testimony is entirely unreliable. You cannot believe
their most solemn declarations. They are what the
Scriptures term “lying spirits. ” We proceeded to give
him, as we are about to give in this article, the identi-
ty of these spirits as set forth in the Scriptures. He
heartily assented that some of the spirits were unreli-
able, “thomnghly bad,” bat claimed that others were
very good, very truthful, and had frequently given
good advice which had been very helpful to him.
It is claimed by many Spiritists, especially by no-
vices, that the influence of Spiritism is elevating; but
those who have passed through the various stages of
experience in this so-called religious system have found,
and have publicly declared, that its influence is quite
the reverse of elevating-it
is demoralizing.
The tnethd of operation is explained by The Banner of Light, a leading Spiritist paper, in answer to
the query, thus:-
“Q. Where a spirit controls the hand of a medium
to write, is the impression always made through the
brain ?
“A. Sometimes the control is what is termed me-
chanical control; then the connection between arm and
brain is entirely severed, and yet the manifestation is
made through what is called the nervous fluids, a cer-
tain portion of which is retained in the arm for the pur-
pose of adtion. But when the manifestation is what is
called an impressional manifestation, then the brain
and entire nervous system is used.’
Explaining the difIerence between Mesmerism and
spirit control, another jonrnel, the Spiritual Age, says:
“Suppose I magnitize you today; and that I, the
mesmerizer, speak, write, act through you, you being
unconscious;-this is Mesmerism. Suppose, further,
that I die tonight , and that , tomorrow , I , a spirit