The Henson Journals

[122]

Easter Monday, April 5th, 1920.

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Jowett, according to his biographers, 'was positively afraid of spiritualism:

"I always refuse to inquire into these things', he writes, 'because they seem to me to be against the laws of nature, although they are repeated to me by the most veracious witnesses.

'Is this reasonable?

'I think it is, whether in myself or in scientific men: because – (1.) They are mixed up with imposture. (2) The evidence for them can never be satisfactorily examined. (3) No progress has ever been made in the investigation of them, any more than in the refutation of them. They are too vague for proof or disproof, & therefore it is unlikely that I shall make any progress. I am much more certain that the laws of nature are uniform than I can be of any testimony to the contrary – not perhaps of any conceivable testimony, but of any testimony known to exist. (4.) The fluctuating character of them in different ages seems to show that they are subjective. There are no miracles in England, no ghost stories in America. (5) The evidence produced against them would constantly be denied or forgotten by human credulity Yet on the other had I am unable to deny many extraordinary phenomena, e.g mesmeric sleep; the extraordinary personal influence called electro–biology; inexplicable noises in so–called haunted houses". (Life. vol. II. p. 76).

I would add (6) the morally unwholesome effect of spiritualism on those who allow themselves to dabble in it.

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I read through 'Mr Sludge' – "The Medium" again. It is amazingly relevant and fresh. The humbug's apology remains ever the same.

As for religion – why. I served it, sir!

I'll stick to that! With my phenomena

I laid the atheist sprawling on his back,

Propped up Saint Paul, or, at least, Swedenborg!

In fact, it's just the proper way to baulk

These troublesome fellows, liars, one and all.

Are not these sceptics? Well, to baffle them,

No use in being squeamish; lie yourself!

Erect your buttress just as wide o' the line,

Your side, as they've built up the wall on theirs;

Where both meet, midway in a point, is truth,

High overhead, so, take your room, pile bricks.

Lie!

That, in brutal simplicity, is the unconfessed, perhaps, unperceived reasoning which leads our religious leaders, including, of course, most of the Bishops to take up a sympathetic attitude towards spiritualism. This poor creature – the Rev. Vale Owen – would seem to be more victim than knave: but it is humiliating that his fatuous lucubrations should not only be read by multitudes every Sunday, but should even be referred to respectfully in sermons. We shall have all this folly seriously considered at the Lambeth Conference, & even perhaps some pronouncement attempted!

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