Los Angeles herald., 1909-04-02
MerChantsBank and ruSCo s sa1 Up e ess
% aSs1 s, 2O9-11 S. Broadway s sss @
SPIRITUALISTS WANT
DEBATE WITH LOCKE
CHALLENGE PASTOR OF FIRST
METHODIST CHURCH
Sermon Of Last Sunday Stirs Attacked
Sect to Seek Satisfaction In Joint
Discussion Of Principles
Involved

Leading Spiritualists, headed by A.
s. Prentice, president of the Peoples
Spiritualist church, have addressed a
letter of remonstrance to DR.. Charles
Edward Locke, pastor of the First
Methodist church. They ask a debate
and reply to his sermon on Spiritualism
delivered last Sunday. The following
statements are embraced in their let
ter:
In a sermon to your congregation
last Sunday morning you are reported
to have said that Spiritualism is the
most colossal fake foisted upon a long
suffering public
THE vicious assaults made by self
confessed tricksters upon a religious
cult dear to the hearts of many thou
sands of good and intelligent people
may well be passed over in silent con-
tempt, but such wholesale denunciat ton
from so prominent a religious teacher
as yourself cannot go unchallenged by
any self-respecting Spiritualist; there
fore, in the name of the Peoples Spir-
itualist church Of Los Angeles, and in
behalf of the cause of truth, we re-
spectfuily invite you to meet the pas
tor of the above church, the Rev. w. F.
Peck, or some other accredited repre-
sentative of Spiritualism, in a public
discussion upon the following PROPOSE
lions which we maintain:
"Spiritualism, through it's phenome-
ia, affords the only positive proof of
conscious existence beyond the dissoiu-
ton of the body.
EVERY religious faith, including
| Christianity with its many sects, had
| its origin in and foundation upon, fun
damentally, the same phenomena relied
| upon by Spiritualism for its proofs.
1.-THE Jewish and Christian Bible is
largely record of spiritistic phenom-
ena, and Spiritualism alone can explain
| the many apparent contradictions and
| inconsistencies which abound therein.
"Spiritualism Is the only religion
which in philosophy and phenomena is
in strict accord with the science of the
| age In which we live.
1.-THE fact of the intercommunion be-
| tween excarnate intelligence and NOR
| tails has been satisfactorily established
by the researches of many of the lead
! ing scientists of the world, such as AL
fred Russell. Wallace, Sir William
| Crooks, Sir oliver Lodge, DR.. Hodgson,
Prof. Hyslop and others equally emf
| nent.
"Spiritualism inculcates the highest
and most perfect moral code ever
taught, and shows that heaven, here
or hereafter, can only be attained by
! righteous living.
| "Counterfeit and fraudulent phenom-
| ena, however mystifying, are no part OF
| Spiritualism, and no more proof against
1t than a counterfeit dollar descredits
the genuine.
1.-The honesty and integrity of ouI
recognized and accredited mediums will
average much above that which pre-
walls in the business, political and So
cial life of the world, and will fully
equal that of the Christian clergy.
| "Spiritualism, so far from weakening
| the minds of its believers. tends to de-
| velop their logical powers, as a test
of which we invite any accredited cler-
gyman to publicly discuss the above
| statements, all or severally.
'Believe us, dear sir; we would fan
rather cooperate with you and youl
hpeople in a warfare against the forces
| of evil, vice and crime that have beer
and are yet so powerful in our midst
than to engage in discussions regarding
| the merits of our respective cults, but
your public denunciations of what we
| know to be truth and which is very
dear to us leave us no alternative. We
| are certain that you are without prac-
teal knowledge upon this question, an6
II you are fair man, if you love truth
| and have the courage of your convic-
,tions, you will either modify your state
ments or accept the above invitations
| In case you comply, time and conditions
| of discussion may be arranged later