Spiritualism by M. E. Cornell

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Nov 11, 1862

Spiritualism.

By M. E. Cornell

THE following points were made by Mr. Davenport, a traveling lecturer on spiritualism, in the Court House at West Union, Iowa, to which we replied the following evening. On their bill was the following. "The celebrated Mediums, the Davenport boys, through whom the Harvard Professors of Cambridge College, Mass., and Boston, New York, Chicago, and Milwaukee Editors made their investigation, and whose close scrutiny was baffled and forced by overwhelming evidences given, to admit the reality of the Phenomena."

Davenport. There is nothing supernatural, because nothing can be superior to Nature. Nature is God and God is Nature.

Reply. On the whole face of nature we behold unmistakable evidence of a designer, or maker. Its vast machinery must have been prepared and set in motion by a being of infinite wisdom and power. This watch had a maker; it did not come by chance, or make itself. Is not the maker superior to the thing made? Is not the author of Nature above all?

Davenport. That there is no God but Nature, is the general teaching of Spiritualists. Healing of the Nations page 297, "If God is one, all must be fractional parts of him, and he alone be all."

Put all the "fractional parts" together, and you have the whole of their God. These fractional parts are all human beings, and this is an echo of Satan's old lie "Ye shall be as gods."

Davenport. A spirit wrestled with Jacob and gave him a physical manifestation to convince him of the immortality of the soul, and lamed him for life.

Reply. Jacob refused to let the Angel go until he received the blessing, which according to Mr. D. was, to be "lamed for life!" Surely that would be convincing or blessing a man, with a vengeance! How does Mr. D. know that Jacob was lamed for life? The record says nothing of the kind. The probability is that Jacob was healed in less than twenty-four hours. But the record declares, Gen. xxxii, 30, that Jacob had seen God face to face, which according to Spiritualism was nothing more than the face of a dead man's spirit. This is "Ye shall be as gods", No. 2.

Davenport. The prophets received their communications from spirits of the dead and not from deity.

Reply. The prophets continually said "Thus saith the Lord." Mr. D. says they received it all from the spirits of the dead, thus exalting human spirits to the position of "Lord." This makes "Ye shall be as gods," No. 3.

Davenport. All from Luther down have taught the immortality of the soul.

Reply. Martin Luther says "But I permit the pope to make articles of faith for himself and his faithful, such as, the pope is the emperor of the world, and the king of heaven, and God upon earth, the soul is immortal, with all those monstrous opinions to be found in the Roman dunghill of decretals." Defense, prop. 27.

Bishop Tillotson in his Sermons printed in 1744, vol. 2, said, "The immortality of the soul is rather supposed, or taken for granted, than expressly revealed in the Bible."

Davenport. We can shake hands with loved ones who have gone to heaven, and yet we are called deceivers and liars. Is there anything horrible in the idea that the mother's infant can come back and say, "Dear mother I still live?"

Reply. Those who say they shake hands with spirits of the dead, that they come back and say "I still live," are deceivers; for the Bible says, "The dead know not anything." Eccl. ix, 5. And what can be more horrible than to unite with the father of lies, and say "Ye shall not surely die?"

Davenport. I once believed what the demon said "He that believeth not shall be damned," and that if I did not do thus and so, he would hurt me down to hell-fire, fox-fire, "camphire" or some other fire.

Reply. He once believed the gospel, but now he goes by the spirits. He with others like him, are advertised in the precious Bible. See 1 Tim. iv, 1. "In the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils."

He that can call our blessed Saviour a demon, and thus ridicule his word, must be himself led by the demons.

Davenport. If there is a devil why does not Josephus mention having seen him? He was a faithful historian.

Reply. The same argument would disprove the existence of God. Shall we deny the existence of God because Josephus never saw him? That which proves too much, proves nothing in the case.

Davenport. I suppose the manifestations you will see tonight will be laid to the devil, by some. Though some of you are Universalists, and I am glad there is one class that have no devil to lay it to.

Reply. If they believed the Bible, they would see that there is a devil to lay it to, and thus be saved from the awful delusion! "Thy word is truth."

Davenport. There are tonight a million of circles. Are there a million of devils?

Reply. Yes, many times told. Devils were so plenty eighteen hundred years ago, that a legion were about one noted well developed medium. See Mark v, 2-13. The man in the tombs was a medium for physical manifestation! The record says "he could not be bound with fetters and chains, for the chains had been plucked asunder, and the fetters broken in pieces." When Jesus commanded the spirits to scatter, they asked to go into the herd of two thousand swine, which was permitted. The legion of devils went into the herd, and two thousand mediums were developed at once. Spiritualists should celebrate the anniversary of that memorable day.

