the priests, most of them,
know better.  When I say priests, I mean the clergy of all sects;  they are the worst class spirits
have to deal with."t  This is just such a compliment as clergymen should ever hope to receive from
these spirits.
A correspondent to the Telegraph., when writing
an account of a pic-nic near Boston in 1854, says:
$ Shekinah, p. 301.  * Unfoltdinlas, p. 13.




CRUSADE AGAINST CHRISTIANITY,       247
" The second speaker was J. S. Loveland, who
at present presides over the Charlestown Society
as a speaker.  Mr. L. was formerly a Methodist Episcopal clergyman of good standing, but
having had his eyes open to the glorious truths of
modern spiritualism, he at once buckled on his armor and came out boldly into the great battle-field
of p2rogress to fight the hosts of old theology."
So it is their avowed work " to fight the hosts" of
Christianity!
It is not merely against the abuses of religious
institutions, but against Christianity as a system
that this war is waged. S. B. Brittan, who desires to be considered the expounder of Spiritualism,
styles Christianity "J fythological Theology," and
speaks of Christians as " Those who devoutly cherish all the mythical features of this corru2pt systemn.":
He says " we insist that Moses was probably no
mnore inspired than Louis Kossuth."  Because the
law says " Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live,"
he concludes that "Deity had really no more to do
with that law than he has with some of our laws
which are neither very wise nor very humane." He
says the "assumed  plenary inspiration" of the
Bible is " a stumbling block," and rejoices in hope
that " the reign of all such authorities is rapidly
drawing to a close."t
Spiritualists wish the Bible done away, because
it is the chief obstacle to the progress of these de* Review of Beecher, pp. 48, 44. -a Review of Butler, pp. 47, 45, 13.




C?248    SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
mon-inspired  prophets.  Mr. Davis  says: "the
seal of infallibility must be broken away [from  the
Bible,] before a new light and beauty can enliven
and embellish the mystical disclosures of any seer,
prophet, or evangelist.',":
Sorcerers and their " mystical disclosures" are
condemned by the Bible, therefore they wish it anniihilated.
A. J. DAVIs, when speaking of the New  Testament designation of social relations, says, "It is
nothing less than the dismal echo of the voice of
a barbarous age!  In the solemn twilight of that
age all Christian  institutions  exist.  Indeed it
would be folly to expect the churches to rise above
the cause of their existence. They originated with
the youthful imaginings of a youthful race-from
doleful conjectures concerning an angry deity, and
man's indebtedness to him, and from a barbarous
conception of a plan to liquidate that debt, by infinite sacrifices and countless penances.  We may,
therefore, rest in the conviction that churches, so
long as they remain true to biblical authority, will
favor orientcl and semi-barbarous cuqstoms."t-  He
complains that " owing to the dogmatism of infallibility, the Bible is taught now-a-days as it was
nearly four centuries ago"-styles the Scriptures
i" the paper and inle relicts of Christianity-a foundation as impermanent as the changeful sand," and
not adapted to the wants or requirements of the
*Review of Bushnell, p. 10. t Harmonia, vol. 4, p. 251.




CRUSADE AGAINST CHRISTIANITY.       249
nineteenth century."  Those of his faith reject
Him, whom they style " the cruel and capricious
God generally worshiped by Bible Christians.""'
Mr. DAVIs says: " The Jewish God is cruel, capricious, and tyrannical," whose "kingdom is more
despotic, and more contracted in principle, than
the present government of the Russian Empire."
" The old Testament idea of a Deity is the outgrowth of the despotic stage of human mental development, a superannuated monotheistic concep-V
tion." In the opinion of his fraternity "c The developments of republicanism, and of mental happiness
among men, depend very much upon the absence of
these dogmatical compilations, or fossil relicts, of
an old Hebrew and Chaldean theology." The Bible
account of creation is " a very interesting myth,
mainly a plagiarism from the early traditions and
cosmological doctrines of the ancient Persians and
Chaldeans," and instead of being " a divine revelation of truth," is a pagan relict, which should no
more command serious respect than the ancient
doctrines of Fetichism." They regard this spiritual movement as the last great conflict previous to
the millennizum, " the great question of the age,
which is destined to convulse and divide Protestantism, and around which all other religious controversies must necessarily revolve."t
"' The thunders of a stupendous reformation are
~ Review of Dr. Bushnell, pp. 10, 21, 24, 26, 47.
f Review of Bushnell, pp. 61, 62, 70, 90, 3.




250    SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
soon to issue from the now open mouth of the Protestant church. The supernatural faith," i. e., a
belief in the authenticity of the Scriptures, " will
be shaken, as a reed in the tempest.  New  channels will be formed for the inflowing of new truths,
and then a long-promised era will steal upon the
religious and political world.  You may be assured
of the truth of this approaching crisis.  The world
must recognize it, because it will be accompanied
with war; for politics are inseparably connected all
over the world, with religious systems. Religion
will develope reason; but politics will impel the
masses to unsheath the sword, and to stain the bosom of nature with blood!  Friends of progress, be
not discouraged, for the FINAL CRISIS must come;
then the stracnge interregnum.  Protestantism  as
now constructed will first decay; because it is to
be devided into two-the smallest party will go
back into Catholicism; the other will go forward
into rationalism. And then, after a succession of
eventful years, a political revolution will hurl the
Catholic superstructure to the earth, and the pristine bow of promise will span the heavens. The
children of earth will then be comparatively free
and happy! for the millennnial epoch will have arrived; and there will be something like a realiiation of peace on earth and good'will toward men."~:
Davis' Review of Bushnell, pp. 187, 217, 221.




CRUSADE AGAINST CHRISTIANITY.             251
The following cut and remarks, copied from  No,
9 of Spirit Leaves, published by the Society foar
the DiJffusion of Sp2iritual Knowledge, wvere intended
to exhibit the opinion and purposes which Spiritualists entertain in reference to existing Religious
Institutions. The cut is a fine illustration of the
agencies which they expect will revolutionize the
world.'The present forms of society are an Etna to whose battle
flames men become so familiarized that they sail carelessly along
its base and build houses of pleasure on its sides, blind to the fact
that the elements of irruption and destruction are at work, and
foundations apparently so safe and substantial are but the treacherous crust over a crater.-Spirit Leaves, INo. ix.
Says Mr. Brittain, s- All existing religious formulas,,:,mu:nmst go back, and nmingle with the elements of
dissolved andforgotten things." " The old theological forms and organisms have well nigh answered the end of their being," and " their existence
must soon terminate!""
* Review of Butler, pp. 61,62.




252     SPIRITUALIS S VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
Says Telegraph No. 8   "'' This is the commencement of the millennium, and it will be established
on the ruins of all churches."
Mr. TIFFANY, who has been lecturing recently in
this city and vicinity, classes the Bible with the
Koran and the book of Mormon.  His chief aim  is
to destroy confidence in the Divine authenticity of
the Scriptures. In view of these and other opposing influences all Christians should adopt the exhortation of Mr. Wesley.
" Soldiers of Christ, arise,
And put your armor on,
Strong in the strength which God supplies
Through his eternal Son;
Strong in the Lord of hosts,
And in his mighty power,
Who in the strength of Jesus trusts,
Is more than conqueror.
Stand then against your foes,
In close and firm array;
Legions of wily fiends oppose
Throughout the evil day:
But meet the sons of night,
But mock their vain design,
Arm'd in the arms of heavenly light
Of righteousness divine.
Leave no unguarded place,
No weakness of the soul;
Take every virtue, every grace,
And fortify the whole:
Indissolubly join'd,
To battle all proceed;
But arm yourselves with all the mind
That was in Christ your head."




