SPIRITUALISM.

Thames Star, Volume XV, Issue 4810, 9 June 1884, Page 2

SPIRITUALISM.

<To t.b'o Editor of the Evening Star.)

Sik,—l went to hear Mr Bull last Wednesday night on Spiritualism. He did not exactly say that all Spiritualism was a fraud and a lie, but he tried his his best to make that impression, and, I think, succeeded very badly. He said that fraud bad frequently been detected, but what of that? Has fraud not been detected in Christianity ? Does that' prove it to be a lie? He said that the returned spirits ■ did not agree in their account of spirit land. What of that? Do those who return from America agree about it ? Does that prove a fraud ? He- : said that conjuror;.? could do many of the same things as ; but doea that prove that spiritual manifestations are tricks that thousands of private families all over the world ttatler in circles to deceive one anoLher by ? S.e Baid that a mesnerist; can impress his thoughts upon those he operates upon ; so say we, and we say further that departed spirits have lh*> same power over those they operate upon. You must see ~:hat none ot these things proves a fraud.. But I hare rather a serious charge to make against; Mr 8., viz., that he did not speak the truth about Spiritualism. He said thst it tended to Atheism; the rtverse is the- truth, viz., that it hag maie more converts from Atheism than aL other systems pnfc together. Or course, the Spiritualicts do not believe h the orthodox God; they do not belie*} that God is a jealous God, or that le is a fighting man, a man of war, and m one could fight him, for he could stay th» sun from, going down, he could not figit so well in the dark, or with a torch ligh", he must have the suu: This was the (rod of Israel that they,had a.l to themselves, they boosted and said no God was .ike big). They jdo not believe in that God who"met with a man one day, and they had a wrestling bout, and they wrestlsd on for hours until God wanted to be going, but iho man would not ■ let him go,-so they, tlrestled on until moroing, and God .- put the man's, thigh out of joint, and that ended the , great w.restliug match. The Spiritualists • do not believe that God was over a lying spirit, as appear? in one of the prophets. Neither do they believe that God ever had a favorite people whom ho told to go to a ■ certain nation to plunder and murder, to kill men, women, and children, and take all their property. What* horrid God this was for anyone to boast about. The •Spiritualists do not believe that God worked hard^six days, and then had to ■, rest oa th.elTgfcyeoth. I might here ask you and yd*nsfeaders if they do not think it would be^tier.to believe in no God than ih-lWsjtfiva'n^elist's GodL Although the Spintiijlists do not believe in the orlncabr^lGred, I might tell Air B. what sort or.a-God they do believe' in. They. beli^MpUit God is an infinite spirit, whof|t fills all .space ; that he is intelligent, justM-. wise, and good ; that he is our (fPrtvenlylfl Father ; that he has no favorites ; that he is as kind and good to the sinner as t :> the saint; there is no petty spile about him ; he does not prevent; the rain to fall upon the wicked Iran's jield ; we are all fed at this bounti ul Father's table, and iuatc; d of creating the world in six days, it has taken him millions, upon mi'liocs of years to produce all that now is, and cre^lioa is as much going oa now as'ever it was. But c eution out of nothing they do not believe in. . As Emerson puts it— Everytliing that is, always was and always will'be ; that it hrs oa'y changpd iv form, end nothing is produced £twice exactly a'ike. lot us bow with reverence before tliis mighty power whichsii always producing such mighty changes in the mineral world, in the vegetable world,: and in the animal world, '''his vjoe-able being has a Eoa with a nature life his own, aad that, son is men ; and the will ar d desigu of this all-wise being is to produce a great and noble being, and no power in existence can prevent him from accomplishing his great purpose. f Igcoracce, sin, and falsehood cannot always live. If orthodoxy be true, the devil is the master of the situation, and God is trade use of as a tool for the devil. God creates man for the devil Jo reign over in endless torment. What a black picture! Another thing that Mr B, said which is not true: He ' said that' Spiritualism, did.'away with retribution. The very opposite is tho truth, for they say whatsover a maa soweth, that shall he also reap; that,no one canT.possi-, bly escape the consequences ofoHriijpftiW actions. But the EeangtelistsCjiay-fthey' can; that they can have their".sins-par-•" doned by helieving; tLat th"c unjust can' . bo made just by faith, and the unrighteous pan be made righteous by the same pro--cess. But tho Spiritualists say* that no one can be justified in any other way than by doing justly, and no one can be made righteons but by doing right. This is j vastly different to men who have lived wicked lives slipping into heuven at ' last, juat by believing. My opinion is that . Spiritualism will survive this terrible blow struck by Mr Bull We do not ask any one to believe in" bpmtualism, but what we f?o ask is that all may gefc to know the facts that we know. It doea not vast upon faith but upon knowledge. We do not say "ho that believeth not shall bo damned;" this is despotism with a vengeance. We have had mor> than enough of blind faith; let us rely more upon facts,, and the. < 4 inspiration of our own souls. Good and I intelligent mea now are as much or moro inspired tl«an ever they were. Lat us go into the.depths of our owa souls, and make known the truth as God makes ife known to us. The notiou that God spoke bis last word to man eighteen hundred years since is foolish indeed. The evangelists have a little. God' and a nice littla ' hsaven only large enough to hold their ?"? Jit 11?, Party, but a hell large enough to hold all the world besides. Spiritualism is broad and liberal and fits in with the most advanced thoughts in science, and embraces aU that is intelligent and good in every way. I have a few very hard nuts for Mr B. to orack on Spiritualism which I may give you in the future.—l ■am- &C- J. HOEN.