American Spiritual Magazine.A MONTHLY yoURNAL,

Qeuotcd to fiyiritualism,its gistnrg, ghennmena, fihilnsnphg and UtarhingsFROM A CHRISTIAN’ STANDPOINT.

Vowus III.

SPIRITUAL BAPTISM.

THROUGH OUR HOME MEDIUM.

Jesus said to his disciples, “I go awaythat the Comforter may come.” The dis-ciples did not understand this to mean, asit did, the baptism from the Christ heavens,which was both seen and felt on the day ofPentecost. The Christ heavens, whereChrist dwells, and from which descends allspiritual baptisms, is the Holy of Holies in-to which the spirit enters when it has beenpurified from the faults and blemishes thesins of earth—life leave upon it. This isdone by the laws which God ordained forthe soul’s progression. The Holy Ghost isthe Spirit of God as it comes from theChrist heavens upon the spirit-manwhen helives in communion with his God and Cre-ator. The spiritual baptism came upon thepraying Jews because their souls by prayerwere harmonized into that state of spiritualunity which Jesus said should bring the re-sult desired, or blessings asked for. Whenthe soul is longing and seeking for God thencomes the Spiritual baptism.

The spirit manifestations of the presentday are the means by which God intends toconvert theworld, when spirits so under-stand the laws of spirit as to enable them tomanifest to earth-ones in thatway and man-ner which will add most rapidly to the suc-cess of Christ’s kingdom on earth. Thiskingdom is within you, and when this is

‘ realized the spirit is continually baptizedwith that baptism which designated JesusChrist as the Son of God. His spirit wasin harmony with his Father because he feltthebaptism which comes from the Spirit ofallspirits.

MARCH, 18',7. NUMBER 3

This baptism continually descended uponhim for the reason he constantly and faith-fully performed his Father’s will and work.This baptism will come in tangible form, ason the day of Pentecost, and at Jesus’ bap-tism, when the world by prayer and faith isprepared for its reception. What meansthe powerful moving of the minds of thepeople in regard to spirit manifestations? Itis the spirit of God bearingwitness with thespirit of man that he must get up higher.

Jesus did not manifest to his disciples ina materializedform after his ascension, butcame to them in spirit manifestations, con-trolling their organism just as you and othermediums are controlled by his delegatedagencies. Christ, as I said in a former ar-ticle, is the dispenser of angel missionariesto thespheres lower in the plan of God’screation. These come to the spirit worldwith the baptism which {He promised, andmanifest this baptism by signs and wondersso-called, that the world may believethat the promise is as good to-day as whenthe praying Jews received its fulfillmentonthe day of Pentecost. Spiritual baptismcomes in accordance with the laws of spirit.The spirit mustbe prepared for it. Whenthe Apostle asked, “ Have ye received theHoly Ghost”—they were answered, “ Wehave not so much asheard if there be anyHoly Ghost.” Then Peter put his handsupon them and they received the baptismbecause of their spirit and faith being incondition to receive it.

When the soul is elevated the spiritualbaptism is continually descending from theChrist heavens, which the recipient knowsby the longing soul’s desires to go up. high-er. This longing elevates the spirit-manand draws nearer the angel ministers, whr

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are ever watching the soul's progress up-ward, and always anxious to come to itsas-sistance.

Jesus said to his disciples, “ As oft as yeeat thisbread and drink this wine ye doshow forth my death until I come again?’Orthodox teachers give the words breadand wine as emblematicof the body andblood of Jesus which was shed for theworld’s redemption. He meant to instructhis disciples in regard to his connectionwith the Father, and his mission tothe world. He said the will of Godbe done when the blood was streamingfrom his wounds. He came to establishthat will, and, notwithstanding his bloodmust be shed, he was submissive to the willof his Father. “Ye do show forth mydeath until I come again." That is, ye re-memberwhat I have told you, and remem-bering ye will do what I have told you.The Comforter which I shall send, or willbe sent in my name, he shall teach and bringall things to your remembrance, whatsoeverI have commanded you. Now I wish tomake you understand how this spirit orComforter teaches and brings to remem-brance what Jesus taught as the will andcommandments of his Father and yourFather. .

God's plan of government is in delegatedauthority. Spirits come and testify the wayof salvation by explaining to you the spir-itual condition of those passed from earth.By doing thisyou see thespiritual meaningofChrist’s teachings. In these manifestationsyou see just what he said would follow faithin his Word. The effect of spiritual devel-opment is to bring your spirit in harmonywith the plan of salvation, and enable youto comprehend the spiritual part of yourbeing. When you comprehend how thespiritual baptism comes thenyou will so liveas to receive it through thenatural channelwhich God created for the display of hisgoodness and care for his creatures.

When thespirit lives in harmony withtheteachings of Jesus the trials and gloominci-dent to earth-life are counteracted by theconstant spiritual baptism which is felt andrealized in the spirit—man. When he wasabout to leave his disciples he said, “Letnot your hearts be troubled, the Comforterwill come. Peace I leave with you. PeaceI give unto you, not as the world giveth,give I unto you.” Hispeace is only to berealized in theobediencewhich he suffered;for God requires thesacrificeof theoutwardman that the “inward man may berenewedday by day.” When the outward part is

not purified from the pure fountain withinthe spiritual baptism is not felt, and gloomand trials await the man in spirit. Makethe fountain pure and all the streams whichproceed from it will be pure.' Make thetree good and the fruit will be good. ' Thespirit-man receives the spiritual baptism on-ly as it grows by the regenerating, progres-sive laws of God. The First Great Causewill produce effects harmonious with thatcause.

THE LURATIOB OI‘ SPEOULATIOH.Extract From an Unpublished Lecture.

BY PROP. 5. B. BRITIAN, M. D.

There are speculators in live stock somadly in love with the brute creation thatthey are quite willing to sell all theyhaveif theymay thus be enabled to purchase evenone rare specimen of a four-footed beast.Without the means and incentives of theimperial personage in the play, they aregenerous enough to offer a

“Kingdomfor a horse.”Nor do these people always select the no-blest objects in the animal kingdom. Itoften happens that this passion does notrise above the sty and the dung-hill. Itexhibits frequent variations in the forms ofmanifestation, degrees of intensity, and theobjects it pursues. It assumes one phase inOhio, and another in Massachusetts. Itwill be remembered some years ago Bostonhad the “Hen Fever.” Enterprising spec-ulators traveled through the Eastern Statesin search of fowls of unusual plumage andunsightly proportions. These were takenout to sea, put on board vessels arrivingfrom remote parts of the world, and in afew days were sold at Long Wharf at enor-mous prices. A ragged rooster——with barelegs and damaged crest—and his mate wereworth forty dollars! The market was ac-tive, and the purchasers were by commonconsent the best people in New Englandand New York.

There is considerable effort made to im-prove the domestic animals, and this is nounimportant object. But here we are calledto contemplate one of the mournful evi-dences of our insanity. Anythingthat walkson all-fours will command a price whetherliving or dead; but good men and womenare everywhere at a discount. We find outwhat a pig or a calf is worth by putting himon the scales; we ascertain his avoirdupois;but it is not ill:man we weigh when we es

AMERICAN SPIRITUAL AIAGAZINE. 67

timate Ia‘: value. We have not the leastregard to either his physical or moral con-stitution. We neither weigh his body, mindnor character. We do not so much as lookat his teeth, nor inquire into his pedigree.On the contrary, we determine preciselywhat a man is worth by looking into hisiron safe; by an examination of his bank-book; by reading his title deeds, or other-wise by reference to a schedule. If thesafe is empty; if he has no balance in bank,and no assets of an r kind, we say the manit not wartlxa dollar But we apply a verydifferent standard to the brute creation.Not long since the fact was extensivelypub-lished that at an auction sale of cattle nearUtica, ‘N. Y., some lunatic actually paid$28,ooo for one bull calf! Verily,human-ity is the cheapest of all commodities andwill not pay for transportation to the‘near-est market.

