SPIRITUALISM

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 637, 14 October 1909, Page 3

SPIRITUALISM

; Sir,—ln The DoaixioiJ of October 2 appears a letter from David'Niold, pastor of tho Church of God, and with brotherly love and charity ho reminds me of many or" my shortcomings, but never refers to'any of his own. Of courses I" admit that - would be unreasonable, seeing that ho represents the Church of God. I am glad Pastor Nield agrees'with" me that Spiritual-' ism is misunderstood- by tho pulpit. I will, with your permission, suggest, that it is just possible that Pastor Nield may also slightly; misunderstand Spiritualism, whioh is com-, manded by God, and misunderstood to some extent even by his own great pulpit. Pastor Nield says that Spiritualists cannot be credited with discovering this absurd .dogma and" pernicious error. The end or termination of the wicked is given' very frequently in the-Holy Scriptures. Evidently the good pastor still believes in the Holl ot the Scriptures. ■ Pastor Nield was amused to think that some Spiritualists know the Bible nearly as well'as Dr. Gibb, and he jumped at the conclusion that I was referring to myself. Here my friend-was mistaken, for in my young days -1 knew. moro of the Gaelic Bible than 1 did of the English, version, and in latter years 1 - found I- had much to learn. The Spiritualists I had in my mind's eye ■ aro clergymen who have laboured long in the vineyard, but have lately turned Spiritualists. .And if I made a slight mistako in quoting John, the great Apostle of tho Gentiles, who merely advises Christians of his day to exercise caution, in their investigation and usr of spirit manifestation, and to "prove'all things and holds fast to that which is good," I think Pastor Nield will agree with me that St; Paul is accepted as the, highest authority, and. th" clearest expounder of tho Christian/religion. Now what does St. Paul say? Concern-' ing spiritual gifts—"Brethren! I'would not have yon ignorant.". Now, he said there are diversities' of gifts, but'the ;same spirit; and: there are'differences of administration, but the same 'Lord, r and .there-are .diversities, of operations, but-it is the same God which 'worketh in all. How does the' Church of God, which ho so ably represents, comply with ■ the injunction to "brove' all things and-hold fast to- that which is good"? I believe there are many in the Church to-day .possessing many, of the,,gifts enumerated by Paul, but they, do not exercise them' for fear■ of misapprehension, .persecution, an J. reproach. ■ .... .. ■ . Tour correspondent says . tae . delusjon of Spiritualism is that the. spirits_ of dead persens can communicate with.the living; and yet Brother Nield will not read his Bible except through his own glasses. "It shall come to pass in thoso days.'saith the Holy One,-that I shall pour out my spirits upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters ihall prophesy, and yonr young men shall seo visions, and your old men shall dream dreams." Now tho prophetic hour has come. Can your correspondent toll me of a part of the world where Spiritualism is'not to bo found? Let me remind him and his followers (for I know that many are-anxi-ous on this point all over tho Dominion) men and women are anxious-about the future, and great credit is due to the press, which consciously or unconsciously is doing, moro than -the pulpit to open.the cyos of the peoplo who do not go to the churchos, not oven to the Cliurch of God. Sixty odd years ago not a single modern Spiritualist was on the face of tho earth; today there are millions, notwithstanding tho fact that theology. all over tho world has prayed against and denounced it as of tho evil one. Still it lives and moves ' along, and commanded bv God, notwithstanding tho fact that it is coifdemned by many on earth. jfy critic has taken mo to task, and asked me to prove that Spiritualism is commanded bv God, and then he tells me God. denounces Spiritualism. King Saul'died for asking counsel of one that had a.-familiar,spjrit, or for attending a Spiritualistic, seance. "This," he says, "I wovea to.llr. M'Lean before at,Truro Hall." I had really 1 hoped that friend- Meld had 1 B?olyed ; & littl? higher, tiace' he tried' to

pvov? to mo that King Saul .died for attending a scance.with .the Medium' of Jindor. Saul did not die for any such Why docs not otir friend read' his' Bible with cammon sense; What are- the facts?. Ueseriiis, . tho greatest Hebrew scholar in the world, in his translation of this seance, says of it:'"Saul said unto tlu woman, 'What sawest thou?'" "I saw," oiir Bible rend, "gods ascending out of the earth." (That term gods menus spirits).. "I saw one with a god-liko form arise before mo. And.Samuel-said to Saul, 'Why hast thou disquieted ine to bring mo up?' Remember they had quarrelled, anil Samuel would: not see hira before his death, and told him, 'The Lord has departed from theo. as lie spake by me.'" Ho relets him right back to thu conversation tliey had in I Samuel, 15, 13-35: "Aud Saul was sore afraid.because of,the words of Samuel, informed him that his kingdom was to be given to his neighbour." : Saul did not die because of the'seance, but because he sinned agninst God. It is a pity our friend does not give tho. . whole history'of the case. 1 am afraid I have occupied too much'of Tour space, andas.l do not hope, to enlighten hi other Nield, you can, if you choose, cut my letter to, short, dimensions.—Yours for truth and progress, 1 : ; WILLIAM M'LEAN. . ' 21. Home Street, October 3, 1909. •, \ :rWo havo' adopted Mr. ;M'Lean's suggestion to .the extent of reducing somewhat the length of His letter.] ''