CHAPTER XVI.
LIBERTINEISM  INCULCATED.
"Now the spirit speaketh expressly,
That in the latter times,
Some shall depart from the faith,
Giving heed to seducing spirits
And doctrines of devils; [demons]
Speaking lies in hypocrisy;
Having their conscience seared with a hot iron,
Forbidding to marry."' —1 Tim. v. 1, 3.
Dr. T. L. NicHOLs, a Sptiritualist, and MARY S.
GOVE NICHOLS, a Medium, edit and publish a magazine in this city, chiefly devoted to the very doctrines noticed by the Apostle as the doctrines of demons. A  few quotations from the January number
of their magazine will give a fair indication  of
their views:
" In advocating what is called'Free Love,' I ask
only that every one be left free to find the satisfaction of his truest, and highest, and therefore most
satisfying  attraction.  If  this  is  monogamythe single and eternal union, very well-well
for those who are fortunate enough to find it;
or who keep trying and experimenting until they
do or do not.  If it is variety, either a succession




254    SPIRITUA[ISiM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
of loves, or several, various in kind and degree at
the same time, it is nothing to me. It is difficult
to see on what ground bigamy or polygamy is made
a crime.
Ad Of that system of superstition, bigotry, oppression
and plunder, which we call civilization, the monogamic, indissoluble marriage is the centre and the
soul. It cements all the elements of wrong which
make up the mean and barren present; it presents
a stern barrier to any progress towards a happier
future.
" Marriage controls education; is the fountain of
selfishness; the cause of the causes of intemperance
and debauchery; the source and aggravation of
poverty; the prolific mother of disease and crime.
We charge all these brutalities and crimes upon
the Marriage institution; the same as we charge
revolutions, imprisonments, banishments, and political executions upon despotisms; the same as
we charge the Inquisition, with its dungeons, tortures, and auto de fe, upon religious tyranny; the
same as we charge the horrors of the middle passage, the possible and actual cruelties of a Legree,
and the fugitive slave law, upon the institution of
Slavery.
"The moralism of civilization is obscene, impious,
partial, discordant, and produces everywhere disease
of body and misery of soul, plunging man into a
hideous concatenation of discord and crime.  The
society that we want, is men and women, living in




FREE LOVE INCULCATED,           255
freedom, sustaining themselves by their own industry, dealing with each other in equity, respecting
each other's sovereignty, and governed by their attractions; no one presuming to interfere in the
delicate, the private, and personal matters of the
affections.
" Our friend says:' I am more in favor of the Free
Love reform than I dare let be known, at present,
by an open avowal.' The present damming up
process favors not life, but stagnation; not purity,
but putridity.  Has the state any right to make
laws regulating the strictly private affairs, the
affections of men and women?::; Has the state
any more right to decide for me how many I may
love, than how much I may eat, or what clothes I
shall wear?  The very mischievous error that Free
Love will do only for pure and elevated beings,
must be exploded. The low and vile most need its
elevating and purifying influence. They are the
very ones who need to be surrounded by the best of
circumstances.:: The poor wretches who are controlled by circumstances, and liable to be carried
hither and thither by the power of passion, are, in
marriage, helpless under its relentless sway."
With these earnest advocates of libertinism,
marriage is denounced as the "monster curse of civilization." Their magazine is chiefly devoted to
this kind of " Progressive Literature."  They contend for the abrogation of every law which renders
the marriage tie sacred and inviolable, and the imp




256   SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
mediate practice of Free Love principles, in utter
contempt of all law, human and Divine.
Dr. Lazarus, who has written in favor of Free
Love, but who doubts the expediency of the practice before a change is wrought in the law and
public opinion, is'soundly lectured for his defection.
" Such advice, carried out in practice," says Dr.
Nichols,' would indefinitely postpone any reform
movement, whenever, or wherever commenced. Dr.
Lazarus loved a beautiful rose-bud of the prairies,
and she loved him. Rather than run the risk of
being sent to state prison, by any moral donkey, in
any puritanical state they might choose to visit;
rather than be tabooed by the general impertinence
of civilization, they submitted to the legal handcuffing process, by an Indiana Justice of the Peace,
with about the same respect for the operation that
an American has for the equally legal system of
passport nuisances, which he finds such an impertinent interference with the freedom of foreign travel,
But the slave must show his pass, the traveler his
passport, and the civilizee his marriage certificate.
If we are to wait till the mass of mind is prepared
to adopt the true theory (wbich would never be,
with nothing but words on our part,) they who
most need these true conditions will die before their
realization.  Our only true course is to act up to
our highest convictions. It is by truthful and heroic deeds that bigotry and intolerance are to be
crushed, and humanity saved."




FREE LOVE INCULCATED.           257
A secret Society has been organized in this city,
with Dr. Nichols as its prime director, for the pronmulgation of these doctrines, and for mutual protection and defence in carrying them out in practice.
It is styled the " Progressive Union, a society for
Mutual Protection in Right."
A few extracts from the pamphlet which is made
the pioneer vehicle for setting forth the objects of
this Association, will give some idea of its character and mode of operation.
" T. L. NICHOLS, M. D., voluntarily assumes the
charge of the Central Bureau, and gratuitously performs the office of Secretary of the Society. We
establish therefore, as the focus of this organization,
a Central Bureau, in the city of New York  open
a book of records, and receive the names of all persons who have now the intelligence, the principles,
and the courage to enter this Society.  We recognize the right and sovereignty of the individual to
be above all artificial and arbitrary institutions;
and hold ourselves free to oppose and destroy all
despotisms over the person, thoughts, or affections
of our common humanity.  Freedom  to love those
who are lovely to us, and who are ours by congeniality of nature and a spiritual sympathy; freedom
to enjoy the pleasures of social harmony, and to
avoid and escape from the miseries of social discordance.  WVe have abolished imprisonment for debt;
and bankrupt laws free the poor debtor.  So
marriage contracts may be set aside on the ground




258    SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
of poverty of the affections.  We join to aid each
other for mutual protection in these rights; and
to exert our united influence against all opposing
wrongs. Members have officiated from nearly every
State in the Union, men and women in nearly
equal numbers, nearly all full members.:: When
this Society has the requisite numbers, then will
come either a general Social Reorganization, spreading over the whole country; or those who are prepared for a higher and truer life than civilization
affords, will gather to some genial climate and
fruitful soil, and form a new Social Order."
So, it seems, the members of this Society are
aiming for a more congenial life than " civilization
sffords."  Do they not desire the life of heathenism??  Doubtless the observations of the Rev. Mr.
Pease, during his missionary toils at the Five Points,
would be of importance in illustrating the results
of FREE LOVE when carried into practice by " the
low and vile." The history of Mormonism furnishes another lesson.
The originator and leader of this Society is a
bSpiritualist.  It would be strange if the majority
of the rank and file were not of the same faith. He
says, in a recent letter to the New  York Herald,
"All advanced  Spiritualists-though few- may
have the courage to confess it-repudiate marriage
in its legal sense, and believe in the doctrine of
a7lgnities. Consequently, large bodies of Spiritualists are now emigrating or preparing to emigrate to




FREE LOVE INCULCATED.          259
favorable localities, where they can protect each
other in freedom, and especially in freedom of the
affections. One such settlement is now forming in
southern Minnesota, in a beautiful country, pointed
out by the spirits for that purpose. Others are
looking to an early settlement in northern Texas.'The Progressive Union,' is one of these associations, numbering some hundreds of members, with
an aggregate property of over a million of dollars,
and made up of men and women, mostly Spiritualists and Socialists,;  It is probable that within
the next five years the Spiritualists and Socialists
of this country, tired of contending with the bigotry, selfishness and despotisms of civilization, will
concentrate on some unoccupied territory in sufficient force to organize a State, in which they may
realize freedom."
The advanced " Progressionists" contend that
FREE LOVE is the natural fruit of Spiritualism.
Doubtless this is correct.
The Bible, by its frequent condemnatory allusions
to0 FREE LOVE practices, in connection with heathen
gods —deified heroes-warrants the conclusion that
this doctrine was the inevitable result of necromancy, It is noticed by the apostle as one of the
" doctrines of demons " and " seducing spirits." It
was practiced by the devotees of departed spirits —
the Midianites and Moabites-three thousand years
ago. The same arrogance was displayed by its votaries then, which distinguishes its modern advo



260    SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
cates.'': The doctrine has gone hand in hand with
Spiritualism ever since, as though it was an inseparable concomitant of this intercourse, and generally
as a dogma of Polytheism.  Heathen mythology is
full of it. Its practices were imputed to their divinities, both fabled and real, who were said to be
pleased when their devotees emulated their example.  The doctrine and practice is conspicuous
throughout the history of sorcery and Polytheism.
Now when these practices are revived, FREE LovE
is honored with a chariot in the procession-all by
the authority of the spirits!  Thus: ~" The marriage of the spirit is the only marriage to abide in
any condition.  The marriage institution of man is
wrong, and must be annulled ere the race is redeemed." —Light.from the SSpirit World.
This is the doctrine of the spirits on this subject.
Faithful to these oracles, their followers are carrying
the theory into practice. A woman whose husband
was in California, was told by the spirits that he
was dead, and she must take a certain young man
for her partner in life. Obedient to the instruction,
without waiting to ascertain whether her husband
was living or not, the parties confessed their spiritual
affinities, and Free Love was duly sanctioned by
" the spirit of her mother uttering, through another
medium, the marriage ceremony" 
After these " seducing spirits bad entangled the
young man in the toils of a c spiritual marriage'
* Num. xxv: 1-3; Ps. cvi: 28; Josephus' Ant. B. iv. c. vi.




