p. 489 | Spiritualism by Editor

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Aug 14, 1884

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 10, No. 31.

Spiritualism.

By Editor

THE people of this busy age resemble the Athenians of many years ago, who "spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear, some new thing." Acts 17:21. Spiritualism has been before the American people more than a third of a century, and is so well known that it has ceased to be a novelty, and for this reason attracts less attention than it did some years ago, when its believers were comparatively few in number, and when it was doing little in the way of presenting convincing phenomena compared to what it is doing at present. We have no doubt that many of our readers will be surprised at the statement that Spiritualism was never so active in presenting evidences of its reality, never so successful in making converts, as at the present time.

Another reason why Spiritualism makes so little noise in the world is that it meets with very little opposition. Its main doctrine—the immortality of the soul—is one of the most cherished dogmas of the age, and many who are not prepared to accept all its teachings and conclusions, declare it is "a beautiful theory," "a beautiful belief," and are all ready to yield to its fullest claims whenever it presents evidences which appeal to their sensibilities. They believe in everything which makes communication with their dead friends possible, and Satan has a thousand ways to make them believe it is actual.

In the early stage of Spiritualism there was no one who exerted a wider influence than Warren Chase. But he was dogmatic in atheism, and in his opposition to marriage as a legal or ecclesiastical rite; and these views are not as popular amongst Spiritualists as they were years ago. From the first, we have believed that it would achieve its greatest and final triumph in the garb of religion, and everything is tending in that direction at the present time. Dr. Peebles is exerting as strong an influence as any Spiritualist, and he is decided in favor of the religious phase. Soon after he embraced Spiritualism, he became a free-thinker, and spoke disparagingly of the Bible. In a recent letter he says:—

"Reviewing my earlier productions, I am frank to confess that they contain paragraphs and passages that I would gladly expunge, but I wrote the best I then knew."

Now he is among the foremost to advocate the religious phase of Spiritualism. He says his pamphlet entitled, "Christ the Corner-Stone of Spiritualism," has had a sale of over 21,000 copies. It will be of interest to every one to know in what light he holds Christ. The following words show:—

"Close thinkers make the proper distinction between Jesus, the physical man—called our 'Elder Brother,' and who, to use apostolic language, was 'made perfect through suffering'—and Christ the 'Way, the Truth, and the Life.' To this Christ—the living Christ of God—my soul clings."

It is to be regretted that there is in the churches, among church members, so much superficial, fashionable, vain religion, that goes no deeper than a profession, and has no clearly defined and thoroughly grounded faith in the word of God. With the mass of such this declaration of Mr. Peebles would be accepted as a mark of genuine Christian faith. Where the "mystical" or "spiritual" meaning of the Bible is sought for to the exclusion of the literal; where literalism is scouted as "materialism," the rejection of "Jesus, the physical man," would be overlooked, if Christ, the way, the truth, and the life—the living Christ of God—were accepted.

And they would no doubt raise the question in astonishment: "Why not? Is it not sufficient to accept Christ as the way, the truth, and the life, the living Christ of God?" We say, No; not if he is rejected as that Jesus who was made perfect through suffering. The Scriptures allow of no such distinction as that made by Dr. Peebles. Paul said he was determined to know nothing among them but "Christ and him crucified." But this is not the Christ of "Christian Spiritualism." Satan exults over a profession of Christianity which excludes the cross of Jesus of Nazareth; which does not rest upon the merits of that blood which cleanses—and which alone can cleanse—from all unrighteousness. In the death and resurrection of "Jesus, the physical man," the arch enemy saw the death of all his hopes, without the possibility of their revival. And it well suits his purpose to turn away the minds of the people from this view of Christ, taking upon himself the nature of man, "that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil." Heb. 2:14.

Though Dr. Peebles professes that Christ is the corner-stone of Spiritualism, he well knows that it stands as firmly and securely without this corner-stone as with it. Speaking of his own opportunities of observation, and consequent ability to compile his contemplated book, "Thirty Years' Work in Spiritualism," he says:—

"As I have personally witnessed the phenomena of both Spiritism and Spiritualism in its higher phases in the Occident and the Orient, in nearly all lands, civilized and savage, I can write of the demonstrations and their tendencies, of workers and their teachings, with some degree of authority."

Spiritualism is the same in "all lands, civilized and savage," but until the last thirty years it was far better known in the savage than the civilized. It was always practiced among barbarous peoples. The Bible denounced it as heathenism, an abomination to the Lord, which brought the Lord's displeasure upon the nations in Canaan. Deut. 18:9-12, and others. When Mr. Peebles was traveling in Asia he said in his letters that he found Spiritualism existing everywhere. Almost all the superstitions of the Mongolians are founded upon the theory of the immortality of the soul, and the direct presence and aid of the spirits of the departed. Their conservatism, or opposition to innovations and improvements, grows out of a regard for these things. They expressed their fears that the railroad trains would frighten away the spirits of their ancestors; hence their determined opposition to their introduction. They deify the spirits of the dead. The Catholic doctrine of the "invocation of the saints," and "canonizing" the illustrious dead, is transplanted from heathenism. To this day both Catholics and Protestants accept the speculations and vagaries of Plato as the best proofs and arguments on the immortality of the soul.

The Banner of Light of Aug. 2, 1884, contains an article on "Spiritual Phenomena in New Zealand." Speaking of some recent manifestations in a circle where several Maori chiefs were present, the report says:—

"The natives were awe-struck, and talked together in their own tongue, calling to remembrance that which they had seen in their younger days. Before the missionaries came they always had communications with departed spirits; the missionaries, however, forbade it."

The italics are given as found in the report. The professed Christians of the present generation, however, do not forbid it. The report is copied from the New Zealand Times, which says:—

"At the present time circles have been formed everywhere throughout the districts. Some of the church people denounce the movement, but others of their body meet in secret conclave, and try to obtain the manifestations."

From time to time we are receiving evidences that Spiritualism prevails very extensively in church circles, especially in the large cities, and among the more rich and fashionable congregations. Everything is tending in the direction of popularizing the "abomination," and so to enable it to speedily act the part which inspiration foresaw and recorded that it would act, both in church and State. Rev. 13:11-18.