SCIENCE AND SPIRITS. 409 



This, then, is the result of an attempt made by a scien- 

 tific man to look into these spiritual phenomena. It is not 

 encouraging ; and for this reason : The present promoters 

 of spiritual phenomena divide themselves into two classes, 

 one of which needs no demonstration, while the other is 

 beyond the reach of proof. The victims like to believe, and 

 they do not like to be undeceived. Science is perfectly 

 powerless in the presence of this frame of mind. It is, 

 moreover, a state perfectly compatible with extreme intel- 

 lectual subtlety and a capacity for devising hypotheses 

 which only require the hardihood engendered by strong 

 conviction, or by callous mendacity, to render them impreg- 

 nable. The logical feebleness of science is not sufficiently 

 borne in mind. It keeps down the weed of superstition, 

 not by logic but by slowly rendering the mental soil unfit 

 for its cultivation. When science appeals to uniform ex- 

 perience, the spiritualist will retort, " How do you know 

 that a uniform experience will continue uniform ? You tell 

 me that the sun has risen for six thousand years : that is 

 no proof that it will rise to-morrow ; within the next twelve 

 hours it may be puffed out by the Almighty." Taking this 

 ground, a man may maintain the story of " Jack and the 

 Bean-stalk " in the face of all the science in the world. 

 You urge, in vain, that science has given us all the knowl- 

 edge of the universe which we now possess, while spiritual- 

 ism has added nothing to that knowledge. The drugged 

 soul is beyond the reach of reason. It is in vain that im- 

 postors are exposed, and the special demon cast out. He 

 has but slightly to change his shape, return to his house, 

 and find it " empty, swept, and garnished." * 



December 10, 1864. 



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