Is it not apparent that theanimals possessseveral advantages over men? Premiumsare offered at all the county fairs for thebest brutes, with or without horns. Butthere is no premium on manhood or woman-hood. Barnum is the only man, perhaps,who ever conceived the idea of offering apremium on babies, and he was pursuinghis own interest as a showman rather thanthe elevation of mankind. Indeed, norational effort is made to improve the humanrace. On the contrary, the lunatics con-tinue to propagate debility,deformity, dis-ease, dishonesty and deviltry, filling poor-houses, asylums and prisons; and then theyprofanely ascribe all thismischief to DivineProvidence! Now, while we sometimesrise to the dignity of human nature, in ourtreatment of the inferior creation, this sys-tematic abuse of ourselves and each otheralmost justifies the grave charge of theLatins—“I:('omo ltomini, Iupux.” And thusfrom age to age, and in the superior lightof our boasted civilization and Christianintelligence,

“ Man’s inhumanity to manMakes countless millionsmourn ”

The heavy dealers in stocks, who buildup collossal fortunes on fictitious values, area somewhat numerous class in all civilizednations. Their influence is chiefly felt atthe great commercial centers of Europe andAmerica. These men are usually creditedwith unusual sagacity. Few seem to sus-pect that they are of unsound mind. Butlet us look at their manner of life and themethods they adopt in the prosecution oftheirenterprises. In_o1-dinary business, sane

men only purchase what they want, and atprices supposed to approximate the realvalue. Whatever they buy they expect toput to some use. If they possess anythingthey do not want, they contrive to sell thatto some one who needs it and is willing topay what it is worth. But no such rational.principles govern the speculators in stocks.Day after day they assemble to buy andsell certain illustrated papers. They aregenerally sold by those who never ownedthem and often bought by those who neverwill. This amazing business is conductedsomewhat after the following manner: Sev-eral persons having a common purpose selecta sample of paper that has no value initself. Perhaps it does not represent anyvalue in anything else. All day long, andfrom day to day, they keep on buying andselling the same among themselves at ad-vancing prices. It is kept in sight and inrapid motion. It is well understood that(lie I/tingmust be moved in order to excite aninterest outside of the ring of gamblers, andso it is driven back and forth like a shuttle-cock. The bystanders are entertained asboys are amused while watching a dancing-jack. The players shout aloud to eachother—all at the same time—in the mostincoherent speech, and this deceptive farceis kept up until these land-sharks have se-cured a victim.

.

At the Stock Board in Broad street, thesales are made, six days in the week, oftenfiguring up to millions in a single day.Little money may change hands, but thesales go on all the same. They occur when-ever some one appears who does not quitecomprehend the game. When one stops tolook on he is liable to be psychologized bythe gamblers, Immersed in an atmosphereof contagious delirium, he loses his self-control. Borne along by the tide, bewil-dered by the whirlwind of excitement, vis-ions of fabulous wealth are made to risebefore him as objective realities. Whatcan he do but grasp at the glittering phan-tom? I-Ie follows the irresistible impulse.When he wakes from his momentary dreamhe is clutching the pictures, and his pocketsare empty. The principal operators havingthus finished the business of the day, inthe fulness of their pious gratitude sing thedoxology and go home.

St. Paul says that after the manner of histime he fought with beasts at Ephesus. Heneither describes the animals, nor tells usprecisely where the contest took place. Itonly requires the ordinary theological ac-commodation to warrant the inference that

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they were Bulls and Bears, and that thescene was the Brokers’ Board, where theEphesian speculators worshipped at gildedshrines and were stockholders in the god-dess Diana. But an apostle would requirelarge faith and some muscle—with a deter-mination to go inpugni: cl taltibur-—to enterthe arenawhere our modern Christian Bullsand Bears hold perpetual carnival under theshadow of the Cross. The man who shouldfind his way for the ‘first time into NewYork's great legalized gambling shop wouldat once conclude that he was in one of threeseveral places, namely: either that the an-cient Babel had been restored with all mod-ern improvements" in the sublime art of“confusion worse confounded;” that hehad already entered the portals of thegrandcouncil chamber of evil demons; or that hewas in a poorly kept lunatic asylum wherethere were no straight-jackets in use.

There is often something singularly sug-gestive in the incidental relations of con-spicuous objects. Trinity church, with itstall spire pointing to the stars, stands at thehead of Wall street. The common senseof propriety is satisfied to have it there andnowhere else. Had the cite been chosenwith special reference to moral purposesand uses, it could scarcely have been se-lected with a more appreciative discrimina-tion. Trinity! that to-day represents aselfish and soulless moneyed aristocracy,holding millions in its grasp that rightfully

,belong to the poor of New York. Trinity!that all day long—every day in the year—-leaves the image of God, covered with filthand rags, at the outer gate. Trinity! whosemost conspicuous worshipers are among themoney, changers; whose love is the lust forgold; who deny the Lord and mock at thehonest penury of Jesus. Where should sucha church be located if not at the head ofWall street? The subject presents some-thinggrotesque and almost ghastly in thisassociation of objects and ideas. There isa grim-visaged irony in the simple fact thatthe pandemonium of the mammon worship-ers and this imposing temple—the stonysymbal of a hollow faithand a venered god-liness—-—are thus placed in immediate juxta-position. This seems to be all right, andthe moral relation appears to be extremelylogical.

Let us see how things sacred and profanemingle and co-operate. Harsh voices, loudand deep, wake the echoes in vault anddome and coridor—a horrid din of all unearthlysounds as if the door of hell wereleft ajar—come up from beneathand mingle

confusedly with the solemn chimes that de-scend from the tall spire through the track-less air. Deep and musical are the voicesof the bells. Beneath the shadow of thatstately pile, sleep the generations of thepeaceful dead. There, too, in the sameshadow, the money changers count theirgains. Even there, common knaves inventnew schemes of popular deception and law-ful robbery; and Shylock claims his poundof warm and quivering flesh. Thus gigan-tic wrongs and fashionable religion togethergrow. Why not? Do they not harmonize?And how, then, shall the one destroy theother? The saints of this description, bytheir devilish alchemy, contrive to. blendthe interests of God and gold in a mostmysterious manner. We are often confusedand deceived, and only experts, in thingssacred and profane, may be able to de-tect“ The marksand diflerencesof Sovereignty.”

232 W. 11th St., N. Y., Jan. 22, 1877.The authorof the above article is one of

the oldest and most prominent Spirirualists.He and Partridge published onefof the firstspiritual papers we ever read. We ex-changed with the Spz'r1?ual Telegraph morethan twenty years ago: Before us lies a

copy, bearing date December 20, 1855.We make the following extract from Dr.Brittan’s reply to Mr. Jamieson:

Whatever belongs to morals and religioncomes within the jurisdiction of reason andconscience. We are not under Caesar, andwe propose to keep the civil authority,orthe law-making power, within its properlimits. This will be done, whatever may bethe consequences to the bold and insidiousenemies of universal freedom. But is Mr.]amieson’smethodof dealing with thisques-tion best suited to promote the object he hasin viewP Is thesweepingdenuciationofChris-ianity and its clerical representatives—whichmakesthestapleofmuch oftheso-calledspirit-ual literature-—-calculated to inspire publicconfidence in our wisdom and moderation?Any misstatement, or distorted representa-tion of the views of our opposers, to theirprejudice, indicates a want of candor, andthe inability to form a dispassionate judg-ment. Nor is this all; it imperils ourchances of a popular verdict on the rightside. No matter what may be the nature ofthe contest, the spectators—who have nopersonal interest in the issue—like to see“fair play.” Even in the prize-ring, where

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men are not presumed to be governed by avery nice sense of justice, the man whostrikes a “foul blow ” is ruled out of thering. The palm of victory is awarded tohis antagonist—

“Tlirloe armed is he. who hathhis quarreljust‘?!

