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THE

PROBABLE EFFECT
OF

SPIRITUALISM
UPON THE
Social,

Moral,

ai^d

Religious Condition

OF Society.

PRIZE ESSAYS.

LONDON
Published by

The

British National Association of Spiritualists,

38,

Great Russell Street

ii,

And by

E.

W. Allen,

Ave Maria Lane.

1876.
S

LONDON

rniXTED EY THE XATIOKAL IRESS AGEXCY, LIJUITED,

106,

SnOB LANE,

E.C.

'REFACE.

The

publication, 'in their present form, of the ,two Essays

is

oontained in this volume

due to the following circumstances.

In the year
its

1875,

througn the liberality of two Members of

the British National
ofEer
;

body, the Council of

Association of

Spiritualists
sisting of

was enabled to

two

prizes,

the

first
;

con-

a Gold Medal, or 20

the second of 10

for the

best and second best Essays on a selected subject, which was

"

The Probable Effect of Spibitualism upon THE Social, Moral and Religious
Condition of Society."
conditions were that the competition should be open to
subjects,

The
all

British born, or naturalised British

and further

to all Foreign
Spiritualists,

Members

of the British National Association of

provided the Essays were written in English.

The following gentlemen were kind enough to consent to adjudicate upon the merits of the competing Essays MR.
:

Alfred Russel Wallace,

F.E.G.S.
de plume
;

the well-known
to a large circle
J.

naturalist

and

a gentleman
of "M.A.,

known

under the nom

OXON"; Me.

M. GULLT, M.D.; and

Mb. Martin R. Smith.

the Essays sent
^selected
in,

the two which are here printed were

prizes

by the Judges as worthy of the first and second respectively, by reason of their logical and literary
and, in accordance with the conditions of candidature,

merits

the copyright of the Essays vests in the Association for the

term of

five years

from the date of adjudication.

SPECIAL NOTICE.
In the case of the present Essays, the duty of selection
rested entirely with the Adjudicators
Association, though
itself free
it
;

and the Council of the

has undertaken the publication, holds

for the views of the writers.

from

all responsibility

FIRST PRIZE ESSAY.

BY

ANNA BLACKWELL.
|HAT
our "Social Institutions" are
" is

the outcome of our " Beliefs

a proposition so evidently true

that

we may probably be
its

allowed to

assume

acceptance as such

by our

readers and to proceed, without further

preamble, to examine the consequences

from the admission -of the fact of correlation between Philosophic Conresulting
victions

and Social Forms.

that our Beliefs are the

If

we admit
that

source of our Institutions,

we must
in the

also

admit

the

latter

will

necessarily
for-

change with every change

mer

and, as

what we have been accus-

EFFECT OF SPIRITUALISM.

tomed
of

to regard as " the established order

is

society"

founded
scientific

on

religious,

philosophic,

and
still

"creeds" that
side,

are

crumbling away on every

necessarily share

we
the

must admit,
will

further, that this " order"

the

fate

of
it

theoretic

conceptions

on which

has

been reared, and that the present epoch

is,

therefore,

emphatically an
as

epoch
fact

of
of

transition.

And

the

very

abandonment and the existence of some new stand-point to which

transition implies both the

of our actual stand-point

this

transition

is

leading us,

we cannot

escape the conclusion that the general

throwing of "Beliefs" into the crucible

of
analytic

examination

which

is

one

of the distinguishing characteristics of the

present day must be regarded, not merely as being destined to effect a decomposition of the
as
it

elements

of

society
also as

has hitherto

existed, but

FIRST PRIZE ESSAY.

7
re-

preparation

for

an

approaching
elements,

combination of

those

on

the

basis of some new form of mental conviction that will constitute the " Belief,"

and thereby determine the

ments, of the Future.

social develop-

A
of

transformation of such vast impor-

tance,

and
so

implying

possibilities

of

change

far transcending
foresight,

the

reach

human

may

well induce an

earnest consideration of such indications,

in

regard to

the general

direction

in

which we are tending, as may be deducible from an examination of what is taking place in the world around us.

The most

superficial

glance

at

the

present state of opinion suffices to

show
the

us that the immediate effect of the de-

composing

process,, to

which

all

old formulae of

human thought
is

are

now

being subjected,
rapid spread of

to

be found in the
Materialism,

theoretic

EFFECT OF SPIRITUALISM.
denies

which

the

existence

of

the

Spiritual element of the universe as the

corollary

of

its

denial

of the existence

of an Intelligent Creator, and in the

substitution of selfish appetites
rests,

and

inte-

in

place

of

the nobler psychic

is

motives of action, which

the practical
denial.

consequence

of

that

theoretic

And

as

the practical carrying-out of a

so

theory

simply dissolvent as that of

Materiahsm
call
itself,

would

necessarily

result

in the destruction, not only of

what we
race

"society,"
it

but of the

human

is

natural that the prospect of

deterioration

should
those

fill

and ruin thus presented with dismay the minds of

yet

who have not

all states

learned to re-

gard

as essentially transitory,

and

to see, in all

modes of

dissolution,

only a destruction of

perishable

forms

that have been temporarily

assumed by

imperishable elements only a setting-free

FIEST PEIZE ESSAY.

of those elements, as the indispensable

preliminary to
their

re-combination in

some new modes of temporary union.

But the "dissolution" of
terialism
is

old

ideas,

of which the present prevalence of Mathe earKest result,

is

seen,

on a closer examination of the subject, to be no exception to the consoUng law of Providential ordering which makes

what we call. ^nd harbinger

of

" death " the forerunner

of what we call "life." For the Materialistic denial of the ideas

a Creative

and

Overruling

Power
and

distinct

from the Creation, of the Soul,

responsibility,
less

and of human duty,

destiny,
is

a denial of those fundaof

mental intuitions
trary

the

human mind
arbi-

than a rejection of the unsound and

theoretic

assumptions

on
;

which

they have hitherto been rested

Materiahstic
fore,

and the
there-

hypothesis

should,

be regarded as

only

passing

10

EFFECT OF SPIRITUALISM.

phase of the reaction of modern science

against assumptions which

must necesbefore

be cleared away fundamental elements of

sarily
,

those
belief

human

can be securely established on the solid ground of scientific and rational conviction.