Demons delight to torment and destroy. So when they could not any longer drive the man into the tombs, or into the wilderness, and influence him to tear his flesh with stones, they went into the hogs and urged them to commit suicide.

We read of a place "prepared for the devil and his angels," that the Dragon's "angels" were cast out of heaven with him, and of the "angels which kept not their first estate" &c. These references do not give us the number of fallen angels, but we know they were so many, that when multitudes were possessed, seven could still be spared for Mary Magdalene, and a legion for the man in the tombs.

Mr. Davenport asserted that there were now eight millions of Spiritualists in the United States. If each of these has a guardian spirit, there must be at least so many devils at the present time. But, judging from the almost endless variety of contradictory messages received by a single medium, (which they say come from so many different spirits,) we must conclude that there are now thousands, who have each as many devils as the man in the tombs.

To confirm the sentiments of Mr. D., the spirits worked some wonders before the audience, which I will briefly describe. They had a large cupboard-like box with folding doors, so that the whole front could be laid open to the audience in a moment. It was high enough for the mediums to walk in erect, with board seats in each end. In the top of one of the doors was an aperture about a foot in diameter, and a black cambric veil hung over it, so as to render the inside perfectly dark when the doors were shut. A violin, tambourine and bell were placed inside. The audience were requested to select two of their number as a committee to bind the mediums. The county clerk and a physician were chosen, and they proceeded to bind the mediums with two hundred feet of rope. They tied the boys' hands behind them, and then put the ends of the rope through holes in the seat, and tied with strong knots on the underside. Their feet were also made fast. Several others went forward to see that they were thoroughly bound. When all were satisfied, the doors were closed, and in an instant a hand was presented through the aperture at the top of the door. Every one in the audience saw the hand. A few strokes were heard on the violin, when the doors were pushed open from the inside. The committee reported that the boys were tied as before. The doors were closed, the hands appeared, and the music played several minutes. All the instruments were used at

once. A loud thumping was heard on all sides of the box, and then the doors opened. The skeptical made more examinations, the doors were shut, the hands appeared for some time, then the bell was thrown out, the ropes were heard rattling against the sides of the box, and in about two minutes the doors opened and the boys walked out. The ropes were then all thrown back, the mediums took their seats, and the doors were closed. A rattling of the ropes was heard, and in about five minutes the doors flew open, and the mediums were found to be so firmly tied that they could not stir hand or foot a single inch. All were astonished to see how wonderfully they were bound. The doors were closed and instantly three hands appeared at once. The instruments were regularly tuned, and the tune called "The Devil's Dream" was played on the different instruments, all keeping perfect time. A loud rapping was heard, and Mr. Davenport announced that the spirits were now ready to shake hands. Several ladies and gentlemen put in their hands and had them shaken by the spirits. They said the hands were a reality. Another examination followed and it was reported that the mediums had not moved. The mediums urged me to go in and be tied with them, and test the matter. I replied that it was unnecessary, as I was already a believer in the reality of the manifestations. It appeared too much like going into the Devil's den. One of the committee went in, and his hands were bound fast to the mediums'. After a few moments the doors were opened and one of the instruments was seen on the committee-man's head. He then reported that he felt hands on his face, head, shoulders, and that the violin floated against his head, and also against the box on all sides. Said he could not see how it could be possible for the mediums to move and he not know it. The doors were closed again and the ropes were heard rattling in the most spiteful manner for about two minutes, and the doors were opened and the spirits were gone.

A few of the most skeptical declared that it was all a slight of hand trickery. But what juggler or magician ever invited strong men to tie him hand and foot so that he could not move during his performance? A man that can believe that these mediums united all those ropes, and presented their hands at the top of that door, in a second of time, is more credulous than the Spiritualists themselves.

In my review I gave the prophecies concerning such a work, and then explained the character or fruit of Spiritualism as set forth in their own writings. The spirits told one of their mediums to remain here as long as I did, and hold circles, which are now in progress; notwithstanding which, the court house was crowded to overflowing to hear our reply.

The whole affair has produced a great excitement, and many have already acknowledged the truth so far as they have heard.

Mr. Davenport told me that the spirits of late are continually affirming that in a short time they would have power to appear in bodily form in daylight, and perform far greater wonders. He also stated that the wonders had increased of late, and their cause was advancing faster than ever before. This medium has called to see me three different times, and asked me to give way for him to lecture in the court house. He is a trance speaker. The Bible says, "Give no place to the Devil!" We shall have to wrestle mightily against these "rulers of the darkness of this world," and we must be fortified with the whole armor of God, or we shall not be able to stand.

M. E. CORNELL.