In a struggle so utterly unworthyof ourmanhood, thecombatants are thus compelledto recognize a certain principle of honor.Those who enter the higher arena of pole-mics, and the advocates of the noblest prin-ciples should be just and not tarnish theweapons of their warfare. If we aim atthe triumph of truth, our indictmentagainstan offending party will be precisely drawn,in accordance with the facts. We shallneither allow the imagination a momentaryenthusiasm,nor a passion for victory to per-vert the testimony of the witnesses.

In his opening address “To the Friendsof Civil and Religious Liberty,”Mr. Jamie-son says:

“ Christianity is not only foreign, but an-tagonistic, to American liberty. EitherChristianity or a people’s free governmentmust fall!”

This assumption does not indicate anyvery.clearor profound ideas of the Christianreligion, by which I mean I/te religion ofjams, and not thepoor but wed-dressed efifgy

There is a spir-thatappear: in the templer.itual and sublime philosophyin the teach-ings of the Nazarene. A divine nobilityisillustrated in the record of his life, or I havestudied the subject to no purpose. Thisprofound philosophy and that simple andbeautiful life must be comprehended if wewould either correctly interpret the one, orform a just estimate of the other.

They claim the same absolute authorityfor the w/zole-—the Oriental Love Song ofSolomon,withits sensuous thoughtandvolup-tuous imagery; the passionate and pensivelays of a penitent adulterer; and the pureethics of Jesus and John. The obvious ab-surdity of this claim leads the minds thatare not well poised, to reject much thatisintrinsicallygood and true. Thus multitudesare driven out to wander in the wildernessof a barren skepticism. Because Christiansare so shamefully ignorant, and so sadlywarped by prejudice, and false education,shall we jump at conclusions founded onpopular ignorance? Because a clumsy saintor a blind Pharisee stumbles and falls, shallwe be excused for going headlong afterhim? No; never. It is for us to exercise

a just discrimination; it is for Spiritualiststo look at the whole subject from the highstandpoint of our Philosophy. While the“leaders of the blind ” go their own way,it yet remains for us to make proper distinc-tions, to recognize the differences in menand things, and to reason to more logicalconclusions.

Mr. Iamieson and the writers of his class,have exercised considerable influencein thedirection of popular thought. But my ob-servations are by no means intended for alimited or personal application. I trust thatthe freedom of these strictures will not bemisinterpreted. They are prompted by nodisposition to give offense; no private inter-est, no personal consideration,no unfriendlyfeeling inspires the present discussion. Itis the duty of a candid reviewer to riseabove all such incentives. But I will notdisguise the fact, that as a people, we aretoo much disposed to accepteverything thatcomes to us in the abused name of Spirit-ualism. We have permitted this too long.Our sublime philosophyhas becomea pack-horse—a patient beast of burden that stag-gers under a vast load of monstrous absur -

ities and moral trumpery. The public shouldbe made to understand that we are not amere transportation company. We must getrid of our heavy freight, or the better classof passengers will take another line. Inthis remark no personal application is in-tended. The evils that lie in our way arequite too general to admit of such restric-tions. It is time to stop the child’s play ofclosing the eyes, opening the mouth andswallowing; for why should the function ofdeglutition ina Spiritualist embrace every-thing deleterious and unclean? We makeuse of sieves and strainers in the kitchen,but seldom in the library. We “strain at a

. gnat” in the water, and swallow an invoiceof scorpions and_a nest of adders in a badbook. We winnow the grain we eat andfilter the water we drink, and why not siftour literature? It may be a thanklesstaskbut some one must perform this labor forthe spiritual household.

By common consent Religion is a univer-sal principle or constituent element in thecomposition of human nature. In all clinicsand countries; in the savage state, and inall stages of civilization, man is a religiousbeing. His temples and altars exist in alllands. It is this that chieflydistinguishesman from the inferior animated creation.There is somethingin animal instinct that isoften closely allied to reason, but we dis-cover no distinct shadow of the religio"

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sentiment ;below the plane of human exist-ence.

The faculties are all essential to the normal constitution of the human mind. Itsintegrity could never be maintained in theabsence of the religious principle. ,Theerrors and abuses which have hitherto char-acterized the religious life of individualsand nations neither warrant the assumptionthat religion is an evil in itself, nor do theydiminish our estimate of its immeasurablepower and importance in the economy ofhuman nature. Were it even possible toseparate this mysterious force from the fac-ulties and affections of the mind, we shouldat once disfigure and destroy the humanityin man; interrupt all his higher relations,and forever limit his pursuits and aspirationsto the ephemeral interests of time andsense. While the religious life of a peoplecan never rise above the average level ofhuman development and refinement, it isstill true that these faculties constitute thecrowning glory of human nature. Theyespecially occupy the coronal region of thebrain. Thus, from the very dome of thespirit’s temple, they feel after invisible real-ities——peer into the opening heavens, andlay hold on immortality.

For the American Spiritual Mngulne. '

ORGANIZATION.

av GEN. J. EDWARDS.Having carefully considered the plan of

organization, proposed by Brother Jones,through the Rclrgzb P. journal, I have cometo the conclusion that while the plan looksvery pretty, in its unbounded liberality intheory, it will not succeed practically.

It would require a radical change in hu-man nature, from what it is at present,before any respectable number of people,comprising a congregationof listeners, hold-ing divers sentiments, antagonistic to eachother, as well as by many against the speak-ers, to harmonize, so as to prosper as a so-ciety.

The plan "of organization presented byBrother Jones, is intended to mass all class-es of Spiritualists into one general organiza-tion, and to meet the difficulty in theconflicting opinions held} by Spiritualists,presents us with a motto or principle;but no principle. The motto is: “Thinkfor yourself, and express that thought,free thought will give us truth.” No onecan object to the motto, but the questionof appropriateness arises, when and where

shall the result of free thought find expres-sion? The Woodhull convention of 1872acted upon the principle of Brother Jones’motto, and gave free expression in favorof the so-called social system. BrotherJonesthought freely to combat the thoughts ex-pressed in that convention. The conse-quence was a state of inharmony. TheWoodhu1l’s called this convention upon theJones free platform motto. The plan didnot work then, and never will work harmo-niously and successfully.

Those who hold to the doctrine, thatSpiritualism is purely a science, with thatclass of Spiritualists who are Atheists, can-not be brought into the same organization,and expect them to harmonize with thefriends of the Philadelphia conference ofSpiritualists.

The only way to have harmony and pros-perity, is for each separate class of Spirit-ualists, differing in opinion upon cardinal orfundamental points of difference, to organ-ize separately; then to cultivate a spirit ofbroad charity and toleration; otherwiseconfusion in the temple will be the conse-quence. Harmony is the strength andbeauty of all well regulated institutions;more especially this of ours. Order is thefirst law of heaven. There is not a singlespirit manifesfation or message receivedfrom the upper sanctuary, but must passthrough prescribed harmonious conditions,in order to reach the human senses.

It will be as easy to mix oil and watertogether, as to unite all the discordant ele-ments and conflicting opinions held bySpiritualists in the same organization.

