AGNOSTICISM AND CHRISTIANITY. 463 



but which. Cardinal Newman may hardly reject. Beyond ques- 

 tion, there is as good, or perhaps better, evidence for the miracles 

 worked by our Lady of Lourdes, as there is for the floating of 

 Elisha's axe or the speaking of Balaam's ass. But we must go 

 still further; there is a modern system of thaumaturgy and 

 demonology which is just as well certified as the ancient.* Ve- 

 racious, excellent, sometimes learned and acute persons, even phi- 

 losophers of no mean pretension, testify to the " levitation " of 

 bodies much heavier than Elisha's axe; to the existence of 

 " spirits " who, to the mere tactile sense, have been indistinguish- 

 able from flesh and blood, and occasionally have wrestled with, 

 all the vigor of Jacob's opponent ; yet, further, to the speech, in 

 the language of raps, of spiritual beings, whose discourses, in 

 point of coherence and value, are far inferior to that of Balaam's 

 humble but sagacious steed. I have not the smallest doubt that, 

 if these were persecuting times, there is many a worthy " spirit- 

 ualist " who would cheerfully go to the stake in support of bis 

 pueumatological faith, and furnish, evidence, after Paley's own 

 heart, in proof of the truth, of his doctrines. Not a few modern 

 divines, doubtless struck by the impossibility of refusing the 

 spiritualist evidence, if the ecclesiastical evidence is accepted, 

 and deprived of any a priori objection by their implicit belief in 

 Christian demonology, show themselves ready to take poor Sludge 

 seriously, and to believe that he is possessed by other devils than 

 those of need, greed, and vainglory. 



Under these circumstances, it was to be expected, though it is 

 none the less interesting to note the fact, that the arguments of 

 the latest school of " spiritualists " present a wonderful family 

 likeness to those which adorn the subtle disquisitions of the advo- 

 cate of ecclesiastical miracles of forty years ago. It is unfortu- 

 nate for the " spiritualists " that, over and over again, celebrated 

 and trusted media, who really, in some respects, call to mind the 



* A writer in a spiritualist journal takes me roundly to task for venturing to doubt the 

 historical and literal truth of the Gadarene story. The following passage in his letter is 

 worth quotation : " Now to the materialistic and scientific mind, to the uninitiated in spiritual 

 verities, certainly this story of the Gadarene or Gergesene swine presents insurmountable 

 difficulties ; it seems grotesque and nonsensical. To the experienced, trained, and culti- 

 vated Spiritualist this miracle is, as I am prepared to show, one of the most instructive, 

 the most profoundly useful, and the most beneficent which Jesus ever wrought in the 

 whole course of his pilgrimage of redemption on earth." Just so. And the first page 

 of this same journal presents the following advertisement, among others of the same 

 kidney : 



" To Wealthy Spiritualists. — A lady medium of tried power wishes to meet with an 

 elderly gentleman who would be willing to give her a comfortable home and maintenance 

 in exchange for her spiritualistic services, as her guides consider her health is too delicate 

 for public sittings : London preferred. — Address ' Mary,' office of ' Light.' " 



Are we going back to the days of the Judges, when wealthy Micah set up his private 

 ephod, teraphim, and Levite ? 



