for knowledge. Those practices which in the
Bible are enumerated as "charming," "enchantment," "sorcery,"
"witchcraft," "necromancy," "divination," "consulting with familiar
spirits," etc., are more or less related, and are all really from one
source. So in modern times different names indicate substantially the same
thing. Thus Mr. Hudson, in "Psychic Phenomena," p. v, says:--

"It has, however, long been felt by the ablest thinkers of our
time that all psychic manifestations of the human intellect,
normal or abnormal, whether designated by the name of mesmerism,
hypnotism, somnambulism, trance, spiritism, demonology, miracle,
mental therapeutics, genius, or insanity, are in some way
related."

Seven, at least, of the foregoing names are no doubt in the warp and woof
of Spiritualism; and he might have added mind-reading and Christian
Science. And Spiritualists admit that their work is the same as that
described by the Bible terms above quoted. Thus, Allen Putnam, a
Spiritualistic writer, says:--

"The doctrine that the oracles, soothsaying, and witchcraft of
past ages were kindred to these manifestations of our day, I, for
one, most fully believe."

In a pamphlet by the same author, entitled, "Mesmerism, Spiritualism,
Witchcraft, and Miracle," p. 6, he says:--

"As seen by me now, Mesmerism, Spiritualism, Witchcraft, Miracles,
all belong to one family, all have a common root, and are
developed by the same laws."

To all these, therefore, the text under notice (Isa. 8:19, 20) applies. We
are to bring them to the standard of "the law and the testimony," and "if
they speak not according to this word ... there is no light in them." The
living should not seek to the dead.

In Rev. 16:13, 14, the same spirits are again brought to view, and called
"unclean spirits," and "spirits of devils." Their last work of deception
is to go forth to the kings of the earth, and of the whole world, to
gather them to the battle of the great day of God Almighty. Thus all that
is revealed of them from beginning to end (and scriptures might be
multiplied on the point) furnishes the most cogent reason why all should
be keenly awake to their existence and their work, and be ever watchful
against their influence and approach.

Chapter Five.

WHAT THE SPIRITS TEACH.

It has been shown in the preceding chapters that the unseen "controls"