With the greatest charity and kind wishesfor all those who may entertain differentopinions, there is a plain duty for thefriendsof the Philadelphia movement to perform;and that is, to move straight forward andperfect their organization, and inscribe theirprinciples upon theirbanner, so all outsiderscan understand us. It is impossible for theangels to co-operate with us unless the con-ditions are harmonious. If we possess theright kind of a spirit, and have faith to be-lieve, there is no estimatingthe power whichwould be displayed by the spirits, “Forthese signs shall follow those who believe.”

The friends of the Philadelphia move-ment must not become frightened over thehowl about creed and church.

The Atheist who believes there is no‘God, it is his creed. The persons who holdthat Spiritualism is purely a science, or noreligion at all, that is their belief or creed.There is at present a persistent effort being

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made, to switch Spiritualism ofl', upon. theside track of Atheism. I am in favor ofkeeping Spiritualism as far as possible fromAtheism.

W. F. Jameson joins the Banner qf Lightin the cry that our movement is “dead, anabortion.” They will find out the organiza-tion will not die out as soon as Mr. Jame-son’sAtheistical‘ ‘freelove’’organizationdid;of which he was the Secretary, and whichhe assisted in placing on foot, at Chicago,in 1872. A person who advertises himselfas an avowed Atheist, as Jameson did in alate issue of the Banner of Light, and thentravels through the country lecturing, ofcourse attracts the Atheist to himself, andwhether in the West or East, he cannotspeak for our kind of Spiritualists, whosename is legion.

We have abandoned the old creedal dog-mas of the churches for the reason theywere found to be based upon errors, eitherthe inventions of priest-craft, or foundedupon a wrong interpretation of scripturerecord.

The country by this time, ought to un-derstand our position upon the question ofthe God head of Jesus, the vicarious at-tonement, etc., without misrepresenting us.Still we cling to Jesus Christ, as a greatreformer of his day, and thespiritual leaders of men. Our elder brother,as well as the purest and most powerfulmedium, the world has any knowledge of,while therefore, we are not saved by theblood, which ran through his veins, whichhe shed for the truth of what he preached.But if we practice the Christ principle orspirit, that will save us. To practice theprecepts and example of any really goodmen and women, will save us, in any de-partment of life, therefore they may becalled our saviors. The Bible is simply arecord or compilation of spirit utterances.Our opponents ought by this time under-stand us in the estimate and interpretationwe place upon that record, and not placeus in a false position. While we entertainthe greatest respect and veneration for A.J. Davis and many other spiritual writers,we hold the Bible is as clear and not anymore ambiguous than the books of thosemodern authors.

-To become a tower of strength, and abeautiful temple, in my humble judgment,as far as we have unmistakably learned theteachings of the angels, let us not fear whatman may say, but inscribe those truthsupon our banners to-wit: The fatherhoodof God, themotherhoodofnature, the return

greatest of '

of angels and communion of spirits, theresurrection of the spiritual body, unfoldingprogression, rewards and punishments, ac-cording to the deeds done in the body;that there is no such place as never endinghell; that the spirit of every man or womanthat has died, can and will continue to pro-gress upward and higher.

We may look foropposition, and to bemis-represented ; our duty is a plain one : press on-ward, and entrench behind the bulwarks ofimmutable truths, fear not, and in charitypossess our souls in patience, learning wis-dom and knowledge, as those subtile forcesor laws on which God’s universe stands,and which connect heaven and earth to-gether, shall become unfolded to our betterand higher understandings, while with usSpiritualism is a science and philosophy.It is also a religion and commands ouraffectional natures. To hold sacred conversewith our loved ones who have gone on be-fore, is the highest aspiration of mortals.Immortality and eternal life is here basedupon actual knowledge. The conditionsare known before we enter upon the after-life. The windows of heaven are nowopened, and our angel friends stand uponthe evergreen shore of eternity, beckoningus onward. If we are bowed down withtroubles, if we are sick and afflicted, if weare on our dying couches, our HeavenlyFather administers to our necessities, bycommissioning our angel friends, to fly toour rescue. They come with light tread,and whisper peace to our troubled spirits.

Our’s is the new gospel, loping off the olddogmatic creeds, the inventions of men;and coming back to the pure and unadult-erated teachings of Jesus in their simplicityand truth. It is to become the universalreligion of the world. It is tolerant andliberal in its teachings, and glorious in itsfinal results.

\VASl-llNG’l‘().\', l). C.

TRANCE, DREAMS, AND VISIONS.BY D. WINDER.

(lo 2 )

The trance is a phenomenon which hasalways excited great interest and attention.By many, it has been regarded as an actualseparation of the spirit from the body. Thephysicalappearance of an entranced subject,in some cases, bears a strong resemblanceto that of a corpse; in others it can bemorefitly compared to a person in a profounr’sleep.~ The mental condition also varies

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different subjects. These visual modifica-tions may be the result of individual idiosy-crasies; or they may depend on the depthand thoroughness of the abnormal state ofthe faculties and nervous system.

In some cases the subject rememberseverything that occurred during the en-trancement;anddescribesplaces, scenes andpersons, which it had never seen in its nor-mal state. In other cases it remembersnothing; and may therefore have been un-conscious; if, indeed, mind can ever beunconscious.

In the transactions of the Royal Societyof Edinburg, there is a case recorded of alady who was entranced, or fell asleep, onthe zoth of June, and remained in thatstatero days. She then fell into the trance stateagain on the rst of July, and remained inthat state 38 days. During that period shewas bled, blistered, and placed in a warmbath for the purpose of arousing her; but allto no purpose. After she awoke from hertrance, she remainedentirelydeaf four days.

It is not an uncommon thing for a longcontinued

,

trance to be followed by a tem-porary suspension of some of the faculties.I am reminded here of a case I‘ witnessedin person in Wayne county, Indiana, some35 years since. I was then pastor of aChristian church in that county; and duringa religious excitement in thatplace, a younglady became entranced, and remained in astate of insensibilityduring a period of 14days. During this time she took no refresh-ment, and manifested no signs of physicalsensations or mental emotions. When sherecovered from her trance, her power ofspeech was gone; and notwithstanding sheseemed to have recovered her normal con-dition in all other respects ;she never uttered

-another word for a period of 30 years;when she was restored to the use of herspeech by being made dead drunk. Theparties to this remarkablecase are all stillliving, and the above facts can be authenti-cated at any time.

In relation to the question, whether thespirit ever leaves the body during a trance,or during our dreams while in profoundsleep, many very curious factsare recorded,and many more experienced, which aredifficuit to account for on any other hypoth-esis. I will now ask the attention of thereader to some of these facts, which cannotfail to be interesting, whether they are con-clusive or not, as proof that the spirit some-times leaves the body in trance or sleep.

That this subject, viewed in the light of ascience, is yet in its infancy of develop-

ment, is evident from the fact that thephenomenon of dreaming is involved in asmuch mystery now as it was a thousandyears ago. And if it is true, as science hasdecided, that “we are dependent on thepcrcepiizre facullics for all our ideas," thenmany of the facts involved in our dreamscan only be accounted for on the supposi-tion that the spirit sometimes leaves thebody, in dreams and trances, and traversesregions, and views places and scenes, ofwhich it never obtained any knowledge byperception in the normal state..

We can all call to mind occasions, when,in our dreams, we visited strange localitiesand scenes, and had the images of strangeobjects and persons so indelibly impressedon the tablet of memory as never to be for-gotten. I will, no doubt, be excused, if,at this point, I relate an incident in°rny ownpersonal experience.

