Year: 1875

OlHlulldneOuS WIFI Tie ueUeCIlOn OF
the Philadelphia waif, comes report
from Europe that the original KATIE
has been captured bya material hand.
1t is hoped that the atmosphere will
be cleared of this crowd of imposters
very soon. To give color and support
to the delusion, some spiritualst pa
pers have taken the ground that the
Bible gives the first account of mate
rallied spirits. The case of SANUEL's
appearance to SAUL; the angels APP
pearance to JOHN, and the resurrec-
tion OF Christ, are given as examples.
People who receive such ideas from
reading the Bible read to very little
profit and manifest grossness of
mind as material as their bodies. In
nearly every instance of spirit-seeing
mentioned in the Bible it is stated
"their eyes were opened" or they
were in vision, etc. The case of the
servant of ELIJAH, the prophet, is a
full explanation of this subject. The
prophet and his servant awoke in the
morning and found themselves sur
rounded by an army of soldiers. The
servant was alarmed and inquired,
Master, what shall We do ?' He
could see the army, and to him there
appeared no way of escape. The
prophet prayed that the eyes of his
servant might be opened. The prayer
was answered and the servant beheld
an immense hOst-an army of spirit
ual beings-encampe between him
and the kings army. He exclaimed,
Greater are they that are for us than
they that are against u.s." The eyes
of the servant were opened-not his
natural eyes, those he had used to see
the kings hosts; it was his spiritual
vision, faculty that every human
being possesses, and can be used when
the Lord wills it. A few are born
with the faculty of seeing spirits, and
in some instances they have kept it
through life; very many have their
spiritual sight opened just be-
fore death. "Io some is given
the discerning of spirits" That the
power now exists and has existed for
thousands of years of opening this fac
ulty by diabolical art, is firmly be-
lieved by many. When this power is
natural, or comes by Divine permis-
sion it is never used for bad or selfish
purposes, and those who possess it
generally lament it and try to hide it
from the world. But in all cases where
Wis IacuiUy Is sought ~ Is IUr evII pun
poses; hence the ancient law of putting
people to death who practiced the art.
That spirits have power to move and
change material objects we have no
doubt; indeed all material nature is
sustained and changed by spirit power
i'm fact there is no other source of
power. But that departed spirit has
power to materialize so as to appear to
our natural vision, is not true. If
they do appear, it is by a wicked art
they possess in conjunction with one
or more individuals in the company,
of opening the spiritual vision of those
who are present. 1t is our opinion,
however, that not one case in thous-
and Of these pretended wonders is gem
uine. We are always glad to have
humbugs detected, but otherwise it is
a waste of time to be running around
to investigate these things-as foolish
as the little negroes of the South, who
used to attempt to run to the end of a
rainbow to find pot of gold. If it is
truly spiritual phenomenon, natural
philosophy will never investigate it.
The best way to treat it Is to pay no
attention to it. The curiosity of the
world is now, and always has been, on
tiptOe to discover something supernat-
ural. They want sign; and thou-
ands, like THOMAS, will not believe
until they thrust their hand into the


wound. No sign was given them, and


TO THOMAS 1t was said, BLESSED are
they who have not seen, and believed


The true philosopher looks within


himself to investigate spiritual phe-


nomena.