IN CENTRAL AFRICA AND ELSEWHERE. 



169 



that she had accepted the Mahatmas on far slenderer evidence than 

 that for which she had rejected Christianity, it being always the case 

 that men who abandoned a true faith were easily disposed to 

 accept a false one. 



Prof. Langhorne Orchard cordially concurred with what had 

 been said as to the great value of the admirable paper read that 

 afternoon by an author who could lay claim to a first-hand acquaint- 

 ance with his important and difficult subject. They would unani- 

 mously thank him for a very interesting paper — timely, practical, 

 and marked by carefulness and sobriety of thought. 



Fetichism — a protective magical superstition — is undoubtedly 

 related to spiritism, and each comes under Divine prohibition. If 

 we investigate the genesis of magic, we find some truth in the Egyp- 

 tian theory that its mother (Isis) was the daughter of Earth and 

 Sky. In magic we see man's projection of himself upon his environ- 

 ment, blended with the presence of the supernatural. In fetichism 

 this self-projection selects some inanimate thing for its spiritual 

 abode. In a little child is a tendency to think that " Dolly " is 

 alive and possesses human attributes. A carpenter whose patience 

 gives way before refractory lock and key is apt to vent his indigna- 

 tion by knocks, blows, exclamations, entirely dependent for efficacy 

 upon the inanimate objects being endowed with certain human 

 attributes. 



In later developments of fetichism, the inhabiting spirit is not 

 necessarily human, and the fetich, no longer a charm simply, may 

 come to be worshipped. This is exemplified by the American 

 " ockis," whose " priests " receive the not inappropriate name of 

 " jugglers." Might they not share it with the " mediums " of 

 present-day spiritism ! 



Line 7 from the bottom of p. 160 of the paper, referring to the 

 setting " free " of the spirit, reminds me of the Komish doctrine of 

 Purgatory, and the suggestion is emphasized by the fact that 

 " according to their means " is " the greatness of the sacrifice " 

 required from the unhappy relatives. 



We shall concur with the author's estimate of the imaginary 

 hypothesis called " evolution." Monotheism preceded polytheism. 

 *' When faith goes out at the front door, superstition comes in at 

 the tradesman's entrance." " Fetichism is a degradation from a 



