ONE of the great mistakes that men make in noting the spread and growth of error, is to look upon it in an organized form, and to get the idea that this comprehends about all there is of it, when the organized form is of minor importance.
So Spiritism, or, as it is erroneously called, "Spiritualism," is estimated. There are many professed believers in Spiritism, many organized bands, circles, societies, and a few churches with pastors. There are mediums, many of whom have been proved to be fraudulent tricksters. Because of this latter phase especially, many are inclined to ridicule the cult, and deprecate its influence.
But it is outside of organized Spiritism that we are to look for its increase. The essentials of the error are that the soul or spirit of man is a personal conscious entity, surviving the death of the body as such, and capable of knowing and communicating with those in the flesh.
In some quarters this is manifesting itself in Theosophy, thought transference, Psychical Science, and kindred isms. Among the late converts of prominence in the world are the well-known writer, W. T. Stead; Dr. Richard Hodgson, of Boston, formerly of Cambridge, England; Prof. William James, of Harvard University; Prof. James Hyslop, of Columbia, and others of nearly equal prominence. The three last named have become converted through the mediumship of a Mrs. Piper, the seances so conducted as to prohibit all deception. The results have led Professor James to conclude that the world is on the eve of a new revelation, and that the immortality of the soul has thus been scientifically demonstrated.
But Spiritism is wide-spread among those who do not know they are Spiritists. It is a not uncommon thing to hear some good woman, who might be shocked to be classed with Spiritists, speak of Frances Willard as still leading, tho invisible, the hosts of the W. C. T. U.
Here are two other straws. Printed in a San Francisco paper under date of December 4, is an interview with Mrs. Jane Stanford, relict of the late Senator Stanford. Speaking of her business transactions, she remarked:—
Mr. Stanford's railroad holding belonged to Stanford University and was in my keeping. I wanted to handle that property in the best way possible for the university. It was a severe trial to know what was best to do. After much deep thought and many prayers for proper guidance in the matter, I sold the railroad holdings. I believe my husband knows and approves of what I have done.
And now comes Dr. Joseph Parker, and other Spiritists of the same type. The Living Church, Protestant Episcopal, of November 4, 1899,7as quoted by the Literary Digest, says:—
Dr. George Adam Smith, in his "Life of Henry Drummond," mentions as a fact within his knowledge that certain persons habitually address prayers to Henry Drummond. Dr. Joseph Parker, of the City Temple, London (not the Temple church), a doughty adversary of "Popery and Prelacy," has openly declared that he prayed to his departed wife every day. He said that he never came to the City Temple to preach without asking her to come with him, and furthermore, he knew that she did come. Nor does he hold this as a mere sentiment applicable only to his own individual case, but, alluding to a friend who had lost his wife, he says: "I encourage my friend to pray to his wife, and pray to God to ask her to come to his help. She will be more to him than twelve legions of unknown angels." Dr. Parker evidently has no use for the "ministering spirits sent forth to minister to them who shall be heirs of salvation." Well may the Protestant paper from which we cull these instances say, "All this is simply petrifying!" It mentions a Roman litany to the saints, and asks: "Is this what we are going to come to in our Protestant churches?"
But it is to just what this belief in a spirit, death-surviving entity will inevitably lead. Just recently, a prominent minister, known East and West, Charles R. Brown, D.D., pastor of the First Congregational Church in this city, is thus reported in the Oakland Tribune of December 13:—
The Rev. Charles R. Brown presented some interesting religious points in his sermon Sunday night at the First Congregational Church. Dr. Brown based his discourse on a late paper by Professor James, of Harvard, in which the professor states that "Protestantism stands to-day between agnosticism or the scientific proof of immortality."
Dr. Brown remarked that Professor James thought the latter method possible through possible experiments in Spiritism. He accepted Professor James' proposition that there were "only two alternatives open to the Protestant of to-day—a drift into agnosticism or a religion based on the scientific proof of immortality." He prefaced his discourse by stating, that "Protestants accepted the Bible as a whole as a correct rule of moral conduct. Parts of it are not authentic, as for instance, when different authorities describe the same occurrence. The thoughtful Christian of to-day accepts the Bible as a safe and satisfactory rule of conduct, as a high standard of ethics, while not endorsing each individual portion of it."
Dr. Brown also quoted from Fiske's book, "Through Nature to God," to prove the strength of his position that Protestants accepted Professor James' challenge knowing "that they had a scientific basis for their belief."
All that Professor James has done is to demonstrate more fully that there is a reality in Spiritism; that spirits do communicate with persons in the flesh. But all this is clearly set forth in the Word of God—the Bible. The strange thing is that higher critics will reject the Bible teaching concerning spirits, good and evil, as superstition, while they accept the evidences set forth by Professors Hodgson, Hyslop, and James.
Spirits do communicate with persons in the flesh. But they are not the spirits of the dead. In the words of Holy Writ: "The dead know not anything. . . . Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion forever in anything that is done under the sun." "His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish." "His sons come to honor, and he knoweth it not." These portions of the Bible are, however, those which will be set aside as tradition and superstition, because, forsooth, they do not agree with Mrs. Piper's revelations through some professor of psychology.
There are spirits, however, waiting to communicate with people in the flesh, but they can not do this till the people can be brought into harmony with them: These spirits are the fallen angels, wicked demons, who come in the guise of the spirits of the dead.
Satan said, "Ye shall not surely die; . . . ye shall be as gods." The unbelieving believed it. But men died. Satan then deceived them into believing that the real man did not die, but existed still in a higher state of being. Heathenism clothed its dead heroes with the attributes of gods and goddesses; the heathen believed he was worshiping his honored dead, and that the supernatural manifestations sometimes seen came from these gods. They came from demons, Satan's angels. Those who "ate the sacrifices of the dead" were but sacrificing to devils. Ps. 106: 28, 36, 37. "The things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils [demons], and not to God." 1 Cor. 10: 20. Yet they believed they were honoring dead heroes.
So Satan comes now as a dear wife or husband or father or mother or son or daughter or friend or philosopher. And no one thing is so preparing the world to receive Satan's damnable doctrines as the discredit which religious teachers in high positions are throwing upon the Bible.
Nevertheless, the Bible is true. "The dead know not anything." Satan and his angels come in their guise. He is past master in the art of simulation. He imitates form and tone and gesture. And thus he is deceiving the whole world by his "seducing spirits," his "spirits of devils." Be not deceived. "And when they shall say unto you, Seek unto them that have familiar spirits; . . . should not a people seek unto their God? on behalf of the living should they seek unto the dead? To the law and to the testimony! if they speak not according to this word, surely there is no morning for them ["no light in them," A.V.]." Isa. 8: 19, 20, R.V.