Modern spiritism; its science and religion - SpiritArchive.org

82 MODERN SPIRITISM
plays on strings and notes, passes through solid
matter, conjures up ghosts, and makes lights all on
one condition, 'That all performances must be,
without rhyme or reason, vain and puerile!'"*
Some Unknown Force
So far, then, we have as clear proof as can possibly
be afforded of some force, at present unknown to us,
used by non-human intelligences ; but, so far as we
can see, for absolutely silly and purposeless follies.
To account for all this, the old "daemons," a freakish
race of spirits (not of the dead), have been revived.
These were once everywhere believed in, though not
revealed to us definitely in the Bible. They are
supposed to be intermediate between the good and
fallen angels, inclining to evil, however, rather than
to good. The only suggestions of this existence are
these, and other purposeless and foolish displays of
power when invoked. Of these there are, of course,
other explanations.
Still, the more we investigate these phenomena,
the less, in one sense, we seem to know.
With regard to spirit photography, while it cannot
be wholly denied, it is best to exclude it from the
above category, as it is so easy to imitate.
We may emphasize once more that all these
physical phenomena have, no necessary connection
whatever with the dead.
Professor Hyslop insists that all physical phenomena
must be excluded at once, as not in themselves
in any respect affording evidence of the actions of
departed spirits.
* This remark seems very well justified.