Experimental investigation of the spirit manifestations, [electronic ...

OF THE EXISTENCE OF SPIIUTS. 277never obtained any results; for noitluu- prayer, nor flie sacred names ofGod and Jesus, nor the sign of the cross made on tlie tables, nor tiie crucifix,luir the chapelet, (the beads,) nor the Gospels, nor llie ima^e ofChrist placed on the tables, nor holy water, could stop their turnings,knoekinpjs, and replying to our questions. But far from it, and much toour astonishment, we have seen the table turn over before the image ofChrist crucified. I will say no more. In the experiments made with thebishop just named, and the person with whom I was boarding, it was thevenerable bishop himself that made the sign of the cross on a stand, withoutin the least retarding the motion of that small piece of furniture.Monseigneur then asked the stand if it loved the cross, and it replying inthe affirmative, it was with surprise that Monseigneur saw the standturnover before his croix pastorale, and speak to him in orthodox language ofa future life.1412. '^If, according to all the facts which I have just reported, it benecessary to reason agreeably to M. de Mirville, behold what that reasoningmust be. The teachings of the Catholic ritual give to prayer, to thesacred names of God and Jesus, to the sign of the cross, to the holy water,and the exorcisms, the virtue of driving the devil (le cUmoii) out of thepossessed.Now, as neither prayer, the sacred names, the sign of the cross,&c. are able to drive the spirit out of mediums, nor out of tables, which,according to M. de Mirville, are also victims, then the Catholic Instructor,which assigns these means for removing evil spirits, must be in error.Then the Scripture, the SS. PP., and the Church, authorities on which theCatholic teachings are based on the subject of possessions, and the mannerof delivering the possessed of the evil spirit, (les demons,^ are in error.*And what true Catholic dare entertain this language ? It is then to avoidgetting into so unfortunate a position, that I have thought proper to rejectthe opinion of M. de Mirville on the manifestations of spirits.I shall betold that if the prescribed means sometimes fail, it is from want of fiiithon the part of those who employ them. This is my reply to that objection.The peasants do not possess a large quantity of faith, and, notwithstanding,Origen says the name of God, pronounced even by a peasant,chases the demons.— Origines contra celsum.1413. "There are a great many people, and among them figure somepious ecclesiastics and laymen, who quite frequently partake of the sacrament,who have experimented with me, who have prayed with me, have[* The use of the word "demons" in the text would seera to make it very uncertain thatthe Catholic school entertains the doctrine of an individual, personal devil."When used inthe plural, as it often is, it cannot mean the devil, yet both singular and plural, the word"demon" seems to convey the same idea. Scripture commeutators make the word demonto signify a spirit, whether good or bad. But our author does not seem to have yet becomevery thoroughly grounded in the doctrine of the communion of angels with man ; whichwill certainly be found to be the only tangible doctrine.—TnAXSLATOR.]