p. 44 | Spiritualism as It Is by Editor

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jul 11, 1865

Spiritualism as It Is.

By Editor

THE testimony of an opponent in favor of any truth, is acknowledged by all as the highest kind of evidence; so the testimony of a friend against any error, is evidence equally good, on that side of the question. We have received a tract entitled "Spiritualism As It Is," by Wm. B. Potter, M. D., New York. The writer is a Spiritualist lecturer, and offers his services to speak, hold circles, form societies, &c.; but unlike his co-laborers he feels called upon to denounce and expose the iniquities that inhere in that villainous system. He takes up the subject under four heads: Manifestations, Teachings, Tendencies, and Explanations. Under the heading of the teachings of Spiritualism, he says:

"The teachings and theories given through the different manifestations, are as various as it is possible to conceive. Indeed, few of the devoted 'seekers after truth under difficulties' are aware of the endless contradictions and absurdities that are mixed up with the most exalted Truths and the most profound Philosophies. We have room for only a tithe of them, for we have not yet found the first question or subject about which they do not contradict each other. We have spent hours in reading and listening to long and very ingenious communications, through unconscious media, to prove that it is all the effects of mundane causes, and that there is no conscious identity of the spirit after the death of the body. That the spirit, like the body, decomposes after death and enters into new combinations.

"We are taught that God is a person; that He is impersonal; that He is omnipotent; that He is governed by nature's laws; that every thing is God; that there is no God; that we are gods. We are taught that the soul is eternal; that it commences its existence at conception, at birth, at maturity, at old age. That all are immortal, that some are immortal, that none are immortal. That the soul is a winged monad in the center of the brain, that it gets tired, and goes down into the stomach to rest; that it is material, that it is immaterial; that it is unchangeable; that it changes like the body, that it dies with the body, that it is developed by the body, that it is human in form, that it is without form, that it is in but one place at a time, that it is in all places at the same time.

"We are taught that the spirit world is on earth—just above the air—beyond the milky way. That it has but one sphere—three spheres—six spheres—seven spheres—thirty-six spheres—an infinite number of spheres. That it is a real, tangible world, that it is all a creation of the mind of the beholder, and appears different to different spirits. That it is inhabited by animals, birds, etc., that they do not inhabit it. That it is a sea of ether, that it is a plain, that it has mountains, lakes and valleys, that it is a belt around the earth. We are taught that the spirits eat food—live by absorption—live on magnetism—thoughts—love. That they control media by will-power, by magnetism, by entering media, by standing by their side, by an influence beyond our atmosphere, by permission of the Lord.

"That spirits converse by thought-reading, by oral language. That their music is harmony of soul, that it is instrumental and vocal. That they live single; in groups of nine. That they marry without having offspring; that they have offspring by mortals; that they have offspring by each other. That their marriage is temporary; that it is eternal. That spirits never live again in the flesh; that they do return, and enter infant bodies, and live many lives in the flesh. That some are born first in the spheres, and afterwards are born on earth in the flesh. That the true affinity is born in the spirit world at the same time that the counterpart is born on earth. That all spirits are good; that some are bad; that all progress, that some progress; that none progress; that some retrogress and become devils.

"We are taught that those that act the worst progress the fastest; that we must go through hell to get to Heaven; that a drunkard 'will become more noble than she otherwise could.' That sin is a lesser degree of righteousness. That there is no high, no low, no good, no bad. That murder is right, lying is right, slavery is right, adultery is right. That whatever is, is right.

"That nothing we can do, can injure the soul, or retard its progress. That it is wrong to blame any; that none should be punished; that man is a machine, and not to blame for his conduct. That we must have charity; that we must not expose iniquity, because it will harden the guilty.

"We are also taught that Spiritualists are apt to be worse than others. That time is not known in the spirit world. That new planets are peopled by spirits, taking on natural bodies, and propagating. That atoms of matter are in the form of men, and once had tails. That all things constantly give off images that are immortal. That the spirit of the tree exists in perfect form after the tree is burnt. That monads are God's thoughts and go through all forms of rocks, trees, animals, and at last become men. That we see by a positive radiation, that goes out from the eyes, and touches things. That thoughts are living entities, and may flow down the arm on to the paper, if that is burnt, they float around. That spirit is substance, in absolute condensation; that matter is substance, whose particles never touch. That sexual union is necessary to health and development, that it is a great help to media to get spiritual elements, but, if the parties are not adapted, it is a great injury and an awful wrong." &c.

Such are some of the absurdities, follies, and contradictions, of Spiritualism. And the writer assures us that all these, and many more which he names, he has heard given by mediums or read in communications. A very attractive system is it not, to be entrusted with our eternal interests! And yet with all these disgusting discrepancies on their polluted hands, Spiritualists will foam out their innate ravings over what in their estimation are a few contradictions in the Bible, asserting that on this account it is only fit to be trampled under foot!

Under the head of the Tendency of Spiritualism, we quote the following which needs no comment:

"The tendencies of Spiritualism, like its teachings, are too numerous to mention. We will but glance at a few of the most prominent: Free-Love, Progression, Individualism, etc.

