SPIRITUALISM.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IV, Issue 70, 21 February 1884, Page 2

SPIRITUALISM.

n Another view of this interesting subject is -, extracted from the Banner of Ligh^ which says that the 'modern snritualmanifeitationWTiavebeen tested by JRo man Catholic dignitaries, according to the highest canonical requirements, and have been pronounced n'oi diabolical, but the work of pure Pand truthful spirits. It is well a£ this time ( to recall the fact. ..'"'""' This, examination was / made m France by the Abbot Alimgnana, Dbctor of the. Canon Law, Theologian, &c- 5 a short" time subsequent' to the publication of the Pneutnatology of I)e Mirville and the Supernatural iv ; General of i)e Gasparin, the former of whom iattvi butted the spirit-manifestations to thp .'devil, the latter to Ba'llucinatibn. The Abbotiefuted both these jpbsitibn^ m a learned and lengthy paniphletyin ,wlhich he . recount.^ his '". experiments. a few of the cases' presented; *Maws£r?: ■ „. , ':'■ ' ''' , " According to ihe Catpfolic ritual, demons^are driven off' by the sacred names of. God and Jesus, by prayer, tht sign., of the cross, by holy water and exorcisms ;■ and these nieans being known, I am going to report the etifejc^; of them on clairvoyant subjecfe, tables and mediums. • - ; r „ -." iEmsraoing the" o^portuni^r' offered by some mediums, magnetised by TStheTs; not by-myselfi t was ind«cedJto pvay, to inypke the sacred names of God and Jesus, to make the sign of the ci'oss on the subjects ; and I went so fur as to sprinkle them with holy water, with the design of driving oil t the devil, ahoulcl he have taken possession of them, but not one. of these mediums lost m my presence, the smallest part of their powers, and therefore I was 1 led to infer, that ] the deVil hk3 nothing : to do with, the phenomena." : lie ; exjjeriraen&d- with a! boy, an; ecstatic mesmerised ■byiKia mother, and! tlie remarkjtble phenomena, presented, excited m his imn<J_a strong suspicion; <jf r the devjl's^ agency. "I took, my I crucifix," hhre r says, and « pi-esentihg "it to the clairvoyant, conjured him m the! 'holjrnatne of Jesiis. Instead of repel-i ling it; to my great surprise he" seized; the cross in'the niost passionate manner atad fervently pressed it to his lips."- - [ij ' The'following is a sbrongef and more; general attestation of I this m teres ting fact ou the part of this honest ecclesiastic : — :•- ;' ; "'T have' made.'; a great ifrany experi-j irientsi m table-turning abd'^tableitdlking, wi,th pious laymen and with ecclesiastic'y uien ofpriiyer and serious habits, and even with a' venerable bfelib'p^'a'ud always m a very serion^ "ma'hhofy desiring to know, for the sake of religion and our sdiilsj if the devil ia m reality the agent W;ho qonyeya movement and language^ to i the. tables. Besides exorcism we have employed all the nieans taught and prescribed m the Catholic Church to drive out the dcvil r and we have never obtained any results; for neither prayers nor the sacred names , qf .God andpJesus, nor the I sign of * the cross ma(fe on tho tables, nor 5 the'crucifix, nor > the ;rosaiy, nor .-thei gospels, . nor the imagq of Christ placed on the tablesj norholy wat^r could stopHheir turnings, knbekings, anU replying- to . our questions ; but far from it, and, much to : our astonishment, we have seen the table turn over befoi'e, the image^pf Christ orucified. It was tho venerable' bishop himself that made the ? sign .'of tlie crass ; and Monsdghbr; asked the ta'ole if 'it loved the cross, and iknpfeonly replied m the affirmative, but actually turned before his orpis .pastorale, and spoke to him m .orthodox language of a ifytiire lite." . ' ; ... 1-he, priest very logically adds that, as the. teachings of the Catholic ritual give to prayer^holy.j water, exorcisms, (SjjO./the vircu^Qf driving away devils,; and as all these prescribed means are' unable to drive Jh.o spirits ont;pf mediurfts,;tables, 4c., -then these.spirits can not be devils, unless the Church is, |n error; and whafej£ue Catholic dare entertain such, a thought?" . .' -