DANGERS OF SPIRITUALISM.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13171, 8 May 1906, Page 3

DANGERS OF SPIRITUALISM.

„3 l 't~A very , great man y persons feci grateful to you for your courtesy in according' 80 much space in your valuable journal to warn the unwary against these dancers. As I am informed that a number of boys and girls are ontioed to seanoes, and are even paying money to get lessons in spiritism, I respectfully beg of you to indulge ma wifcb space for 01 , 10 more letter of warning. nP i- 0 England rector has aptly said, Jo continue insensible of our danger from evil spirits, whether from ignorance, inattention, or disbelief of them, is one of the sorest evils that can befall us, and is in the Church at this day a misery to be lamented with tears of blood, as it leads to & fatal carelessness, exposes us to their subtle devices, and gives them an advantage over us m every way." More recently Bishop Gore;. our very foremost bishop?, said, "In' visible rebel spirits organise. and give a 1 certain coherence and continuity to evil in the world." 1 The Bible says so too. Professor Campbell says, _ " The art of conferring with the dead was well understood in Egypt, whence it travelled all over the earth. Hence laws against it were a part of the Jewish code. God never enacted laws'against absolute nonentities. . , . The witch of Endor; and her necromancy were as much facts as were King Saul and the prophet Samuel, And that she had power over the dead,is just as veritable as that Samuel had power over the living." Down to the Christian era witches, familiar spirits, and withcraft obtained all over Asia. Paul was beset by a Pythonio spirit as truly as Jesus was tempted by Satan in person. These are Bible facts as palpable and as demonstrable as the dispossession of demons or the resurrection of Lazarus. No man who believes the Bible can deny it." The Church of Rome to-day, having at the head of affairs hundreds of men renowned for learning and common souse, teaches that demoniacal: possession is possible, and she lias a service for exorcism. The Church of England, having no fewer or one whit lees able men at the head of affairs; believes and teaches that our Lord not only expelled demons,- but gave tho Church power to do so, and the seventy-second canon of tho Church, regulating exorcism, is still in force. During latter years the High Church party has revived interest in this subject. Dr. Bushnell says, "Whatever circle, party, or being of whatever world, opens themselves or himself to their visitation, or invites the presence of powers indiscriminately as respects their character . . will assuredly have the: commerce invited." Therefore, to go to. spiritualistic seances to consult tho dead 1 is to do what scientists, what some spiritualists who have suffered dreadfully for it, and what the Bible, and .even Mr. Lepper and Mr. Sealey, admit is dangerous. Such "spiritualism" is what,. Dr. Moberly calls, "the nemesis of unspirituality," and "is substituting for the highest" imaginable' reality the most hungry counterfeit and cari- i ca.ture." If men will go and consult' the I dead, if they will, sear, as - with a hot iron 1 and kill the sentinel at the gate who would I warn of danger, if they will persist in spite of warnings to flaunt defiance at the A.]-' mighty Holy Spirit, of Lovo Who protects them and go where He will not submit to constraint to accompany and shield them, then thoy will have to" take the consequences, some of which, says Dr. Winslow, are that thousands of men "and women are landed in lunatio asylums. - . I\ li EKJVdTOK "■