SPIRITUALISM.

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2211, 8 June 1870, Page 3

SPIRITUALISM.

Last evening Mr \V. D Meers delivered a lecture on the above subject, under the auspices of the Dunedin Mutual Improvement Society, at St. George’s Hall. Mr T. Birch occupied the chair. There was a very large attendance. The lecturer, who was well received, premised by stating that it was with very great diffidence that ho e ime forward to speak in favor of a subject almost, if not altogether new, and but little -understood by the majority of the audience : and it was under considerable difficulties that be placed his subject before them, for ho was aware that the advocates of all new principles and reforms had in all ag.s been met with ridicule and .persecution, no matter to what extent the human family was benelitted. But as that had passed .'away, and having been frequently solicited to come forward, he had consented. Not being a public teacher, he had to crave the indulgence of the audience. He proposed to divide his subject iuto three parts ; firstly, his own introduction to the phenomena and personal experiences; secondly, the opinions ot some of the most popular and scientific men of the day ; and thirdly, the general teachings and philosophy of spiritualism. .Recurring to part first he could not do better than read a few extracts from his diawy. He did not wish to offer the same excuse for its imperfections, that he heard a rev. gentleman make for his at Knox’s Church some months ago, which was anti-spiritualistic, by stating that he had only been ten months in prepa? iug it j and consequently it was very incomplete but his (Mr Meers), with all its shortcomings, did not occupy him much more than as many hours in its compilation. He had this advantage over his opponent, that he spoke from personal experience, and not from religious prejudices. When the subject of spiritualism was first mentioned to him ho was as sceptical as any, and poffii poohed the matter with all the assurance of an ignorant man, but since the eland which darkened his understanding had been removed, and he had discovered the great truth and beauty of spirit communion, he had often thanked God for having unfolded this grand and wonderful evidence of the soul's immortality, From his private diary he read several extracts - By means of the circle, he said, lie became developed as a clairvoyant as well as a clairadiant, and could not only see spirits very distinctly, but when his own spirit was en rapport with another spirit, they could converse as freely as any two persons now in the flesh. He then described the manner in which he was developed as a healing medium. On the evening of the 3rd April, 1859, his friends, Mr Child and Air and Mrs Wilks, called to spend the evening at his house, ip London. Mr Ohild was very unwell, feeling a nervous depression, attended with pain in his chest and back. On his arrival, Mr Meers, who was in a clairvoyant state, saw a spirit with him, who told him (the lecturer) that he (the spirit) was auxious to magnetise Mr Child, but could not do so without Hie assistance of a medium. On Child asking which of the mediums present could best be used, he was told that Mr Meers could, and he then followed the instructions of the spirit, by doing exactly as it did. The lecturer then made sundry passes, which he described, and the result was that the patient in a few moments declared himself free from pain and perfectly restored. Mr Meers then described his first vision of the spirit-world, and read several communications which were written, through his hand, by departed friends and relatives. One communication was written, in the presence of several friends, ip three minutes, which would take him at least half an hour to copy, under ordinary circumstances. On one occasion’ho had decided to consult his physician about a severe cold, when his arms became “spiritually agitated” for writing. He sat down with a pencil, when a prescription was given by a spirit physician,’pawed Forbes, which could riot possibly have been written without tire interposition of a power independent of his own. After the second application, it performed a most perfect cure, {To hi continued.)