Some twenty years ago I dreameda greatmany times of visiting the same strangeplace which I had never seen. I visitedthat place so often in my dreams, that I be-came as familiarwith it as I was with thehome I occupied; yet I had never seen,theplace, or one just like it. In the course oftime I received a call from the directors ofthe public school at Jones’ Station, Butlercounty, Ohio, to take charge oftheirschool.I accepted, and made an engagement. Oneof the directors turned out with me to lookfor a house for my family. He spoke of afarm-house in the vicinity not then occu-pied; and we proceeded to see the houseand its owner. Thehouse stood about halfa mile from the pike leading from Jones’Station to Hamilton. Theinstantl enteredthe lane leading from the pike to thehouse,I recognized the place as the one I had sooften visited in my dreams. Every thingmy eyes fell upon was as familiar to me asif I had lived there for years. The band inthe lane, the /1:71 to ascend in reaching thehouse, the gate of ingress, the yard, thehouse, the barn, the other ozttbufldingzr, theorclzard, and all the surroundings, were justas familiar to me as if I had lived there foryears. And yet I am sure I had nczver scanI/zeplate be;/ore, only in my dreams. Thesensations I experienced were very remark-able, and noticed by the director, who en-quired the cause. And whenl explained,he expressed his conviction that the matterwould have an explanatory segue]. And'soit did; and a tragedy was prevented byheeding the impressions made by thesestrange coincidences. But further particu-lars would be improper. I will merely

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add, I rented the place, and occupied thehouse about one year, exercising perpetualcaution.

Now, if it is true, as science has decided,that we are dependent on the perceptivefaculties for all our ideas, I must reallyhave seen this place before I went there torent it, yet I am sure that I never saw itwith my physical eyes. History aboundswith experiences of this kind, and I haveno doubt thatmany will read thiswho havehad similar experience.

The true philosopherubases all his inves-tigations on established facts. He doesnot reason against factsfrom assumed impos-sx3:Zz't:'e:. If a fact is established, thatsettlesits posribiltbvwith him, even if he cannotcomprehend at present the modus operandiof its accomplishment. If it should ulti-mately prove to be a fact, that the spiritcan, either in the trance or sleep, leave thebody temporarily, and visit terrestrial andcelestial regions, it will explain many mys-terious problems that have embarrassedphilosophers from the beginning of theworld.

Hithertophilosophershave entirely failedto give any rational or intelligible explana-tion of the phenomenonof dreaming. I donot avow my conviction of the truth of thisnew theory of the temporary separation ofthe spirit from the body; but I hold myselfready to investigate all the facts that canthrow any light on the subject. That thisquestion is attracting unusual attentionamong scientists at present, is evident fromthe numerous notices of incidents bearingon the subject found in scientific journals.

A paper published in London in Febru-ary last, gives an account how the sister ofPrince of Wittgenstein appeared to himwhile the body was lying in a trance at adistance. It also tells how the spirit of amesmeric subject left her body, and pro-duced physical efi'ects in a house at a dis-tance. This fact is authenticatedby Mr.Fitzgerald, the celebrated Electrician. Italso gives an accountof thespirits of severalpersons being photographed while theirbodies were lying at a distance.

This same paper holds the following lan-guage: “Since publishing theforegoing wehave received the followingstartling inform-ation on the same subject: “Sir—In collect-ing evidence for some articles I have beenpublishing on this mysterious subject, I wasastonished to find it stated, on good author-II)’, that M. Buguet, of No. 5, BoulevardMontmartre, Paris, had severa.l times pho-tographed the spiritual image of living

persons in their absence. The Compte deBullet, I found, had been especially fortun-ate in obtaining pictures of his sister andher children, who live in Baltimore, U.S. A., arid also of his mother. I placedmyself in communication with him, and re-ceived an attestation of thefactyou referredto in your last paper. The evidence was socomplete, that it set me to thinkingon thetranscorporeal action of spirit; cases readilyoccuring to me in which I had heard of thespirit leaving the body, and retaining recol-lections of its wanderings. I had beenfamiliarwith the fact in my own person.Many times I had wandered in the spirit,and a vivid remembrance of the scenesthrough which I passed. On one occasionI had been able to test the truth of my vis-ion, and had found my record of a scene atwhich I was not physicallypresent, to be soliterally exact that I had no doubt of myhaving been spiritually present. It seemeda good opportunity to ascertain whether itwere possible for my spirit to leave on thesensitive plate a permanent record of itswanderings. I knew that peculiar condi-tions were necessary, and believed theyexisted in me. An arrangement was ac-cordingly made between Mr. Gladstanesand myself to this effect: He was to presenthimself at M. Buguet’s studio at 11 a.m.on Sunday, Jan. 31st, to sitassoon after hisarrival as possible, and to evoke me,—z'. e.,fix his mind on me, and u/:71 thatmy spiritshould present itself. On my part, I en-gaged to remain quiet in my room, and, ifpossible, be asleep. If not asleep, ask myfriends to magnetize me. Mr. Gladstanespassed at 11:15 a.m., Paris time; which is11:05 London time. On the first half ofthe plate then exposed is a faint image ofme. The second half shows no trace ofanything but the sitter. The second ex-posure took placeat 11:25, Paris time. Theresult is, on the first half of the plate is aperfect likeness of myself; and on the sec-ond half, the figure of an old man, withclearly marked features. My own featureswear the appearance so hard to define, yetso common to all entranced persons. Theeyes are closed, and the general expressionthat of a person in a deep sleep.

“My own share in this business is soondescribed. I remained in bed, in order tobe at rest, and avoid being disturbed. Iawoke shortly after 10:15, and lay in adreamy state, listening to the church bells,until nearly 11 o'clock, when I became un-conscious again. I remember no moreuntil 11:47, when I awoke and looked at

74 AMERICAN SPIRITUAL MAGAZINE.

my watch. That three quarters of an hour I

is an absolute blank to me.“On Monday morning I received a com-

munication from Paris. explaining.whathadbeen done. The whole affair, sufiicientlyastonishing in its details, and in the specu-lations to which it leads, I have recordedwith literal exactions. There is no doubtwhatever as to the fact, that the spirit of aperson lying asleep in London, was photo-graphed in Paris.”

Now I wish the reader to bear in mind,that I do not vouch for the truth of thesewonderful statements, or the conclusions atwhich the subject of this narrative arrived;but present them as well authenticatedhis-toric records of modern times; and leaveyou to do, as I shall do, draw your ownconclusions in reference to them.

I thinkwe all should be posted in rela-tion to the developments thatare now beingmade throughout the world, lest we shouldbe found in antagonism with some of themost important truths of this progressiveage.

That Paul regarded it possible for thespirit to leave the body temporarily, andeven visit the celestial regions, is evidentfrom his remark in reference to his experi-ence when he was. “caught up into thethird heavens and heard unspeakable words,not lawful for man to utter.” He says hecould not tell whether he was in tire body, orout qftlte body at the time. It is well for usto imitate his example, and suspend ourjudgment, until the afiirmative or negativeof this question shall be fullydemonstrated.The preponderance of evidence is largelyin favor of the afiirmativc at present, and isconstantlybeing strengthenedby experienceand modern developments.

If man is a triune being, composed ofsoul, body and spirit, and if the spirit cansurvive, and exist independently of thebody, then it is philosophicallyporrzlle forthe spirit, during life, to leave the bodytemporarily,and return again. And if thisis a fact, it will aid in explaining many mys-terious facts, which are now not accountedfor on any known principle.

Oxronn, O.————o-<¢-0-——

Mns. ELGIE CORNER (Florence Cook)resides occasionally at Shanghai, but makesvoyages with her husband, Captain Corner,whose ship now sails between its head-quarters atShanghai and variousotherports.The ship will probably arrive in New Yorkbefore long.

