SPIRITUALISM.— SHIP MATOAKA, &c.

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2220, 18 June 1870, Page 2

SPIRITUALISM.— SHIP MATOAKA, &c.

To the J'h/Uor of the Erenhaj Star. Sir, ln ♦answer to your correspondent “ Query, - ’ I jnay say that it is scarcely twelve month.! tince [ l)i;gm to investigate the subject of Spiritualism, and that I .ro-,mained-soplew£iat djjjibiful until about three months" simA, when mauil'estations at my own house led to my being convinced of its truth., I do not consider that I am yet snfficientlymdvanoed in the science to place implicit tlich m all the poinmnnications received through the table, am], I can assure your correspondi nt that no amount of ridicule would deter me from doing what ]’ think right. I certainly might have delayed the communication longer if t had not seen the statement in the European J [ail, and I can assure him that I have taken a great amount of trouble to test the answers. .\l} the information contained in the Home

papers is that a passing vessel saw fires lighted ■ on the island. If the answers to my'cp.iestions turn out true, thcil'T_, say. the. science will be worth fit, on the other hand, it should tum out imfimo, 1 will ask him to exercise a little charity towards me, and believe that 1 had Neither, vain or selfish motives in inserting them. I tried to convey the impression in ray brief letter of Tuesday that I had not implicit reliance in the coinmuuicatfons, for i am somewhat like .-“Query,” and many others outside the ranks of spiritualists, in fixing some imaginary standard on which the great Creator establishes universal laws, and have been too much accustomed to place faith in learned twaddle. By some unaccountable system of logic people seem to think If a person investigates spiritualism fur a few weeks, and sees sufficient to make him believe in it, that he ought to be able to reveal all the hidden mysteries of nature and sieuce at once. Of all the writers and lecturers that 1 have heard and read against spiritualism, none appear to have properly investigated the subject. lam fully persuaded that all who do investigate it in a proper, truthful, and unbiassed nranuer, will bless the day they commenced to progress towards freedom, harmony, beauty, and love. They will be led to fin 1 tlio.r exact spiritual standard and their relation to the infinite Father, who is wisdom and love. As there is a money religion and a soul religion, so there is a money spiritualism and a soul spiritualism ; of the latter I hope always to remain, unless I can be convinced of something higher. I can tell “ Query ” or anybody else, that, if they were convinced of the truth and beauty of spTitualism to-morrow, outsiders would not bi-liove them a bit more than they believe me or other,spiritualists. We never really understood how very foolish and ignorant we were until wC become spiritualists ; for instance, the more pure and truthful we become, the more reliable the communications we receive. As in life, so in spirit, we can have good or evil associates ; the best letter of introduction to the good spirits is universal love and charity. If on the other hand we are selfish and self-opinionated, we shall have untruthful communications. At first it was called humbug and delusion ; then mechanical ; then odic force ; then animal magnetism ; the parsons say it is of th ■ devil ; whatever mankind believe in is that its the old saying, 1 ‘ there is nothing like leather.” Mr Editor, I am afraid that I have already encroached too much on your space ; but I. would just like to make this offer —that I am willing to give at least one evening a week to assist in developing a circle of ladies and gentlemen that may be selected. 1 shall ask no other conditions than that they shall eater info the subject without any bias, and that they shall be persons of good mural character. • ■ * I am, kc., TV . • JR. To the Ediioi'. of i/m Eveniiu/ Skcr. Sib,—ln reading your issue of to-night mv attention was attracted by a letter signed “Query,” and “It.’s” letter, he refered to, I have not had the pleasure of seeing, in consequence of having been absent from home, but for the information of your rcadcis I may state that K. communicated •to me on Tuesday, the 7th hist., that lie had had an answer to replic from fhe spirit world respecting the missing ship Matoaka, stating that her remaining crew and passengers were upon the Auckland Islands. 1 c-mfess that I did not attach great weight to the matter at the time, from the fact of something fully occupying my mind apart from the subject in question, and also from my sceptical disposition as to that which is immaterial, but none the less anxious to be convinced if sufficient evidence exists to warrant a conviction. Tito mere fact of “11,” abstaining from | mtiking the intelligence public at the time j does not lessen the fact of his having re- 1 cciml such intelligence, when w’O can place i confidence in the- veracity of the person. L j am not a believer in .spiritualism in the j common acceptation of the term, nor do I j claim to lac in a position to ignore it. Ail 1 i can say is that much of my spare time is spent in endeavoring to examine into the matter in order that I may arrive at the causes which produce the phenomena. I am, &c., F. Port Chalmers, pith June, 18/0.