Spiritual Relationship is one effected throngh some religious or spiritual act — such, for example, as that between godparents and godchildren.
Spirituales (or Spirituals) is the name given to the stricter party of the Franciscans. Elijah of Cor- tona attem|)ted, especially after the death of St. Fran- cis, to soften the rigid discipline of the order. Violent discussions arose, and Elijah was twice deposed, but finally reconciled to the Church (1253). The fanati- cism of the rigid party increased in pro|)ortion as their more lax op|)onents grew in number. At length the dis))utants separated, and the stricter party (called Spiri/uiiles, Zelntores, Frafricelli) gradually became avowed opponents of the Church and of its rulers who had ilisowned them, and even denounced the pope as antichrist. They were, consequently, given over to the Inquisition. See Fisher, 7/2*'^ r)/'i/<e /ip/'. p. 57 ; Kurtz, CIntrch Hist, i, 108, 4.
Spiritualia is a term opposed to temporals, or tem- poralia (ij. v. ).
Spiritualism is a word now generally used to des- ignate the belief of those wlio regard certain mental and physical phenomena as the result of the action of spir- its throngh sensitive organizations known as mediums. Spiritualists claim that Spiritualism is but another term for the belief in the supernatural; that it has pervaded all ages and nations; and that American S|)iritnalism is but the last blossoin of a very ancient tree. They as- sert that phenomena ditlering but slightly from the manifestations of modern Spiritualism appear in many of the Scripture incidents, e. g. the vision of Elisha's servant (2 Kings vi, 15-17), the spiritual handwriting at the feast of lielshazzar (Dan. v, 6), in the Delphic oracles, in the experiences of Luther, the occurrences related by (ilanvil (KUSI), in the Camisard marvels in France (l()8t;-1707 ). iu the occurrences in the Wesley family (171()), and in the communications of Sweden- borg with the spirit-world. For about a hundred years before the American phase of Spiritualism appeared, tiermany and Switzerland had their Spiritualists, de- veloping or believing in phenomena almost identical. They had spirit - vision, sjiirit- writing, knowledge of coming events from the spirit-world, and daily direct intercourse with its inhabitants. Pre-eminent among these Spiritualists were .Inug-Stilliiig. Kerner, Lavater, Kscheinneyer, Zschokke, Schidiert, Werner, Kant. etc. Clairvoyance and mesmerism were intimately associated with the introduction of modern Spiritualism, making the same claims to o|)en intercourse with the spiritual world, and in some cases predicting that this commimi- tion Would ere long assume " the form of a liviu}; dcm-
SPIRITUALISM
957
SPIRITUALISM
onstration" (Davis, The Principles of Nature, her Di- vine lierelaiions, etc.).
Spiritualism assumed a novel shape in the United States — that of moving pliysical (il)jetts — ami lias intro- duced spirits spealiiuij; througli means of an alphabet, ra|)ping, drawing, and writing, either by the hand of mediums or independently of them. The ''spirit-rap- ping" phenomenon began in the home of J. L). Fox, Hydeville. Wayne Co., N. Y., and is thus described by Mr. Dale Owen: "In the month of .lanuary, 1848, the noises assumed the character of distinct knockings at night in the bedrooms, sounding sometimes as from the cellar below, and resembling tlie hammering of a shoemaker. These knocks proiUiced a tremulous mo- tion in the furniture and even in the floor. The chil- dren (Margaret, aged 12 years, and Kate, aged 9 years) felt something heavy, as of a dog, lie on their feet when in bed ; and Kate felt, as it were, a cold hand passed over her face. Sometimes the bedclothes were pulled off. Chairs and the tlining-table were moved from their places. Kaps were made on doors as they stood close to them, but on suddenly opening them no one was visi- ble. On the night of March 13 (or 31), 1848, the knock- ings were unusually loiul," whereupon "Jlr. Fox tried the sashes, to see if they were shaken by the wind. Kate observed that the knockings in the room exactly answered the rattle made by her father with the sash. Thereupon she snapped her fingers and exclaimed, 'Here, old Splitfoot, do as I do.' The rap followed. This at once arrested the mother's attention. ' Count ten,' she said. Ten strokes were distinctly given. ' How old is my daughter INIargaretV Twelve strokes. 'And Kate?' Nine." Other questions were answered, when "she asked if it was a man? No answer. Was it a spirit? It rapped. Numbers of (juestions were put to tlie spirit, which replied by knocks that it was that of a travelling tradesman, who had been murdered by the then tenant, John C. Bell, for his projierty. The ped- dler had never been seen afterwards; and on the floor being dug up, the remains of a hmnan body were found." After a time the raps occurred only in the presence of the Fox sisters, accompanying them upon their removal to Rochester, and developing new phenomena. In No- A-ember, 184t>, the Fox girls appeared in a public hall, and their phenomena were subjected to several tests, without being able to trace them to any mundane agen- cy. Tbey arrived in New York in JMay, 1850. and be- came the subject of extensive newspaper and conversa- tional discussion. Meanwhile knockings were reported to have occurred in the house of i\Fr. (Granger, of Itoch- ester, and in that of a Dr. Thelps, at Stratford, Conn. Individuals were discovered to be mediums, or persons through whose atmosphere the spirits were enabled to show their power, until, in 1853, their number is given at 30,000. The following are some of the numerous phe- nomena characteristic of S|)iritualism in this country : Dials with movable hands pointing out letters and an- swering questions without himian aid; the hands of mediums acting involuntarily, and writing communica- tions from departed spirits, sometimes the writing be- ing upside down, or reverseii so as to be read through the paper or in a mirror. Some mediums represented faithfully, so it was said, the actions, voice, and appear- ance of deceased persons, or, blindfolded, drew correct portraits of them. Sometimes the names of deceased persons and short messages from them appeared in raised red lines upon the skin of the medium. Medi- ums were said to have been raised into the air and floated above the heads of the spectators. Persons claimed to be touched by invisible an<l sometimes by visible hands; and voices w^ere heard purporting to be those of spirits. In 1850 D. D. Home became known as a medium, and maintained for five years a wide-spread reputation, giving sittings before Napoleon HI in I'aris, and Alexander II in St. Petersburg. Other prominent mediums were the" Da ven|iort brothers," Koonsof Ohio, Florence Cook, and the Ilolmeses. In the London Quur-