cations. Hence the evil utterances became less blatant, and immorality and crime were relegated largely to the background. A garb of smug sanctity was put on in the place of open license, and Spiritualism walked, sanctimoniously, into the popular churches. And why not? The doctrine of natural immortality is held by most religious denominations of the day. It requires but one more step to accept the spiritualistic doctrine of open communication with the spirits of the immortal dead. This is Spiritualism pure and simple, whether held by heathen, infidel, Catholic, or professed Christian. It is plain to be seen, therefore, that among the membership of the churches we may look for the greatest actual numerical strength of Spiritualism. There is, also, among non-professors, a large following who do not openly accept Spiritualism, but who really believe its teachings. Upon this point the Christian at Work of August 17, 1876, said:· "But we do not know how many judges, bankers, merchants, prominent men in nearly every occupation in life, there are, who make it a constant practice to visit clairvoyants, sight-seers, and so-called Spiritual mediums; yet it can scarcely be doubted that their name is legion; that not only the unreligious man, but professing Christians, men and women, are in the habit of consulting spirits from the vasty deep, for information concerning both the living and the dead. Many who pass for intelligent people, who would be shocked to have their Christianity called in question, are con stantly engaged in this disreputable business." Do E shall know them by their fruits. men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?" Matt. 7:16. Is Spiritualism a Humbug? In the earlier days of Spiritualism its exhibited wonders were met with the cry of "humbug," "sleightof-hand," etc. No one can doubt that in the beginning these elements came frequently into some of the socalled "spirit manifestations," and do even now to a less extent. And so some undertook to explain the whole system of Spiritualism upon the basis of sleightof-hand, or trickery. The author, at one time, attended a public exhibition where the operator undertook to demonstrate that Spiritualism was nothing but a clever fraud, and sought to prove his claim by many illustrations. For instance, he would enter a cabinet, tie himself with ropes so securely that no one could untie the knots. Then, by a quick turn, would release him self. He would allow himself to be tied as securely as men, even sailors, could tie him, and then, behind the screen, in the presence of witnesses, would release himself almost instantly. Cords could not hold him. Yet, later, he explained his methods to the audience, and showed how it was done. Among other exhibitions he gave spirit rappings, showed spirit hands and faces from his cabinet, and performed many other seeming impossibilities. In every instance the exhibition was followed by an explanation of the method by which the trick was accomplished. As a sleight-of-hand performance it was very clever. With many it had just the effect that the devil designed it should have,-convinced them that Spiritualism and its manifestations were merely a harmless deception. Then, when they should later meet manifestations which would convince them of their supernatural origin, they would fall an easy prey, failing to recognize the real nature of the phenomena. An Attempt to Expose Spiritualism. But Spiritualism cannot be passed by as a myth. It is a positive and an assured fact, and has come to stay. It has stood the test of more than half a century, and has a future before it. The cry of chi A MANIFESTATION OF POWER. UNDER this head Smith writes: canery and fraud has practically ceased. It is now a known quantity, with definite data. Upon the reality of Spirit "Spiritualism cannot be dis- ualism, Thomas R. Hazard, in the Philadelphia North American, writes: posed of with a sneer. A toss of the head and a cry of 'humbug,' will not suffice to meet its claims and the testimony of careful, conservative men who have studied thoroughly into the genuineness of its manifestations, and have sought for the secret of its power, and have become satisfied as to the one, and been wholly baffled as to the other. "That there have been abundant instances of attempted fraud, deception, jugglery, and imposition, is not to be denied. But this does not by any means set aside the fact that there have been manifestations of more than human power, the evidence for which has never been impeached. "The detection of a few sham mediums, who are trying to impose upon the credulity of the people for money, may satisfy the careless and unthinking that the whole affair is a humbug. Such will dismiss the matter from their minds, and depart, easier subjects to be "Spiritualism, whatever may be thought of it, must be recognized as a fact. It is one of the characteristic intellectual or emotional phenomena of the times, and as such, it is deserving of a more serious examination than it has yet received. There are those who say it is all humbug, and that everything outside of the ordinary course which takes place at the so-called seances is the direct result of fraudulent and deliberate imposture; in short, that every Spiritualist must be either a fool or a knave. The serious objection to this hypothesis is that the explanation is almost as difficult of belief as the occurrences which it explains." T. J. Hudson says: "I will not waste time, how ever, by attempting to prove by experiments of my own, or of others, that such phenomena do occur. It is too late for that. The facts are too well known to the civilized world to require proof at this time. The man who denies the phenomena of Spiritism to-day is not entitled to be called a skeptic, he is simply ignorant; and it would be a hopeless task to attempt to enlighten him."—Law of Psychic Phenomena, p. 206, published by McClurg & Co., Chicago. Spirits of Devils. "For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles." Rev. 16:14. That Spiritualism is a wonder-working power is demonstrated by the researches of some of the best minds of the age. It is also a fact that spirits often show an accurate and minute knowledge of the history and most private life of those with whom they are communicating. These and other manifestations show that there is a supernatural captured by the movement when some manifestation appears for which they can find no explanation. But the more thoughtful and careful observers well know that the exposure of these mountebanks does not account for the numberless manifestations of power, and the steady current of phenomena, utterly inexplicable on any attended the movement from human hypothesis, which have the beginning.'-Modern Spiritualism, pp. 10, 11. A WONDER-WORKING UNDER this head Colcord writes: "However modern Spiritualism may be viewed, it comes to us as a wonder-working power. While it may be freely admitted that there have been much fraud, trickery, and deception connected with it, still, on the other hand, there have been many well-attested wonders performed by it, which no one has been able to reproduce by mere sleight-of-hand, or to explain upon any natural hy pothesis or scientific basis. "Among the well-known phenomena of Spiritism, aside from the usual rappings and table-tippings, may be mentioned the following: "Various articles have been power behind them. And that transported from place to place |