[From the Buzz; or most]THE RELIGION OI‘ SPIBITUALISI.

So much has been said and writtenconcerning the term religion, and sooften has “counsel” with regard toit been “darkened” by “words withoutknowledge,” that even to pronounceit is the signal to call up in each individualmind a different picture-true to that mind,but perhaps the furthest from verity to theapprehensions of others in the mass ofsociety. To the Catholicthe word is preg-nant with all the traditions of his grand andlofty church; to the Episcopalian it whis-pers of churchman and dissenter, and per-chance brings up unwelcome thoughts con-cerningthecomparative standingof ritualismor non-ritualism; the Presbyterian, theMethodist, in fact all forms of eccle-siastical polity, entertain widely di-vergent views on the subject : Andindeed, though the converts of each par-ticular system claim to believe in its ironcreed, if we goa litttle deeper, we shall per-ceive in our day thateach mind even amongthese gives a certain latitude of interpret-ation to the articles of faith, cherishingperhaps a mental reservation regarding theextent of scope to be accorded to one point,and giving another (under the stimulus ofawakened thoughtand an augmented free-dom of reason) a broader and more charit-able significance. Why, then, in view ofthis failure of uniformity of belief on thepart of the disciples of the century-old re-ligious systems, should it be expected thatthe adherents of the Spiritual Philosophy,and the believers in the demonstrations ofimmortal life embodied in the sense con-vincing tcstimony afforded by its concomi-tant physical phenomena, should in theshort space of some twenty-nine years beable to present to the world any clearlydigested statement of what is and what isnot Spiritualism?

The difference between thisnew claimantof popular attention, and the systems ofethicswhich have been acquired by entailfrom the past, is, that while the precursorsof Spiritualism have all been based on thepremise of an ancient and long-closed reve-lation, the Modern Dispensation claims-and demonstrates to thoughtful minds theverity of its statement—to rest upon a liv-ing and present revelation from the world ofspirit-—-one which is never closed, whoseprophets are yet with us in the flesh, in thepersons of men and women whom we know,

AMERICAN SPIRITUAL MA GAZINE. 75

who have been characterizedby the namemediums, and whose Apocalyptic angelsare the disembodied spirits of those deardeparted ones, the absence of whose materi-al forms we have mourned in days gone by,but whose triumphant and clearly provenreturn over the “rainbow bridge” hasstripped the mystery from the hitherto Isis-veiled face of the grave, and shown usDeath as the angel of an eternal and everbroadening dawn, rather thanthe goblin ofa close impending and rayless midnight!

It is afact patent to all observers of itsbrief history, that Spiritualism has a: sideespecially attractive to those who, accus-tomed to deal scientificallywithstem practi-calities, and to dissect and analyze thebeautiesand the shadows of the materialworld in which we dwell (that they mayfind their cause), have endeavored, butvainly—as to any definite conclusion—toapply the same system of analysis to thevaried orders of faith concerning an afterexistence, which the widely out rayingschools of church polemics have unrolledbefore them. Therefore we find thoseamong its followers who proclaim with con-fidence born of their interior convictionsthat Spiritualism is not a religion but a sci-ence. Again, we meet with those mindswho, either through early theologicaltraining or mental bias, feel called upon tostrenuouslydeclare thatSpiritualism is onlyan ordained and supplementary crutch withwhich the old creedal systems may sustainfor a while their failing footsteps; and suchare ready to baptize the babe of Hydesvillewith thename of the babe of Bethlehem,and to proclaim that the modern movementis not merely a religion, but can only as“ Christian Spiritualism” attain to a cogno-men which in the proper degree symbolizesits nature.

Now in all reverence for the convictionsof both these classes we desire to state thatin our opinion the true ground concerningthe ModernDispensation lies between thetwo positions—giving equal support andcountenance to the analytical and the intu-itional side of human development. Spir-itualism isnot only a science, presenting tothe trained intellect a subject for examina-tion, the results of which point to a contin-ued sphere of activities in the beyond, butit also appeals to the sensitive soul, telling itthat it is not companionless, even thoughthe Matthew and Mark, Luke and John ofthe popular creeds “pass by on the otherside,” and leave it to social ostracism or si-lent contempt, when pierced by doubts

“that will not down” and wounded bystubborn facts which it cannot ignore, it canno longer travel towa'rd the theologic Jeri-cho! not companionless, but girt aroundwith an army of helpers, strong with theglory of a higher life, educated by experi-ences that lie beyond the limit of physicalchange, and bound to it by the golden ca-ble of a love whose linksdeath cannot sev-er, and which eternity shall only brighten.Spiritualism therefore meets the wants bothof those accustomed to act through the in-tellect, and those who most cleary feel tolive in the domain of the affectional and in-tuitional departments of human nature-—therefore it is at one and the same timegifted with the distinctattributesof ascienceand a religion.

For the purpose of more unmistakablydisplaying our meaning we will define theterm religion to be the representative in lan-guage ofa somethingwhich, in accordancewith the law of demand and supply, answersthe instinctive yearnings of the spiritual na-ture of man, when the aspiration goes outand is met bya return wave from the Infin-ite sea. “Man’s highest inpirations are everGod's answers to his purest aspirations,”said an old divine, who, though using theterm God in the strictly Trimtarian sense,was (though perchance unconsciously) con-veying to his hearers a glimpse, of a greatand fundamental law of the universe. Re-ligion to our mind, is a something which,while it ministers to the out-reaching of theindividual soul is not limited to that soul,but can embrace within its fold others hav-ing congenial promptings, and thereforeupon that substratum of mutual satisfactiona new-found brotherhood may be success-fully based; Those who claim that Spiritu-alism is solely scientific will perceive thatthe two-fold character which we clam for itdoes not weaken its position, since the en-dorsement of the mental powers of humannature bestowed upon the verdict of the in-tuitional faculties should really double thehold of the system upon the hearts of itsfollowers, and deepen the force of its ap-peals to the skeptical to come forth throughpersonal rnquiry and experience into thelight of the new day.

BLADE RELEASED.«spam Dispatch.)

LONDON, Jan. 29th :—The prosecutionagainst Henry Slade has been dismissed.

76 AMERICAN SPIRITUAL MAGAZINE.

Written for the S-4fl'l0I'Vi“0Citizen by an Investigator.)SPIBITUALISI.

We have shown thata beliefin thepowerof some people to communicate with beingsof another order of existence, known asspirits, has obtained in all ages and amongall nations, whatever the standard of theirculture, from the Egyptians, learned in allthe arts and sciences, down to the scarcehuman natives of Tasmania; that beyondall question such commerce existed at onetime, as proven by history both sacred andprofane, and that to-day millionsof people,among whom are many Scientists of nomean parts, believe, confess and defendsuch practices. Is it then the part of wis-dom to laugh incredulously at the idea, orset all the believers in it, including thewriters and compilersof sacredhistory, andthemost eminentphilosophersof old Greeceand Rome, down asapackcfsenseless idiots PTwenty-eight years ago, in a little town inNew York, were two children, Kate andMaggie Fox, aged respectively four and sixyears. Strange rappings began to beheard around and about those children,which soon got noised abroad, and peoplecame from near and afar for the purpose ofpersonal observation. Some kind of intel-ligence was behind these noises, and itwas not long before a means of communica-tion was found, by which this intelligencecould manifest itself.

