250  FREEDOM    AND    ADVANCE

tested  on  empirical  grounds.  One  who  has  made  an
exhaustive  study  of  this  subject  writes:  "I  believe
that  the  survival  of  human  beings  past  death,  and  the
possibility  of  occasional  communication  is  as  free  or
as  frequent  as  most  spiritualists  seem  to  think.  I  am
not  convinced  that  the  regular  trance-controls  are
spirits  at  all;  they  may  be  parts  of  the  medium's
subliminal,  acting  as  channels  for  communications
from  beyond."  6  The  leading  teachings  of  Spiritual-
ism are :  The  Fatherhood  of  God ;  the  Brotherhood  of
man ;  Continuous  existence ;  Communion  of  Spirits  and
ministry  of  angels;  Personal  responsibility;  Compen-
sation and  retribution  hereafter  for  good  or  ill  done
on  earth;  a  Path  of  endless  progression.7  There  is
nothing  original  in  this  creed  which  has  been  held  in
varying  forms  by  the  Christian  church.  A  compari-
son between  this  movement  which  professes  to  be
a  form  of  religion  and  Christianity  leads  to  the  con-
clusion that  while  it  might  satisfy  the  emotional  ele-
ments of  life,  it  does  not  meet  the  deep  ethical  and
spiritual  needs,  nor  does  it  minister  real  comfort  to
those  who  are  bereaved.  The  doubtful  physical  evi-
dences offered  give  no  "  open  sesame  "  into  the  mys-
teries of  life,  and  its  message  of  hope  is  not  strong
enough  to  repress  the  doubt  or  stanch  the  despair  of
the  sorrowing.  It  is  with  reserve  that  we  must  deal
with  the  question  of  actual  communion  with  the  dead.
