ONE FRUIT OF SPIRITUALISM.
By A. J. B.
One of the prerogatives of the Christian in these last days is to distinguish between “the works of the flesh” and “the fruit of the Spirit.” The good Book tells us that “the works of the flesh are manifest,” so that it will not be difficult to determine the character of such works. Pure Christianity always bears “the fruit of the Spirit,” and nothing else. All religions must therefore be measured by this religion of Christ, and be accepted or rejected according to their agreement or non-agreement therewith. One prominent religion of the day is Spiritualism. From its name, one might suppose its adherents to be spiritual, led of the true Spirit, and their works to be “the fruit of the Spirit.” Any supposition of this kind, however, is precluded by the following declarations of one of the most prominent Spiritualist women of to-day. After stating that, although she is a Spiritualist at heart, she does not call herself one, not wishing “to be associated with the charlatany and odious characters, many of whom profess the doctrine,” she anathematizes “this class of people who purport to be priestesses of the higher life, and yet whose characters are vile, and conduct worse.” She then sums up her opinion of one of the fruits of Spiritualism in the following plain words: “It seems as though when one professes this belief, he or she immediately seems inspired with the desire for somebody’s wife or husband.” Such are the words but recently spoken by Mrs. Mary A. Livermore, to a reporter of the Boston (Mass.) Post. The entire interview, as published by the reporter, is a description of how she became a Spiritualist. She was reared a Baptist, but when quite young became a Universalist. It appears that “for many years she has been investigating the probable future life, and has given Spiritualism a thorough testing.” It is also said that “the tenets of that belief have been impressed on her by many strange experiences,” such as the mediumistic twistings and movings of tables in a room, “spirit messages,” etc. However, “the most convincing proof of all,” she says, “was an actual talk I had with my husband, some months after his death. I went to a medium in ——, and in a short time I was talking with my husband. I was perfectly unknown to the medium, and the details of personal things my husband told me could not have been known to her. He also told me things about his present condition. He said he was there what an infant would be on earth.” Such pretended communications from the dead were predicted by the Spirit of Prophecy years ago, and must be expected to increase in numbers as we draw nearer the end. One of the mediums who visited her shortly after her husband’s death, is described by her as being “awfully vulgar,” and yet this same medium was, by her spiritualistic manifestations, one of the means of converting Mrs. Livermore to Spiritualism. Now the scripture says that “the dead know not anything;” and since “also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished” (Ecclesiastes 9), it is evident that these communications received by Mrs. Livermore were not at all from “the dead.” Neither were they from God; for his angels are never “awfully vulgar.” Such apparently genuine revelations are manifestly from Satan, the deceiver. But the great mistake made nowadays by many persons, as well as by Mrs. Livermore, consists in taking mere supernatural manifestations for divine manifestations. As has already been stated in these columns, miracles, in and of themselves, are no proof of divinity. Witness, for example, the wonderful workings of the sorcerers and magicians in Bible times, the present-day miracles of magnetic healers, hypnotists, the yoghis of India,—priests of Brahma,—etc. God’s miracles are performed only through those who do his will, who keep his law, the ten commandments. But from Mrs. Livermore’s own testimony it is clear that the keeping of God’s commandments is not one of the fruits of Spiritualism. On the contrary, to use her own words, its fruits are often tainted with adulterous desires, and that which is “awfully vulgar.” It is, therefore, no wonder that, in view of all this, she prefers not to call herself a Spiritualist. How sad it is for people to be ashamed of their avowed religion! Would it not be far better to believe in a religion which “maketh not ashamed”? Of the seventeen “works of the flesh” which Paul enumerates in Gal. 5:19-21, the very first mentioned is “adultery.” But Christianity, being in full accord with the commandments of God, makes the believer happy. The breaking of the commandments is that which makes ashamed. Therefore Paul, the great Christian, speaking of his religion, said: “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ.” Rom. 1:16. Why was he “not ashamed” of Christianity?—Simply because “it is the power of God unto salvation;” it is the “power” which brings “salvation” from sin, which, being “the transgression of the law,” makes ashamed. So Christianity, being that which saves from “the works of the flesh,” from sin, can not in any sense be allied with Spiritualism, which, in the words of the Spiritualist, is such that “when one professes this belief, he or she immediately seems inspired with the desire for somebody’s wife or husband.” Again: a belief which so affects people that they become “inspired with the desire” to break the seventh commandment, will also inspire a person to break the other nine precepts of Jehovah; for it is written: “Whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.” James 2:10. Such inspiration, not being at all compatible with the inspiration to do the works of the Spirit of God, must therefore be that wisdom which “descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.” On the other hand, of Christianity it may be said that when one professes this belief, he immediately seems inspired with the desire to “bring forth” the “fruit of the Spirit,” which is “love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance.” Gal. 5:22, 23. And the great and simple reason for all this is because “they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the passions and lusts,” margin. Let us be Christians, being “not ashamed of the gospel of Christ,” and bearing continually and only the Spirit’s fruit.