"One of the oldest, if not the most influential spiritual paper, has several noted Free-Lovers, and libertines, as special and honored correspondents.

"Parting husbands and wives, is one of the notorious tendencies of Spiritualism. The oldest and most influential teacher of Spiritualism, has had two wives, each of whom he encouraged to get divorced before he married them. When one of the most eloquent trance speakers left her husband, he came out, and stated that he knew of sixty cases of media leaving companions. We heard one of the most popular impressionist speakers say to a large audience, that she was compelled by spirits to secede from a husband with whom she was living very happily. We lately heard a very intellectual, eloquent and popular normal speaker say, in an eloquent address to a large convention of Spiritualists, that 'he would to God that it had parted twenty, where it had parted one.' In short, wherever we go, we find this tendency in Spiritualism."

He says again, p. 18. "The mass who are well disposed but easily influenced by bad example and immoral teachings, would be injured by the licentious and immoral example and teaching, so common, at present, in Spiritualism."

Again, in pleading for an organization of orderly Spiritualists, he says, p. 21: "Licentiousness being a predominant (the italics are his) and notorious evil in Spiritualism, especial care and the utmost pains should be taken to exclude it, and every appearance of it."

In regard to the spheres the writer informs us that "the first sphere is occupied by the vilest and most degraded whites, and gross, undeveloped negroes, indians and savages; that the second sphere is occupied by selfish, brutal, whites, and partly developed savages, and half-civilized people." p. 15.

Then he says on page 16, that "no spirit can, by any possibility, magnetize any one more than one sphere below himself;" and "as all mortals, while in the flesh, are in the first sphere, it follows that no media on earth ever has been, or can be, magnetized by any spirit above the second sphere, and all claims of being directly controlled by spirits of the higher spheres, will, in every case, be found to be a mistake or a falsehood."

He says also on p. 23: "Recollect that no spirit higher than the second sphere, ever has, or ever can personally control mortals, millions of claims to the contrary, notwithstanding."

Again he says, p. 16, "Not one per cent of the manifestations have had a higher origin than the first and second spheres. These spheres being full of low, ignorant, deceptive, mischievous, selfish, and egotistical spirits, fond of controlling media, they have, by reading the minds of mortals, and picking up old poetry, essays, and the floating notions of the times, with a few facts obtained from higher spheres, passed themselves off, for our friends and relatives, and the great and good of all ages."

A pretty good confession of the deception of this delusion, from whatever source it may come. Yet the writer exhorts his friends to stick to the indians, the tips, raps, and humble manifestations, and they will be sure to find enough to convince them of the existence of the spirit of man after death. Verily these "brutal whites" and half-developed "savages," have a great and lofty mission assigned to them!

This theory of the occupants of the second sphere will probably account for the great number of indian spirits that have sought out their mediums. On this ground it doubtless happens that one with whom Seventh-day Adventists once had some acquaintance, now has for his communicating spirit a certain Indian chief, Owasso. (Be assured nothing less than a "chief" would satisfy the aspirations of the "reverend" character which he now assumes.) But this indian, chief though he is, is not yet developed enough, it seems, to read the time from the face of a clock, and is no more civilized than to wake up his medium by slapping him in the face with a ponderous boot!

There are some specimens of humanity, which have become so gross that the Devil cannot reach them by personating any decent and respectable individual. But let him personate a slobbering idiot, or a brutal savage, and they will swallow down the delusion with evident gusto!

But our author, in the vain expectation that light can be brought out of darkness, hopes to see a pure order of Spiritualism established, which he would denominate the "Angelic Dispensation." On this point he says, p. 20:

"We say Angelic Dispensation to distinguish it from the Disorderly Dispensation of undeveloped spirits, which has, up to the present time (June, 1865), so greatly predominated, that Spiritualism is suggestive of Free-Love Affinities, Disorder and Sensualism.

"After years of careful investigation, we are compelled, much against our inclinations, to admit that more than half of our traveling media, speakers and prominent Spiritualists, are guilty of immoral and licentious practices, that have justly provoked the abhorrence of all right-thinking people. They have been so powerful and persistent that nearly every effort by organization, or otherwise, to reform, restrain, or exclude them, has proved a failure. At the National Spiritual Convention, at Chicago called to consider the question of a National Organization, the only plan approved by

the Committee, especially provided that no charge should ever be entertained against any member, and that any person, without any regard to his or her moral character might become a member."

We need quote no further, nor make further remarks. Spiritualists, those of them who still wish to maintain a show of decency, will doubtless repudiate both Mr. Potter and his book; but it is just as good authority as any of their works. With all the other downward tendencies of the age, there is an increasing love for freedom from every moral restraint, and the unbridled practice of licentiousness, and every evil. Were it not so, Spiritualism would die for want of votaries. But as it is, it stalks through the land like a gigantic yet squalid specter, reeking with its Sodomitish pollutions, and gathering to its embrace the low the lecherous and the vile.