FREE LOVE INCULCATED.          261
with another man's wife, it was discovered that the
friend at whose house she was stopping "would
give no sanction to the results.of such a marriage,
and feeling no disposition, as he expressed it, to turn
his house into a brothel for their accommodation,
they were instructed, as they claimed, by the spirits,
to leave, and directed where to go, to'escape such
bondage and oppression.' They obeyed, and found
a cordial welcome in a family of believers, (who, we
will charitably presume, were about as insane or deluded as herself,) where they were permitted to
spend their'spirit honey-moon' unmolested." —
New York Observer, Oct. 14, 1852.
Christ taught that a man should have but one
wife. Free Love says a man may have a thousand.
According to him a man should not put away his
wife except for one cause.  The latter affirms that
a man may put away his wife for any and every
cause, at his own option, and a wife may leave her
husband regardless of consequences.
An editorial in the New York Times of Sept. 8,
1855, remarks: " It must, indeed, be obvious, that
the natural and inevitable effect of any religious
system which assails the fundamental principles of
Christianity and seeks to substitute for it a new religious creed, must be to shake public confidence in
the social institutions which rest upon Christian
doctrine as their basis.  Marriage is preeminently
such an institution. It was founded by Christianity.
It depends upon that for its vitality and integrity,




262    SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
and the prescriptions of law in regard to it are
merely recognitions of Christian principles upon that
subject. The tendency of a system of religious belief may, therefore, be to destroy the institution of
marriage, even where no such purpose is professed or
even suspected by its adherents. We believe this
to be preemninently true of J/odern  Spiritualism.;: The spiritualistic apostles who have advanced
farthest in the system —the best mediums-everywhere accept the doctrine of this school; that the
CC spirits" teach them; that the great mass of the
believers in the spirit rappings accept the theory of
C' affinital relations" as of a more sacred character
than those of the legal marriage, and that spirits,
according to their own revelations, in their intercourse, pay no regard to the legal institution, but
assert the right.to follow their attractions.  It is a
well-known fact, moreover, that spiritualism has had
the effect, in hundreds of places, to break up longexisting marital relations; and that spiritualists are
forming associations in various quarters for the purpose of establishing a social order free from  the
legal restraints of civilization.  But, apart from all
this, the point we make is, that the whole tendency
of spiritualism, as a religious creed, is to destroy
faith in Christianity, to undermine all respect for
marriage as an institution which appeals to Christian precept for its sanctions, and thus to prepare
the mind for this Free Love doctrine as a substitute
for it."




FREE LOVE INCULCATED.             263
" AMHERST," in the Spiritual Telegraph, No. 182,
says, that " certain spirits stoop to flattery to cause
a ready compliance with their wishes, and lead the
poor victims, step by step, to accomplish the greatest absurdities. The foolish idea, that because manifestations of power and intelligence are made by
men and women invisible to our external eyes, we
must therefore acknowledge them  to be gods and
goddesses, possessed of unlimited power, has caused
many a fine mind to do the wildest and most unreasonable actions- in some cases even to abandon
home and all its holy ties for some heaven-born (P)
acnity.  Once grounded in the belief [of Spiritualism] do not many gradually become more careless in the observance of the proprieties of life, until they cease to abhor the peculiar views that make
the Mormnons unworthy of the countenance of the
pure in heart?""'C
Will some devoted spiritualist furnish the public
with the name of the distinguished member of their
fraternity who is living with another man's wife,
by the authority of the spirits, not a hundred miles
from Palmer Depot, Mass.?
ADIN  BALLOU, one of the brotherhood, says,'C Comparatively few of the spiritualists have as yet
become aware of this Free Love development; but
* Propriety forbids a description of the use made of a table, in the
presence of ladies, by Mr. Gordon, a prominent rmedium, in Springfield, Mass., by order of the spirits, who said the lights must not
be put out!




264    SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
it will soon be made manifest in sundry quarters.
It will have something of a run, too.  Mediums
will be seen exchanging its significant congenialities, fondlings, caresses and indescribabilities. They
will receive revelations from high pretending spirits,
cautiously instructing them that the sextual communion of congenials will greatly sanctify them for
the reception of angelic ministrations.  Wives and
husbands will be rendered miserable, alienated,
parted, and their families broken up.  There will
be spiritual matches, carnal degradations, and all
the ultimate wretchedness thence inevitably resulting.
Yet the very persons most active in bringing all this
about, will protest their own purity, will resent
every suspicion raised to their discredit, will accuse
all who remonstrate against their course of doing so
because personally low-minded themselves, and will
stand boldly out in their real character, only when
it is no longer possible to disguise it. All this has
commenced, and will befutfilled in due time.:`":,
Let us all take heed betimes, lest under some specious pretence, deceiving spirits, in the flesh or out
of it, seduce us into pit-falls of corruption. I must
earnestly deprecate and protest against this error
of Free-Love-ism, which I have good reason to fear
is beginning to find a welcomne among the spiritualists."




CHAPTER XVII.
PERVERSION  OF  THE  APOSTOLIC  INJUNCTION  TO
TRY THE SPIRITS.
"Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether
they are of God; because many false prophets are gone out into
the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that
confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in tile flesh is of God: And
every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the
flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist whereof ye
have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the
world."-1 John iv: 1, 3.
THE  Apostle has enjoined on the  Church, to
"' try the spirits" by which prophets claim to be inspired.  The Spiritualists, in the absence of a justification for the practice of necrolnancy, have perverted  this text to sanction  their practices.  To
render it subservient to their purposes they make
three assumptions.  They assume that the object
of this trial is to determine the character of different spirits of the dead; that this trial must necessarily require intercourse with these spirits.  That
this text not only sanctions this intercourse, but
absolutely makes it a duty.  An examination of the
12




266    SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
text will show the incorrectness of their interpretation.
It will be necessary to show what spirits were to
be tried, the object of the trial, the test to be appliedl, and the manner of effecting the trial.
The spyirits to be tried were not those who might
at any time rap, tip tables, and make such contemptible.manifestations.  It was well understood
by Christians in those days that all such were evil.
The spirits to be tried, were obviously those by
whomn'any prophet claimed to be inspired.  The
Apostle was speaking of prophets as true or false.
The object of this trial was to discover by what
spirit a prophet was inspired. Not indeed whether
the inspiration was effected by Moses, or Balaam 
Samuel or Agag; Zacharias or Antiochus. But,
whether the prophet was inspired by the spirit of
God, or by a demon. "'Try the spirits whether they
are of God."  "Hereby know ye the Spirit of God,"
says the Apostle.
The necessity for this trial was found in the fact
that "many false prophets had gone out into the
world." In order to decide their truthfulness or
falsehood, it was necessary to ascertain by what
spirit they were inspired-whether by the spirit of
God, or another spirit. If by the former, they were
true prophets; if by the latter, they were false.
The test to be applied, according to the apostle,
was not whether the spirits who inspired the prophets, told the truth generally, discoursed elo