For
among
in

those

assumptions

o^ecog-

nizing
destiny
beings,

no community
the

of origin
various

or

orders

of of

and, consequently,
the

no identity of of
existence,

Purpose
but,

evolutions

on the contrary, breaking up

into

those

beings

unconnected

categories

and

substituting

permanent
pre-ordained

antagonisms
co-operation

place

of
the

in

prevent

ascertainment

of
the

the

only

sound

basis

of belief in
those

Creator
is

and

in

Immortality.
against

The MateriaUstic
assumptions

protest

therefore rendering an
to the ideas
for
it is

immense

service

which

it

aims at destroying;

unwittingly preparing the

way

'

FIRST PRIZE ESSAY.

for

H
a

the

establishment

of

Unitary
beginning
felt

Theory
to

the
in

need of which
all

is

be generally
one

though vaguely
grand,

that shall combine

istence

the facts of ex-

all-embracing

synthesis,

the
that

and thus furnish the key to problems of, Origins and End&
have
hitherto baffled the

keenest

enquiry.

And

as

it

is

only through

the solution of those problems that

we
the

can arrive at a rational belief

existence of a Beneficent

in

Creator

and

Overruler of the universe and a rational

acceptance

of

the

all-important

moral
to

consequences inseparable from that beHef,

it

is

evident that whatever

arbitrary
is

tends

undermine those
eous assumptions

and

erron-

clearing the

ground

for the establishment

of the

Scientific,

Theism which
tee

as the only certain guaraneternal persistence

of

the

of

the

Spiritual

principle,

the

only

sound

12

EFFECT OF SPIRITUALISM.

foundation of Physical Science, and the

only
social

safe

guide, to

the elucidation the

of

questions

is

most

urgent

need of the present day.

The
unitary
identity

real
is

tendency
to

of

modern

Ma-

terialism

the establishment of this

synthesis.

Compelled,
chemical

by the

of

their

constituents

.and

vital

common
^lobe, and

phenomena, to attribute a origin and destiny to the

being

various orders of beings that people our

imable to unite them

spiritiiality,

on any common ground of

a

the Materialist essays to unite

common ground-

of materiality.
visible

them on The
being

-stand-point of the

world

too narrow to allow of the construction,

thereupon, of a theory that can reconcile

the facts of
life

and the

fact of death with

the belief in

a^

Beneficent Creator (from

Overruler of the universe

belief the

and which
ele-

admission of a Spiritual

FIRST PRIZE ESSAY.

,

lb

ment

distinct

from Matter

the Materialist

endeavours

is

inseparable)^
^by eliminat-

ing that belief and consequently denying the existence of a Spiritual element

to
it

bring those various orders of beings and

of facts within the scope of a
formula.

common
attribut-

Seeing only Matter, he takes

as his basis of speculation.

By

ing to Matter the "property" of Force,

he makes

it

the cause of
it

Movement
of

and,

by

attributing to
it

the properties of Soul,

he makes

the

source
to

immaterial

phenomena.
credits

Unable
with

imagine

beginning of the material universe,

he
of

Matter
evolution

the
is

capacity

orderly

which

the result

and evidence of the Divine Overruhng, and thus endows it with the selfexistence which is the distinguishing characteristic of the Creator. Denying or attributing to assumed " properties of Matter" all the facts indicative of

14

EFFECT OF SPIRITUALISM.
concurrence
of
Soul,

the

Force,

and

Matter in the phenomena of existence,

atid

of the action of

self-existent in-

telligence in the co-ordination of those

three
constituent

elements of the uni-

verse, thfe MateriaUst arrives at

a basis

of reasoning that appears to be unitary, but that

is

unitary only in appearance

and he

builds,

upon that incomplete and

a Theory
to

delusive basis,

of

Existence,
at the

whichas an attempt
will

arrive

formation of the unitary synthesis that

be the beacon of the Future

con-

an advance upon the theoretic antagonisms of the Past, but which is, in reahty, as partial and unsound as the various unfounded assumptions it dissistitutes

pates.

But

as the

Sun, notwithstanding the

veil its splendour,

terrestrial

vapours that

continues to discharge

its

beneficent func-

tions as the Ruler of the system of depen-

FIRST PRIZE ESSAY.

15
it,

dent worlds that revolve around

Divine Overruling^untrammelled by human denial provides the appropriate

for Materialistic aberration,

so the

remedy
enabling
^'

by

the

spirits

of

the

so-called

dead " to give us incontrovertible evidence of their continued existence beyond the grave, and thus furnishes to the world

just
covery
the

when
is

the dazzle of physical disit

blinding

to the existence of

Spiritual principle

the

tangible proofs of the reality

tality of that principle

and and immorvisible

which

will eventu-

ally place our convictions, in regard to the

Spiritual element of our

compound

nature,

on the same basis of Positive Science which underlies our convictions in regard
to the facts of our physical existence.
It
is

evidently impossible to overrate

the influence which the establishment of

intelligent

communication

between the

surface and the spirit-sphere of our planet

16

EFFECT OF SPIRITUALISM.
necessarily exercise in shaping the

must

new phase

of conviction and of action to-

wards which we are tending, notwithstanding the drawbacks which may seem, at
first

sight, to diminish

the value of the

results to

be hoped for from that com-

munication.

The two realms of existence furnished by the surface and the spirit-sphere of our
planet being "part and parcel" of each
other and subjected to the same law of

slow and gradual progress,

pect
to
find

we must
ignorance

ex-

as

abundantly

evident

is,

indeed,

already
of

^that

general principles, retentions of prejudice

and

error,

and contradictory statements

based on individual impressions, suppositions, and speculations, are as rife on the

other side of the grave as on this side of Like attracting like, it is evident that it.

each

medium

will

usually

attract only

spirits

of the same average advancement

FIRST PRIZE ESSAY.

17

as

Ms

own, and that the

difficulties in-

herent in the art of spirit-manifestation

must necessarily impede^ ^for the present, and perhaps for a long time to come the free and correct transmission of thought

from the higher regions of the

spirit-world.

But

it is

equally evident that, notwith-

standing these drawbacks

which are due

its

to the general backwardness of our planet,

and can only be got

gradual
population

rid of through the

progress of both classes of

the

communication now beits sur-

ing established, at every point of

face,

between our globe and the

its

spirit-

world, must nevertheless exert a deter-

mining influence upon

ment.

future develop-

In the
will

first place,

this

communication

generahze the certainty of the survival

of the soul, with its activities and affections,

after the death of the

body

a survival in

regard to which the vast majority of man-

18

EFFECT OF SPIRITUALISM,

kind have, as
belief,

no clear and enlightened and which has, consequently, no

yet,

practical influence

on their

action.