Thepress blazonedabroadthephenomena,thousands of people visited those children,heard the knocks, asked questions and re-ceived intelligent answers; and althoughlearned men, professors in colleges, editors

- of papers, ministers and philosophers, wereeye and ear witnesses, these two children,in their infancy, displayed tact, cunning andintelligence superior to the thousands ofvisitors, and completely baffled every effortto discover the fraud they were practicing!Do you believe it? If not, then what wasthe origin of theseknockings ? The childrengrew up—became women—-married, one ofthem (Kate) to our much lamented Dr.Kane; and although during all thesetwenty-eight years the same phenomenahave occurred wherever they were, in thepresence of monarchs and the wisest menof the age, no one has ever been smartenough to detect the fraud. Do you believethey could thus impose on the greatest ofliving savants? If so, then there must besomethingsuperhuman about them, for noordinary mortal could do it.

The writer knows a man of ordinary edu-

cation who never learneda language save his_

own (English) and who has at times beenimpelled to write by a power almostirresist-able, and entirely outside of himself, hebeing at the time incapable of exercisingmental volition, and when the writing wascompleted it was found to be pure Italian,of which he (the person alluded to) couldnot understand a word.

D. D. Home, the most famous mediumin Europe, was raised bodily from the floorin the presence of a large assembly, andheld suspended in the air for the space ofover a minute, without being touched byhuman hands or machinery of any kind.

English Spiritualists also attest the morewonderful case of a Mrs. Guppy, who, theyassert, was taken from her home by spirits,while in a state of unconsciousness, carried

_

a distance of seven miles and deposited ona table in the midst of a circle sitting withclosed doors, where, when the lights werelit, she was found still in a somnambulistictrance.

Dr. Monck, now on trial in England foralleged fraudulent practices in pretendingto give messages from the spirit world, as-tonished the judgesfiofficers and spectatorsin the open court at midday, ‘by producingraps and other phenomena which the ut-most vigilance failed to account for, on anyother than the spirit theory. Dr. Monck isa gentleman of respectability, formerly aminister. '

A friend of the writer,’a member of aMethodist family,had a relative in her ownfamily,a child six years of age, who hadnever learned to read or write, yet whowould, while in an unconscious or semi-conscious state, write messages on a slate orpaper addressed to members of the family,some of themrelating to subjects which oc-curred before her birth, and of which shehad never heard. At times music would beheard in the room where she was, whileoutside of the room it was inaudible. Thechair on which the child sat would bemoved about through the room by invisiblepower, her feet not reaching near thefloor. The child’s mother, a pious Method-ist lady, was sorely distressed at thesestrange occurrences, and prayed often andearnestly for her child’s deliverance. Herprayer was answered—the child passing tothe spirit land in her seventh year.

———-—{-—4$o—;—————-

Wi: are indebted to the Shaker, of Shak-ers, N. Y., for themusic and poetry, “Overthe River,” thrt appears on the 8th page.

AMERICAN SPIRITUAL MA GAZINE. 77

LETTER PRO! BRO. JAHB8 H. YOUNG,Of New Orleans.

We take pleasure in laying the followingletter before the readers of the MAGAZINE.It deals in facts—phenomena which are in-disputable, witnessed by a Southern gentle-man of integrity and honor. It does seemto us that the time is not far distant whenthe spirits in materialized forms will standout in full view, and address audiences.They say they will do so, and we believethe time will come, and at no distant day,when this will occur in our midst. Fromwhat we have seen and heard here for thepast two years, we are forced to the convic-tion that this will be done; when none willbe so stupid as to pronounce it a humbug.While we write, the rapping round us indi-cates aflirmativelywhat we say. Bro. Younghas been lecturing and formtng societies inTexas, to which work he has to return inthe spring. Let all give him a cordial wel-come and a liberal support in the noblework to which he is devoting his energies:

BRO. WA1soN—On Monday evening,November 13, 1876, I attended a seance atthe residence of William Eddy at An-cora, N. J. The weather had beenquite stormy, raining the larger portion ofthe time. Excepting Mr. Frank Ripley andmyself the circle was composed of neigh-boring friendsand members of the family.

Mrs.. Eaton opened the seance. Thespirits had moved the medium in his chairfrom the farther end of the cabinet to thedoorway behind the curtain, Mrs. E. cameoutside, and holding the curtain away fromthe door, or gathering it up in her hands, sothat those present could see and know Wm.Eddy, the medium, as well as herself, sheaddressed us for about five minutes. Shesaid, “You can all see the medinm, and cansee me, and know that Wm. Eddy is nottalking- I might say thatlwas a very goodmedium myself, a clairvoyant, as I can oft-en see you when you cannot see me. Iexpect someday to be exposed, still I giveyou this test. We moved the medium hereand must move him backout of the way ofthose who wish to materialize,” -

“Why do you all appear so gloomy? Itis hard for spirits to work during suchweather, but a cheerful, harmonious feeling

in the circle helps. You had better laughthan to appear so gloomy.”

This was truly a great test, as Win. Eddysat in full view of all, entranced during thetime Mrs. Eaton was speaking, and I havereported but a small part of what she said.

The next to appear was the Indian girlHonto. Afterstepping in’ and out of thecabinet several times, she walked to theright hand side of the room, and drew, orappeared to draw, a light colored laceshawl from the wall which she threwaroundher shoulders, then beckoning to Mrs. Glas-phy,she joined with her in a merry dance.After a minute she touched Mrs. Brown,who also joined in the dance.

The next was a lady friendof a gentlemanpresent, recognized by general appearance,dress, and name, to which she answered byrapping with her hand on the casing of thecabinet door.

Mr. G1asphy’s mother next appeared andcalling her daughter-in—lawjoined in adancewith her. Mrs. G. (the mortal) is a large,heavy set woman, a trance medium, andwas evidentlyunder influencewhile dancingwith these spirits. Their object, as Mrs.Eaton had said, was to dissipate the feel-ing of gloom, and introduce laughter andharmony in the circle. All were laughing,but Mr. R_. louder than others, when Mrs.G. (thespirit) dropping her daughtershands,and standing still, whileMrs. G. (the mor-tal) continued the dance, said :

“ Frank, what are you laughing at ?”“ I am not laughingat the spirit,” said

Mr. R., “but at Pheebe’s motions.”" Well, I don’t see anythingto laughat,”

said the spirit as she again took her daugh-ter’s hands and joined in the dance.

Mr. R., still laughing said, “I shall faint,will some one bring me a fan P’

At this moment Mrs. Eaton appeared inthe doorway with a palmleaffan in her hand.She walked down the room to where I sat,next to Mr. R., and threw the fan in hislap. Turning to Mr. Brown she requestedhim to get the camphor. He obeyed,sprinkled some on Mr. R.’s head and gavehim the bottle to smell, at which Mrs. Eatonjoined in the laugh, while Mrs. G. (themartal) returned to her chair, and Mrs. G.(thespirit) to the cabinet.

Here the spirit forms of Mrs. Glasphyand Mrs. Eaton, were both outside the cab-inet, in full view, at the same time. Mrs.Eaton saying thatwe should throw off anxi-ety and gloom; be cheerful_a.nd hopeful,making harmonious conditions, as then,they could give better tests than we would

78 AMERICAN SPIRITUAL MAGAZINE.

thinkof asking, and spirit friends of those Ipresent, who were in waiting, could materi-alize, and be seen by their friends.

Soon after Mrs. E. retired, a young ladyappeared. Her features were not so welldefined as the others, but theformas in thecase of all was fully developed. Asking inturn, “Is it for me ?” she responded to agentleman present, and bowed her headwhen he called her name.

