Illustrious Madmen of the Ages, by James Mcgregor
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ILLUSTRIOUS MADMEN —=OF THE AGES—= BY JAMES MCGREGOR BEATTY fce Being the Testimony of the Worlds greatest Scientists, and others, regard- Spiritualism, and its psychical phe nomena, together with a Spiritualistic Encyclopedia of the Old and New Testaments. -:- -:- -:- -:- Published by the Author •:• Los Angeles, California, U. S. A. Post Office Box 1438 \ • ..■..■..»..» 9*9 Hii«iiti.i.i».»..»..»..»..«iiiiiiii,i«l« ii «ii1m»ihi .»..«..» ,»..«. » fii..i..ii ■, ■..». iiiiiiiiiihi..iiiiiiii 9"m' ■ ii «.i■..»i «.i«..«..«..«..»..»in ■' ■ »..»..».»..«..»..»..»..■i 91 i MADMEN j ;>.-•/ 'Ina iu»\K 5 » PUBLIC LIBRARY j J 912142 : A?tO^, L7"NOX AND I " I '! 1 : I ! '' "When I have presented one corner of a subject to any one and he cannot from it learn the other three, I do not repeat my lesson." —Confucius. MADMEN INTRODUCTORY What appears on the following pages is the result of a desire to see a Spiritualistic Encyclopedia of the Old and New Testaments, together with the testimony of the world's great est scientists, and others, regarding Spiritualism and its phy sical, psychical, mental and spiritual phenomena, in one con cise volume. While the New Testament is looked upon, by the ortho dox, as the final natural or revealed theology for this, the new dispensation, the Old Testament is full, from cover to cover, of spirit writing, materialization, spirit voices, trances, dreams, tests and healing, the record of which is given herewith. This is written, in no way endeavoring to prove the truth of Spirit Return or the Continuity of life after the change called Death, as that truth stands today, a demon strated, scientific fact, proven by the greatest array of sci entific knowledge, gleaned from every enlightened country on the globe, but it is written in an attempt to repudiate some of the booklets and pamphlets, written and published, and lectures and sermons given from the platform, which spoke lightly or jeeringly of this philosophy, through fear of the knowledge it imparts, ignorance of the facts it proves, or are possessors of prejudiced minds. Many of these criticisms were not only unfair and ecclesiastically intolerant, but absolutely untrue. This, then, is an utmost effort to place the truth before anyone displaying a logical mind which compares, investigates and progresses, whether of the clergy or the laity, the orthodox or the hetro- dox, or are Catholic, Protestant, Jew or Gentile, Christian or Pagan. The representative layman of Orthodoxy most gen erally does not possess an inquiring mind nor a critical na MADMEN ture, at least regarding subjects religious, and to him who has not knowledge, there can be no condemnation, but if, per chance, one has shown an interest in psychical subjects and Cardinal Bowen says that "the times portend grave social it upheavals," is hoped that this compilation of opinions will be of use to its readers. FACTS ARE FACTS, and some times stubborn things. TRUTH IS TRUTH, and surely truth is none the less true because certain truths are not believed nor taught by certain orthodox creeds. Let these scientific men speak for themselves. a This booklet is not intended as work on the philosophy of Spiritualism, as there are scores of books by famous authors on that phase of the subject, handled in most scholarly fashion. Says Alfred Russel Wallace, famous scientist, "Many people think that when I and others publish accounts of such phenomena, we wish or require our readers to believe them on I our testimony. But that is not the case. Neither nor any other well-informed Spiritualist expect anything of the kind. We write not to convince, but to lead to inquiry. We ask our readers not for belief, but for doubt of their own infalli bility on this question. We ask for inquiry and patient ex periment before hastily concluding that we are, all of us, mere dupes and idiots as regards a subject to which we have devoted our best mental faculties and powers of observation for many years. ' ' It is probable that some mistakes may be discovered within these pages, but if attention is called to them, they will be rectified in future editions. I desire to thank the friends who aided me in the collection of statements of opinion and for kind suggestions ; and with the sincere hope that this effort will tend to promote a knowledge or at least give infor mation that will be helpful in forming a true opinion of Spiritualism and its phenomena. This writer makes no MADMEN statement of creed, has no dogmatic assertions to adhere to, nor any doctrinal or ritualistic principles to uphold, nor relig ious preferences to influence him in any manner. Therefore enabling and permitting a true, concise, unprejudiced state ment regarding every particular. I now leave