And

although this
the

survival

does not suffice

to prove the indestructibility of the soul

for

prolongation

of

its

existence

through a few hundreds, thousands, or

even millions of years,

certain proof that
it

is by no means a wiU be prolonged

throughout eternity, which, as previously

pointed out,

can only

be proved with

absolute certainty as a deduction from a

Unitary Theory

of

Existence
to

^yet,

if

spirit-communication were

have

no

other result than that of showing that the

soul does not die with the body, and that

there

is,

consequently, no inherent impossi-

bility in

the idea of

its

being destined to

an eternal duration, the fact of that communication would still be incomparably more interesting in itself, and more important in its bearing on the future con-

FIKST PRIZE ESSAY.

victions

lU
all

and action of mankind, than

the purely physical discoveries which are the glory of the Positive Science of our
day.

But the communication

is

in

question
a.

evidently destined

to

bring about

result far

more important than the mere

of

establishment

the

presumption,

in

favour of our eternal existence, which is

deducible from the survival of the soul,
for a longer or shorter period, after

the
is

death of the body.

For,

while

it

evident that the great mass of mediani-

mic communications can only be a reflex

of the present ideas of the
spirits

who
me-

are nearest to the earth and of the

diums to
attracted,

whom
it

they are sympathetically

equally evident that the

is

generalization of medianimity will enable

the more advanced intelligences, who are directing the transformation of ideas

now

being effected in our world, to select

20
the

EFFECT OF SPIRITUALISM.

mediums best
us,

fitted to serve as

the

channel of the suggestive hints they may-

have to give

and thus

to assist us

in working out the general explanation

of the Creative Plan, which

necessarily

as

it

must

involve

the

relations of the

present

and the future, and those of our earth and its races with the other realms and beings of
to

the

past

Infinity

can never be elaborated through

any unassisted efforts of observation and induction on our part, but can only be arrived at by us with the aid of those whose superior advancement enables them to take a wider view of
Providential
tainable,

arrangements
the

than

is

ob-

from
the

lower

stand-point

of human observation; an

explanation
of

which
which,

progressive

discoveries

Science vdll elucidate and confirm, and

by enlightening us

in regard to
the
soul's

the nature and conditions of

FIRST PRIZE ESSAY.

existence,

21

will

give

us

at

once

the

rationale

and the certainty of the eternal

of each individualised soul, as
result

duration

the aim and

of those

arrange-

ments.

The supposition
than that
of

of such a transmission

of teaching from a higher point of view

our

present

life

as

consequence to be naturally anticipated

from the communication now being established between spirits and men
necessarily pre-supposes our inability to
foresee, in their will
entirety, the ideas that

be
to

gradually

conveyed
is

by that
that,

teaching.

But
set

it

evident

in

order

us

on the track of the

being

theoretic unity

now

sought

for,

more or
advanced
It

less

consciously,

by the most
day,
-this
:

thinkers

of

the

higher teaching must do three things

1.

must prove the common origin, law of development, and destiny, of all

22

EFFECT OF SPIEl'TUALISM,

the Ci'esatures of the universe, from the

lowest to the highest, by showing

all
life

that

forms of suffering and of

effort,

of

and of death, result from their community of origin and of destiny, and occur in virtue of a Unitary Plan and Purpose that link together, in one endless chain of progress, aU the reigns,
modes, and realms of Creation
2.
:

must vindicate the Wisdom, Justice, and Beneficence of the Divine Government, by showing us (i.) That the
It

various orders of beings constitute

successive links of that chain
their corporeal differences
;

the

(ii.)

That
in-

and mental

equalities

mark

successive degrees of the

same general
sive

scale of evolution, succes-

steps of the

common road
(iii.)

to the

common

goal

and,

That they only

appear to us to be heterogeneous and unconnected, because we see them all at the same time and out of the natural sequence

FIRST PRIZE ESSAY.

23

of their production, and are therefore unable

to

perceive

the

according to which

could
career,

orderly

filiation

our

glance

take in the

origin,

and end of
of
its

our
of

planet,

and the

relations

races with the other worlds

and beings
see

the

universe

we

should

that

they have been produced.

For a Unitary
is

Theory

of

Existence

must, necessarily

show us that the Universe

that " Creation "
is

a unit;

not local but general,

sole

not an act but

a process, whose

aim

is

the development and education of

it' is

Soul through the action

exert

made
Plan;

to in

upon the elements of Matter,

Soul
is

accordance with the Creative

that
all

the formative principle

of

the

temporary

agglomerations

of

those elements which

we caU

" bodies,"

and that

all

natural "bodies," from the

simplest to the most complex, from the

lowest to the highest, are mere temporary

24

EFFECT OF SPIRITUALISM.

results of the past or present action of

Soul,

upon the material element,

stages

various
there
is,

of

its

education
;

at the
^that

consequently,

no

fixed

and

abiding "Universe," but only a succession of temporary phenomena, constituted,

for the time being,

by the action of
of

Soul,,

and
with

that
its

the

duration

nebula,,

countless
is

myriads of suns and

changeful and ephein
its

of planets,
meral,

as

considered

relation

to

Eternity, as
lives
all

that of the May-fly which

and

dies in a single

day

our Positive Sciences

Chemistry, Geoof

and

that

logy,

Astronomy,

Electricity, Mineralogy,

Botany, Physiology, Natural History, &c.

are mere summings-up of the modes

which they severally deal
3.
:

soul-action in the special directions with

It

must explain the mingling

as

of

truth and falsehood in the various "Beliefs"

of the Past,

having

resulted

FIRST PEIZE ESSAY.

25

from the imperfections of the phases of human development in which they took

must take the place of those "Beliefs," not by destroying, but by

their rise
;

and

it

fulfilling,

their aspirational out-reachings,

as the "workings of root, stem,

and flower

are

fulfilled,

in the fruit.
briefly

Let us now
Unitary
the day
belief

examine the con-

sequences deducible from the idea of the

Synthesis

towards

which
first,

we
the

have seen that the mental movement of

is

tending, as regards,

and next, the

of a

social forms, of the

Future.
1.

