Modern spiritism; its science and religion - SpiritArchive.org

9 8 MODERN SPIRITISM
Error as to
Spirits
"Spirit" to a Spiritist, but to no one else, is, therefore,
necessarily synonymous with "discarnate
spirit." This must be made clear, for there are many,
the writer included, who dissent from it; and who
believe that some of the Spiritist phenomena are due
to spirit action, though not to discarnate spirits, but
to those in which all Christians, and many others (as I
think) rightly believe. When, therefore, others, with
myself, agree that some of the physical phenomena
may be due to the superhuman action of spirits, that
some also of the psychical phenomena, automatic
writing, etc., may be due to communications from
the other world, we never refer to discarnate spirits
(i.e., disembodied spirits of men), but to the original
denizens of the spirit world, that pervade the whole
language of Scripture. No such spirit-communications
have to us, therefore, any necessary connection
with necromancy.
Indeed, I may point out further, that there, is
some important evidence on this head as to the
existence of other than discarnate spirits which may
not be disregarded, for it is far too well' supported
by evidence. As I shall show later on, we cannot
believe, and in the "we" I think I may be allowed
to include all Spiritists, that any human beings,
however depraved, can in their spirit-form after
death descend to the horrors that accompany so
many cases of "possession," the secrets of so many
stances, or the dreadful experiences of many
Spiritists. Surely to call these denizens of the pit
"discarnate spirits" is not to honour the dead, but
to dishonour them, and to reach the incredible.