p. 93 | SPIRITUALISM-PAGANISM by J. H. Waggoner

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Mar 23, 1876

FromThe Review and Herald, Review and Herald, Vol. 47, No. 12.

SPIRITUALISM—PAGANISM

By J. H. Waggoner

An article, copied into the American spiritualist papers from the Medium and Daybreak, of England, describes the “materialization” of the spirit of Thomas Ronalds, who, in a “seance,” revealed as follows:—

“I have to inform you that my last life on earth was a re-incarnation. In a former existence I was a Persian prince, and lived upon the earth some hundreds of years before Christ. In that life I was possessed of a quantity of beautiful and valuable jewels. Strange to say I have become aware of the existence of those jewels in this very city of London. They are diamonds of the purest water and brilliancy, and, moreover, they are charmed stones, and would therefore be of inestimable value to their possessor. I wish you, my dear brother, to become the purchaser of those stones.”

Here is a revival of two heathen pagan notions: the transmigration of souls, and the possession of charmed objects to preserve from harm. We lately heard some of this class object to the Bible on the ground that it was merely a transcript of pagan dogmas. Yet they are ever ready to adopt the most absurd dogmas of paganism contrary to the teachings of the Bible. If they really believe that the Bible is of Pagan origin they are singularly inconsistent in rejecting it, for they take to pagan notions as a duck takes to water.

But in this instance the doctrine was turned to practical account, as the following will show. It is an extract from the instruction of the spirit for the disposal of the ring in which were set the charmed jewels:—

“This ring, my dear brother, I wish you to present to our medium, Arthur Colman, as a testimonial of my gratitude to him for his services in enabling me to materialize for you. . . . It will be a talisman to protect him; it will increase his power as a medium; and with that ring he can never want a friend; indeed, he will bear a species of charmed life.”

The unbeliever may be so uncharitable as to suppose that the medium had something to do with the direction, but spiritualists, who profess to be guided only by reason(!), cannot see it. The spirit gave very explicit directions as to where the stones might be found, and how obtained, and the brother was stimulated to activity in the matter by the information that another party was intending to purchase the ring the following day. This is a dodge often played by speculators in this world, and we are led to suspect that the spirit which dictated the direction was not far removed from the plane of earthly interests.

The narrator says the instructions were carried out strictly. Evidence of the power of the ring is given as follows:—

“Mr. Colman had accompanied us, and neither of us could long trust ourselves to look at those stones, their influence nearly sending us into the trance.”

Such is the power of delusion over those who reject the truth of God. See 2 Thess. 2: 1–12.—J. H. WAGGONER, in Signs.