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and magic. I will not, however, for these reasons assume that there has never been any cases of spiritistic manifestation in times past. But the pith of my argument rests upon the fact that the spiritistic phenomena, at the present day, at a time extremely unfavorable for their coming and reception,-in which the boldest sensualism and materialism have acquired such wide-spread influence-have entered upon the field of observation in such abundant measure, in such definite way, in form so manifest as to clearly challenge observation.

Finally, I cannot refrain from correcting certain misunderstandings which have crept into your apprehension of my explanation, or rather of my view as to the objective reason of the spiritistic phenomena. You make the charge against me that foolish as these phenomena individually are, they still afford me a "certainty of a world beyond which they demonstrate and thus furnish a new source of moral and religious persuasion." If I had really said as much as this the accusation would be well founded. But the truth of the case is, I only spoke of it as a new and efficient means for reviving the faith, now (in many quarters) as good as dead, in the immortality of the soul. And only because I believe that faith in the soul's immortality is of infinite importance and a strong pillar of morality, have I attributed to these phenomena a moral value. Indeed, I expressly state in my article, that the recent moral and religious teachings and revelations by the spirits, have thus far not only imparted nothing valuable, but that we really are not justified in expecting anything valuable. "For even if the Spirits do possess ethical, religious knowledge of a higher grade, of course they know that the impartation of such knowledge to us from outward sources would be of no real benefit to us. For in order to gain any value from it, we must seek this moral religious knowledge of our own free will and self-impelled. This is a true statement, because we must love the True, the Good, and the Beautiful before we can recognize or understand them; and because, in short, our knowledge depends not only upon the mass of facts we have collected, but also upon the power, direction and honesty of our wills." You further assume supposing my hypothesis to be correct, in which I suggest that the spirits are the souls of

dead men, that we are compelled to adopt the following conclusions: "The souls of our dead are physically in bondage to certain living men, the so-called mediums. These mediums, at present at least, are not men of broad attainments, and seem to belong almost exclusively to the American nation. In obedience to their orders the souls go through certain mechanical performances which all the way through seem to be without any real purpose. They rap, lift tables and chairs, move bells, play harmonicas, etc., etc." So far as concerns the first point in your deduction, I do not see the foundation upon which you rest it. Neither Slade nor the spirits have declared that the mediums are masters, or the spirits, slaves. On the other hand, quite a number of the phenomena (the breaking of the screen, the experiment with the strips of leather, etc.) show that the spirits acted voluntarily, and did what Slade did not wish them to do.

As to your second point, respecting the objectless character of the phenomena, it has already been answered in the course of this paper, and its point removed, by showing how this very aimlessness may serve a specially important purpose. Your inference that "intellectually the departed souls have fallen into a condition that can only be described as lamentable, judging from the more or less imbecile character of the slatewriting," I think I have already shown to be unjustifiable; because the communications of the spirits which, though they may be unimportant, are surely not imbecile, can never be expected to have any special value in the way of imparting new truth. I have heretofore explained why we have not had, and why we have no right to expect any revelations of a moral or religious character. And for the same reasons I conclude that we should not expect any revelations in natural science; because in this connection, since they were men, they know that we, who are like them in kind, can never make progress in the knowledge and science of Nature except through the path of investigation; and that indeed we might not be able to comprehend their revelation couched in words.

As to your third conclusion, relating to the moral condition of departed souls, you yourself admit that "concerning their moral characteristics nothing further can be known" than that

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some little goodness may be ascribed to their present moral character on account of the uniform harmlessness of all the phenomena attributed to them." For my part, I would fain believe, since we have no fundamental knowledge of their moral peculiarities, that we have the right to hold this hypothesis concerning their characters.