PERVERSION OF SCRIPTURE.         267
quently, taught morality and religion, and made
pleasing revelations —tests which are now in vogue
— but, did they confess that Jesus Christ had come in
the lesh,? This great question of the incarnation of
the Redeemer —whether he was the Son of God,
as he professed to be —was the contested question
between Christ, the Holy Spirit, and Christians, on
the one hand, and Satan, demons, and anti-christians on the other. As public opinion and those in
authority were strongly opposed to Christianity, all
demons who inspired prophets, like their time-servin(' " mediums," taught the popular view.  Hence
said Paul, "No man can say that Jesus is the
Lord [by any inspiration] but by [that of] the Holy
Ghost."*:` For these reasons the character of the
inspiration was to be decided by the teachings of
the prophets on this subject.  "Every spirit that'confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is
of God: and every spirit that confesseth not that
Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and
this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have
heard that it should come; and even now is it in
the world."
The application of this test, by no means involves intercourse with departed spirits, as some
would have us believe.  Since God has prohibited
necromancy, it is absurd to suppese that he has
given a command which involves the forbidden
practice.  It is not necessary to leap Niagara in
* 1 Cor. xii: 30




268    SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
order to learn the danger of such an experiment.
It was only necessary to ascertain what, a prophet
taught concerning this one point of Christian doctrine in order to decide whether he was inspired by
the Spirit of God or by another spirit.
If a prophet taught that Christ was the Son of
God, he was inspired by the Holy Spirit.  Hence
his teachings should be received. If he denied that
Christ was the Son of God, he was inspired by a
demon, if inspired at all, and he should be treated
as a false prophet.  Says John, " who is a liar but
he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ?  He is an
antichrist that denieth the Father and the Son"i. e. that the relation of Father and Son exists between the two beings.
Spiritualists can find no justification for their
spiritual intercourse in this command to " try the
spirits;" on the contrary, they are condemned by
the apostle's test. It is well known that the spirits,
with their mediums, seers, and followers, generally
reject the doctrine of the miraculous conception,
and like the ancient false prophets, deny that Christ
is " the only begotten Son of God."   Hence, according to John, they belong to the family of antichrists.
A clergyman in Philadelphia told Dr. Longshore,
a prominent spiritualist, that Christ was the Son of
God. The Dr. replied, "' We are all sons of God."
" But," said the former, " he is the Son of God in
the same sense that you are the son of your father."




PERVERSION OF SCRIPTURE.        269
Y You can't poke that humbug down the throats of
the present generation," was the contemptuous reply.
As though it were a light thing to deny Christ
in all his offices, the spiritualists are publishing deistical books. The majority of their books are such.
I have one now before me, written by G. B. Smith,
and published by M3essrs. PARTRIDGE & BRITTAN, a
revamping of the Age of Reason, and quite as blasphemuous.  The writer recommends the works of
A. J. Davis —adopts his blasphemous vocabulary,
and speaks of the Bible account of creation as "' a
myth "-the Old Testament as a' vagabond history;' "  worse than useless," and that " any attempt to sink the Jewish God to a deeper depth
would be futile i"  Ite talks of Christ and the
New Tlestament in such a manner, that he says
himself, " Christians, perhaps, may be startled and
shocked with my Heaven-daring  assertions!"  He
styles the Apocalypse "' St. John's delirious trance,"
and compares it to the wild ravings of a man iih the
delirium tremens."   He recommends the Theory
of Rain, which Mr. Davis professed to have received from  the spi'its-but which, in fact, was a
garbled plagiarism  from a work by M2r. Daniel
Vaucghan, of Covington, Ky., a copy of which was
given to Mr. Davis in Cincinnati —as far superior
to anything revealed in the Bible, and the great
r' emedy " for earth's evils, by which to make' the
icy poles and burning sands"'" bloom with beauty,"
conquer " sin and disease," make man a " harmo



270    SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
nious and happy being," and usher in the "blissful period!"'
The Church of Rome has been styled' Antichrist," but it is not sure that the sin of denying
the sonship of the Redeemer can be justly laid at
her door.  She has been guilty of enough, and
should be charged with no more than her due.
It has been left to our own age more fully to develope this spirit of Anti-christ, which was rife in
the apostle's day; and our degenerate race is doing
this fearful work.
"Many deceivers are entered into the world
who confess not that Jesus Christ has come in the
flesh."-John 7.
PAUL says that " Christ was buried, and that he
rose again the third day according to the Scriptures," and that the last " trumpet shall sound and
the dead shall be raised incorruptible,"  But in the
face of such language as this, these modern sorcerers
deny that ever any person was raised or ever will
be raised from the dead.
A writer in the New Era says: " God never did,
and never will raise up from the grave, a literal, decomposing body, and reanimate it with life!'Tis
infidelity, heathenism, and gross, undeveloped nonsense to believe it!!" He says Lazarus was " waken.
ed from a trance 1"




CHAPTER XVIII.
INCONSISTENCIES OF SPIRITUALISTS.
SPIRITUALISTS tell of many converts. To be a
proselyte to demons is one thing. To be converted
to Christ, is quite another.  To effect the latter is
no part of their business.  Some of their most
prominent publishers ridicule the idea of conversion
to Christ; and the doctrine is discarded by every
person who thoroughly adheres to the teachings of
the spirits. They suppose they have discovered an
easier road to the kingdom of God than by repentance, faith in Christ, and pardon through his name.
Many of them have been noted infidels, and they
are only converted from one form of infidelity to
another, ten-fold more pernicious; hence they
"fight" Christianity with redoubled fury. It  is
really amusing to read the account of some of their
wonderful conversions! They are converted to
the faith that mnen have really yot souls! that
they are conscious after death, and that spiritintercourse is possible!!Wonderful!  They have
learned one thing among the many which they
might have learned years ago had they believed




272    SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
their Bibles.  It xwill be well if their first lesson does
not prove injurious.
PROFESSOR IHARE. in his recent letter to the convention of Episcopal clergymen assembled in Philadelphia, informs them " that spirits do exist obedient to his call," that he has arrived to a " perfect
confidence in the immortality of the soul," and that
he deems it his " duty to afford them  an opporltunity of hearing the evidence on which he relies,
and he will be ready to answer any queries that
may be made."  So this Professor considers himself competent to teach the Episcopal clergy, because he has recently learned from spirit-intercourse
"the immortality of the soul," after having been an
infidel all his days.
We have yet to learn that their " conversions"
make them any better. We have observed that
those who used profane language and intoxicating
drinks before their "conversion," continue to do
so afterwards; and in no instance, fiom  an extensive observation, has the writer noticed the least
reform  in any respect.  And yet these persons,
many of whom have but just learned " that there is
a spirit in man," think they should be the religious
teachers of the age! A little wisdom would incline
such persons, for a while at least, to
"Let those teach others who themselves excel.'
The Editor of the New Yor7k Tr7ibune when reviewing the so-called discussion between Brittan




INCONSISTENCIES OF SPIRITUALISTS    273
and Richmond, says: cc We have very harsh things
to say of all parties concerned, and the book into
the bargain.  Messrs. PARTRIDGE &  BRITTAN will
not thank us for our opinion of the' better class' of
their publications, if the present work is to be consiJered as a specimen. They must understand that
we look upon the spirit-rapping question as a most
detestable swindle.  While we believe that many of'
the mediums are poor, deluded creatures, we are
convinced that the projectors and promoters of the
affair are knaves, as infamous as ever served out a
life-sentence in a state prison.
"6 Of this particular work, which purports to be
the record of a controversy between a believer and
a skeptic, we can only say that, if it were not saved
from our loathing by its stupidity, the evident collusion between the pretended disputants would disgust us. A more dishonest book has surely never
been published in our country.  We do not, after
this judgment, expect to be favored with any more
of Messrs. Partridge & Brittan's publications."
Professor Miattison says' "The two copies of
IMr. Wesley's message, through Mr. Boynton, one
published in pamphlet form, and the other in the
columns of the' Telegraph,' are entirely different
and Mr. Brittan admitted to me that he made the
alterations himself; and that he was in the habit
of correcting spirit communications, when they did
not come up to his standard of taste, as to what spirit
messages should be.  Only think of S. B. Brittan
12*




274    SPIRITIUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
correcting the writings of the spirit of John  Wesley  Even, then, upon his own admission, so far
as corrections have been made in the so-called spiirit
cormunications published in the' Telegraph' and
6 Shekinah,' they are messages from  XMir. Brittan,
and not fi'om' Spirits.' "n'
Spiritualists are not half so numerous as they
often represent themselves.  In imany places their
numbers are diminishing.  In their zeal for thousan(ds they reckon all who admlit the possibility of
hlolding intercourse with the spirits, whether they
receive their doctrines or not.
Professor Brittan coolly informed the writer that
the Rev's. Charles, Henry Ward, and other members of the Beecher famlily were spiritualists! Probably he and his brethren will become sufficiently'developed " to discover that they have reckoned
without their host in many cares.
J. H. Fowler says: " With but few exceptions,
every spiritualist with whom  I have met has somehow become possessed of an intense desire for " Harmony," " Harmony!"E — ssay, p. 97.
The reason for this is obvious from the following
fiom James Hall, of Philadelphia  " When I enrolled my name with the brethren who first met at
the Franklin Hall, I thought verily the time had
come for men, at least spiritualists, to judge for
themselves; but I had not been long, among them
before I found that it was not only one Pope we had
* Spirit Rapping Unveiled, p. 112.




