A CRUCIAL TEST.

Evening Star, Issue 3959, 2 November 1875, Page 3

A CRUCIAL TEST.

To the-.Editor. Sir,—' There is a eingtflar vagueness in the answers of spiritualists to any challenge of a ciucial nature tint is somewhat suspicious. Let us briefly examine the two letters that appear in your issue of Saturday. The first consists of a quotation from an article, and partake ol that favorite native of argument —namely, repeating over and over again the disputed fact No one wants to know that the followers of spiritualism believe in it: they would simply be knaves instead of tools if they did not. It is stated that our desira to put spiritualism to a practical test is the improper result of the materialistic spirit of the day. Now, it appears to me that this doubling spirit is the real cause of spinlu.dism.itsidf. Man is endowed with a belief in the miraculous which should find proper scope in that portion o: religion that appeals to it. Materialistic views having tinned that belief out of its proper channel, that instinct undo vent in extravagant credulity ; and what, so fascinating as spiritualism? The second letter is in tlm usual style of some one far gone in this species of ere inlity. Tim unbeliever is mbiv'd to tiy for himself, and hi- failure of success will probably be attributed to his being an unbeliever, ciirange that hard-headed men should never have vouchsafed to them what anv idiot may ohta n, though, perhaps, many of us may not find such consolation and ecstacy as our credulous frb-nds appear to do iu sining for hours in the dark to be rewarded by a cr.mk on the livid with a sportive piece of furniture or a tune on an acc edeon, which l ist does not say much for the musical taste cl spirits. —I am, &c.. J. W. R. Dunedin, November 2.