before they learned to communicate with each other by means of the electric telegraph; yet who refused to receive the news of Lee's surrender, because, a century since, it would have taken it a month to go from Richmond to Chicago? Persons will accept of improvements everywhere except in religious matters: how strange! Are all who have died fools? Supposing they could not have communicated prior to 1848: men in this world have made many discoveries since that time; may not those on the other side have discovered something? Mesmer, who discovered the science of mesmerism, and Benjamin Franklin, who taught men how to control the lightning, are each in the land of the so-called dead. Now, while Prof. Morse was discovering and perfecting a new mode of communication between mortals, why can not Newton, Franklin, and others discover a plan by which the dead and living can converse? Certainly such a discovery would be of vast importance; then why object?

But Spiritualism is not new: it is traced through all time, and found among all people. We have not the space here to devote to this proposition. The reader who is curious to look into this department of the subject is requested to go or send to the bookstore of Colby & Rich, No. 9 Montgomery Place, Boston, and get some of their numerous books on this question.

It is enough for us here to say that phenomenal Spiritualism was patent in the days of Luther. Who has not read the account of Luther seizing and throwing an inkstand at a spirit whom he supposed to be the Devil? The manifestations in the Wesley family, an account of

which John Wesley himself records, were quite equal to those occurring in the family of John D. Fox. Dr. Adam Clarke, Carvosso, and other Methodist divines, record as wonderful spirit-manifestations as there are in the year 1869.

Objection No. 3. These manifestations are from the Devil. Paul says,

"Even him whose coming is after the working of Satan, with all power and signs and lying wonders."— 2 Thess. ii. 9.

"They are spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth, and of the whole world, to the battle of the great day of God Almighty." Rev. xvi. 14.

The charge of demoniac possession, like the "new things" argument, is an old one. When John the Baptist commenced his work, the popular church said, “ He hath a devil" (Matt. xi. 18). When Jesus came, speaking as never man spake, and doing as never man did, a hypocritical church said, "This fellow doth not cast out devils but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils."- Matt. xii. 24.

Jesus gave his followers to understand that this ever would be the case. He said, "If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more shall they call them of his household?"- Matt. x. 25.

With this warning in advance, and a knowledge that our predecessors in every work of reform have endured the same charge, we are bold to endure such charges. If the Church of all ages can be believed, the Devil has originated and put into successful operation every re

form, and that in spite of the Church, which has ever been faithful to warn its dupes that every reformer was the especial agent of his Satanic Majesty.

According to the church of Jesus' time he had a devil: but he and his devil succeeded in putting his work into successful operation, and matters went on swimmingly, until they succeeded in calling out a large party of followers; but, in proportion as they increased in numbers and power, they became corrupt, until the so-called Christian Church became so terribly wicked, that the Devil would have nothing further to do with it. His Majesty left them to "paddle their own canoe," and began anon to work through heretics, who were compelled, on account of their good works, to leave the Church.

During the whole period known as the dark ages, there was not a martyr burned at the stake, but that was under the influence of the Devil. That word "devil" has always served as a scapegoat to pack its ignorance and hatred of progress on. It requires no tact or learning to say "devil," and it often does to explain various phenomena hidden behind that word. This is, perhaps, the main reason why the old gentleman has had so much to carry. Even Martin Luther told his followers that the Copernican system of astronomy, including the rotundity of the earth, was directly from the Devil.

The telescope was of satanic origin. The first fanning-mill was "a wicked invention to raise the Devil's wind." The inventor was informed, that, if he wanted to separate his wheat and chaff, he should get down upon his knees, and ask God to send him a good dispensation of air; or, if not humble enough to do that, to

patiently wait until God in his mercy chose to send him wind. Notwithstanding the windmill was the Devil's invention, it soon gained such a hold on the populace, that a Presbyterian could, without any scruples of conscience, eat bread made of the wheat which had passed through the Devil's windmill. We would not be understood as representing that the Church sanctioned or even tolerated such impiety. It did not. Ever faithful to its duty, the Church disfellowshiped every member who had so far followed his diabolical leadership as to eat the bread made of wheat which had been cleansed by this "infernal machine." Alas for the weakness of man! how soon is he led astray! The Devil's windmill has become so popular, that ministers use bread, even in the communion service, that was made of the wheat which had gone through the Devil's windmill. Thus the Devil always carries the day.

The man who first applied water to the propelling of a sawmill was put to death for being in league with the Devil. The first printing-press was invented and run by the Devil. It was the Devil, who, through Harvey, discovered the circulation of the blood. This same Devil enabled Michael Servetus to discover that a mathematical impossibility could not be a theological truth. When this agent of his Majesty the Devil was told that in the Godhead there were three persons at least, and only one at most, he was inclined to doubt it, and wondered if that would not lead to the idea of three Gods. Oh, no!" the response was: "there is but one God, and

66

he is made of three distinct individualities."

66 Well, taking either of these three separately, would he be a God, an angel, or a man?" His questions were too

well put none but a Devil could invent such questions When he was asked to sing,

"Have faith the same,
With endless shame,
For all the human race;

For hell is crammed
With infants damned,

Without a day of grace,"

he dared to question the truth of the song, and the propriety of singing it. He was at once set down for a Devil-possessed heretic, and condemned to death. John Calvin, after signing his death-warrant, led the mob that burned him over a slow fire, for the crime of disputing old theories. As usual, the Devil in this was successful. The whole world now acknowledge that Servetus was right, and Calvin and his horde of bigoted followers

wrong.

"The world goes round and round,

The genial seasons run,

And ever the truth comes uppermost,

And ever is justice done."

It was in the present century that ministers came out in long printed statements (for by this time the Devil had made his printing-press popular enough for thei use) to prove that vaccination to prevent small-pox was an invention of the Devil to change men to a kind of quadruped; that vaccination would surely result in producing horns on the heads of those who submitted to any such satanic operation to prevent this dreaded contagion. The Devil originated the science of geology, set on foot the abolition movement; in fact, has led