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EDITOR'S NOTICES .AND COMMENT.~. 109<br />
the snrronndlngs of tho medlom, nnd shows.<br />
conelusl""ly thni. there co.lId ,be 110 confederates<br />
at work, and then In addition to this demo<br />
onstrates that the medlnm could 1I0t have<br />
pe",onated the fonns, the eVidence be<strong>com</strong>l!B<br />
strong and valuable.<br />
•<br />
Genuine lIledlums can obtliln the manlfestatiolls<br />
under these conditionS. Whoever requires<br />
conditions thai will adrili& of fraud,<br />
and w\ll permit no ~.ts, sbould be set aside.<br />
In no other way can imposte", and tricksLe'"<br />
be driven out of the spiritual .novement. Tho<br />
day for seot hnent bas passed. Thero 19 no<br />
neces.lty for abu>llIg a medium or injuring<br />
bla or her self·respect. U 19 not difficult to<br />
I detect Imposture.ot determine upon tbe gen·<br />
ulneneos of manlf .. tatio.... We have found<br />
that tbe medium .. ho bas nothing to conceal<br />
does uot fe3r a most rigid examination. They<br />
have tbo consd~u.ness<br />
tbat tbe manlfesta·<br />
tlons a.t~ canse.t by a pow ... iudependent of<br />
their physical agency. . ,<br />
Genuine medio.ims should be supported by<br />
havlng'the enco"ragement ahd sYOIpatby of<br />
every Splritnallst; but let Us be sure that<br />
tbel'e are genuine. J£ they are, tbey can dem"<br />
onslnte It; If tlN!y canuot, fet the .upport<br />
and patronage go \0 those who can. Doytou.<br />
, to·day has severa! vbQ hav.a flourisbed as<br />
mediums for form.manifestatlous for 8Elv~ral<br />
yea",' Are tbey genuine? The Ilanner or<br />
I.lgbt eirele or some other ~mpe~ntpeMlOns<br />
should be pennltted to apply these tests.<br />
They have had their o,,"n couditlons' long<br />
eooogh; it i. Ume now for tbe otber side. It<br />
is ol no use for these doubtful medium. to<br />
tell wilDt can or wbat caD not be done. . It Is<br />
8umeleet Ibat tbe manifestations have been.<br />
obtained under . these coudltioll8. 'I.et u.<br />
have ""act investigation. Uplll recently It'<br />
has been impossible to obtain test 'condltioll$;<br />
now let I1B make it Impossible· for mediums<br />
'to pra.cUee fraud. Apply the coudltions to<br />
these duubtful cbaracters, aud see what the<br />
reoult will be.<br />
UIlvlne Heing. lie alSo thought<br />
It extremely probable tba. tbe spirits of those<br />
. departed had the pw_r to revl.1I those upon<br />
tbe earth whom they had left. behind. In<br />
this conllectlon Mr. Deceher said, "With all<br />
my benrl. I wish I could believe In Spiritual'<br />
Ism, and I wonld if it was not oovered up<br />
with so much of 1I0nsenss; the pbllosophy of<br />
the tblog L. all right. Do yon suppGlOe my<br />
fatber or my' mOlher dOIl't remember me?<br />
Why should not thoso ,yho are nearest to· uo<br />
bere be nearolll to u. there? 80 far as the<br />
general Idea' of Spfrltuall.m b concerned I<br />
believe 111 It;' but so far as the practical .....<br />
.oullo arc concerned-that wblch 18 peddled<br />
thrtlugb the country-thaI 1 do not believe<br />
In.'' Mr. Deecber continued 'by !riving hi.<br />
"lIpetie.nec and illustrating his meaning. It<br />
mBY he Bummed up in .bol't by .aying tbat<br />
IIlr. lIeecher belioves just as mucb as It Is<br />
popular to believe; enough to saUsfy lhe Splr.<br />
Ituall.1S In bls congregation, and Dot enougb<br />
be dlsple3Slug tbo.e wbo know nothlog .,f<br />
the subject.<br />
PllAcMCAL fh'illITUALlSU;'<br />
Said Prof. J. R. Bllchanan In thle anniyer<br />
.ary addreso, "I would now call upon Splri~<br />
Ilualbls, as men whose minds are open to<br />
to tbe Iigbt from above, to whom the spirit<br />
world and Its Divine ruler are not remote<br />
historic things reached by tlieologlc .peculatI!,n,<br />
but ever preoOJlt aud penetrating reall·<br />
ties, to embod, In tholrlloes tbls,law. oflove.<br />
and tbllB provo the sincerity of tbelr convictions.<br />
If tbe demonstrated reality of eternal<br />
life and Its respolI.lbllllles does not produce<br />
In u. that eam .. t activity of r"Uglou8.lIfe,<br />
and duty whlcb has been produced In others<br />
by a religion wltbout living evlllence, based<br />
solely on bistorle records, tbe conclusion Is<br />
h,evltable that we are ourselves inferior In<br />
our moral natureo, and that our highest enlightenment<br />
will pro(jl us little, eltber h. tbis<br />
world Or tbe next.<br />
It Is not tho amount or<br />
truth which a man knows, but the amoullt<br />
oC trutb upon .. hleh he aci.., tbat determines<br />
hi. destluy; and if tliose wbo have been fore·<br />
most 111 tho recognition of spiritual trutb are<br />
not also foremost Iii Teduclng it to practice,<br />
they .. III be ranked herealter as Ihe Intellee.<br />
leetual Idle ... and .hlrUess vagrtans who ram·<br />
ble Ibrough a lIew country making no settle·<br />
ments, and building no bonseB, and merely<br />
preceding a more permauell~ and respectaOie<br />
populaUQIl.<br />
'''Whetber tbe presonL Apirllual movement·· ..<br />
Is a mere gypsy ramble .. f eurlous Blght-seera<br />
and idle excursionists, or tetnpo, .. ry squat-
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