The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1898-04-23
1T Is NECROMANCY, PUEE AND SIM
PIE, SAYS FIR. LAMBERT.
ELSE IT is FRAUD AND DECEPTION.
STRICTLY FORBIDDEN BY GOD IN
HOLY SCRIPTURE
A REAL, SUFERHuAAA MANIFESTATION.
THE STRANGE CASE Or KATE FOX,
THE NOTED MEDIUM.


Freemans Journal asks: Has the
church investigated spiritualism to the
extent of being able to decide whether
the manifestations, rappings, etc, are
produced through the agency of the
spirits, good or evil, or merely by the
art of conjurers?
The following is tho answer given by
Rev. DR.. Lambert, the learned editor Ct
our esteemed contemporary:
Tho church has thoroughly investi-
gated spiritualism, for under the name
of demoniacal possession and obsession
and necromancy she has had to deal
with 1t from tho beginning; ever since
her founder, our divine Lord, expelled
demons in proof of His mission. "Thon
was offered to him one possessed with a
devil, blind and dumb, and he healed
him, so that he spoke and saw" Mat
thew 1929.
1t is sometimes difficult to distinguish
fraud from those produced by the de-
mons. But there are tests by which the
distinction is made reasonably sure.
For instance, II turning table, In-
touched by any ono and visibly dscon
nected from all stage machinery spells
out words and sentences by means Of
raps, one may reasonably conclude that
it is the result of superhuman agency;
and in the case of the table and of So
called mediums ono may conclude that
the agent or agents at work are evil
spirits, who falsely pretend to be the
souls Of the dead.
AS to mediums and their trance per-
formances, there Is room for much
fraud, trickery and deception. But it
must be remembered that every fraud
is a counterfeit of tho real, as every
error is counterfeit OF tho truth. So
that behind or mixed up with these
many frauds there are very serious real
tiles, just as behind or mixed up with
counterfeit notes there are genuine ones.
St. Paul recognized this fact in his deal
ings with a medium at Philippi. st.
Luke, in his Acts OF tho Apostles, tells
We went to prayer, certain girl, hay
Ing pythonical spirit, met us, who
brought to her masters much gain hy
divining. But Paul, being
gricved, turned and said to tho spirit:
I command you, in the name Of Jesus
Christ, to go out of her. And he went
out, the same hour."-Acts 1916
But how distinguish a fraudulent from
a real, superhuman manifestation? In
every Investigation the phenomena must
be assumed to be the result OF human
or other natural forces until 1t becomes
evident that they cannot be accounted
for in that way. We must assume the
ordinary until the extraordinary clear
ly manifests itself by unmistakable evil
dcnce. There are several rules given in
the rituals to enable the exorcist to de-
termine In particular cases whether the
manifestations are tho result Of demoni-
acal Intervention. For instance, If a
obeys a command given by tho will and
not expressed by any words or external
signs; or, II tho command or question Is
given in q language unknown to the
answer given in that unknown language.
or II the answer given is evidently un-
known to the medium in his or her
natural state.
A priest, now dead, told lis Of the 'ol-
lowing case: Kate Fox, one of the origi-
nal Fox sisters, of Rochester knocking
fame, who married DIR. Kane, the cx-
plorcr, became a Catholic. She was re-
quircd to discontinue her spritist
seanccs and performances She COM
piled with this requirement for time.
But, becoming poor and being offered
liberal pay for her mere presence at the
seanccs, she consulted the priest to know
If she could not accept the offer as Il
means Of support, promising to take no
part further than being present. Dur
ing tho conversation that followed the
priest heard sharp, clear and distinct
raps now on the table in the center ol
tho parlor, now on the loor, ard again
on the floor.
"What or who is that?' he asked.
ut is tho person or being that fol-
lows me-" said Mrs. Kane. II cannot
deny it's existence, and / was not re-
CURED to when ! became a Catholic.
But its presence is not by my procure
ment. 1t goes and comes as it wiils
and makes it's presence known as you
hear"
"Do you know who i. is?'
81 do not. It. gives liifercnt names,
| and ! have frequently ra!sht it lying"
''ls it Intelligent, and does it know
things"
at is intelligent and has told me many
things that ! know to be true and it has
told many things that l know to be
false"