THE SPIRITUALIST.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 762, 8 October 1886, Page 6

THE SPIRITUALIST.

SLANDERS REFUTED.

During the past two months two ministers of good standing in the Episcopalian church of Victoria have taken upon themselves to expound Spiritualism to their congregations, one of them (the Rev. Mr Hancock) devoting three Sundays to the work. Both of them admitted the phenomenal facts and the reality of spirit intercourse, but found fault with it on moral and religious grounds, contending that the communicating spirits were demons whose special object was to deceive mankind and lead them away from the true faith. Were these gentlemen not pecuniarily interested in the path referred to, their utterances might be entitled to greater consideration, but the fact of their both being in the position of gatekeepers, dependent to a great extent upon the tolls taken from those who travel what they affirm to be the only true and correct road to heaven, casts a doubt on their disinterestedness. Certainly, if their sole desire is the enlightenment of their hearers, they should have more fully examined the subject they have presumed to discourse upon, and in presenting it appealed to their judgments rather than to their fears. If the orthodox system is a true one, it will bear comparison with the best of Spiritualism, and it is neither just nor wise to bring an unfair sample of the latter to compare with it, for no sooner do those who have been misled as to its true quality come in contact with the real thing than they see the deception and realise that they have been misled.

As a matter of fact the moral teachings of Spiritualism are equal to anything that .can be found in the . New Testament, and decidedly superior to the doctrinal Ohristianof the present day ; whilst the very worst of its teachings coming through the most angular and undeveloped minds will compare favorably with some chapters of the Old Testament. Our Christian (?) friends should bear in mind when disparaging the moral teachings and influence of Spiritualism, that there are many chapters in the Bible that we would not pollute our pages by publishing, and which we feel assured the rev. gentlemen we are referring to would be ashamed to read from their own pulpits. Spiritualism has no creed, but there is a‘ general consensus of belief amongst the great majority of its adherents in the following, viz. : The existence of an all-wise Intelligence (persona) or impersonal), directing and controlling all things by law to a behencient end. *

The spiritual nature of man ; the body being the vehicle by which he is brought into relation with matter whilst on this physical plane, and that when from decay, disease or accident the body becomes incapable of containing the spirit, it passes into other and more refined conditions preserving its intelligence, individuality, and form. That disembodied spirits can and do communicate with those still in the body, through laws as yet imperfectly known, the conditions for which, however, have been sufficiently tested to guide investigators to the bridge of connection between the two worlds.

That no punishment is arbitary in the next world, but a natural result of a violation-of law and necessary to the purification and development of the individual. ' That the tendency of all things is to progress towards higher and more harmonious conditions.

We are quite willing to place either the Episcopalian or Presbyterian creed alongside of the foregoing, and publish it for a whole year in our columns, at the request of either Mr Hancock or Mr Rodda, or to pay, pro ratio the expense of their publication for a like period, in any of the Melbourne weekly papers. If these reverend gentlemen had read the ‘ Higher Aspects of Spiritualism,' -written by a Master of Arts of the Oxford University, they could not conscientiously have taken the ground they do ; indeed, some of the higher teaching of Spiritualism, such as those given in a series called ‘ The Life,’ are so transcendently moral as to be almost beyond picture in the present life._ We have in our possession a number of automatic and impressional writings, given through different mediums in Melbourne, a few excerpts from which will be apropos as indicating the moral tone of teaching

received in this park of the world from instructors on- the other plane of existence.

In a communication dated March 19th, 1871, and written with great rapidity through the hand of a cultured gentlemam who had recently developed as a medium, it 13 said :

‘ Men or man must, as the inspired writer says, work out his-own salvation, but not with fear and trembling. No; no ;no touch of fear can enter into the mind of him who approaches the throne of his Maker in the state of mind which we have endeavored to inculcate upon you. Full of reverence, full of awe, if you like, as the creature must feel towards tile Creator, but also full to overflowing of love—the offspring- of the Divine which flows from it and is reflected back upon it. Fear and trembling ! No, no ; why should a son, proud of his relationship to a much loved and all powerful Father, feel fear ? Why should he tremble ? Perfect love casteth out fear, and if the love that we, feel, and which all God’s children feel towards him, be not perfect, why then all we have told you is an egregious misconception ; our own existence is a freak of imagination, and man’s body or spirit has never had any existence in the world- of- space. As we have told you- so often before; our study is not so much particulars as the great principles of spiritual philosophy, and we always, as you often must notice, come back to the most simple proposition of all. But this should not be monotonous to the developed understanding, for it lies at the root, and is in fact the foundation of all else ; and as a corollary to this we may say that ninetenths of alii. the mistakes and misconceptions that men have made in theology, whether the result of mistakes originating in their own minds, or of ideas that have come down to them from others; have been from the laok of knowledge of this great cardinal fact—from not having built on the one true foundation ! and when an edifice-is built on the sand, let the aichitecture be ever so glorious, let the-material be ever so stable or beautiful, what can it do but crumble and fall ? The- root, mainstay, and only foundation of all theology is that- “ God is Love however simple you may think this proposition, it is-the one axiom which theologians must study, must lay to heart; and if they do not, all their writings, all their facts, all their theories will collapse and fall to nothing.’ Another spirit communication about the same time, through Planchette, expresses the same idea ‘Now I know." in part the truth of Love ; that God in the fullest meaning of the term- is love, and in us does he shadow forth a faint image of himself. . . „ . . We would fain liftyouup to us, but we are unable to. No, you have to climb by degrees to-the elevated plane- of holy inspirations.' * Every day of your life should be a witness of increase of truth—the truth of the Divine Spirit working in you the good and truthful way, the developing of good and charitable thoughts and actions ; in this way will you unfold in the spiritual nature. By love God reigns and rules in all things.’ Through another medium, — * Give glory to God in the highest ye are his servants do His will, which, learn to know; love all mankind; love God supremely ; love is God’s universal law on earth ; obtain a knowledge of that law and fulfil it j apply all your energies to the obtaining a knowledge of yourselves, and improve whatever is there found according to the will of Him whose service ye seek.’ ‘lf Truth be sought, Beauty in its completeness will be developed ; do not Love and Beauty constantly adhere ? do not perfected or ultimated truths become beautiful realities? Goodness is.but moral beauty.’ ‘Divine truth will always flow more freely to minds where the love and practice of good already predominates.’ ‘ Love and wisdom j immediately from- God are heat and light. ‘ Love good, love also to diffuse good : this is not done by talking piously,, but by living holily.’ And these are the teachings which the reverend gentlemen would have their congregations believe to be diabolical in their origin—‘ doctrines of devils V forsooth ; they are°forgettiug their Master’s injunction : ‘ By their fruits shall ye know them.’ It evil spirits teach good morals in these days, what guarantee have we the best teachings in the ScriDtures did not come from a similar source ? their argument is opposed to reason, common sense, and the teachings of Christ. . Spiritualism is a subject which clergymen, above all others, should carefuliy and candidly investigate, as having a most important bearing upon the basis of their faith. It is the spiritual, or what is called the supernatural element in the Christian religion, which is its very life and substance ; faith in this essential portion of it is rapidly waning, and evidence is wanted to revivify it. This can only be found in Modern Spiritualism, which parallels the so-called miracles of the Christian era, and gives stability to the religion of Farseeing, unprejudiced churchmen, like Canon Wilberforce, recognise this, but our Victorian ecclesiastics, in condemning spirit communion as diabolical, are doing more injury to their faith than to the Spiritualism they are traducing.