INCONSISTENCIES OF SPIRITUALISM.    275
to contend with, but a nnmber of them, and that if
you could not pronounce the shibboleth in the same
way they did, you had no right to speak there.
After remaining among these brethren for a length
of time, and concluding that I would say nothing
on the subject, at least for a time, I afterward met
a few times with another party of the spiritualists,
who hlad separated themselves for conscience sake;
but I found they also had their restrictions, forbidding any one to speak but mediums, and also claimed
the prerogative of judging their brother ":'
Professor Hare says  " The Bible of the spiritualists is the book of nature; the only one which
by inward or outward evidence can be ascribed to
Divine authorship."  They reject the doctrines of
probation in this world and the punishment of the
wicked hereafter; and inculcate probation, universal salvation, and an awful purgatory after death!
Says Prof. Hare: " There is, moreover, this discordancy in doctrine.  Agreeable to Scripture, man is
placed here for probation, and is liable to be eternally punished, if he prove delinquent. According
to spiritualism man is placed here for progression,
and when he goes to the next world, still will have
the opportunity to progress, however wicked he may
be when he departs this life."  God " cannot'have
the smallest conceivable motive for exposing men
to probation.
*Telegraph, May 19, 1855.




276      SPIRITUALISM  VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.'C It is utterly unintelligible to my mind, why repentance with reform, should not avail after, as well
as before death, as it is represented to be in the
spirit-world.
"As blessed kindred spirits all relate,
Ev'ry soul may reach Heaven, soon or late.
All whose conduct has been mainly right,
With lightning speed, may reach that blissful height;
While those who selfish, sensual ends pursue,
For ages may their vicious conduct rue,
Doom'd in some low and loathsome plane to dwell,
Made through remorse and shame the sinner's Hell;
Yet throlgh. contrtition and a change of mind,
T'hte means of rising may each sinner find.
The higher spirits their assistance give,
Teaching the contrite how for Heaven to live."
Here the Professor has hell, contrition, probation,
and universal salvation, all after death!  His theology is quite as delectable as his poetry.
J. H. Gridley, of South HEampton, writing for
the Telegra]ph, says:' FRIEND BRITTAN: —::  I have recently been
holding converse, through Wm. Hume, with a spirit
professing to be Lord Byron. I would like to tell
you what he said about the hells, out of which he
thought all would eventually progress; though  he
said it would fill me with  horror to  look at them
now, especially the Pirate's hell. He said his soul
was on fire, and I thought so, too."
LORENzo Dow once remarked: c This doctrine
of pulrification in purgatory, and restoration, reminds
me of the altar to offer incense to Dagon upon; I




INCONSISTENCIES OF SPIRITUALISM.    277
mean the old lady's pipe-when it has become too
foul for use she covers it up in live coals to remain
till cleansed. When taken out it is as white as
when it was new. The honor of its purification belongs to the fire. So, when, according to this doctrine, the sinner is prepared in purgatory for the
kingdom of God, the glory must all be ascribed to
the fire and brimstone! none to Ch/rist /"
Spiritualists are endeavoring to climb up to heaven some other way than by the Redeemer.  He
says such as do this are thieves and robbers.  In
their ignorance of the Gospel they deem  the doctrines of demons superior to those of Christ!
Says Prof. Hare: " Christ has no better reward
for his apostles, than visionary, temporal judgeships,
which neither did, nor could come into existence.
In lieu of an eternal progressive happiness, Christ
holds up the transient, precarious and limited supremacy from which a truly pious and wise man
would turn in disgust.  There is an immense superiority in the conceptions of futurity, given by
my immortal advisers, in comparison with those attributed as above to Christ."
What language for a University Professor! Perhaps the apostle had this age of wonderful "progress" —in which morals would be taught by thumps
on the floor and religion through the tippings of a
broken table-in, view, when he wrote: " Though.
an angel from heaven preach any other gospel unto
you, let himbe accursed!"




278   SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
A BANK CONDUCTED ON " SPIRITUAL MEDIUM"'
PRINCIPLES.
"The Bank of Chicago, belonging to Seth Paine,
is in the hands of the Sheriff, and the whole corps of
bankers, men and women, in custody.  This bank
appears to have been conducted by spiritual mediums-the women would direct what the spirit of
George Washington and Alexander Hamilton would
say, as to the credit of any particular person, and
the bankers would act by these instructions. When
the spirits refused to redeem the bills, the holders
were ordered out, and a six-shooter presented at
them instead of the cash.  One man was refused
because he came with a cigar in his mouth-the
spirits abominating the nasty weed-and another
could not get his bills redeemed because his breath
smelt of brandy.  Mrs. Herrick was cashier and
principal medium.  One Pilgrim was progressing
rapidly out of the back door with the funds of the
bank, when the Sheriff laid hands on them, and the
whole party were taken into custody for a breach of
the peace in threatening to shoot one of the bill
holders. The owner of the bank, Seth Paine, commenced -divesting himself entirely of his clothing
when the Sheriff went to arrest him, but that stern
representative of the county carried him into court
in spite of his naked condition. Paine is said to be
a madman, and the officers of the bank, with a good
deal of method in their business, had discussed the
matter over, whether, if he shot anybody who do



INCONSISTENCIES OF SPIRITUALISM.    279
manded payment, he could-being insane —be held
responsible for the act.  They had come to the conclusion that he could not. A number of persons connected with'Spiritual' circles have been indicted
for riot, growing out of the excitement at the bank.
The whole affair is a rich specimen of the folly and
absurdity of the times." —New York paper.
According to the Chicago Journal and Press, the
authorities appointed a Conservator to attend to the
business of the President, who was deemed insane.
The nmediums then took the matter in charge, and
avowed that the spirits of Hamilton and Washington counselled "resistance unto death,!"  Accordin gly the President charged a revolver with six ballcartridges and threatened the person who held the
Conservator's keys, that lie " would blow him through
untess he surrendered them."   The President, the
mediums, He rrick, Smith, Arnold, and Pilgrim,'c were arrested on a charge of conspiracy, threatening to take life, and for assault and battery." The
Bank was then closed up by law.  So much for following Professor Hare's " immortal advisers!"
To cap the climax of all absurdity, after calling
Christianity mnythological theology, rejecting Christ
in all his offices, and degrading him below these demeons, they style themselves " Christian Spiritualists!" Just as though there could be such a being as
a Christiani Pagan, a Protestant Papist, or a Christian Anti-christ!




280    SPIRIITUALISM- VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
AN ANTI-SPIRITUAlLISTIC FABLE.
The rats once assembled in a large cellar, to devise some method of safely getting the bait from  a
small steel trap, which lay near, having seen numbers of their friends and relations snatched fronm
them  by its merciless jaws.  After many loud
speeches, and the proposal of many elaborate but
fruitless plans, a happy wit standing erect, said, "It
is my opinion that if with one paaw we keep down
the spring, we can safely take the fo)od from the trap
with the other." All the rats present loudly squeaked
assent, and snapped their tails in applause.  The
meeting adjourned, and the rats retired to their
homes; but the devastation of the trap being by
no means diminished, the rats were forced to call
another " Convention."  The elders had just assembled, and had commenced their deliberations,
when all were startled by a fiint voice, and a poor
rat with only three legs, limping into the ring, stood
up to speak.  All were instantly silent.  When
stretching out the bleedino remains of his leg, he
said, " My friends, I have tried the method you proposed, and see the result!  Now let me suggest a
plan to escape the trap-' Do not toulch it.'"