The idea

Unitary Theory of

Existence
fact

necessarily

presupposes

the

tion

of a Unitary Plan in the producand maintenance of the universe,

and thus implies the eternal continuity of the Creative Action by which we and
all

the other orders of Creatures have

been called into being, and the eternal

26

EFFECT OF SPIRITUALISM.

continuity of the

ment
2.

to

same law of developwhich we and they are now

:

subjected

The

continuity

of

the

Creative

Action implies that there never was a

period, in the

eternity of the

Past,

in

which the Creatures of an earher Creation had not already attained to the
relative "perfection" of

knowledge,

love,

^nd power which is the aim of Creation and the source of the happiness of all
Creatures
3.
""
:

The attainment
by
the
implies

of

that of

relative

perfection"

spirits

earher
of
in

Creations

the

employment
spirits

those relatively
fields of

" perfected "

cosmic activity proportioned, in

grandeur and importance, to the degree of their scientific and moral advancement
:

4.

The

arrival

of

the

Creatures

of

earlier Creations at those higher fields of

activity

(the

" Thrones,

PrincipaUties,

FIRST PRIZE ESSAY.

27

Powers" of the vicegerents

practical administration
is

to

whom

the

of the universe

entrusted by the Creator) impUes that

all

we, and

the other Creatures of the

later Creation to

which our earth and its population belong and those of all the innumerable future Creations that will succeed each other throughout eternity shall eventually arrive at the same ele-

vation
6.

The attainment
all

of the

same

eleva-

tion by

the Creatures of the universe

imphes the upward passage of all those Creatures through the same successive degrees of development, and thus confirms the earliest religious insight of our
globe, as recorded in the earliest of its

"Sacred Writings," which expressly declare that "Kinsmen, beasts, stones, vegetables, are all one; what they are, a man has been:"* a declaration tantamount
* Vide the Druidic Triads, Bhagavat-Ghita, &c.

28
to

EFFECT OF SPIRITUALISM.
asserting that

will he:
6.

what a man

is,

th^y

And

this unity

of origin, training,

and destiny

implies, in its turn, the

two

great related

more

doctrines expressed, with " or less clearness, in all the " Bibles
of
its.

of the world and in the writings

greatest thinkers, from the earliest times to the present day,

viz.,

ence of the soul to

ai^d,
(ii.)

The pre-existthe body it animates,

(i.)

The gradual progression

of the

soul

in

happiness,

knowledge, virtue, power, and through successive embodi-

ments

in the

same

planet, or in planets of
it

higher and higher degree, until

reaches

the grade of mental, moral, and corporeal

development which
of

lifts it

any

further connexion

above the need with planeit

tary matter,

and introduces
being
all

to the nobler

modes

of

that

are

dimly

fore-

shadowed, in
" glorified "

thos^ "Bibles," as the

existence to which

we

are

FIRST PRIZE ESSAY.

29

eventually to attain, but of the nature of

which we are unable, at our present low level of attainment, to form the remotest
conception.

No

theory that does not

fulfil

the conthe

ditions here laid

down can

satisfy

mental need of our day, for no other could

claim to be unitary; because no other

could explain the

tivity of the

affinities

and construcvitality,

Mineral Reign; the

digestion, circulation, sleeping

activities,

and waking,
diseases,
;

preferences,

efforts,

and death of the Vegetable Reign the intelligence, passions, and suflferings of the Anijnal Reign the unequal conditions, the sorrovfs, aspirations, and progressiveness of the Human Race and the persistence,
; ;

in each ascending reign, of the special

characteristics of the reigns

below

it

and

because, without this coherent and all-eml)racing explanation,

it is

impossible to

demonstrate the existence of a Beneficent

30

EFFECT OF SPIRITUALISM.
Sustainer,

and Omnipotent Author,

Euler of the Universe,
destiny,

and

to prove the

exist-

ence of any unity, either of nature or of

between the beings of the various

reigns of our planet, or between these

and

the

other

beings

of the universe,

to

justify the conception of the

Brotherhood
perceive the

of the

Human

Race,

or to

rationale of Christ's

of the totahty of aspiration

structive

subhme summing-up and of conprophetic

achievement in his

prayer that the "Will" of the Creator may

" be done on earth, even as
it is

done in

"

more advanced realms of being, whose inhabitants have learned to practise

the

the lesson of conformity with the laws im-

posed hy the Creative Ordaining which we

are

now

being

made

to learn through the

;

discipline of the earthly life

all

of which

conceptions, without the soUd substratum

that can only be furnished to

Unitary

them by a Theory of Existence, must be

FIRST PRIZE ESSAY.

3t'

regarded as mere baseless figments of the

imagination.
It
is

evidently as impossible to foreSocial Institu-

cast
tions

the details of the

that will

phase

take their rise in tho of unitary " Belief " to which

tending,
as to foresee
all

we

are

the
that

ideas

that will

be

comprised in

" Belief"

But

it

may be

safely assumed,

on the one
will

haild, that those institutions

of,

grow out

periences and aspirations

and,

and crown, the exof. our Past,

nevertheless,

on the other hand, that they will, differ from those of the
as

Past as widely
"creeds."

the

.convictions

of
the

the Future will differ from our earlier

For the
out

institutions

of

Past
of

growing

of

perception

and antagonisms that were supposed to be inherent in the nature of things, and attributing a false and exaggerated importance to th&
diversities

32
present
that

EFFECT OF SPIRITUALISM.

conditions of an earthly life was supposed to be our only one the individual ^necessarily embodied and social selfishness imphed in those suppositions. But the institutions of the

Future
the

growing

out
all

of

view

of

existence in which

the Creatures of
to

universe are seen

be travelling
starting-point,

onwards,

from the same

by
the

the>

same road, same destiny,

of

to the attainment of

and
those

in

which the
to

interests

each are perceived

inseparable
necessarily

from

of

all

"

be

^will

embody the
is

conviction that,
in
literal

not only
the
sole

"Love,"

truth,

" fulfilling

of

the

law

of

Creation,

but that

we can
interests

only secure

our own individual

and happiness by substituting, for the divergent and antagonistic ayrangements which make ALL the rivals and enemies of each, the convergent and co-operative arrangements

FIRST PRIZE ESSAY.

33

which will secure

support of ALL.

to

each
be

the aid

and

safely assumed and antagonism, that the individualism which have characterized the social arrangements of the Past, will be suc;

It

may

therefore

ceeded
principle

by

the

application

of

the

of co-operation, as the characteristic of the social arrangements of

would contest the vastness of the power obtainable from the union of wills and efforts in the accomplishment of any given aim; but comparatively few are yet aware how enormous are the economic results that would be obtained as regards both the production and
the Future.
one, at this day,

No

of

the

employment of
well-being
principle

all

the

elements

of

human
the

^from
of
to

the application

co-operation,

of
in-

mutual helpfulness,
terests

the various
of
Kfe.

and
c

occupations

Did

34
space

EFFECT OF SPIRITUALISM.
permit,
it

that, just as all

moral

would be easy to show evils result from

senti-

the substitution of self-love for the

ment of
evils

justice

and of

charity, so all the

of our social state result from the

substitution of individualism

and antagoand mutual helpfulness, and can only be successfully dealt with by substituting co-operanism
in place of co-operation

tion for individualism.

