much Roman Catholic teaching about such communication being the work of evil spirits; but for that there is rather less to be said than for the old-fashioned Christmas ghost-story. The difference between the mediaeval visionaries and modern religious-minded spiritualists is partly one of method; but fundamentally it is that while both practised the communion of saints, the former meant by a saint one who had been canonized by the Church, and the latter use the word in the Pauline sense to include their relations and friends.
After this digression, which our still prevalent rabbinism has rendered necessary, we are able to suggest that S. John meant just what he said when he wrote:[1] 'Beloved, believe not every spirit, but prove the spirits, whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: every spirit which confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God.' Some prophets, that is to say, refused to recognize the real humanity of Christ: they were inspired by spirits who were at best ignorant; other prophets could be judged by their doctrine to teach rightly, and these were the mouthpieces of spirits that were 'of God', and thus the true prophets (and presumably their familiar spirits also) had the Spirit of God.
S. Paul also meant what he said when he besought
- ↑ 1 John 4 1-3.
