Modern spiritism; its science and religion - SpiritArchive.org

216 MODERN SPIRITISM
fusion in any exact argument. "The word of
God" is stated to be "sharper than any two-edged
sword," because it can (which Spiritism cannot)
pierce even to the dividing of psuche and pneuma
of soul and spirit.
These, in Modern Spiritism, seem inextricably
confounded.
The New Revelation
Before proceeding definitely to contrast Christianity
and Spiritism, it will be, perhaps, best to lay
bare a little further the tenets of the latter, for
these are not generally known at all, whereas all
have a knowledge, more or less clear, of the fundamental
and unchanging doctrines of Christianity.
Modern Spiritism attractively describes itself as a
new revelation: "just as the Christian revelation
succeeded the Mosaic, so does the Spiritist succeed
the Christian!" We are not told, however, the
important point, who in this last "revelation"
represents either Moses or the Lord Christ ?
I am very sorry that Sir. A. Conan Doyle, whose
strenuous efforts to assimilate the new revelation
to the old are deserving of some praise, should have
permitted himself to speak of the Divine Son as "a
broad-minded model, always progressive, and open
to new ideas! Full of robust common sense, but
(forgive the blasphemy) occasionally losing his
temper." One can hardly tell whether the praise or
the blasphemy is the more offensive both are
;
utterly
unworthy of Sir A. Conan Doyle.*
* It is a most significant fact that any connection with Spiritism
always lowers, in some way or other, and never raises the
reputation of a man, however eminent otherwise.