The more God loves you,
the more will this spirit hate and pursue you and want you for his own.
Drive him forth and resist him. . . . There is a spiritualism (I hate
the word!) that comes from God, but it does not come in this guise.
This sort is from the spirits of evil."[5]
I have dwelt on this side of Lady Burton's character in order to
contradict many foolish rumours. During the last years of her life in
England, when her health was failing, she was induced against her better
judgment to have some dealings with certain so-called "spiritualists,"
who approached her under the plea of "communicating" with her husband,
thus appealing to her at the least point of resistance. Lady Burton
told her sister that she wanted to see "if there was anything in it,"
and to compare it with the occultism of the East. In the course of
her inquiries she unfortunately signed certain papers which contained
ridiculous "revelations." On thinking the matter over subsequently,
the absurdity of the thing struck her. She came to the conclusion that
there was nothing in it at all, and that, as compared with the occultism
of the East, this was mere _kindergarten_. She then wished to recall
the papers. She was very ill at the time, and unable to write herself;
but she mentioned the matter to her sister at Eastbourne a short time
before her death, and said, "The first thing I do when I get back to
London will be to recall those silly papers.
Pages:
383
384
385
386
387
388
389
390
391
392
393
394
395
396
397
398
399
400
401
402
403
404
405
406
407