aroundworldortra00peebiala-1

SPIEITUAL SEAHCES ON THE INDIAN OCEAN. 205
They were grounds of sharp debate between us during several
sittings. It was a drawn battle. Grant him his premises,
and he will succeed admirably in the argument. Dispute
them, demanding the proof of his proofs, and the foundation
of his premises, and he fails to establish his
untenable positions.
He is evidently sincere and conscientious, delighting
to propagate his metaphysical theories in spirit-life. Can
any one conceive of notions that spirits have not taught ?
The lesson of these controversies was this : Spirits are fallible,
and many of them long continue, though disrobed of
mortality, to hug their earthly ideas and idiosyncrasies.
Therefore, in listening to the teachings of immortals, we
must be governed entirely by our intuitions and maturest
judgment. Reason is the final judge.
SEANCE IV.
The spirit Aaron Knight present, the following conversation
ensued :
—
Now that you have come, I desire
your opinion upon the
subject of my thoughts for the past few days.
" I should be happy to hear the substance of them."
Spending the winter in London, a few years since, I was
deeply interested, listening to Mr. TyndaU's famous lecture
upon " Dust," delivered in the Royal Institution. The professor
clearly proved that the air is filled with fine atoms and
living germs, which, inbreathed, enter the human body. He
also explained how dust, and other unseen particled substances,
might be filtered away by means of cotton-wool tightly
impacted, and worn over the mouth. And M. Pasteur, a
French scientist, carrying the investigation a step further,
made filters of gun-cotton, using that variety which is soluble
in ether. The filters, having done their work, were dissolved
in ether ; and the solution, when microscopically examined,
was found to contain millions of organized germs, — living
entities. These could not only be seen, but the genera and
species could be detected. Therefore the very atmosphere