SPIRITUALISM.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1538, 29 July 1886, Page 2

SPIRITUALISM.

TO THE HEITOR. Sir,— Few unbiassed readers of your paper are likely to hare misunderstood the plain English of my sermon (as reported by you) as Mr Andrew Qibaon has done but as he has made assertions and charges that, are wholly without foundation, I beg to explain as follows; —First, in his kind remarks, he says, “ He (the Rev. T. A. Hamilton) says all things in the natural world are natus, i.e., born, produced, created, called into existence by the creative gat of Gcd.’’ Then he questions M Does the rev gentleman msan to say that that does not apply to the other world as well as this?” Of couiee it does. The report reads further on : “ Evil spirits are among created beings.” Angels as well as men, and animate and inanimate things, are created—Ool. i., 16, “ For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in the earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, orj principalities, or powers, all things were created by Him and for Him.” Nature’s laws ere not only the laws which govern things mundane, but things in the other world as well. Nature’s laws are God’s laws, imposed upon all created beings, directing them to perfection and goodness in their actions. God directs inanimate things to do good without their knowledge. He directs irrational animals by their senses and instincts. - But intellectual agents, ns angels and men, apt by intelligence ajid will. Angels by their love to God intuitively seek the true good ; man by his reason judges what is bis highest good. Any alteration or suspension of these natural laws may be called supernatural. God, who is the Author of created things, alone has power to alter or suspend these laws. No created being has power to do this, I said “ AH that they (instancing in this pase eyil spirits|can accomplish is merely superhuman or above the human power,’’ What spirits may accomplish amongst men is certainly above their experience, but it la not therefore supernatural—except we use the word in a DQppl’ar way, mpaping flatty is tjeyoqd natural law ag applying tp map qnly r ff --“-of the terras supernatural we keep cneu....v — *f strand and superhuman, we shall uvhopelessly in foggv mists of thought. A part of the angels fell through prids from 1 their high estate of adoration, love, and imitation of God, and slope their fall their practices have been contrary to the natural laws which led them : to their highest good. “For being dispersed, nomo in the air, some on the earth, eovaa in the water, some amongst 1

the minerals, dens aud caves that art - under the earth, they, have by all means labored to effect a universal rebellion against the laws, and, as far as in them lieth, utter destruction of the works of God. These wicked spirits the heathen honored instead of Gods, both generally —under the name of Dii Inferi,Qods in* feiosl—and particularly, seme in oracle, some in idols. , , . . In a word, no foul and wicked spirit which was not, on* way or other, honored of men os God till such time as light appeared in the world and disaolved the works of thedevil,"— (Hooker, Ecdes. Pol, iv., 3.) Men has else fallen from his original estate—originally, as created, his natural road to blessedness was by his “ works,” but through , sin his works are corrupted. Who can lay “My works are pure "I God, therefore, In His great love for man, bestowed a new Revelation of holiness in bur Saviosr Jesus Christ, “Who gave Himself for us that He might redeem us from alliniqaity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.—(Titus il,, 34.) Lactantius says : “God bestowed upon man the knowledge of-'truth as » ‘ free gift’ to the end that his might perceivehis folly and the errers of hie ways, and might have the path of immortality laid open before him.” Dans Scotus ; says : “By strict justice God is net obliged to requite men's works in so ample a tain* ner, as the reward far exceed the Other ' in value. But Ho of His liberality his determined to reward in lieu of Man's endeavors, with heaped up msssors.” Jesus Christ proved His Divine miatioa by miracles—suspending natural laws at will: (1) Inanimate things Taming water into vine without the grips going through tke ordinary processes of water, rain, seed, vine, bod, son, grape, juice. Wine. (3) Things storm, multiplied food, healed ths-sick, raised the dead, etc. He did by Hil own power what God alone can' do. Mr Gibson says: “Therev.gentleman bhi that the miracles of Christ prove Bis Divinity, and that no other person’ would do them, bit Christ 'Himself contradicts that, for in John xiv., 12, Hi says, ‘Greater works than these shall ye do because Igo to the Father;” Here are my words as reported: “ Hone possets supernatural powers except Qod.‘ Jesus Christ in exercising these supernatural powers proved His DhHidty, ■'* ‘ The works that I do in the Father's , name, bear witness of me,' ” Now, It is plain that I did not say that “ no othsr personcould do them but Christ." lam quite asiArs that the Apostles worked miracles, but they did so in the name of Jesus Christ, and not in their own name ; and they at* (ributed the power to God and "not to magic or evil spirits. Set the lame 'man restored, Actsiii., 6, “In thelfame Of Jesus Christ rise up and walk,” and 12th verse “Ye men of Israel why marvel ye at this f or, why look ye so eitaestly oil us, as though by our own power ortholi* nsss we had made this man to .walk/*Also ’ 16th verse. This power was conferred upon the Apostles to spread the Kingdom, and their works were •“ gresiter ” In . effect than those of our Lord in convert* 1 ing men. They were able to present the constraining motive to draw men’s- soule to God, viz., Christ crucified : “ I, if I be lifted up will draw all men unto me.” What need we of further revelation or consultations with fallen angels, or disembodied spirits (if they are such, which is not proved) when the “True Light now A ehineth,” and we live in the dispensation of the Holy Spirit, outpoured to: guideAU * men into light and truth. Mr Gibson then challenges me to prove the- assertion that “ Spiritualism produces nothing bat moral ruin.” He is answered by your columns of the same issue in which This letter appears. In the American sum* mary of news we read : “ Thelsading 1 spiritualist, Mrs M." H. Burton, went into a trance at a stance given in Philadelphia oriJuna 22nd and died without giving a ■ aign." Volumes written; on; the aubjact could not be more conclusive than this, but I may tell Mr Gibson that there are men in this town who have acted as mediums and their testimony ip that it has a baneful effect on mind and body, I did not totally condemn spiritualism. I admitted that it proved “ the .existence of spiritual faculties in map," thus shattering the views of "materialists, atheists, freethinkers, et h*c genus omne. I also acknowledged that spiritualism, though utterly untrustworthy “ae a source of religious knowledge,” did beat out thi Biblical theory of good and evil spirits and also threw light on many ’ things difficult to understand in the Bible, but 1 did not say that spiritualistic phenomena weredhe work of good spirits and that, therefore, the “teachings are not all bad.” I quoted texts attributing the phenomena to '’seducing spirits and dootrises of devils." “By. their fruits ye shall know them.” I trust you will excuse the length of this Utter, and that Mr Gibson will accept that portion of my t sermon which be has hot. commented upon, viz. “ Seek communion with God, not by consulting superhuman natural forces and revelations, hut by prayer, seeking the aid of the Holy Spirit of God in dwelling in our hearts. The Communion of the Holy. Spirit is *opsn to all men on condition of ,total, affectionate, and irreversible self-surrender to God.’ Do this ; yield to the influence of the Holy Spirit and your heart will gladly make response, ‘ This is He—the Revealar of holiness, the Way, the Truth and the Life,”—l am, etc., , Thomas A. Hamilton, lncun.bent.of Tsropka. July 2fltb, 1886. ;