IN CENTRAL AFRICA AND ELSEWHERE. 163 



and conversion must be very rare among mediums. But in tlie case 

 of witch-doctors, I have met with quite a number who have be- 

 come Christians ; probably quite as many in proportion, as from 

 any other class of the community. The native Christians 

 unanimously hold that fetichism is of the evil one, and insist 

 on fetiches being destroyed on conversion to Christianity. The 

 wearing of a charm or the possession of one in the house is 

 considered to be of the devil. 



For the sake of our Church Congress speaker and of others 

 who may be in doubt, we may here sum up the striking simi- 

 larities between that which we will call esoteric fetichism and 

 civilized spiritism. 



Both profess to communicate with spirits ; both hold these 

 to be discarnate and that the beyond is peopled with such ; both 

 ignore angels, good or bad ; both are frequently practised in the 

 dark, spiritism usually, I think ; both need a favourable atmo- 

 sphere ; both are antagonistic to revealed Christianity, as 

 usually understood, though less so in the case of the African cult. 

 The heaven of both is a glorified " world," where taste for drink 

 and the minor vices may be gratified, though I never heard that 

 negroes hope to smoke or cake-dance in heaven. Both systems 

 seem to be a compound of trickery and demonry. Both are 

 in the hands of professional mediums ; neither exercise any 

 ethical effect on their votaries, for both mediums and witch- 

 doctors are often immoral, given to drink and lying ; and with all ■ 

 their vaunted communications, real or pretended, it is exceed- 

 ingly doubtful whether spiritist mediums, any more than negro 

 witch-doctors, have contributed one item of original truth to 

 the domain of useful human knowledge. Manifestations there 

 have been, revelations none. No one would pretend that 

 fetichism edifies or elevates its disciples, nor does spiritism either, 

 from what we hear and read. As has been truly said,* 

 " Spiritualism vulgarizes that which is holy, while adding to our 

 knowledge no single word of real help or worth." 



When we come to the exoteric side of things, the behef in 

 protective charms, etc., we may smile in a superior way at the 

 superstition of the benighted African ; but something very 

 closely allied to it is rife in Christendom. In reality, fetichism 

 is as widespread as misbelief. When faith goes out at the front 

 door, superstition comes in at the tradesman's entrance. When 



Spiritualism, by Coulson Kernahan, p. 52. 



M 2, 



