Legend
Important to Spiritualists.
The spiritual movement resembles every other in this respect: that its growth is the work of time, and its refinement and solidification the result of causes working from within outward. The twenty-seven years which have elapsed since the rappings were first heard in Western New York, have not merely created a vast body of spiritualists, but moreover stimulated a large and constantly increasing number of superior minds into a desire and ability to grasp the laws which lie back of the phenomena themselves.
Until the present time these advanced thinkers have had no special organ for the Interchange of opinions. The leading spiritual papers are of necessity compelled to devote most of their space to communication of a trivial and purely personal character, which are interesting only to the friends of the spirits sending them, and to such as are just beginning to give attention to the subject. In England the London Spiritualist, and in France the Revue Spirite, present to us examples of the kind of paper that should have been established in this country long ago—papers which devote more space to the discussion of principles, the teaching of philosophy, and the display of conservative critical ability, than to the mere publication of the thousand and one minor occurrences of private and public circles.
It is the standing reproach of American Spiritualism that it teaches so few things worthy of a thoughtful man’s attention; that so few of its phenomena occur under conditions satisfactory to men of scientific training; that the propagation of its doctrines is in the hands of so many ignorant, if not positively vicious, persons; and that it offers, in exchange for the orderly arrangements of prevailing religious creeds, nothing but an undigested system of present and future moral and social relations and accountability.
The best thoughts of our best minds have heretofore been confined to volumes whose price has, is most instances, placed them beyond the reach of the masses, who most needed to be familiar with them. To remedy this evil, to bring our authors into familiar intercourse with the great body of spiritualists, to create an organ upon which we may safely count to lead us in our fight with old superstitions and mouldy creeds, a few earnest spiritualists have now united.
Instead of undertaking the doubtful and costly experiment of starting a new paper, they have selected the Spiritual Scientist, of Boston, as the organ of this new movement. Its intelligent management up to the present time, by Mr. Gerry Brown, and the commendable tone that he has given to its columns, make comparatively easy the task of securing the co-operation of the writers whose names will be a guarantee of its brilliant success. Although the object has been agitated only about three weeks, the Committee have already received promises from several of our best known authors to write for the paper, and upon the strength of those assurances many subscriptions have been sent in from different cities. The movement is not intended to undermine or destroy any of the existing spiritualistic journals: there is room for all, and patronage for all.
The price of the Spiritual Scientist is $2.50 per annum, postage included. A person sending five yearly subscription, is entitled to a copy for himself without extra charge. Subscriptions may be made through any respectable agency, or by direct communication with the editor, E. Gerry Brown, No. 18 Exchange Street, Boston, Mass.
For the Committee of Seven,
Brotherhood of Luxor ***
Several hundred dollars out of our pockets were spend on behalf of the Editor, and he was made to pass through a minor “diksha.” This proving of no avail – the Theosophical Society was Established – [symbol or signature] (See ... – The man might ... have become a Power, he preferred to remain an ass… Do gustibus non des putandam est…