SPIRITISM IN AUCKLAND.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XIV, Issue 4852, 5 June 1877, Page 3

SPIRITISM IN AUCKLAND.

The "trance-medium," Mr. T. "Walker, delivered a lecture on Friday, the 25tli of May, on " The Dovil anil all his Works— Sic transit Diabolui." This address was announced as a " farewell " discourse, and, contrary to previous arrangements, admission was charged to the public—reserved scats "two shillings," and the body of the hall " ono shilling." This had a very decided effect upon the uumber of the auditory, which did not exceed sixty persons. .Mr. K. W, Morrison occupied the chair in the absence of the gentleman, who was expected to fill that position. The gentleman who usually took his place at the harmonium was also absent, and Mr. J. C. Wilkcs gavo out the hymn " Hold the Fort " (Moody and Sankey). The lecturer, having assumed the " abnormal condition," proceeded with the ordinary invocation—"Universal and Beneficent Parent," " Loving and Refulgent Being"— "Our Father: We adore thee and give thce praise for every blessing." The substance of the lecture was, in effect, as follows :—lt is the nature of the human being, having conceived the existence of the great powers of Nature, to give them the defiuiteness of personit' jation. This tendency of the human mind leads it to people all space, and is confirmed by the recognition of powers in which all vital phenomena have their origin. Hence the conceptions of two great powers— the one benelicent, full of love for humanity ; the other called " Satanic," which is the source of all evil. The attributes of the Deity were in harmony with all the powers of Nature aud the laws of the spirit. All

that was in discord with those attributes was, at the same time, in revolt against them. Hence the tendency in the human mind to personify its conceptions gave shape and form to the spirit of evil, so that the phenomena which resulted from its activity were described as the works of the Evil One,—of Satan, —of the Devil. But there was no such personage in any substantial existence apart from the conceptions of those who delivered themselves up to the control of their imaginations. Reason suggested and taught that nothing could exist except by the permission of the Omnipotent. Otherwise it must bo supposed that the origin and fountain of all good should have brought into being the so.ircc of all eviJ, all crime, all vice, all discordances in nature. That was impossible. The lecturer illustrated the position assumed with an accumulation of vague but picturesque common-places, which we;o listened to with considerable attention. The Tho lecture occupied about _three-cjuarteis of an hour in delivery. Onthe motion of Mr. Join) McLeod a vote of th.auks was passed to the lecturer by acclamation. Mr. Walker was a passenger by the steamer on May 29th to Dunedin, to which place, we are informed, he has been invited by several gentlemen, who have devoted themselves to communicating with the spirits of the departed. On the previous night Mr. Walker had a meeting with a number of gentlemen at the Thistle Hotel. Several lawyers were present. Mr. Walker was under the "control" of Mr. Kuowles, who, when in the ilesh, was a lecturer on phrenology, &c, in England. So inspired, Air. Walker manipulated the heads of some of those who were present. We cannot say that wo wisli Mr. Walker success so long as he continues his present line of business. In taking leave of Mr. Walker, we may say that within the last few days we have received a great number of letters on Spiritism from various parts of the country. Some of these letters were ably written, but points raised have been fully discussed.