The silver state. [volume] (Unionville, Nev.) 1870-1903, 1878-01-14
sPrRIrUALIsm.
Rev. MIR. Fitch Discomrses ON th<
subject.

night. The reverend gentleman took
his text from John. ". 1: believe
not every spirit, bat try the SPIRITS
whether they are of God; bee iuse many
false prophets are gone out into the
world"
The scripture enjoins US to "prove al.
things, and hold fast that which is
good;" aud never was. there time
when this injunction should be more
heeded than at present. We live ia
stirring times. aud progress sits en-.
throned upon the imperial brow of
moderl civilization. Man delights to
explore the region of mysteries, and
this spirit leads him to try to improve
npon the Divine plan of human re-
demption. The Church. as the repos.
tory of truth, must. through her min
listers. combat these systems of error.
Let III notice that form of error callsd
Spiritualism. We shall not attempt TO
prove or disprove the alleged phsnoms
us or manifestations" of spiritualism,
but We take the grouad that, granting
them to os true, they are not attribut-
able to the agency of disembodied
spirits. Our text reg uires us to subject
the spirits to rigid tests. The question
is. how shall We try these spirits?
What standard of tests shall we employ?
Shall We meet the Spiritualist in the
field of experiment AMI accept of his
test and m.thoi? Must we follow him
through the darkened room, amid
table tipplns, and wonderful rtppiugs
and hunt for spirits. an1 lay hold GA
this mysterious bsins wac is perform
Ing such wonderful frsaks? Happily,
there Is an easier and shorter test.
Spirituoiisn voluntarily comes in con.
petition with Revelatiol in its pretend,
cd disclosures audit st stan |. or fall
by its coafJr;Mty. Or want OF c1atorm-
ity, with this staaltrl. In5teal of
dizzy experim ,n,in, let us pass it
through the Word of Col Boar in
mind that it is tho religious system of
Spiritualisn We ars to test, without
which it would charm bat little. OF
the natural scieaee involved We have
nothing to do.
We object to Spiritualism, first: Be-
cause of its raligto - system II con
troverts the Bible. True, it is b ard to
fix this nav faith. The 'spirits" have
ennnci.te1 aui confirm I'D all the re-
hgioas systems extant. This is enough
to condemn any system. What is its
popular creed? Its first step is to re-
Ject the authority of the Bible. TIE
spirits" of the nineteenth century are
far in advance of any other period. It
deaies the fall of man--rejects the doe
trineo of depravity as absurd. There is
no sin, no regeneration or Divine retri-
buttons. 1t is rank inihelity. 1t
teaches goddess morality and approves
of untrammelsd licentiousness. (rhe
speaker here quoted numerous authors
among Spirtualists to prove these as
seriions).
We object to Spirituslism. second:
Because of its logical defect. 1t is
characteristic of untutoFed minds, when
startled by strange phenomena. to
trace them to some spiritual agency.
Refuge is found in spirits. Two GEN.
turtles ago witches were invoked and
certain manifestations attributed to
them, aud the wonders of chemistry
We're made Ineligible by an alliance
with the devil. This is the reasoning
of enry civilization when pressed by
mystery. So Spiritnalism comes to US
with wonderful manifestations, which
we admit. for arguments sake. No
hitherto discovered principle of natural
science can explain them. and the Spr.
itualist. true to primitive instinct, aud
impatient, rusbes to the spirits. Their
argument is, "since intelligence implies
an intellect. that intellect must DO the
intellect of spirits" We deny the con
ciusion. 1t is illogical. Some contend
that odylic force or animal magnetism
is the cause, and that spirits only act
within the snhara of this inf4nanoa