Hawke's Bay Herald TUESDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1886. HUMAN CREDULITY.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 7622, 21 December 1886, Page 2

Hawke's Bay Herald TUESDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1886. HUMAN CREDULITY.

That the period of miracles is past is perfectly true in a special sense, btit from a moro general point of view miracles ami miraclo mongers flourish luxuriantly. History repeats itself, and ovory ngo has its Cagliostro and its crowd of dupes who rush opßii-mouthod to lie deceived. Before medicine was roscueil from empiricism and quackery, and beforo chemistry had becomo a science, imposlers traded upon love 'of Hfo and love of gold by offering a specilic that met both wantß. Eager crowds of deludod votaries (locked to the sanctums of theso charlatans, who in addition to claiming tho power to confor immortality and boundless wealth upon all who could nrovido sufficient funds, also provided for poorer dupes a full . knowledge of past and future I>y consulting the stars, Tlio invention of tlio printing press, and consequent spread of • knowledge, put to rout the army of those who made the elixir vitw, and destroyed tlio crucibles and alembics of thoso who converted the baser mclnls into gold. Caxton, Gutenberg, and Dr Fauaj/iis inaugurated an era that would

not tolerate mortal dispensers of immortality, nor poverty-stricken possessors of the secret of boundless wealth. Learning made vast strides forward, research and invention went hand in hand ■ towards their ever-receding goal, and it looked as if mankind had been once aud for all rescued from the slongli of ignorance and delusion in which for centuries they had wallowed. But unfortuuatoly, although much progress resulted, the onward march that was prompted by the latent energy in a small box of rudely cut wooden types, and that has led us to all that we possess at present in the form of mental enfranchisement, was not a straight nor an uninterrupted one. The tendency of average human nature to pay homage to cunning imposters, and to prostrate itself before unscrupulous pretenders to the control of the forces of nature, or of power to inlltienco thoir Author, remained as the greatest obstacle to rapid progress. Turned back from running after those who had found tho philosopher's stone, or who could bottle up tho principle of eternal life in a • small phiiil, the mass of mankind surrendered themselves to a few among themselves who made charms against witchcraft, tlio evil eyo, and other equally-dreaded' but fictitious dangers. Even to this day, in evqry one of the groat European countries, may bo found in. villagos and small towns scores of persons who will not face a sufferer from strabismus, and who seek charms against the influence of poor women Who happen to be old and ugly, and nro " therefore considered to be in league with a wicked spirit credited with almost omnipotent attributes. Even in tho largo towns— nay, oven in these colonies, which are supposed to be mentally ahead of the olderiand more thicklypeopled countries of Europe— there aro still to be found many willing to surrender themselves to the domination of glib pretenders to occult powers. Moro particularly is this the case if those pretenders affect a peculiar holiness, and a sanctity which, if taken at its subject's valuation, is as boundless as the audacity which accompanies it. There, is, however, one consoling feature of the modern forms of deception, and that is that the deceivers themselves aro mostly in earnest. There were probably a few "genuine imposters" even in the dark ages— men who were as' much led astray by astrological and alchemical notions as were the common herd who paid for being deceived — but generally speaking the case was the other way. In this ago the majority of those who pretend to special or supernatural gifts are more in earnest, and deceive themsolves as well as others. Without entering into tho question of the reality • of what are known an "spirit manifestations," it must be admitted that although many so-called " mediums" are conscious rogues, there are many thousands who most sincorely believe in their own powers and the teachings founded upon them. The most unsatisfactory phase of a discussion' on spiritism is the fact that it is not before the public in a comprehensive sense. Its alleged manifestations occur only at select gatherings, where the general public aro rarely invited and aro asrarely welcome. Any remarks, therefore, upon this phase of modern occultism must be stated in general terms, except in cases where its professors openly appeal to the public by proffering to work miracles. The same may ho said of men like Milner Stephen and Alexander Dowie, the two colonial representatives of "supernatural healing." Tlio firstnamed of this brace of prophets, or whatever is their correct designation, is very well known throughout New Zealand and Australia, hut he appears to have ceased healing, aud therefdro drops out of the discussion. With Dowle it is different, as he ia in the full bloom of an existing reputation for being ablo to cure diseases by supernatural means, and is atlthis timo " practising "in Otago. Ho claims to heal "through faith in Jesus," and has been' four years in tho business. Those who believe in his powers are numbered by thousands, and he claims that vast numbers have profited by his "gift." He combines healing with preaching, and recently delivered a series of addresses in the North Dunedin Prosbytcrian Church, undor the patronage of its pastor, the Kov. Mr Gillies. At one of theso addresses tho latter explained that the collections taken up were not for Mr Dowie, but were in aid of the Presbyterian Mission fund. It was also stated that Mr Dowie "made no charge in connection with healing," but left that question to the liberality of those who benefited, and who "contributed according to their means." This is partially satisfactory, at any rate, because it relieves tlio healer from many legal disabilities which would trouble him if he did charge, but even with that reservation Mr Dowie's "new dispensation" is calculated to provoke very serious reflections among the well-in-formed. It is also a question whether it does not play into tho hands of scoffers at all religion, who might not unreasonably ask Mr Dowio to_ prove his "gift" by visiting the colonial hospitals, and by rendering unnecessary the efforts of doctors and nurses. We will say this of Mr Dowio, however, that he appears to have full .confidence in bimsolf. He ■brooks no rivals, and describes spiritualism, which also claims to hoal, as being "a cursed system," and "of the devil." Spiritualists miglit say the same of Mr Dowie, but that is beside tho scope of this article, which is simply to note the tendency of some minds to profess, and of others to swallow, supernatural claims which to educated persons must appear baseless as to foundation, and ridiculous as to results. x