HPB-SB-1-21: Difference between revisions

''1111 Girard Street, Philadelphia.''}}

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On Sunday afternoon and evening, those of our readers who desire to see and hear Col. Olcott, will have an opportunity to do so, as he will speak on this day at Paine Hall, on Appleton Street, Boston. The subjects are interesting and instructive, dealing as they do with the topics that have lately agitated the thinkers in Spiritualism and are still calling out from them their best thoughts on the possibility of the truth of the new theories that are advanced. Col. Olcott’s subject in the afternoon will be, “Human Spirits and Elementaries.” In the evening, ’'Eastern Magic and Western Spiritualism.’ Present indications are that Col. Olcott will not speak again in this vicinity for many months at least. A word to the wise is sufficient.

{{Style S-HPB SB. HPB note| The “Spirits” wrote anonymous letters to Dr. Gardiner and threatened to kill—Col. Olcott if he lectured against them. They did not kill him though, — guess didn’t know how, the sweet “angels”! . . .}}

Сol. H. S. Olcott has put his personal belief into a few simple paragraphs which are easily comprehended. He says:—

''Ninth:'' While I believe that, often, human spirits have appeared to us in materialized form, more frequently a lower order of beings have appeared in the forms of persons who are called dead. Spiritualists have no means of distinguishing between these spiritual beings; Qabalists have, and need  never make mistakes.

In the Scientific American of December 19, 1874, appeared an editorial article entitled “How to investigate Spiritualism,” which has been widely quoted in this country and abroad. It will be recalled to mind by the forcible language used in regard to the importance which would attach to spiritual phenomena in case their verity should be proven, after enlarging upon this branch of his topic, the author proceeded to define the tests which Science would regard as conclusive evidence of the materialization of spirit-forms:—

“The methods of Science,” said he, “are direct, logical, and on the shortest path to the truth; the man of Science always aims at the bull’s eye. The method of the skilled and intelligent detective is, without doubt, identical with the scientific. Cases somewhat similar to that of the fraud or no fraud of raps and materializations have often come up for decision ;  an allusion to some of these throws a clear light on the present discussion. Our ancestors believed in ghosts, and they fired stones and bullets to test their faith. The proceeding was scientific, but suited only to an age ruder than ours. We warn the over-zealous scientist that, although a bullet could not harm a materialized spirit, no medium or his confederate is bullet-proof. An action for murder or man-slaughter would probably lie in a case wherein any one was killed in a scientific investigation or materialization. The well-known story of Fulton investigating the motive power of a perpetual motion by means of a hatchet, is a fine illustration of the application of the principles of Science. Lampblack, printer’s ink, and green paint have been slily smeared on the trumpets, ropes, etc., of the dark seance, and the truth was speedily declared in the unconscious ornamentation of the mediums lips or hands. And, best of all, strong {{Style S-HPB SB. Continued on|}}