Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-01-05
HITS CRITICISMS
| ON SP|RITUAL|SM
Dr. Stewart Says Immortality
OF Souls Is Proven
Every Day.

In sermon on THE Dangers Of
spirituaiism" last night DR.. Charles
H. Stewart, pastor of the North Re-
Formed Church. expressed his belief
that there was a strong probability
that the spirits of the departed on
rare occasions communicate with the
living.
He said that his view of spirituallsm
was upheld by reason. by the scrip
lures and by the evidence of history.
He preflxed his address by reading
q newspaper editorial which had been
sent to him by two members of the
congregation, who disagreed with him
on the subject of spiritualism. The
clipping was as follows:
"aIore Visits from the Shades"
Sir Alfred Turner was unfortunate
in the audience he selected for his
spiritistic demonstration in London
last night. The seance was typical In
every particular, and from the ac-
count given by the correspondent of
the Sun we gather that it was a great
success. But materiaiists are poor
Judges of these things. They cannot
free themselves from local earthly
prejudices; they measure everything
by their own limited standards. and
whatever does not happen to fit into
their miserable littleSphere of eXpe-
rience they dismiss as impossible, In
spite OF their senses.
1.-THE ghostly guests were an odd
company. including Morgan, the buc-
lcaneer: Mr. Stead, Cardinal Newman
and Grimaldi, the clown. The skep-
tics thought it strange that they all
spoke with the same voice, but no one
who knows anything about ghosts VIII
be astonished. 1t is indeed obvious
that the absence OF larynX and OF
all the material organs OF speech
must modify voices on the other SIDE,
and the only wonder is that sucn
voices can be heard at all by mortal
ears.
.'As to Cardinal Newman the COM
.piaint is that his Latin was barbarous
and abominable and quite unlike any
thing he ever dreamed of using at
Oxford Is it to be supposed for a
moment that Oxford fashions prevail
IN the beyond? When the late F. w.
III. Myers sent back a poem by way of
Showing the world that he had not
lost his old knack at verse member
of his family was so indignant that
she wrote a letter to the Times dis
claiming it absolutely and declaring
that, alive or dead. he never could bel
guilty of such trash.
"These little Observation-Disclosures
culties In the way of psychical re-
eearchers. No wonder DR.. Hyslop in
sists that the only hope for them is
rich endowment and the elimination
of all skeptics unduly Obsessed with
notions based on physical prejudices.
Commenting on this. DR.. Stewart
went on:
I'm answer to all such criticism I
would say that in the investigation
of a great and serious question we
are not to take too seriously the flip
pant remarks of newspaper reporter
who knows nothing about the subject
ne is reporting.
'In the Investigation of such a sub |
5ect I do not trust even nv own
senses. 1t is often said that seeing is
believing. which is by no means true.
] will venture to say that an ordinary
sleight- of-hand artist can do tricks |
that not one of you here would be
able to detect I rely wholly upon the
Testimony of the most trained and
skilled experts whose ability and I'M
smpeachable character are everywhere
recognized Here let me name Just
u few of the eminent thinkers of our
time who have occupied the position |
of president Of the Society of PsYchi- |
cal Research Prof. Henry Sedgwick, |
Prof. Balfour Stewart. the late Prof. |
James. of Harvard Sir William |
&ro0keS. the late f. w. IL Myers. SIT |
Oliver Lodge. last year president of
the British Association. the late An
Erew Lang. and this year Prof. Henry |
Bergson. 1t is safe to say that no
subject since the days of the Apostles
has engaged the attention of so manv |
of the worlds greatest and ablest
thinkers"
DR.. Stewart then explained whv he !
thought 1t was reasonable to believe
In the phenomenon of Spiritualism
and gave manv incidents OF spiritual
ism mentioned in tho old and New
Testaments. He asserted that no peo-
pie since the world began has escaped |
belief in spirits.
1T would say in conclusion" he
continued. that Spiritua ism is a
subject for scientific Investigation and |
at this stage should be kept entirely
in the hands of experts who NAV one
day. and that very soon. prove the
doctrine of the Immortality of the
soul. until it will be as inn possible to
deny it as it would now be to deny
the force of gravity"
sSchoo1S Are Omen TODAY.