The cardinal doctrines of the faith are rejected by Spiritualists. Man is not regarded in their creed as “a sinner saved by grace.” Many cannot understand, Sir A. Conan Doyle tells us, such expressions as “redemption from sin,” “cleansed by the blood of the Lamb.” But the Christian says from his heart: “Grace and life eternal In that Blood I find. Blest be His compassion, Infinitely kind.” “The mystic life leads no one from the life of the Church.” The contrary is true of Spiritualism. FOOTNOTES: [26] Rev. Cyril E. Hudson in _The Nineteenth Century and After_, May, 1919. [27] “On the Threshold of the Unseen,” pp. 25, 33, 34. [28] “Raymond,” p. 376. [29] The pamphlet with the title “The Seven Principles of Spiritualism,” by the Secretary of the Spiritualists’ National Union, is quoted by Mr. Hill in “Spiritualism,” p. 144. [30] St. Matt. xxiii. 8. [31] St. Matt. xxv. 40. [32] St. John xx. 17. [33] Hebrews ii. 11 (Dr. Moffatt’s translation of each text). [34] “Spiritualism: Its History, Phenomena, and Doctrine,” pp. 256-260. [35] July 12th, 1919. Some of the letters printed in _Light_ during subsequent weeks are very instructive, and confirm the view of Mr. Fielding-Ould as to a widespread division in the ranks. [36] Professor Breasted, “Development of Religion and Thought in Ancient Egypt,” p. 352. [37] Quoted by Max Müller. [38] “The New Revelation,” pp. 72-74. [39] “The New Revelation,” p. 100. _Chapter IX_ QUALITY OF THE ALLEGED MESSAGES When a Spiritualist tells us that he receives messages from discarnate human beings through the medium and the medium’s “control” certain questions immediately arise. “Of what nature are these messages? What have you learned from them? How have they affected your judgment of this world and the next? Are they likely to help mankind in its upward progress?” I A twofold answer reaches us from within the ranks of Spiritualism. (1) At an early stage of the inquiry, as Mr. A. E. Waite points out, the belief was accepted that “life for man on the other side of the screen of material things was, specifically, neither better nor worse than our own ... it was so entirely human, with all the folly that resides in humanity.” Spiritualist leaders of to-day would not dispute that point. “Yes, of course,” they would say, “it is always possible that the inquirer may get in touch with ‘naughty boys’ on the other side. The spirit passes over just as it was on earth. Bad influences as well as good are present in every séance.” Sir Arthur Conan Doyle has said plainly: “We have, unhappily, to deal with absolute cold-blooded lying on the part of wicked or mischievous intelligences. Every one who has investigated the matter has, I suppose, met with examples of wilful deception, which occasionally are mixed up with good and true communications.”