The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1903-11-21
ncn-gatboIie Queries, and Fnswers Cbsretu

worship to God and substitutes in his stead
great crowd of spirits of every grade OF intellect
and morality. Its external worship Is the lever
ish excitement of the uncanny seance, and It's
priests chiefly women mediums" who under stress
of hypnotic influence diabohcal possession, bring
about many strange phenomena, such as table
rapping the writing of the planchette, oral ana
written spirit communications, the reading of Sc
cret thoughts the diagnosis of diseases the speak
ing of unknown tongues, the prophesylng OF fu-
ture events the describing of distant happenings.
Undoubtedly some of the so-called facts OF
Spiritism may be ascribed to fraud, for time and
again mediums have figured IN the police courts;
others can be explained by natural causes,
such as hypnotic influence, or some hitherto un-
explored natural force in (Dr. j. Wleser, ).
j. of Innsbruck, ''Spiritism and Christianity'). }.
But over and above this there are facts which
seem to have overwhelming testimony IN their ia
vor and which point to diaboical agency.
Spiritism pretends to be the final perfection of
Christianity, although it denies its very dogmas,
and declares that Jesus Christ Is not the Son OF
God but merely one of the highest spirits.
Its history has been marked with the greatest
immortality. as the Mountain Cave, the Kiantone
movement, the Sacred Order of Unionists, and the
Order of the Patriarchs amply prove. Some have
argued that this was merely an abuse, but we say
that Spirtism is essentially anti-moral. 1t has no
worship of God and no eternal sanction of re-
ward and punishment to safeguard morality. 1t
declares that human existence is merely time
of trial for spirits until they reach the final per-
lection which is the destiny of all. Surely such
teaching is not calculated to curb the evil passions
of mems hearts.
Rightly, then, does the Church warn her chill
dren against this religious and immoral supersti-
tion which often seems to evidence the power OF
Satan; and forbid them not only to become me-
diums, but even to attend the Spiritistic seances
('EIs Spiritism a Development of Christianity" I"
Amer Cath. Quart, vol. ill., p. 1853; "Modern
Spiritism vs. Christianity Ibid, vol vii, p. 2OS).
Is not prayer an asking of God to change the laws
of nature he himself established?
Is it not absurd to ask God to change his mind,
when he knows what is best for US?
ST. Thomas Aquinas thus answers this diff
Guilty ("Summa" "a 2ae, q. SO, a. y: "In pro-
claiming the utility of prayer, we are not to be
understood as putting any restraint on human acts
subject to Divine Providence, nor are we suppos-
ing any change in the ordinances of God. Divine
Providence has determined in advance not only
the effects which are to be produced, but also their
order and the causes which are to produce them.
Among these causes are included human
Man. therefore, must do something, not indeed to
change by his acts the arrangement OF God, but
to concur in producing certain effects in accord
ance with the divine dispensation. Just as 1t IS
with regard to physical causes so 1t Is, too with
regard to prayer. The aim of prayer is not to
alter the designs of God, but to ask that we may
obtain what God had determined to grant us by
our prayers" (Card. Gibbons, "Our Christian
Heritage" ch. ix American Cath. Quarterly, 1896,
p 491).
Does not prayer encourage lazness and make peo-
pie neglect doing what they should do themselves?
Not in the slightest. The intelligent Christian
who prays earnestly for the of sick friend
does not neglect to employ good physician also
The good priest who prays hard for the con
version of sinners does not neglect the personal
visit and the word of advice, warning, encourage
ment or threat. He knows that God wishes us to
use every natural means at our disposal, but he
knows also that God has given us the supernatural
help of prayer. And so every nation has prayed
even though It's religion or philosophy gave the lie
thereto; so deeply rooted in the human heart is
the belief in supernatural help vouchsafed man
for the asking.
Our objector has in mind, undoubtedly, the su-
perstitous fanaticism of the Dowieties, for ex-
ample, who, contrary to Christian principles, neg
lect the use OF remedies in curing Diseases or, per-
haps, the Christian Scientists. who speak of
prayer, although their denial of a personal God
makes the term a mockery.
What historical proof IS there that the cross
which the Savior died was really discovered?