MR CAVANAGH ON SPIRITUALISM.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 1939, 22 March 1875, Page 2

MR CAVANAGH ON SPIRITUALISM.

? During a. lecture delivered by Mr Cavanagh, in tLe Academy of.Music yesterday afternoon, he referred to Spiritualism in the following , terms :—lt *was an evil which, at the present time, was fast gaining ground in the world; and he saw in:it the .power of Satan plainly at work., it^ontainednot a single truth of the Word of God, being the tenjjjfe doctrines of devils. Men might q^believe it, perhaps ; but they were deceived bythe deceit practiced upon them in an extraordinary way. But let them only go and find the intelligent .agencies which worked T that -poTrcr^ey6fccraMirot^cb^ and they would find that it came from a society.6f men old in guilt, who, maintained a system, of deceit and cunning. He related o*f a; lady in the S<3uth, who had been brought into contact with Spiritualism, found something in it she could not account for/; and now, though a person of mind and education, sne wrote upon the subject like one demented—like ones labouring under some awfaliinfatuation. He knew, also, a gentleman in Melbourne who plainly avowed that he had a familiar spirit, whom he consulted. Though a man in other respects of intelligent understanding,, he did not deny it. To him (the lecturer) Spiritualism was a solemn thing; He considered it; an evidence of ttie truth of the Scripture; which declared that thereshouid be a delusion come xipon the earth. It wasia diabolical system of darkness, which asked them to come and chase spirits, to'be deceived,'to be deluded, to be drawn away —that they might receive the light. He would iiever believe that the spirits were those of the departed. He believed they were devils, as it was told of the last days. Judgment was coming upon the world. '' When they said peace and safety, sudden destruction should comeuponthem." Why was tneresomuch talk heard of the progress and advantage of intellect in this age, simply because thi*y happened to live in it. He looked upon this common cry as the greatest arrogance; and yet there was not a part of the world where Christendom was, that'did not, in some way or other, believe that they lived in a remarkable age. It was a part of that terrible error which cried peace and safety, when there was no peace. They were deceived under the power of the Devil. '