The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1894-05-24
"The Witch of EndOr."


"The Witch of EndOr."
Rev. w. S. Neighbors preached a
very interesting sermon at the Market
street NJ. E. church last Sunday night.
He took for his text that chapter in
Samuel which tells of King Sauls
visit to the Witch Of Endor.
1t was the object of the preacher to
expose modern spiritism.
you ask me if 1 believe in spirit.
ualism?" were his first words. 81 an.
swer yes and MOP He believed that
there were spirits and that they some
times visited the earth, but denied
that any one living had power to call
them up at will. "There is not sylla-
BILE Of scripture for it," sounded para
doxical after reading the account of
how the Witch of Endor had called up
the spirit Of Samuel for Saul to talk
to. The eloquent preacher frequently
makes these startling sentences, but
never fails to prove his sententious as
sertions in the same startling and en-
phatic manner.
He said the Bible contained three
kinds of truth-historical, literal and
moral. This chapter was historical,
and probably literal; he believed it
was both, but he denied that it was a
moral truth-one that concerned hui
manity in all ages and under all cir
cumstances. He cited the parallels as
examples OF scripture which contained
neither historical or literal truth, but
moral tloth only.
Spirits and angels had visited men
and talked with them, but they never
passed through a medium.
DR.. Neighbors' personal experience
with mediums was interesting. They
could never tell him anything he did
not know. 1t was only mind reading
through the electric current. The
Bible don't say that Saul saw Samuel.
1t don't say that Saul heard Samuel's
voice. 1t says that the old medium
said that the spirit ofSamuel was there,
and Saul began to ask questions and
telegraph answers to the medium and
have her to speak them back to him.
1t was exactly like a modern seance.
Saul believed that he would lose hie
life the next day, or fall into the
hands of the enemy; rather than do
this he would fall on his own sword.
The witch told him this as coming
from Samuel, but it all emanated from
his own brain. The witch told Saul
that Samuel said that when Saul was
killed he would come to heaven and
be with him. This is just the answer
Saul hoped TO get. He had been a
pretty bad man, but had had so much
trouble that he thought he ought to
go to heaven.
Mesmerism, hypno ism and modern
spiritualism were all the same. 1t is
scientific force, but not a moral
force. Anyone who had enough
electromagnetic could become a
medium or mind reader and do some
wonderful things regardless OF moral
character One medium whose moral
character would not bear investigation
was sufficient to condemn the theory
as being part of Gods plan of salya-
ton. God condemned it, because it
clsimed for itself place in his spirit
ual doctrines, and commanded Saul to
put to death all those who claimed to
have spirit Of divination and sooth-
saying, but the Witch OF Endor es-
capped, and was used as an echo to en-
able Saul to command himself to kill
himself.
Spiritism belongs to science, not to
religion. The Bible asked nothing
higher for it.
DR.. NeighborS preached an hour
and a half, but no one was weary.
He is a very able and earnest speaker,
merciless in his attack and convincing
in his argument.