Inside View of Spiritualism by Editor

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Feb 21, 1884

Inside View of Spiritualism.

By Editor

THE SPIRITS CANNOT BE IDENTIFIED.

(Concluded.) JUDGE EDMONDS makes a statement bearing directly against the reliability of the communications. He says:—

"Occasionally there are instances where it would seem as if the medium was giving the precise words of the spirit. But this is rare, because it involves a state of things in the medium, both physically and mentally, that is very difficult to attain, namely, an exclusion of the medium's self-hood—a suspension of his own will, and spirit control, that is very unnatural, very difficult, and very dangerous, and, therefore, necessarily very rare."

The Judge saw that their discord and contradictions needed some apology, and this was his plea in their behalf. Being questioned in relation to the disagreement between himself and Dr. Hare, both under the instruction of the spirits, he answered as follows:—

"Thus Dr. Hare has all his life long been an honest, sincere, but inveterate disbeliever in the Christian religion. Late in life, Spiritualism comes to him, and in a short time works in his mind the conviction of the existence of a God, and his own immortality. So far his spirit teachers have already gone with him. But he still denies Revelation. He is as sturdy and sincere now in that denial as he ever was. Will it be just to conclude, because his spirit teachers have not yet brought him up to that point, that, therefore, there is not and never has been a Revelation?"—Spir. Tract No. 5, page 12.

Such an evasion as the above goes very far toward destroying our confidence in the honesty and sincerity of Judge Edmonds. Yet we would not consider it worth while to notice it here did he not do Revelation the injustice to connect it with Spiritualism. That it is nothing better than evasion is evident, for

He knew—he could not be ignorant of the fact—that thousands have been led to renounce Revelation under the influence of Spiritualism.
Spiritualists, including Judge Edmonds himself, deny a Revelation of "authority," without which the Bible is not only a nullity, but a falsehood, for it claims authority to the fullest extent.
He must have been aware of Dr. Weisse's statement that spirits and mediums do not contradict his views of the Bible (which coincide with those of Dr. Hare), that it is only a transcript of heathen fables.
He very well knew that A. J. Davis, who is the great apostle of Spiritualism, has ever been unsparing of his denunciations of the Bible.
He well knew that Dr. Hare not only continued to deny Revelation, but that his teachings were sanctioned and approved by the highest spirits! It is stated by Dr. H., in his preface to the fifth edition of his work, that his infidel strictures on the New Testament were indorsed by Christ himself in the presence of Washington, Franklin, and others. If Judge Edmonds were not a Judge—not acquainted with the laws of evidence—his statement might be considered more excusable. We have seen the claim put forth by a Spiritualist, in a boastful manner, that Dr. Hare has done more to destroy faith in the Bible than any other man of this age; yet his teachings come to us more strongly attested by spirits than those of any other Spiritualist. He received ministerial credentials (which he published) as a teacher of truth to the world; these credentials were given under the sanction of an assembly of spirits, and "obtained under test conditions." The assembly said that they accredited him as their minister to earth's inhabitants, and that he was battling fearlessly against error. In this assembly were "Geo. Washington, J. Q. Adams, Dr. Chalmers, Oberlin, W. E. Channing, and others." Could the Judge show any better indorsement than this?

Again, Warren Chase was one of the very earliest advocates of Spiritualism. He has been most persistent and untiring in his efforts to advance its interests. Perhaps no one has delivered more lectures, or cast a wider influence in its favor, than he. An infidel at the beginning of his course, what has Spiritualism done to correct his infidelity? At this time he stands a most defiant infidel, or more nearly an atheist, everywhere indorsed as a faithful exponent of Spiritualism. And so of Ambler, Harshman, Hoar, Denton, Wadsworth, Hull, Carter, etc. In fact, we can scarcely find an exception. Without being able to identify a single spirit, they yet follow them blindly, willingly, into the lowest sinks of Pantheism.

Recently a case has been reported in the Medium and Daybreak, of England, which is offered as evidence of identity, but is really a strong proof against their claims. It was the "materialization" of the spirit of a Mr. Thomas Ronalds, who revealed as follows:— "I have to inform you that my last life on earth was a reincarnation. 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.

But the point on the question of identity is this: At a certain "seance" this spirit appeared in both forms at once, as a Persian prince and an English gentleman. Now as no individual can exist in two forms at the same time, it follows that one of these appearances was manufactured for the occasion, if we even allow that the identical spirit was present. And if one was certainly got up for the occasion, it is proof that both might have been produced in like manner. So, instead of being evidence of personal identity, it is destructive of their claims for tests of identity. We think, as A. J. Davis says, the parties were "psychologized to see them" in the form desired, and that Mr. Ronalds was not there either as English gentleman or Persian prince. It is all a work of deception by Satan, the prince of deceivers.

Although Spiritualism does not furnish any test of identity, nor any means of detecting the tricks of mediums or the falsehoods of spirits, we feel assured that there is a test which will "detect the deception." It is "the law and the testimony" of God's word. "If they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them." We have shown that they do not speak according to this word, and that, even by their own admissions, there is neither light nor truth to be expected from them. Every test by which Spiritualists profess to be convinced of its truthfulness is proved fallacious by the evidence quoted from Partridge, Davis, and others; and we give not a tithe of the testimony that might be collated on this point. Professing to be led by "the most enlightened reason," they daily receive and credit what is most unreasonable. They would overthrow the word of God, and introduce as a substitute the caprices and fancies of unknown evil spirits. They would dethrone God, "the Judge of all," and arrogate to themselves the prerogatives of his office. They would bring the Saviour from the Father's throne, where he sits a priest to intercede for man, and be their

own redeemers—their own saviours. They would destroy all distinctions of right and wrong. They would cast off moral restraint in the name of freedom, and make no difference between liberty and licentiousness.

Editor.