Assuming that the Bible teaching, when arrived at on any subject, is the end of controversy, and having found that it contains no such doctrine as the consciousness of the soul in death, no burden of proof rests upon us to vindicate further, either morally or scientifically, the Sacred Scriptures against the phenomena of Spiritism. We accept in toto the Biblical view of this question, and regard it as sufficient and decisive. But as there are some who, rejecting Holy Writ as final umpire, will appeal to the manifestations of Spiritism as scientific evidence of the truth of its claims, we shall, before saying the finishing word on the moral view, throw in a few reflections on the scientific phase. Exclusive of all moral bearings, are the apparent marvels of Spiritism proof of its supernatural origin? That is, are they inexplicable on any established laws of science?
Second, if so, can they be demonstrated to be the work of discarnate persons, once inhabitants of earth?
In regard to the former question, it must be said that no one, not even the most deluded spiritist, dares to deny that when mediums have been subjected to strictly scientific observation, the majority of them have been proved to be mere charlatans, perpetrating upon the religious credulity of their dupes their miserable tricks of slight-of-hand, or legerdemain, not as professional magicians, claiming nothing except unusual skill in deceiving the senses, but parading their feats as manifestations of the workings of spirits of dead men. Great numbers of them have deliberately done so, and have been detected and exposed. Such as these deserve only the severest reprobation. Any human being who will thus trifle with the deepest and most sacred instincts of our nature, answering with a fiendish trick the longings of love for one word or touch or look from the dear departed; who will make a mock of the earnest yearnings for knowledge of what lies beyond by supplying, as an assurance of future existence, a painted gauze mask exhibited in a dim light, or a phosphorescent sheet, draping the form of the montebank—such a person would offer gall and vinegar to a crucified Christ.
I know of a man whom a court of justice compelled to pay one hundred thousand dollars to a lady with whose affections he had trifled. Decide, if you please, what are the deserts of the wretch who would, in the name of religion, shamelessly and cruelly insult the profoundest instincts of our being.
Thus much for the trickster who preys upon the most confiding, and therefore most deceivable, part of our nature.
The Physical Phenomena.
There are two phases of Spiritism, quite distinct in general, but shading into each other at certain points. These phases are the physical and the psychical. To the former belong rappings, slate-writings, movement of objects without human aid, materializations, and kindred phenomena. The latter includes all manifestations of a more particularly mental nature; as trances, inspirational speaking, etc. In regard to the first, so many Spiritists have been exposed as artful performers of mere hocus-pocus, that scientists generally are disposed to dismiss with contempt the whole class as frauds.
Professor Jastrow, of the University of Wisconsin, illustrates this class of scientists. He says (italics ours):—
When magic spells and wonder-working potions were believed in, what we would now speak of as a trick was surrounded with a halo of awe and mystery by the sympathetic attitude of the spectators. The most complete parallel to this in modern times is presented by the physical phenomena of Spiritualism; and so many of the manifestations presented by performing mediums in evidence of Spiritualism have been exposed, and proven to be conjuring tricks, that it is no longer an assumption to consider them in this connection.
The reason for this conclusion on the part of the professor is, doubtless, that he is influenced chiefly by the experience of the Seybert commission,—an experience, be it admitted, which would, if taken alone, be quite likely to persuade almost any one of the baseless nature of the claims of the Spiritist cult.
This commission was the result of a bequest by one Seybert, a Spiritist, to the University of Pennsylvania, for the investigation of Spiritism. There were ten members. It is perhaps a little singular (but nevertheless a very forcible proof of the extent of intentional fraud, formerly, at least, practised by purveyors of Spiritism) that, in pursuit of their purpose, in six years of work they met not one genuine medium. Of them Professor Jastrow says:—
They examined many of the most famous mediums and the manifestations that contributed most to their fame. Their verdict, individually and collectively, is the same regarding every medium with whom they saw anything noteworthy: gross, intentional fraud throughout. The mediums were treated with the utmost fairness and courtesy; their conditions were agreed to and upheld; every one, in each kind of manifestation, was caught in the act of trickery, or else the trick was repeated and explained by one of the commission. This testimony goes far to justify the substitution of “trick” for “manifestation,” of “senseless cant” for “Spiritualist explanation,” of “adroit conjurer” for “medium.”
Nevertheless, over against this conclusion must be placed the volumes and volumes of testimony of a different sort contained in the reports of the Society for Psychical Research, an association composed of more members, more distinguished than the Seybert Commission, and whose experiments cover a much longer period.
If we reply to the professor’s conclusions by exhibiting the vast number of these manifestations, given under the strictest test conditions, that have not been shown to be conjuring acts, he answers by saying that men, even experts, are easily deceived. This is, indeed, but a denial of the competency of any amount of evidence; in reality, the revival in another connection of Hume’s famous argument against miracles: “A miracle is impossible; therefore no amount of evidence can establish a miracle.”
However, as courts of justice consider even circumstantial evidence as sufficient to hang a man, we fear that our scientific friends will have a long, tedious job, in the face of positive testimony like the following, to convince common sense that the undisputed wonders of Spiritism have no evidential value.
Professor Crooke, scientist and chemist, inventor of the Crooke’s tube so familiar in connection with the X-ray, “arranged scientific apparatus by which to test the question as to whether there was any force at work in the presence of Home [a medium] other than conscious or unconscious muscular power. He proved beyond question that there was;” and this was done under conditions which made it simply absurd to suggest that Home practised on him a mere trick.
[The discussion of the same phase of the subject will be continued next week.]
