The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1878-03-21
SPLRITUALLS.N EXPOSED.

OF HOO0 laltn.
SPLRITUA LLS.M EXPOSED.
EDITOR ADVANCE: Last weeks
Journal contained an article on Spirit.
ualism, III which, after some fair and
apparently candid remarks on the sub
ject, he proceeded to quote from some
other writer's on the same subject and
quotes from one of the Chicago papers
purporting to give an account of an
exposure of Mediums 10y certain Mr.,
Bishop who is apparently drawing large
audiences to witness his exploits in one
of the Theaters of that city. 10 any
one who has not examined and inyesti
gated quite thoroughly the matter there
given seems to be OH its face an evpos
ure. Now, let us see whether there re.
ally is one Or not, and to do so we must
first admit that we I'LL in this life are
living under certain natural or physic.
al laws, many OF which through the
aids given us by science and other
means, we think we understand very
we'll. In the first place, there are many
things which to us as men are physicui
anpossibalities. That is there are Ger.
tain things that 40 man can do unaided
by some power beyond himself. Let us
take, Tor Instance, IL man and bind him
securely by amy means securing his
body as well as his hands and feet to
the chair on which he may he seated,
then placing under Ills feet clean paper
on which they both rest, and under the
two front feet ct his chair paper being
also placed, the shape Of his feet traced
by lead pencil as they rested on the pa.
per, and the chair feet the same; then
in his hands, they being secured togeth.
er at the wrists and behind the chair,
as well as to the clair, flour being plac-
ed SO that he could not stir without
spilling some OF it Oh the floor under
him, III fact: SO secured to the chair
that the only motion left him was to
slightly bend his body forward and
move his head freely. Now, I am sure,
MI. Editor, you Or amy other man will
agree with me that Il man in that posi-.
ton is unable to play on half dozen
instruments at once each one OF which
requires two hands to play Oh. Now,
III addition to all this precaution you
place yourself in front OF or near this
man 50 that you can hold him by put.
ting your feet on his and your ha!. DIS on
his shoulders or elsewhere so that even
should he move you would he aware of
1t, you would say still more emphatic
ally that man can do nothing, would
you not? Now, suppose that in spite
OF all your precautions these instru-
ments are all played in harmony, and OF
only played but carried about the room
and played indifferent parts f tile room.
sometimes III harmony and sometimes
each instrument playing IL different
tune: and after these manifestations OF
physical power had ceased, you exam
ined your man in the chair and found
that lie had not moved hair as regards
the position of his feet and chair and
no tlour spilled nor could you feel him
move either, while all this was going
on. Would you not think it was IL won
dertul performance inexplicahla and be-
You'd any known law of nature? Would
you not think that such Il man must of
necessity have the aid OF Il power be-
You'd himself? Now, [ ask you rs !,
thinking, reasoning human bt ing which,
would be the most CIT dulous man of
the two, the one who, under such cir
cumstances as are deta led above should
say that he, on the one hand, he leyeu It
to be some trick Of the man bound or
held, or on the other hand, he who
should under such circumstances be.
lieve that it was the work Of some DOW.
er beyond the man? Which looks the
most reasonable Of the two theories :
Now, suppose t,oo men are bound and
placed us far as eXternals are concern
ed and the same performance takes
place with both Of them and one saws
frankly, Il do not know how these
things are done; they are done by a
power beyond me.'' Or as most of
them auill say, II do not do it at all. it
is I'LL done through the power of spir-
its who have departed from this life. ,:
Tie other man says, Il have only done
this to show you that the professions
Of this fellow are all humbug. | do it
all myself by trickery and to EXPOSE
his pretensions. Yet, at the same
time, when you ask him to explain tC
you how it is done he either evadcs the
questions or else says, ''lf tell yn,
how, it will spoil my trade, for this is
the means by which [ gain my living'
and does in fact give no explanation
Of the matter ut all. Which man is
most worthy Of belief? Now 1 have
put these cases as suppositive ones, but
the phenomena l have detailed have
seen with my own eyes and heard with
my own ears under just such circum.
stances as have detailed, and it took
place i'll II theatre III the presence OF
some seven hundred people, I being
through the whole Of it no farther than
twenty feet from the medium, and thai
OF course not being the only phase OF
the phenomena, but all Of it being done
under the eyes and direction Of foul
men who we're then entire skeptics as
to the spiritual theory of things; one
being u physician and the other three
lawyers, being acquainted with all.
n gentleman talking with me not
long since tol1 NE That one thing thai
calied his attention to spirit manifesto
ton WAS just such an exposition as
tlat Of Bishops, and he is now inyesti
eating the thing in his own home
where it should he done and the mos,
satisfactory results will be obtained
there where you can know whether any
fraud is practiced or not. For myself
got to be forty years Of age before
would believe the thing 1T all, and il
came to me unsought and unexpected
ly. l fought against it for thrice,
years and then believed it only unde
colnpulsion: ana sorry now that dit
not believe it before, for 1 think I hay,
missed Some of the beautiful experienc
rs OF Life by my un5elief and yet vii
Say this, that amy man who does moi
wish to believe it had better let it alon,
altogether, for sooner or later any ma,
with any degree of honesty will, if h
continues to Investigate. become be
lever III spite of himself. I have II,
wish 20 have men believe what do il
this, because l believe it.. Ionly say g.