JOSEPH COOK ON SPIRITUALISM.
By J. H. Waggoner
QUESTIONS are frequently asked concerning the present standing of spiritualism; whether it is becoming obsolete, or still making progress. Spiritualism will not lose its hold upon the minds of the masses while they are so ready to "turn away their ears from the truth, and be turned unto fables." 2 Tim. 4:4. Spiritualism is a flattering delusion; it exalts man in his own estimation, even denying that he is dependent, for existence or for salvation, on a Supreme Being. The Scriptures assert man's frailty, and his fallen condition, and his entire dependence on Christ for a future life and happiness. It also calls for humility and self-denial as essential to securing the blessings of the gospel. It is easy to tell which system will be most readily accepted by the carnal mind. Joseph Cook, in a recent Boston lecture, presented some facts concerning the status of Spiritualism in Europe, among the learned and the noble. Mr. Cook speaks as follows:— "Six renowned German names, to their own credit or discredit, can now be quoted in the list of believers in the reality of the alleged facts of the modern psychical, or spiritual manifestations. They are Professors Zollner, Fechner, and Scheibner, of Leipsic University, Professor Weber, of Gottingen University, Professor Fichte, of Stuttgart, and Professor Ulrici, of Halle University. "Professors Wundt, Thiersch, and Ludwig, of the same University, saw only a portion of the experiments, and express themselves as not convinced of the objective reality of all the facts. Professor Wundt has published an article, which has been translated into English, in reply to Ulrici, and insists much upon the tricks of legerdemain. "The court prestidigitator of Berlin, however, has given to the public an affidavit, in which he says that the explanation of Slade's experiments by legerdemain and the allied arts is wholly impossible. "Henry Slade, having proceeded to St. Petersburg in order to fulfill his engagement with M. Aksakof and Professor Boutlerof, and to present the phenomenon of Psychography to the scrutiny of a committee of scientific experts, has had a series of successful sittings, in the course of which writing has been obtained in the Russian language. At one recent sitting, writing in six different languages was obtained on a single slate. "On Wednesday, Feb. 20, accompanied by M. Aksakof, and Professor Boutlerof, Slade had a most successful sitting with the Grand Duke Constantine, who received them cordially, and himself obtained writing on a new slate held by himself alone." Prof. Zollner gives the following result of an experiment with a closed "book-slate," within which he had placed paper blackened with smoke:— "I closed this slate, and remarked to Slade that if my theory of the existence of intelligent four-dimensional beings in Nature were well founded, it would be easy for them to give the impression hitherto obtained on an open slate inside a closed one. Slade laughed, and was of opinion that this would be absolutely impossible; even his 'spirits,' whom he asked, seemed very much perplexed about this proposition, but at last answered on a slate with a cautious stereotyped reply, We will try it. To my great surprise Slade agreed that I should lay the book-slate (which, since I had blackened the paper, I had not once let go out of my hands) during the seance upon my knees, so that I could always see half of it. We had been sitting perhaps five minutes at the table in the brightly-lighted room, our hands linked with those of Slade upon the table in the usual manner, when I felt twice, at short intervals, that the slate on my knees was pressed down without the slightest visible cause. Three knocks on the table announced that all was finished, and when I opened the slate I found inside on one side the print of a right, and on the other of a left foot, the latter the same as we had obtained the two previous evenings. My readers may judge for themselves how fair it is for us, after such facts, to look upon Mr. Slade as a deceiver or trickster. Slade's own astonishment at the success of the experiment was almost greater than mine." The most remarkable of the manifestations recorded by the Professor is that of having three knots tied in an endless cord. This, to us, seems utterly impossible. Of this Mr. Cook says: "Zollner insists that the tying of knots in an endless cord proves the existence of a fourth dimension of space. Explanation of the phenomena in our three dimensions there cannot be, and so he is forced to adopt Kant's idea that there is a fourth dimension of space." If spiritualism thus baffles all science and philosophy, the world must soon accept the idea that it does truly work miracles, and we claim that in this it fulfills Rev. 13:11-14. Other scriptures show, with equal clearness, its origin and tendency. Again he quotes from Prof. Zollner, as follows:— "At about half-past eleven o'clock, in bright sunlight, I became, wholly without expectation or preparation, a witness of a very extraordinary phenomenon. I had, as usual, taken my place with Slade at a card-table. Opposite me, and near the card-table, stood a small round stand. Something like a minute may have passed after Slade and I had seated ourselves and placed our hands, one above the other, together, when the