Ignorance, poverty, brutahty, pauperism,

prostitution,
injustice,

servitude,

war,

vice,

disease,

can

never
their

be

pre-

vented
effects
;

from

producing
all

natural

and

our various philanthro-

pic
cally

efforts

to

ameliorate

bad are mainly to because they will necessarily lead, in time, to a recognition of the impossibility of

what is radibe rejoiced in

diminishing the evils of our social

state otherwise than

by ridding ourselves

of the causes to which those evils are

FIRST PRIZE ESSAY.

-due
:

35

a result which,
all

as will

be appaon

rent to

who

reflect dispassionately

the nature of those evils and the conditions required for clearing' them away, can

only be accomplished by the adoption of

modes of

living that shall ensure, to every

member of the human family, and healthy development of his

mental,
artistic,

the

full

physical,

and moral nature, and a sphere of congenial activity in which he will both contribute to the general weal and benefit by all that has been achieved by the industry, skill, science, and genius of all its other members.
"Practise
fraternity

my

simple

doctrine

of

and

charity,"

said the

Great

Teacher, eighteen hundred years ago, "and

all other things shall he

added unto you;"

the exclusive seek-

in other

wordswAe7e

ing of his own interests hy each individual necessarily defeats itself- the practical ap-

plicatiop of the principles of brotherhood

36

EFFECT OF SPIRITUALISM.
in this

and of mutual helpfulness which,

nineteenth century,
is

briefly expressed
-will

by

the'

term
health,
all.

co-operation,

give

comfort,

knowledge,

elegance,

security, to

The
principles
in

application

to

social

life

of
in

which are universally accepted

but universally
rejected

theory,

practice,

can only be effected gradually,

through repeated experiment's, and with

the aid of experience gathered from partial

and temporary failures.

sarily

But, though such

a transformation of society must neces-

be laborious and slow, no one who

believes in the

supremacy of good over evil,

no one who perceives the signs of dawn

amidst the darkness of the present, can

doubt that

it

will

be eventually achieved,
implied
in

and
of
the

in the
Christ,

way
viz.,

the

words
of
helpfullife

by
of

the

application

principle

co-operative

ness to

every department of

human

FIRST PRIZE ESSAY.

37
the law of

practical

carrying-out of

brotherliood and charity that will

possible in

become

proportion, and

only in propor-

tion, as the fact of intelligent tion,

between souls

in flesh
its

communicaand souls in
natural fruit

the spirit-world, shall bear

in the enlarging of the mental horizon of

mankind, and the defining of the true

nature and aim of terrestrial existence.
Por, the evUs of our social state being due,
as we have seen, to the narrow views of iuman Ufe and destiny hitherto prevalent

in the world, the persistence of those views

would necessarily perpetuate the defective social conditions in which those views are embodied; and it may therefore be broadly
asserted that

such a transformation of
can only be accompUshed

social conditions

through

thfe

modification, of

human

ideas,

motives, and aims, that will necessarily be

effected,

sooner or

later, as

the result of

that communication.

38

EFFECT OF SPIRITUALISM.

The

possibility of

such a substitution of

co-operation for antagonism being once

admitted,
limit to

who would venture to assign a the amelioration of human existits

ence that must result from so radical a

transformation of
social

conditions

The present
being
evil,

social conditions of
it

our earth,

attract to

souls of very shght

advancement, whose baseness corresponds,

to,

and

is

perpetuated by, the

evil

sur-

roundings into which they are born, and

which they, in their turn, help to perpetuate.

The establishment of better social

on the contrary,
will attract to

conditions,

the earth souls of greater advancement,

already fitted to profit by those improved
conditions,
will

and by

whom

those conditions
until

be

still

further improved;

through the
rations

gradual

amelioration thus

achieved by the efforts of successive gene-

our earth

shall

have become the

fraternity,

abode of righteousness,

and.

FIRST PRIZE ESSAY.

39

peace, prefigured in the brief, but pregnant,

words of

Christ.

What

imagination,

of

painter

or of

poet, could forecast the glory, the beauty,

the happiness, of the earthly

life

under

such conditions, chastened and ennobled

as
to
it

would be by the knowledge

with

due
of
life,

our communication

spirits

greater advancement

that

terrestrial

even under can

that

such improved
the

conditions,

only

be

stepping-stone,

the

portal,
its

to higher states

of being, and most exquisite refinements are

as

only

valuable

educating

us

modes of
as

etherealized existence

up to. beyond
1

the region of

planetary worlds

For,

we have

already seen,

such a trans-

formation of the social conditions of our

earth can only be accomplished through

a transformation of our scientific, philosophic, and religious " Beliefs " which
will

cause

us

to

take a

new view of

40

EFFECT OF SPIRITUALISM.

human life; a view that will, on the one hand, reduce our estimate of the intrinsic importance of an earthly lifetime, by showing us that it is but one
step

of

the

endless

career

we

have
it

before us,

vrhile,

on the other hand,

will

enhance, immeasurably,
its

our estimate of

relative

importance,

that

the

use

by shovdng us we make of each phase of

the

our existence decides the character of next phase of our career.

SECOND PRIZE ESSAY.

BY
G.
F.

GREEN.

|F the influence of an idea upon

Humanity were always commensurate with

its

intrinsic importif

ance and scope

in

other words,

the

Harvest were always proportioned to the quaUty of the Seed sown our task in

tracing the probable effect of Spiritualism

in the world would be an easier one.

as, in the material world, the

But,

goodness of

the soU, and favorable conditions of heat,

and moisture, are as essential as good Seed ; so, in the moral world, the preparation of men's minds, and favoring outward influences, are as essential as
light,

the intrinsic goodness of the Idea.

42

EFFECT OF SPIRITUALISM.
of a Future Life has been iu

The idea

the world for centuries, but the seed has fallen for the most part upon " stony-

ground."