CHAPTER XIX.
GOD HAS PROHIBITED  SPIRITUALISM.
"Sorcerers and idolators and all liars, shall have their part in
the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death."-Rev. xxi: 8.
HAVING shown that Spiritualism is identical with
sorcery, it is easy to prove that it is prohibited by
Jehovah.
The Law says: " Regard not them which have familiar spirits,
neither seek after wizards, to be defiled by them: I am the LORD
your God. The soul that turneth after such as have  familiar spirits, and after wizards, to go a whorilg after them, I will
even set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from
among his people. A man also or woman that hath a familiar
spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely be put to death: they shall
stone thornem with stones; their blood shall be upon them."-Lev.
xix: 31; xx: 6, 27.
" Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live."-Ex. xxii; 18.
" There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his
son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch, or a
charmer, or a consulter with famliliar spirits, or a wizard, or a nece
romancer. For all that do these things are an abomination unto
the Lord."-Deut. xviii: 10, 11.




282      SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
Some persons sulplose that sorcery is not sinful
since the Mosaic law  has been  superseded by the
dispensation of grace.  A greater mistake was never
made.  In  all that pertains to  morals the New
Testament embodies what was set forth in the law.
Both condemn sorcery.
When Saul returned  from  his conquest of the
Amalekites, bringing sheep and oxen in violation of
the Divine command, the prophet Samuel thus addressed him:
"Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than
the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and
stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being
king."'-1 Sam. xv: 22.
"' So Saul died fior his transgression which he committed against
the Lord, even~ against the word of the Lord, which he kept not,
and also for asking couilsel of one I/tat had a familiar spirit, to inquire of it."-I Chron. x: 13.
Thus witchcraft and idolatry were mentioned as
the worst of crimes.  Hence the Canaanites were
destroyed for these  practices in particular.  " Because of these abominations the LORD thy God doth
drive them  out frolm  before thee."
Spiritualists show  that their fabric is "baseless"
by attempting, as Mr. Brittan  has  done, in  his
review  of Mr. Beecher, to justify necromancy by
Isa. viii: 19, 20.
"And when they shall say unto you, seek unto them that have
familiar spirits, and unto wizards that peep and that mutter;
should not a people seek unto their God? for the living to the




SPIRITUALISM  PROHIBITED,               283
dead? To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them."
Professor Noyes, of Harvard, renders this text
"And when they shall say to you,'Inquire of the necromancers and wizards,
That chirp and that murmur,'
(Then say ye) should not a people inquire of their God?' Should they inquire of the dead, for the living?'   up
To the Word; to the revelation!
If they speak not according to this,
For them no briaght mornilng shall arise."
WTe should  as soon  attempt to  extract prusic
acid from  honey, as to justify  intercourse with the
dead by this text. It clearly shows that this work
is a trespass on the prerogatives of God; that those
who would  tempt any person  to inquire of necromancers and spirits, should be repulsed, and the
fallacy of their inducements exposed upon the spot.
Spiritualists inform us that they are ready to receive truth from evil spirits, or any other source.
In this respect, as in almost every other, they are
unlike Christ and the apostles, for these rejected
the testimony of all demons, whether false or true.
When Christ was about to cast them out they
cried out:
" Saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus
of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou
art: the Holy One of God. And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold
thy peace and come out of him.  And devils [demons] also came
out of many, crying out, and saying, Thou art Christ the Son of
God. And he rebuking them suffered them not to speak: for they
knew that he was Christ."-Luke iv: 34, 41.




284    SPIRiTUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
WVhen the damsel followed Paul and Silas, crying,
" these men are servants of the Most High God,"
Paul, being grieved, cast out the spirit. The spirits
in these instances told the truth; but the Master
and the apostles would alloN; no testimony fromn
such a source.   On the same ground every consistent Christian will reject the testimony of all of
these "familiar spirits."   The fruit of such authorities, however fair it may appear, will prove at
last to be " like the apples of Sodom  by the Deacl
Sea's cursed shore."
if departed spirits and necromancers teach contraiy to the Bible, they are servants of darkness and
worse than useless.  If they were to repeat the
whole of that book, it would be useless; they could
never be of' service in inducing repentance and winning souls to Christ.  "If they hear not Moses and
the prophets.[and the New Testament] neither
will they be persuaded though one rose from the
dead."-Luke xvi: 31.
Prophets and apostles never engaged in sorcery,
necromancy nor charming.  Had they practiced
themselves what they condemned in others, they
would have been exposed.  If such arts had been
just and useful they would have given some example or precept to that effect.
Among the good things which King Josiah did"The woarers willh familiar spirits, and the wizards, and the
images, and the idols, and all the abominations that w ere spied in
the land of Judah and Jerusalem, did Josiah put away, that he
might perform the words of the law."-2 1Kinas xxiii: 24.




JUDGMENTS FOR. SORCERY.                 285
When the ancient spiritualists at Ephesus were
converted to Christ, they  abandoned their sorcery
and made a bonfire of their books, being convinced
that the use of them  was sinful.
JUDGMENTS FOR  SORCERY.
The seven nations were either destroyed or driven
from  Canaan for sins, among which sorcery was prominent. —Deut. xviii: 10-13.
Thle family of Saul lost the  government of Israel because —
" Saul died for his transagression... and also for asking coulnsel
of one t.tal hlad a familiac spirit, to inquire- of it; And inquired not
of the Lord: therefore lie slew him, and turned the kingdom unto
David:he son of Jesse." —  Chron. x: 13, 14.
Ahab lost his life by hearkening to Baal's prophets.
King Ahaziah died, according to the word of the
Lord, because he sent to " inquire of Baalzebub the
God of Ekron." —2 Kings i: 1, 6, 17.
The tribes of Judah  and  Benjamin were exiled
because —
" Manasseh caused his children to pass through the fire in tho
valley of the son of Ifinnom: also he observed tinmes, and used enchantmnents, and used witchcraft, and dealt with a familiar spirit,
and with wizards: he wrougllt nmuch evil in the sight of the Lord,
to provoke him to anger. So Manasseh made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to err, and to do worse than the heathen,
hllom the Lord had destroyed before the childrlen of Israel. Wherefore tile Lord brought upon therm the captains of the host of the
king of Assyria, which took Manasseh among the thorns, and
bound him with fetters, and carried him to Babylon." —2 Chron.
xxxiii; 6~-11.




286      SPIRITUALISM  VERSJUS CHRISTIANITY.
"'Surely at the commandinent of the Lord came this upon
Judah, to remove thzem out of his sight, for the sins of Manasseh,
according to all that he did."- 2 Kingsll  24: 3.
Nineveh was destroyed, because she was " the
mistress of witchcrafts, that selleth nations through
her whoredoms, and families through  her witchcrafts."-Nahuzm  3: 4.
Babylon was prophetically tantalized and finally
destroyed for the same crimes.
"Stand now with thine enchantments, and with the multitude of
thy sorceries, wherein thou hast labored from thy youth; if so
be thou shalt be able to profit, if so be thou mayest prevail. But
these two things shall come to thee in a moment in one day, the
loss of children, and widowhood: they shall come upon thee in
their perfection for the mnzdtitude of tliy snrceries, andl for the great
abundance of t]ine enchanttmenets."-Isa. xlvii: 9, 12.
Sorcery or Spiritualism has been Satan's masterpiece, the climax of deception and wickedness in all
the  past.  May  heaven  avert from  our hitherto
favored  nation, such  calamities as have ever succeeded the prevalence of necromancy.
The principle on which sorcery is allowed to deceive mankind, is thus stated:
"Yea, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delighteth in their abominations. I also will choose their delusions, and
will bring their fears upon them-."-Isa. lxvi: 3, 4.
" Eveni him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all
power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness
of umlighteousness. in them that perish; because they received
not tlhe love of the truth, that they mighlt be saved. And for this
cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the
truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness." —2 Thess. ii: 9, 12.




