Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1922-05-20
DEPARTED SOULS NOT
TEACHERS. SAYS DOLE
Local Minister Comments on
tho Spirftism Lectures of
Conan Doyle.

Sonan Ooylo.
BY REV. GEO. HENRY DOLE.
Pastor Of the Church Of tho New
Jerusalem.
The recent lecture on Spirltism by
Conan Doyle have aroused consider
able interest and caused much discus
sion OF the subject. He has brought
70 popular knowledge tho production
OF photographs produced through
mediums by spirit influence. Quite a
number OF years ago II was reported
that Sir Walter Crooks prepared plates
and took such photographs. A little
later Sir Oliver Lodge scientifically
pexplnined how such photographs are
produced. Conan Doyle gives nothing
new on this subject. He simply reiter-
ates what some OF our most di-tln-
guished scientists have declared for the
last ten years.
There Is no doctrine that the
churches have fought moro desperately
than that of Spiritism. but this they
have done by declaring that Spiritism
is purely an imposition and humbug
have opposed progressive science, en-
deavering to refute II by the merely
literal sense OF the Bible. 1.-THE letter
killeth. but the spirit givcth life. But
In tho case OF Spiritlsm, or commun-
icating with the dead through medi-
ums, the Bible admits the possibility
of Il.
Prominent churctmen meet the
problem by saying that Doyle should
be confined In a mad-house," which
satisfies no earnest seeker for the
truth; IL would be far better to concede
tho possibility of mediumship and
answer the question from the Bible.
which contains full and clear answers
and judge such practice by it's works
Science is fully in accord with the
Bible in declaring tho possibility of
spirit communications through medi-
ums. Tho churches place themselves
in disadvantage and their opponents
In advantage by denying the reality of
Spiritism, Just as they would IL they
denied the actually OF smallpox. An
evil Is not banished by denying its
existence, but by showing its nature
and explaining wherein 1t is evil.
That the Bible shows tho possibility
of communicating through mediums
IL evident from Saul calling up
Samuel. 1t Is also evident that II was
not Samuel who came. but a satanic
impersonation. for he "ascended out
OF the earth, and not down from
. heaven. and the spirit thus ascending
, from the hell of magic, took out OF
> Sauls mind what Saul had been ed.
, vised by the Lord through Samue
= q Sam. XVIII. ~. The numerou,
! injunctions against Spiritism would
i not have been in tho Bible, if &c wer,
not an actual and evil thing. "Regarc
not them that have familiar spirits
neither seek after wizards to be de
q filed by them: am tho Lord you
!. God" (Lev. XIX, 80. "The Soul tina
Z turneth after such as have familia.
/, spirits. .. L will even set my fac
$ lhgainst that SOUL Uev. Xxx, 81. -
y man also or u woman that hath
6 familiar spirit -. shall surely be pu
TO death" (Lev. Xxx. 20. which NEAR
that such will destroy their soul. min
and body, of which we have abundan
= evidence. The many passages in tn
;. Bible of this character, and all in alb
: solute harmony, show unmistakabl
O the Bible teaching on the subject.
. The reason why communicate
through mediums is evil is becaus
The Lord has provided the Bib
through which He can reveal all spir
itual truths. He alone Is the Teache
of mankind. He sees TO eternity, an
u, through the Bible He reveals all tn
~ truth that one needs, and withhold
the holy things that would be trample
- under foot AIT heaven knows thi
and no angel ever teaches. Conse
=, quently those who seek to teac
~ through mediums are Of hell and il
~ internal crew. This Isaiah declare
And when they shall say unto yo'
Seek unto them that have familia
l. spirits, and unto wizards that pee
W and mutter; should not a people see
h unto their God? for the living to III
AZ dead? To the law and the testimony
if they speak not according TO tn
word, it is because there Is no light
them" (VIII, 1920. In Old Testamel
It, times the impostures of spirits WEI
i'll detected by comparing. what the
ii said to the Old Testament teaching
s. John gave a rule that will expose the
III trickery in New Testament times. I
at says. TRY the spirits whether tn,
O3 are OF God /. Hereby know we Il
TO Spirit OF God; every spirit that col
A., fesseth not that Jesus Christ Is con
en- in the flesh is not OF God" q John, l
1-2). John believed that Christ W.
"the only begotten Son OF God. WIKI
means that He was God incarnat
~ as described in the first chapter
s the Gospel by st. John. Several tim
'ss we have tried this by asking If JeS
% was the only personal incarnation
~, the Father in heaven. and invariab
n. thp answer has been. mo, He was
-, MIN like all others.
:, A clean distinction should be ma
so between communications throul
mediums and the appearance Of angt
and departed friends that occasional
takes place when people are in distre
&c, and with the dying or sick. The d
o. parted and angels do at times apes
IT. They give impressions and exert inf
ay ences; but they never teach, for go
e, spirits know that instruction IL Il
M to the Lord alone through His wol
IT 1t is unlawful and most dangero
'ni to seek communication with the 9th
az. world, for thereby one may establi
hu communication with evil spirits. W
d. burn to kindle hellfire on the ear
VI Good spirits cannot be reached
-'' solicitation. for they know that
order of the heavenly kingdom wol
be upset were open communicate
len granted, and that if any real &c
p. would come by their appearing
their friends, the Lord would prov
IN ,ritbnnt oolicitat{nn