"Where

it

has taken root

forth

it

has

undoubtedly brought

some

fruit;

but the extent of the harvest cannot be

ascertained for the tares which are not
withered.
fore,

As

a practical question, therefirstly,

our subject demands,

a care-

ful consideration of the present condition

pf Society, and

its

state of preparation

to receive the truths revealed

by

Spiri-

tualism; and,
fluence

secondly,

the proper In-

of the truths themselves under

conditions. It

favorable

may

here be

premised that
cast the

we

shall not seek to fore-

effects

of Spiritualism beyond

the proximate future.

This

is

the only

problem a solution of which can be either

possible or profitable to finite beings.

If

we

took the ground that Truth

prevail,
it

is

mighty

and must

would

only

be

SECOND PRIZE ESSAY.

necessary to prove
true,

43-

Spiritualism
in

to

be
it

and imagine an Utopia

which

should flourish, and our task would then

be completed.
all

But the

conditions being

imaginary,

such an attempt should

The' end
of

rather be embodied in the form of poetry

than

prose.

the

prose

essayist is better attained if

he be confor

tent to narrow his

field

of vision,

the sake of better definition of the object

to be viewed.

In the present instance

we have a

given state of Society and a

given Motive, and

we

shall

attempt to
as ordinary

trace the probable effect of that motive

only so far into the

future

human

faculties

may

penetrate.

Although then the form of the problem before us does not involve only,
or even mainly, the question of the truth

of Spiritualism, the solution of that pro-

blem

is

necessary as a preliminary
its

to-

the consideration of

influence.

We

44

EFFECT OF SPIRITUALISM,
deal

shall therefore
first

with this question

?

Is

Spiritualism true

Is

Spiritualism true?

The question

naturally

suggests

another

What

is

Spiritualism?

might be
this

Many different answers given, but we shaU claim here

Spiri-

one as the proper definition

is

tualism

the Science of a Future Life.

of

In the modern sense

contradistinguished

the term,

as

from

ancient forms
is strictly

of supernaturalism. Spiritualism

a Science. All its fixed conclusions are to be maintained by inductive reasoning.

The orthodoxy of its facts is to rest ^lone upon the constancy of their verification and verifiability. Amongst the existing forms of religion
this

which point to similar conclusions

characteristic
is

entirely

lacking.

The

Protestant

Church,

for

example,

builds its behef

is closed,
i.e.,

upon a Revelation which upon facts which cannot

: ;

SECOND PRIZE ESSAY.

recur.

45

The

Catholic

Church, although

not denjdng the occasional recurrence of

miracles,
tirely

yet bases
past.

its

belief

also

en-

upon the
or

Hence, apart from

the

internal

inspired

knowledge of

spiritual

existences

(which
the

many

deny),

these Churches have no

of the
offer to

more evidence
Spirit-world
is

actuality of

to

the sceptic than

offered for

the actuality of
historical

many

ancient myths, viz

testimony.

All

merely tradifalse,

tional beliefs,

whether true or

have

a tendency to become weakened by time

and unless supported by

their ultimate extinction

fresh testimony
is

a certainty of

nature.

And

Christiahity, so far as

any

real belief in its

is

supernatural evidences

concerned,

is

rapidly sharing this fate.

it

The facts upon which come to present to us

unnatural an

is

built

have

so strange

and

appearance, have become

invested with such a legendary and ideal

46

EFFECT OF SPIRITUALISM.
to lose their very quahty

character as

of facts.

They are regarded as someis

thing quite distinct from ordinary facts

so that more weight

attached to con-

temporaneous theories than to the very facts which gave rise to them. As a matter of historical accuracy, facts are more likely to be correctly transmitted than words the substance than the

form.
will

But many
it

lovers

of the Bible

have

that the words have an in-

spired accuracy,

which

is

by no means
letter of

confirmed by

an

unequivocal meaning;

The

pertinacity with
is

which the

the Bible
It in

clung to proves the absence

of any living faith in the Supernatural.

is

necessary to bolster up our behef

so

facts

strange

by the
:

behef in

something yet stranger, viz

spiration.

Verbal

in-

Anomalous state of mind

as
as

must appear such a

we have

described,

it is

SECOND PRIZE ESSAY,

47

impossible otherwise to explain the utter

incredulity

and sheer

inability to believe

the facts of Spiritualism which

we meet
The
the

with
so

in

most
that

Christian
in

circles.

power of believing
dead,

a miracle seems

we must
is

conclude

continuance of the Christian religion in

the present day

due to the acknow-

ledged perfection of its ethical teachings It is not an uncommon trait of alone.

the

human mind
faith

to

hold
" the

on to the
brains are

form of a
out."

after

" The times have been That when the brains were out the (creed) would

die.

And

there an end." it is

But
of
facts

not so now.

The " brains

his

"

Christianity

were
life
;

the

supernatural
resurrection

of

Christ's

and appearance
the
spiritual

to

the

disciples

gifts

which

and were subse; ;

quently bestowed

upon them

not

so

much

the morahty or theology which he

48

EFFECT OF SPIEITUALISM.

sought to inculcate;

and
is

still

less

the

subsequent

teachings
it

of the

Apostles.

As

Spiritualists

not necessary to

hold the

infallibility

or the fallibility of
oflFers

those teachings, but Spiritualism

such strong

confirmation

of the

facts

upon which only a reasonable

be
the
based,
first

belief can

that

Christians
it.

should
confirm

be
the

to

welcome

Unfortunately,
to

dogma
facts

is

rather held

than as

needing confirmation by
additional
facts

them,
given

and
to

any
the

probability

of

the

Bible

is

thought
offer

to
it

be
is

unncessary,

and

the
re-

of

only contumaciously

jected.

"While
religious

such

is

the

attitude

of

the

world towards Spiritualism,

we

need not be surprised that the sceptical, and more thinking portion of the community, has not been able to attain any

wide-spread belief in

it,

but, repudiating

SECOND PRIZE ESSAY.

alike the records in which
fessing
it

49
sees probelief,

Christians have no

solid

and the rumours

altogether.

of

so-called

modern

superstition, denies the existence of Soul

The only proof

occurrence
as

possible of

such
See^.

an

an

apparition

(we are

told) is in the consciousness of the

To

all

the world beside

it

is

but

and should be discredited on the mere ground of its improbability on the same grounds as we discredit the
hearsay,

existence of the Sea-serpent.

Such an

argument as

this is

wholly unassailable

by any weapons of orthodox Christianity. The Christians and Materialists are at the two poles of behef, and both lack
the middle part of
it

which Spiritualism
it

can supply.
facts;

For these

has

its verifiable

for those its all-embracing

philo-

sophy.