JUDGMENTS FOR SORCERY.              287
These are plain statements of the reason why the
facinations of sorcery are allowed to dupe the human race.  The parties forsake the counsel of God
and violate his commands; hence he permits them
to learn the ccnsequences of disobedience by reaping the fruits of the delusions which they have
chosen; and when thus forsaken by the Holy Spirit
they grope their way in darkness.  Such persons,
in desperation, like the fallen king of Israel, have
recourse to sorcerers and their divinities.  Hence
the adage, " Whom  the gods purpose to destroy
they first make mad."
When Egypt had provoked a national judgment,
it was written:
" I will destroy the counsel thereof: and they shall seek to the
idols, and to the charmers, and to them that have familiar spirits,
and to the wizards. And the Egyptians will I give over into the
hand of a cruel lord."-Isa. xix: 3, 4.
On the same principle modern sorcery is permitted to flourish.  Not only do the Spiritualists commit-a great sin in seeking to those who have familiar spirits to inquire of them, a majority entirely
disregard the claims of the Gospel.  Many of them
have been, according to their own testimony, noted
infidels.  Such persons have embraced Spiritualism
only to receive, like Professor Hare, a fresh inspiration of virulence against Christianity:
The Apostle says:
" Now the works of the flesh are manifest; idolatry, wvitchcraft,
hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, en



288      SPIRITUA-LISM VEISUS CHRISTIANITY.
vyinas, murders, drunkenness, revelings, and such like: of the
which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that
they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God."
- Gal. v: 26.
Witchcraft is identical with Spiritualism, and all
its votaries will be excluded from the kingdom of
God, unless they repent. They have no idea that
such a kingdom  will ever exist as he has promised
to his people, and for which he has taught them  to
pray.  Hence they seek no participation in it.
"But the fearfitl, the unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers and idolators and all liars,
shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death."-Rev. xxi: 8.
I cannot better express my views than by adopting the  language of the venerable Dr. Stilling:ci
" That wicked men, either front a natural predisposition, or by means of certain  arts, are  capable of
developing their faculty of presentiment, and thus
forming  connexions with evil spirits, does not admit of a doubt; but the true believer needs no
such testimony fiom  the invisible  world: he possesses the Bible and the blissful experience, that the
true religion of Christ has manifested itself as truth
in his heart; and he would act very criminally, if
he suffered himself to be misled  by presumptious
curiosity, to seek intercourse with the invisible
world.
"It is a divine and  irreversible law, that man*Theory of Pneumatology, pp. 188, 191, 376, 208, 137, 190,
138, 210.




DICTATES OF WISDOM.          289
kind, in the present state, should be guided, with
respect to temporal and sensible things, by just and
rational influences, the result of sound understanding; but with respect to those things which are
above sense, by the Word of God, and in both together by Divine Providence, we ought not to-know
anything of the future, except what God of his free
favor reveals to us, without our endeavors; it is undeniably a heinous sin, when any one seeks to develope the faculty of presentiment, in order to
learn things future or remote, or by connection with
the spiritual world, to become acquainted with hidden mysteries.
" Every artificial mode of developing the faculty
of presentiment, and of entering into connection
and intercourse with the world of spirits, every attempt at it is a sin of sorcery, and seriously and
severely forbidden of God.  It is strictly forbidden
in the divine laws of the Old and New Testaments
to seek any acquaintance with them, or to place
ourselves in connection with, and relation to them,
and it is just as little permitted, for citizens of the
world of spirits, visibly to manifest themselves to
those who are still in the present state of existence,
without the express command or permission of the
Lord.
" He, therefore, that seeks intercourse with the
invisible world, sins deeply, and will soon repent of
it; whilst he that becomes acquainted with it, and
without his own seeking, ought to beg and pray for




290    SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
wisdom, courage, and strength; for he has need of
all these; and let him that is introduced into such
a connection, by means of illness, or the abberation
of his physical nature, seek by proper means to regain his health, and detach himself from intercourse
with spirits.
"When an unconverted, worldly-minded man developes his faculty of presentiment, he falls into
danger of idolatry and sorcery.
" Evil spirits in the guise of angels of light seek
also to deceive good men.
" I pointedly maintain, that we ought to pay no
attention to the world of spirits and its operations.
We are referred to the word of God, to the Lord,
and to his Spirit, and have nothing to do with any
other spirits.
" BMy dear readers, all of you!  The great and
general trial or hour of temptation, in which the
fidelity of the true worshipers of Christ, shall be
put to the test and stand the trial is no longer remote. By it shall those be made manifest, throughout the Christian world, and sealed, who are worthy of the glorious kingdom of Jesus Christ, its citizenship, and the first resurrection.
" This great temptation will be twofold.  On the
one side, Satan and his host will strain every nerve
to deceive the faithful adherents of Christ, by strong
delusions, (2 Thes. ii: 9, 12..) Those serve him as
instrum6ents to this end, who, armed with inquisitive Presumption, and eager after the knowledge




DICTATES OF WISDOM.           291
of mysteries, allow  themselves the  practice of
every kind of art, in order to enter into connection
with the invisible world. But the individuals he
finds particularly suitable for his purposes, are
those whose faculty of presentiment is developed,
ancd who mistakingly long after secret gratification.
These poor souls are the most capable of becoming
false prophets, and likewise the most capable of
deceiving others.
" On the other side, the satanic host, incredible
as it may appear, will also employ such lying signs
and wonders, for the purpose of deceiving the simple... It is remarkable that even infidelity begins
to think of a connexion with the invisible world,
which it formerly laughed to scorn.' Watch and
pray lest ye fall into temptation.'"
From what has been presented, is it not certain
that Christianity on the one hand and Spiritualism
on the other, are positive antagonisms, as really opposed as light and darkness, and that all efforts to
unite, confound, or reconcile the two systems must
be futile? Spiritualism should be rejected and
shunned by all classes, as they value health, an unchained mind, a clear conscience, their influence,
and the approval of Jehovah.  Yea, as they value
their eternal weal and a part in the kingdom of
God, they should shun its snares and turn a deaf
ear to all its fascinations; for " sorcerers.  shall
have their part in the lake which burneth with fire
and brimstone, which is the second death!"




292    SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
PROFESSOR GAUSSEN, in his admirable work on
the Plenary Inspiration of the Scriptures, says:
" Notwithstanding  the time and  circumstances
under which this book was written, and the variety
of topics upon which it treats, there is not a solitary
physical error in it-not one assertion or allusion
disproved by the progress of modern science. None
of those mistakes which the science of each succeeding age discovered in the books of the preceding; above all, none of those absurdities which
modern astronomy indicates in such great numbers
in the writings of the ancients-in their sacred
codes, in their philosophy, and even in the finest
pages of the fathers of the Church; not one of
these errors is to be found in any of our sacred
books. Nothing there  will ever contradict that
which, after so many ages, the investigations of
the learned world have been able to reveal to us on
the state of our globe, or on that of the heavens.
It is a book which speaks of everything, which describes nature, which recites its creation, which tells
us of the water, of the atmosphere, of the mountains, of the animals, and of the plants. It is a
book which teaches us the first revolutions of the
world, and which also foretells its last; it recounts 
them in the circumstantial language of history; it
extols them in the sublimest strains of poetry, and
it chants them in the charms of glowing song. It
is a book which is full of oriental-rapture, elevation,
variety and boldness. It is a book which speaks of




THE HOLY SCRIPTURES.          293
the heavenly and invisible world, while it also
speaks of the earth and things visible. It is a book
which nearly, fifty writers, of every degree of cultivation, of every state, of every condition, and living
through the course of fifteen hundred years, have
concurred to make. It is a book which was written
in the centre of Asia, in the sands of Arabia, and
in the deserts of Judea; in the courts of the temple of the Jews, in the music-schools of the prophets of Bethel and of Jericho, in the sumptuous
palaces of Babylon, and on the idolatrous banks of
Chebar; and finally, in the centre of the western
civilization, in the midst of the Jews and of their
ignorance, in the midst of polytheism and its idols,
as also in the bosom of pantheism  and of its sad
philosophy. It is a book whose first writer preceded by more than nine hundred years, the most
ancient philosophers of ancient Greece and Asiathe Thaleses, and the Pythagorases, the Zalucuses
the Xenophons, and the Confuciuses. It is a book
which carries its narrations even to the hierarchies
of angels-even to the most distant epoch of
the future, and the glorious scenes of the last day.
Well, search among its 50 authors; search among
its 66 books, its 1189 chapters, its 31,173 verses;
search for only one of those thousand errors which
the ancients and the moderns committed, when
they speak of the heavens or of the earth-of their
revolutions, of the elements; search-but you will
find none,"