it to the indulgent reader. ^TH^^^^r MADMEN I find I serve no far-away God, Hid away beyond jasper walls; I seek to serve no high potentate, With fear in my heart if He calls; I find I look not up to the sky For help, nor for comfort or weal, Nor brand it with shame nor sland'rous slur For the pain and sorrows I feel; I And I ask no Innocent One To suffer for me or my wrongs. Why add to that crime done centuries ago So my soul be free to sing songs? I would not lend hands-weight to the cross He carried and manfully bore, So I might escape just recompense Or my soul to heaven might soar. Behold! The Man, with eyes to the skies, His lips form His last earthly prayer. "If it be possible, let this cup pass, But just as Thou wilt, will I bear." The mould was set, the die, it was cast, The deed it was dastardly done, They killed Him, He died, upon the Cross; 'Twas Jesus, the Crucified One. His body to earth, His Spirit to God, As you and as I must Evolve. We abide by the laws of the First Great Cause, He's the God of Today, Here and Now. The Creator, the Former, the Spirit of Truth, It's Infinite Law that is King, Invisible Helpers of Progress and Peace And a True God within us will bring. JAMES M. BEATTY. MADMEN There is coming a time, slowly, but most surely, when the world will have no use for hypocritical religion. There is a possibility that hour has arrived. It is deemed a pleasure, a privilege, to live in these gigantic times, during these won derful days of progression in science, invention, industry, in social and economic activities. Would that we could add theological progression, but that appears impossible in the face of facts. The Christian church has been busy. They have accomplished many things. The Protestant church has been feverishly busy building their denominational fences until they have attained such heights they can hardly peep "over ' ' the top and the outsider can hardly look in. The concentration of energy and the elimination of waste have been hammered into the American people during the great war and its need was only too apparent, so the time has come when such energy can no longer be used to feed the fires of sectarianism, nor service and money expended to keep alive the differences of doctrine. The world is weary of the old order of the autocratic inconsistencies of the church. The editor of the Churchman remarked in a recent issue "that there were four chief barriers to Christian unity. The Roman Church, the Greek Church, the Episcopal Church and all the other churches," and adds Rev. John F. Scott, rector of St. John's Church, Providence, R. I. : "lam afraid that is the plain truth. We have grown to think so much of our church organization that we cannot think of Christianity in any other terms." But the world is talking and thinking as never before and the churches must follow, if they fail to lead, and aid with all the combined energy they possess in the common task of humanity, the service and Brotherhood of Man. The niceties of theology will be of use only when of service to mankind. The church must simplify its teachings to meet the demands of critical, thinking men and women, or at least change its creedal beliefs in accordance with modern scientific discoveries of our day, in compliance with the rules of common sense, and in harmony with facts. 8 MADMEN For thinking men and women there must he progression and if orthodoxy continues longer to fail in supplying the Eternal Truth and teaching the recognized scientific facts to its followers, the result is only too apparent. Not to the creed-encrusted Drain nor to the dogma- defenders of ancient mythological teachings, but to the criti cal, inquiring mind, the flagrant inconsistencies of the modern church are most obvious. Thanks to the war, the guns of Flanders have blown to atoms many time-worn theories of the past. Religious bigotry, the thing that undoubtedly has caused more suffering on the globe than any other one thing. More blood has been shed over religious bigotry than any one thing and although it has endured for many thou sands of years, it died in a day. Had the religious arguments of the past been friendly, or concerning the freedom of hu manity, it would not have mattered so much, but they were the biggest fights in the annals of time. But woe to the preacher or priest who dares haul out those time-worn theories of orthodoxy after the year of our Lord 1919 —when sermons will be filled with problems of building higher the walls of sectarianism, instead of answering the calls of humanity, alas, the day ! The paper or magazine which flaunts on its pages the wail of creed or dogma, and attempts under the guise of Christianity, to drive into the heads, or rather the hearts, of its readers, the moss-covered bigotory of the past, will find a dwindling subscription list.