round stand began slowly to sway to and fro. We both saw it clearly. The motions were soon more extensive, and meanwhile, the whole stand drew near to the card-table, and placed itself under the latter, with its three feet turned toward me. I, and as it seemed also Mr. Slade, did not know in what way the phenomena were to be further developed. For perhaps a minute nothing at all happened. Slade was about to use the slate and pencil to ask the spirits whether we were to expect anything when I resolved to take a nearer view of the round stand which was lying, as I thought, under the card-table. To my greatest amazement, and Slade's also, we found the space under the card-table perfectly empty. No where in the rest of the chamber could they find the stand which a minute previously had been before our eyes. After five or six minutes spent in breathless waiting for the re-appearance of the stand, Slade claimed that he saw appearances of lights of which I, as usual, could see nothing. Looking with more and more anxiety and astonishment in different directions in the air above me, Slade asked me if I did not see the appearance of large lights, and while I answered the question with a decided negative, I turned my head in the direction of the ceiling of the chamber, and suddenly saw, at a hight of about five feet the lost table, with the legs directed upward into the air, float downward rapidly upon the top of the card-table." The following quotation shows that Mr. Cook has some rays of light falling on his mental vision on the subject of these spirits:— "I am no partisan for or against any yet unrisen star beneath the horizon of science. If the biblical view of spirits, good and bad, could by modern evidence be proved to be true, I should be only the firmer believer in the Bible, with its whole supernatural history. If spirits that 'peep and mutter,' to use the scriptural phraseology, are abroad in the world, and if there be need of warning modern generations as the ancient ones were warned not to have commerce with demoniacal powers, I wish to listen to that warning made of old a part of Divine Revelation. I am not in danger of supposing that these atrocious, poisonous whisperings which mislead men and women only too often into erratic opinions and conduct are from on high. Whenever good angels appear in the biblical history, they flame like the sun, or otherwise exhibit openly overawing powers. The angel that stood at the mouth of the sepulchre could not be looked at by the soldiers. They were as dead men in his presence. Always the appearance of good spirits puts into awe the human observer. I do not read of such appearances in our modern circles. I am ready to receive scientific evidence from any quarter. Prove to yourselves, if you can, that Archbishop Whately was right (see his treatise on Scriptural Revelations concerning Good and Evil Angels) when he asserted that the biblical truths concerning good and evil angels are truths for all time. I believe that already; but if you were to fortify this belief by modern instances, I should yet stand in Archbishop Whately's position, and make the teaching of modern spirits, of such as 'peep and mutter,' subject to the angelic spirits whose effulgence has made mortals as dead men, and to those communications which, by being absorbed into the veins of the ages, have been proved to give full health to human civilization. As the viper beneath the heel is subject to man, so would I have the witchcraft which peeps and mutters subject to Him who spake as never man spake." But Mr. Cook cannot leave the subject without giving spiritualism a little "aid and comfort," as is his wont in the infolding of his favorite theory. Following the remarks above quoted are these words:— "The more you prove the better. I think you have proved nothing of importance except that there is a psychic force and that the place for materialism is in fragments on the horns of Jupiter's moons." [Applause.] No one who believes the Bible will deny that there is "psychic force" or spirit power and intelligence, outside of and beyond human control. But by "materialism" Mr. Cook means, and his hearers understand him to mean, a denial of the immortality of the human soul. But with this idea of materialism his conclusion has no just relation to his premises. No matter how clearly the existence of psychic force is proved, it is not, and cannot be, proved that that force is of human origin. Neither the Bible nor reason will justify the conclusion that these "spirits of devils working miracles," Rev. 16:13, are the spirits of dead men and women. It is easy to say a thing is proved when the essential part is taken for granted. But Mr. Cook makes his assertions with great confidence and complacency because he knows the popular feeling is with him in his assertion. It takes but little proof to confirm prejudice. We should very much like to see Mr. Cook try to prove that the doctrine of the immortality of the human soul has any necessary connection with the fact of the existence of psychic force. To do this he must prove that there are no other spirit existences but human spirits. Will he undertake this task? We think not. Yet this is exactly what is taken for granted in all his lectures against materialism. Without this grant, his arguments are without point and force.