294      SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
"Whence but from heaven could men unskill'd in arts.
In different nations born-in different partsWeave such agreeing truths. Or how, or why
Should all conspire to cheat us with a lie.
Unask'd their pains, -ungrateful their advice,
Starving their gains, and martyrdom their price."
Even Rousseau was constrained to acknowledge,
"The majesty of Scripture strikes me with admiration, as the purity of the Gospel has its influence
on my heart.  Peruse the works of our philosophers;
with all their pomp of diction, how mean, how contemptible are they compared with the  Scriptures.
Is it possible that a book at once so simple and
sublime should be merely the work of man?   The
Jewish authors were incapable of the diction, and
strangers to the morality contained. in the Gospel,
the marks of whose truth are so striking and inimitable, that the inventor would  be a more astonishing character than the hero."- Works, vol. v. p. 215.
Whence came Christianity if not from God 1
It is not Satan's workHe is the chief of all its foes!
Demons conceived it notTo realms of grief and woe it dooms them all!
Its lofty precepts and its morals pure,
Were not the work of sinful men.
Beyond the ken of finite mortals
It unfolds an endless life of bliss.
The past the present and the future,
Stand disclosed-the woeful scenes of time,
The glories of eternity revealed!
Whence then can such a scheme be traced 2
The wondering and admiring gaze of angels speaks"IT IS DIVINE!"




RESULTS OF SPIRITUALISM.        295
We had supposed that our task was done; but
the testimony of those who have left spiritualism in
disgust, comes pouring in from every quarter,
A gentleman, now residing in Williamsburgh,
was told by the spirits that he must give all of his
property into the hands of James L. Scott, and T.
L. Harris-whom the spirits testified were the " two
witnesses" noticed in Revelation, and who were
never to die-and go with them to Mountain Cove,
Va., and that if he refused he would go to perdition.
He obeyed, and was " duped to the tune of several
thousand dollars!'
A married man, in this city, is now living in
adultery with an orphan girl, by the authority of
the spirits-one pretending to be the spirit of her
father, tells her she is doing right I
MR. JOHN F. WHITNEY, editor of the New York
Patzfinder, who represents himself to have been a
devoted spiritualist " for the last two years, for
months in constant communication with the spirits,
at the head of the most extensive establishment in
existence, for the investigation of the phenomena,
publishing one of the leading journals, devoted entirely to the cause, and employing about the premises no less than eight mediums, for public sittings,
for investigation and instructions, and this establishment being carried on at an expense of over two hundred dollars a week," believes in the "Cundeniable
evidences of the existence of disembodied spirits,"
but denounces the intercourse, as tending to incal



296   SPIRITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
culable evil and spiritualism as an infamous system.
IHe says, " After a long and constant watchfulness,
seeing for months and years its progress and its
practical workings upon its devotees, its believers,
and its mediums, we are compelled to speak our
honest conviction, which is that the manifestations
coming through the acknowledged mediums, who
are designated as Rapping, Tipping, Writing, and
Entranced Mediums, have a baneful influence upon
its believers, and create discord and confusion; that
the generality of these teachings inculcate false
ideas, approve of selfish individual acts, and endorse
theories and principles, which when carried out, debase and make man but a little better than the brute
creation. These are among the fruits of modern
Spiritualism, and we do not hesitate to say that we
believe if these manifestations are continued to be
received, and to be as little understood as they are,
and have been, since they first made their appearance at Rochester, and mortals are to be deceived
by their false, fascinating, and snake-like charming
powers which go with them, the day will come when
the world will require the appearance of another
Saviour to redeem it.
"''By their fruits ye shall know them.' This is
the standard by which we would try them. Let the
believers in this modern philosophy, and its acknowledged mediums, be judged by this text. By their
lives, their daily acts, their position as good moral
members of society, and upon that we will hang the




RESULTS OF SPIRITUALISM.       297
decision whether these manifestations be for good or
for evil. Let them be placed in the scale of moral
progression, and they will be found wanting.
"Seeing as we have, the gradual progress it
makes with its believers, particularly its mediums,
from lives of morality to that of sensuality and immorality, gradually and cautiously undermining the
foundation of good principles, till we look back with
amazement to the radical changes which a few
months will bring about in individuals, for its tendencies are to approve and endorse each individual
act and character, however good or bad those acts
may be, drawing to respond to the enquirer's mind
spirits in sympathy, who are but the counterpart
of the mind that -draws them, thus giving to each
believer in Spiritualism, the approval of heaven, as
they think, of their lives, be that life good, bad, or
indifferent. If the individual be an adulterer or an
adulteress, approval of their course is given from
the spirit, and perhaps from what purports to be
the spirit of a loving, devoted father, and who, while
in the form, would have gone to his grave in wretchedness and misery to have known that one of his children could have so erred while living; or, perhaps
a loving wife or husband, brother or sister, approving of that which their earth life was an apparent
contradiction, and so on through almost the entire
category of crime, we might furnish examples from
our own observation, of what we ourselves during
the past two years have witnessed.




298   SPURITUALISM VERSUS CHRISTIANITY.
C We desire to send forth our warning voice, and
if our humble position, at the head of a public journal, our known advocacy of Spiritualism, our experience, and the conspicuous part we have played
among its believers, the honesty and fearlessness
with which we have defended the subject, will weigh
anything in our favor, we desire that our opinions
may be received, and those who are moving passively down the rushing rapids to destruction, should
pause, and ere it be too late, save themselves from
the blasting influence which these manifestations
are causing, and instead of wasting their time in
running after false gods, seek the pure and spotless
truth.... and all the virtues that make men worthy
to receive the blood of Christ'which washeth out
all sin.'  In conclusion, then, we would repeat, our
belief in modern Spiritual manifestations is unchanged, save only, that we believe that evil is the
tendency emanating from them, and the result to
individual believers is to debase rather than to elevate, and to create discord where harmony should prevail. Its tendencies are evil wherever its influence
is felt, and the only safety is to steer clear from
them."
Such a rebuke, from  such a source, must tell
terribly against the " establishments" and circles of
this satanic system.




CHRISTIAN  GRACES.                  299
FAITH, HOPE AND CHARITY.
"' AND NOW ABIDETH FAITH, HOPE, CHARITY, THESE THREE  BUT
THE GREATEST OF THESE IS CHARITY.'-. 1 Cor. xiii; 13.
FAITH.
Majestic star! the first of night,
Dispelling darkness in its flight,
It penetrates the gloom;
It shows us glory veiled from sight,
And guides our wary feet aright,
To bliss beyond the tomb.
Faith, as a cable, stays our bark,
As through the night, so drear and dark,
We plough the raging main;
Faith prompts her sons to mighty deeds;
And on to victory she leads,
Till they their glory gain.
HOPE.
There is a hope, whose beauteous tread
Illumes the regions of the dead,
And bids the sleepers rise;
With joys transporting and serene,
To view the most exultant sceneThe promised earth and skies.
Thou art a buoy, and anchor, too,
While we the guiding star pursue,
A pledge of endless life;
From thee all shame shall fly apace,
And thou thy righteous sons shall place
Beyond the bounds of strife.
CHARITY,
O Charity! thou queen of light!
Thou perfect source of pure delight,
Thou solace of the soul;
When Faith and Hope their course have run,
Thy glory shall eclipse the sun,
While endless ages roll.
Thou art the bond of union strong,
By thee Faith purifies her throng,
Thy sons now rest above;
0! consolation's ceaseless fount!
Than thee, no grace can higher mount,
For God himself is love.




ERRATA.
Bottom of page 169 for " The Jehovah is only a council of dead
men!!" read Tlten JEHOVAH is only a council of dead men!!
Page 210, fourth line from top, " compelled to do their bidding
or be tormented and spend sleepless nights," only the word " comnpelled" should have been inserted as a quotatiou.