With

the Materialist

it

is

neces-

sary to begin by proving that Intelligence

and Vohtion are D

to

be found separate

50

EFFECT OF SPIRITUALISM.
the

from

brain

and human
it

organism..
to-

With the
belief

Religionist

is

necessary

point out the true raison d'etre of his

That Spiritualism
monstrated
in

is

true

two ways
;

may be

de-

inductively,

from the

facts of spirit-communion occur-

ring daily in our midst

deductively, from
it,

the universality of the belief in

which

has prevailed in some form or other in

all

civilized nations.

It is difficult,

nay

impossible,

to
is

suppose that
belief that

any wideevery

spread belief

an entirely baseless one.

Moreover,
thing yet

this

when

sensible proof of life is extinct a somelives,

is

not one for which

if it

we

can readily assign a cause

be

false.

The beUef

in

God may have

arisen

from the contemplation of Nature.

course of the seasons

The
have

thunder, the earthquake, or the regular

may

alone

suggested the idea of a Governing Power.

SECOND PRIZE ESSAY.

51

But we
Death
sible
is.

see no suggestion of Life where

Whence then has

if

arisen the

behef in a future Ufe

not from sen-

communion of some kind with the unseen world 1 But if the onus prohandi
is still
life

with us,

we

affirm that a

Future

may be
facts.

proved to-day inductively

from

No amount

of argument will

prove a fact. Testimony which wUl convince one wiU not convince all.
suffice to

We

can only therefore point out what

are the facts which

misses,

we

claim

as pre-

and ask our opponents to test

them
these
:

in their

own manner.
under
certain
felt,

They ar&
conditions
thus,

That

Spirits

can be seen,

and heard,

estabhshing their existence through th&

same three senses which take cognizance of the existence of our fellow-men.

That they prove their identity as

beings,

and

their relationship

(in

human many

cases) in exactly the

same way

as those

52

EFFECT OF SPIRITUALISM.

whom we

to regard as bodily realities.

do not scruple in our daily life That we

have, therefore, no

more reasonable

cer-

tainty of each other's existence than of

the existence of these apparitions.

is

There

no change of consciousness, as after sleep, to induce us to liken them to the

of dream-land.
fantasies
:

creations

These are no
if

madmen's

but

they be not

real facts, there can no longer be any

aU phenomena must be regarded as phaiitasmagorical and illusory alike. The Future and the
certainty in the world
:

Past can have no real existence.

reality,

The
one,
in-

Present must be regarded as the only

and even that a subjective

with no other substratum than the

dividual consciousness.

Happily,

however,

such
It

ultra-scepti-

cism as
to

this

does not seriously threaten

is

overwhelm humanity.

only with

regard to the experience

of others that

SECOND PRIZE ESSAY.

53

we

are ever able to feel any high de-

gree of doubt.

Our own

senses in the

end are always trusted.

true,

Reason,

it

is

should lead us
confidence in

to conclude that

the

the actuality of the

is

things

we

perceive,

ill-founded

if

we do
the
tically,

not accord a like

of

confidence to

perceptions
this

others.
is

But, prac-

confidence

imperfect sympathy.
it

impeded by Without sympathy

our percep-

is

impossible

to

reveal

tions to others

so that they cannot be

proof,

doubted.
facts

The

therefore, of the

of

Spiritualism

must

doubtless

rest

on personal

experience

may be
earnestly.

obtained by

and this any who seek it

We
will

come now

to the question

What
upon

be the
It

effect

of Spiritualism
its

Society,

viewed merely in

social as-

pect?

cannot be doubted that the

very existence of Society depends upon

54

EFFECT OF SPIRITUALISM.
its

the susceptibility of
impressions.

members

to ideal

While men are governed chiefly by simple primary impidses, and those more complex motives which spring from ideal impressions of the Past and Future are in abeyance, none but temporary associations are possible. The permanence of Society depends upon the permanent predominance in a majority

of

its

members of the
a

ideal

over
all

the

real,

as

motive-power:

or

motives which regard a future, in preference to a present good, are in their

nature

ideal.

But although Society

canthat

not exist without an ideal basis,

ideal
one.

may

be, and frequently is, a narrow The need of association for mutual

protection against a

common enemy,

or

for purposes of industry, or commerce,

are motives which regard only a proxi-

mate future

and of themselves are not

calculated to produce a highly civihzed

SECOND PRIZE ESSAY.

society.

OO

The
is

strength

of a given com-

munity
jority;
will

in proportion to the unanimity,

its

or equaUty of culture, of

working maand harmony depend on the ^cope and truthfulness

but
its

durability

of

its

ideal.

It

may

well be affirmed,
is

therefore, that

an ideal which

limited

to the consideration of our interests in

this
life,

or at furthest

does not look

beyond those of our immediate descendants or their successors, cannot be a

sufficiently
a,

wide one,
life

if

the doctrine of

future

for us

and them can be

ideal
life
is

verified.

Undoubtedly the lower

to

of

how

make

the best of this

as yet

very imperfect, and has not been long

enough
of the

in the

good

world to effect one tithe to be expected from it.

(and
is

This

may be urged

urged by the
for ignoring

Secularists) as

an argument

the consideration of a Hereafter.

But

56
it

EFFECT OF SPIRITUALISM.

has no weight against Spiritualism as

it

a Science, however
speculative
theology.

may
The

tell

against
ideal
lesser.

larger

does not destroy, but includes, the

The perception of a
not per se prejudice

future good does

the enjoyment of
it.

the present, but enhances

Hence we

conclude that the belief in Spiritualism

is

calculated to benefit Society as such,

by adding another and

for association.
is

higher

motive

At

present

its influence

weak;

but,

time,

the lower

maybe, in the course of motives which depend

on our physical wants, wiU cease with those wants to be the predominant ones; and we must then look to something higher to supersede them and form the necessary cement of Society. Judging from analogy, the power which regards the world
"With
other, larger eyes than ours"

has not ordained that the knowledge of

SECOND PRIZE ESSAY.

57

a longer lease of existence should act as a disintegrant of Society;

gether.

or cause us-

to neglect the present for the future alto-

upon Morality and Religion must depend on the If condition in which it finds them.

The

effect

of Spiritualism

Utility be accepted as the basis of morals,

it

is

obvious that Spirituahsm opens

it

up

a wider view of

than that taken by

the disciples of the Benthamite school.

