Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1876-02-09

SplTltudllslIC oea''oc' -'ot'i'hS vi
the spiritualistic circles of our day has
been more strange, mysterious, and
wonderful than things which have
been seen in the past centuries of the
world. In all the ages there have
been necromancers, those who con
suit with the spirits Of the departed
charmers, those who put their subjects
in mesmeric state sorcerers, those
who by taking poisonous drugs see
everything and hear everything, and
tell everything; dreamers, people
who in their sleeping moments can
see the future world and hold consul,
tations with spirits astrologers, who
could read a new dispensation IN the
stars; experts in palmistry, who can
tell by the lines in the palm of your
hand your origin and your history.
From a cave on Mount Parnassus, we
are told, there was an eXhalation that
intoxicated the sheep and the goats
that came anywhere near it and a
shepherd approaching it was thrown
by that exhalation into an excitement
in which he could foretell future events
and hold consultation with the spirit
ual world. Yea, before the time OF
Christ the Brahmins went through all
the table moving, all the furniture eX'
citement, which the spirits have ex
plotted in our day precisely the same
thing, over and over again, under the
manipulation of the Brahmins. Now,
do you say that spiritualism is differ
ent from these? answer, all these
decisions | have mentioned belong to
the same family. They are exhuma-
tions from the unseen world. What
does God think of all these delusions {?
He thinks so severely of them that he
never speaks Of them but with llv-
id thunders of Indignation. He says,
II will be a swift witness against the
sorcerer.' He says, "Thou shalt not
suffer a witch to live And lest you
might make some important distinct
ion between spirtualism and witchcratt
God says, in so many words, "There
shall not be among you a consulter OF
familiar svirlts, or wizard, or a nee
romancer for all that do these things
are an abomination unto the Lord.
And he says again, The soul that
that turneth after such as have tamil-
lar spirits, and after wizards, to go 3
whoring after them, will even set
my face against that soul, and will
cut him oft from among his people. "
The Lord Almighty, in score Of
passages which | have not now time
TO quote, utters his indignation against
all this great family of delusions. AT
Ter that be spiritualist ifyou dare
Still further, we learn from this text
how 1t Is that people come to taU into
spuitualjsm. Saul had enough trouble
to kill ten men. He id not know
where to go for relief. After while
he resolved to go and see the Witch
Of Endor. He expected that some
how she would afford him relief. 1t
was his trouble that drove him there.
And | have to tell you now that spir-
itualism finds its victims in the troubl-
ed, tie bankrupt, the sick, the bereft.
You lose your watch, and you 60 to
the fortuneteller to find where 1t
is. You are sick with a strange dis
ease, and you go to clairvoyant to
find out by lock Of hair what is the
matter with you. You lose a friend,
you want the spiritual world opened,
so that yon may have communication
with him. In a highly wrought, ner-
vous, and diseased state of mind, you
60 and pat yourself in that communi-
cation. That IS why | hate spiritual
ism. 1t takes advantage OF one in a
moment OF weakness, which may come
upon us at any time. We lose a
friend. The trial is keen, sharp, sui
focating, almost maddeuing. If we
could marshal host, and storm the
eternal world, and recapture our loved
one the host wouldsoon be marshalled
The house is so lonely. The world is
50 dark. The separation is so insuf-
ferable. But spiritualism says, "We
will open the future world, and your
loved one can come back and talk to
you
IHE ENGLISH FLoODs.-It has. been
raining in England. 1t has been
raining for the past three months as if