By the citations and references from my former Article, I think I have plainly shown the injustice of the charge you have made against me that I have "utterly demolished all the principles of scientific investigation that I have hitherto followed for the sake of finding in the revelations of rapping ghosts a means of advancing our insight into natural law." On the contrary, since I specially take the position, that even if we accept these revelations, we are to expect no special helps, nor assistance for the advancement in insight into natural law, I also impliedly take the position that we must hold absolutely fast to the principles of scientific investigation, and rely upon them as firmly as heretofore.

Your last inference that I am "proposing to set aside natural law," although you do not make this assumption as the direct conclusion of my Article, but rather quote it as a declaration made by myself, I must reckon as an inference drawn by you from a simple misunderstanding of what I said. I have never proposed to undertake to set aside natural law, I have only set up the hypothesis, as a result of spiritistic phenomena, that spirit forces interfere with the course of nature and are thereby able to modify the working of natural law. I have not by any expression so much as suggested the conclusion which you seem to have inferred that through this interference the natural laws are overthrown, or that I anticipate their overthrow. In what sense, and upon what grounds I think such interference may be supposed, and thereby such co-working of the spiritistic (unconditioned) and natural (conditioned) forces, I have already defined in the explanation of the hypothesis of unchangeable conformity of natural phenomena according to the laws of natural science. But I have also thereby endeavored to show that through this co-working neither the law of causality, nor the law of general conformity on the part of natural phenomena was taken away.

In conclusion you ask "What shall become of science, when efforts among my own students to grapple it shall cease because of my own views giving them little encouragement in such direction;-when earnest work and zeal for scientific studies among them shall be crowded out by an aimless hunt. after wonders and by ghost-rapping societies?" You are right in expecting no good results, when our students shall busy themselves with spiritistic experiments. Such studies as these I by no means favor; but for these reasons only, that, according to my experience, they tend powerfully to divert the minds of our youth from pure scientific thought and interest; and because there might be danger that spiritistic investigation would hinder them still more from efficient scientific labor, and lead them to all sorts of extravagances. If such investigation could be conducted with an earnest scientific spirit and real scientific methods (a thing, however, that seems very difficult to accomplish, and beyond the power of a student), I do not see how or why it would prove dangerous to science. I believe that real scientific investigation, towards whatever objects it may be directed will always tend in the end to the benefit of science.

In hope, honored sir, that even if you do not approve my views, you will at least approve the principles upon which they rest, in some such degree as I do your own, I subscribe myself with assurances of high esteem,

Your devoted co-laborer,
H. ULRICI.

ARTICLE II.-CONDITIONS OF BELIEF.

WE have fallen on an era of theological disorder. The old doctrines out of which sturdy character grew are getting roughly handled. The foundations on which the fathers securely builded are reported as weakening and likely to come to disintegration. Those fundamental truths even which have long had evangelical currency, such as the authority of Scripture, the vicariousness of atonement, the eternity of retribution, are not only questioned, but are rejected, as belonging to systems that are effete.

The progress of scientific discovery and the immature claims which it has developed have acted on theological thought to its unrest, and have awakened a kind of rival sympathy in this different sphere. It would be unfortunate if, after the vagaries of uncertain science shall have kindly given way to theories which are founded on accepted facts, it should be discovered, that, in the unnecessary ferment, Christianity only had permanently suffered in the loss of some of its greatest principles. Transition periods are relatively brief. Truth remains unchanged whether affirmed or denied. We need to hold to it while the problems of the age are coming to lasting solution; and to hold to it all the more firmly when anchors that had moored us are dragging.

The disorder of faith is not merely affecting those who are leading along the lines of discovery, but it is working among the mass of followers. And its disasters are seen in practical, every-day life. It is hard to hold men to the faith as it is set forth in the teachings of Scripture. Proofs, evidences, various and multiplied, on subjects vital to the soul, are not accepted. The plain doctrines of the Gospel, the fearful truths of revela tion, are rejected, and statements more satisfactory to unrenewed nature, more easy of belief because more harmonious with. the feelings, are held and boldly professed. It is not merely that in some quarters there are claims of new revelations as of equal authority with the old Bible, pretended reve

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