If,

on the other hand, a correct code of

can
only

morals
special

be

arrived

at
is

by a
the

revelation.

Spiritualism

science which recognizes, expounds, and

harmonises
case
its
it

all

Revelations.

In either

is

of paramount importance in

and Religion. Our creed includes a belief in both methods

relation to Morals

of

arriving

at

knowledge,

Revelation
often appre.

and Science. hended before

A
it

truth
is

is

comprehended.

It

58

EFFECT OF SPIRITUALISM.
felt
is

is
it

by a species of

intuition, before

explained and proved by Science.

do not wish to exalt Intuition at the expense of Science, The one is our beacon light, the other our compass
and guide through the darkness.

We

As an illu'stration of our meaning, we may point to the fact, that the truth
of

the

universal

brotherhood of manhis

kind was revealed to the world through

Christ,

but

neither

disciples

nor

their descendants really grasped the idea.

" The light shineth in darkness, and the

darkness comprehended

it

not."

It

is

reserved for Science and experience to expound and prove the actuality of this grand truth, by inductive processes, before
of
it
it

can be assimilated into the fabric

the

human

mind.
this

wiU achieve

The way in which object is, by discoverof the

ing the nature of the links which con-

nect each

member

human

family

SECOND PEIZE ESSAY.

with
all its

59

members. As we advance in ^knowledge the actual community of interests of all mankind must become

more and more apparent

until,

if

we

Jiad thoroughly mastered the laws

which

govern Society, we should doubtless perceive that no one member of the human
family can suffer without a corresponding

harm

to the whole of his kindred.

We have
nize

said that Spiritualism recog:

nizes Revelation

but

it

does not recog:

an

infallible

Revelation

for

two

reasons

the

necessary

fallibility

of the

human medium, and

lity

the possible fallibi-

of the Revelator. There are Christian

it

SpirituaUsts,

is

true,

who
of the

believe in

the

Divine

character

Scripture
infallible

revelation, as

coming from an
is

source through
nels,

infaUibly-inspired

chan-

but such belief

a part of their
their Spiritualism.

Christianity,

and not of

The

science of Spiritualism

by

itself

(and

60
this

EFFECT OF SPIRITUALISM.
cannot

be

too

well remembered)

proves nothing but the sole doctrine of

a Future Life.

Upon

all

other subjects

the teachings of the Spirits are various

and often
sift

conflicting.

We

are

left

to

the truth from the error in aU cases.

reflection,

It needs but little to

we

think,

show us that a complete Revelation of God's wiU to man is an impossibihty: for it would presuppose the capacity in man to comprehend it. And
so
also

the

revelation

of any

higher

truths than those

we

are accustomed to,

;

must be a gradual one

supposition in

and

it is

a natural
all

conformity with

ex-

perience of Law, that to be intelligible

to

us

they
of

medium

should come through the minds only a little in ad-

vance of our own.

that

From the foregoing we do not look

it

will

be gathered

to Spiritualism for

any influence upon Morality or EeUgion

SECOND PRIZE ESSAY.

61
altogether

from the revelation

of

any

new and
rather

startling

truths.

We

look
in-

to the gradual growth,

vitality,

and

creased
life

of

the belief in a future

to
all

the
of

consequent
our
ideal

widening
of

and

enlarging

happiness,

which
of

is

undoubtedly the actual basis

morality.

In the present stage of

man's development, there are comparatively

few who are duly influenced by

sufficiently

the thought of a temporal and proximate

future,

to

induce them (for

instance) to

make

provision for old age

or possible

calamity.

With

such,

the

idea of a remoter future can have but

little

effect.

But that which

filters

influences

the higher, gradually

in the scale of intelligence, to consider,

existing
besides,

downwards and we have

causes

many

now

which tend to make the process

rate

an accelerating

the

increased denthe globe, the

sity of the population of

62

EFFECT OF SPIRITUALISM.
acquiring,

greater facility of

recording,
is

and imparting new ideas which

to the discoveries
printing,

due

of the steam engine,

electric telegraph.

and the

All these things are so

rent
into
effect
all

many

concur-

influences

which must be taken

account.

To sum up

^the

good
is

of Spirituahsm

upon Morality

comprised in the additional incentive

us to seek out for ourselves the
path.

it offers

true
will

At

first,

no

doubt,

many

be led away by the notion that advanced Spirits can supply us with a new

and
that

infalUble code, but bearing in

mind

the ascertained law of spirit-communion

"hke seeks
in

like,"

that only those

Spirits

sympathy with us can hold

we cannot reasonably encourage such a hope. The standard morality can only advance with our of
direct intercourse,

knowledge of God's laws.

The idea of
is

an

infallible

code of

morals

rather

SECOND PRIZE ESSAY.

calculated

QS
promote^
believe
it

to
in

hinder
those

than

true progress

who

^for it

precludes the exercise of charity.

Our

perception of the best

is,

Hving

and ever

will be,

manner of far beyond

our practice but our perception can never Science, not attain to the Absolute.

dogma,
if

is

the great promoter of moraUty^

rightly understood, for it discovers

and
is

expounds God's laws,

and

morality

the art of conforming our lives to them.

Lastly

^What

will

be the influence of
?

Spiritualism

upon Religion dogmas

;

Religion

is

too apt to be regarded as the intellectual

behef of certain

about

God's

nature and attributes

or the knowledge-

of his designs and intentions towards his

creatures.

true belief

is

held to be
;

the only pass-word to salvation

founded upon a
if

ti'ue

behef
finite

or works But what

man, an erring and

creature, is

unable to see God's message in humanly

^4

EFFECT OF SPIRITUALISM.
?

transmitted dogmas

What

if

the report

of his intentions seems but a system of

human
all

theories,

and
!

partial

truths

Is
?

rehgion therefore impossible to him

"We answer No True none of these things.

every
his

religion

It

demands demands of

man

that he should worship only

highest ideal

that

he should seek

after Truth

and practise Charity. The conditions of salvation are nowhere distinctly laid down, for they are imperfectly
in

known even
tidings.

the Spirit-world.

Like

Christ's gospel, then, Spiritualism is

good

The

tidings

are good whether

;

they be accepted or rejected

never come

but

we

rejoice in the beUef that the time will

when

it

an

or supplant conscience of Eeligionby authority,

indirect influence

wiU exert any but upon Religious creeds

^the

true basis

though that

authority were supported by a host of Angels.