Next came the spirit known aswitch of the mountains.” Standin in fuliview she indicated by a. motion of e handthat she desired less light. While Mr.Brown proceeded to lower the light, shebeckoned to Mrs. Glasphy, who took herchair and sat near the cabinet facing thecircle. She then laid her left hand on Mrs.G.’s head, and standing by her side impro-vised for us a poem,subject, “Man’s Duty tohis Fellow Man.” She spoke in an audi-ble voice fully ten minutes, when, retiringto the cabinet, she influenced Mrs. G.,who, taking up the thread where she,closedspoke about five minutes, completing thepoem.

_ _The witch has been treating Mrs.G.forherhealth, as Mrs. G, tells me, for some time,and with very good success. Why don’tsome of our M. D.’s have her up before the

‘ ‘the

‘ courts for practicingwithout a license.The next one to appear (thelight having

turned up), was the brother of the witch,the spirit who clrzims to have written thewords, “2l{cm,.Mme Iékel Qfiltarsfn,” uponthe wall at Belshazzar’s feast (Dan. 5:25).He is a noble looking man, taller than Wm.Eddy, and a character that he could by nomeans assume.

Next was ayoung lady who claimed tobe my own daughter, and answered to hername. As Mr. Brown described her, andspoke of her fine hair, she placed her handin her hair and drew it out over -her handshowing its length, and to Mrs, B. its color.She had but three weeks earth life, and haslived twenty-five years in he s pirit world.She had promised tomatetrialize for me,andchose this time, when, from previous testsgiven, there could be no doubt in the mindbut that they were the spirit friends theyclaim to be. Although she could not allowme to approach and take nerhand, yet I donot doubt her identity, but feel fullysatisfiedthat she was my spirit daughter.

The next was a very tall, large-framednegro woman, recognized immediatelyby anegro girl present, as her grand-mother. Iam told that she is the tallest spirit exceptthe Indian Santrum that appears at Eddy’s

seances. This evening she favored us witha double shuflle, or negro dance, with asmuch graceas thoughshe were only sixteen,and weighed an hundred instead of twohundred and fifty, as her height and bulkwould indicate.

Then a spirit claiming to be an uncle ofmine, stood before us. He answered to thename of Benjamin. I could not recognizehim, and he did not appear again duringmy visit. .

Old Mr. Brown then appeared in thedoorway, and with a speech of five minutesclosed theseance.

The new comers at these seances cannotmaterialize as well as thosewho have oftenappeared. The features are not so well de-fined and the clothing is of a darker orgrayish color, hence one should if possible,remain for a week or ten days in order togive them the opportunity, by repeatedmaterializationto be fully recognized.

I remainednine evenings, six of whichwere stormy. My daughter appeared fourtimes. The third time her hair hung incurls, with a headdress of flowers. Twiceshe spoke in a whisper. Mrs. Brown couldhear and repeat her words.

If I could stay she would shake handsandtalk with me.

I stood face to face with my Indiancontrol my hand in his. know that Wm.Eddy’s round, cheerful face could not as-sume the Indian features, straight hair, andcoal black eyes that were looking straightinto mine.

- The Indian seems to possess more mate-rializingpower than the pale face, and oftenas they say, helps, the pale face spirits toclothe themselveswitha visiblematerializedform.

I have talked with Wm.Eddy in his ownrooms surrounded by his friends, and feelas do others who thus come in contact withhim, that he could not, even if he so desir-ed, personate the characters thatnightly ap-pear at his seances.

During the nine evenings I saw one hun-dred and twenty—t\vo materializedforms,andit was fully proved that when tests are notsought the spirit friends will give more andbetter tests than we can ask or invent.

]As. H, Young.

LBITBE 1'30! JUDGE HOLBBOOI.Bno. WATSON—Iread in theJanuary No.

of your MAGAZINE an article by D. Winder,in which he treats of “the incarnationof Christ” and “his mediatorialoffice” (andeven the “existence of God”) as “living

AMERICAN SPIRITUAL MAGAZINE. 79

issues” on which the Spiritualists are aboutto divide, and hence he proceeds to discussthem. I write the following for your read-ers, not because I propose after thestyleofpast ages to get into any discussion of thereligious dogmas of those ages, unprovedthen and unproved now, and perhaps un-provable—but rather thus to show why weshould not encourage such discussion with,the idea that there is anything in them ofsufficient importance to divide theSpiritual-ists into divers sects.

I maintain therefore, on the contrary,that there is nothing in these questionsnamed that willnecessitate a division amongthe Spiritualists. If it must, then we arefollowing in the wake of the old religionsthat suffered disputes to prevail as to ab-stract and unprovable dogmas or proposi-tions. Cannot the Spiritualist' say withPaul, (for Paul was sometimes right, and Ipropose to judge him when right and whenwrong,) “Behold, I show you a more ac-ceptable way,” and, “Avoid disputations.”The more acceptable way in our scientificreligion, is to believe what you are com-pelled to believe by proof; and, as to otherthings, let not our simple faith (and I stillam willing to give to faith a wide, easybirth as to what we cannot know,) makeany war upon others’ simple faith as tothings which none of us know and cannotknow.

For instance now, your correspondent,Mr. Winder, says that he “believes thatGod is a powerful spirit.” Well, I don’tthink I do—but that depends on definition.I would understand the term personality toinvolve a limitation, that is to say a centreand a circumference, a circumference, atleast, beyond which theperson does not ex-tend; that is to say again, that all beyondiswithout God. Perhaps Mr. Winder doesnot mean this, but if he does, then that in-volves this: that, as space- must be infinite,then there is room for another God outsideand beyond his personal God, and roomfor another outside the two, and room foranother outside the three, and so on adjinitum. But I believe in one infinite God,one infinitelygreater accordingto thsaboveratiocination than he does. But what of it?Shall I turn him out, or attempt to turnhim out of the synagogue? By no manner ofmeans. Let us rather turn to the God thatis within us (which I doubt not is suffi-ciently great for all practical purposes) andhear its voice when It says, “God forbid.”

Mr. Winder now says further, “It wouldnot be denied by Spiritualists, were it not

for the perversions of modern theology”-that (in substance) Jesus, the Son of God,existing with God before his incarnation,became incarnated. Now, Mr. Editor, thisis a very strong assertion, and, as I think,quite mature—but suppose it to behalf true,and that the one half assent and the onehalf deny-—what of it? For my part I neith-er assent nor deny, for thewant of sufficientevidence. Your correspondentthinksthereis proof furnished now by the temporaryobsessions and inspirations which we know,or concede. The mysteries of the pastmay be resolved by the demonstrations ofthe present. But so far as I go the presentonly proves that Jesus was probably a me-dium, operated upon by good and purifiedspirits. Proof of the reincarnation of Wisespirits of the Heavenly spheres for a life-time now, would be carried back to thecase of Jesus, and I would say, per/zap: itwas so then, or probably it was so. Thatproof, however, Is wanting. But again Isay, present or wanting, what of it? SurelyI think no divisions upon such subjectswere admitted, were hinted at, were point-ed at. As scientific Spiritualists no divis-sions can come among us, for science ad-mits of no division here more than else-where in any of her arrnories, where thereis demonstrative proof to the senses. Spir-itualism, as a religion, may permit divisionsupon different judgments and standards ofmorals; and who shall deny but that thatwhich is purest and the best is the mostworthy of support? E. S. HOLLBROOK.

WAUKEGAN, Oct. 28, I876.DEAR RI-:v. SIR—Permit an old, obscure

man, close on the verge of eighty winters,to greet you in behalf of pure Christianitythat is presented to the Christian public inthe SPIRITUAL MAGAZINE. Having read allthe numbers for the last year, I rejoicedgreatly for the consolation, and took newcourage. I joined the close Baptist churchA.D. 1832, have a letter from that churchnow, but dated some years since. I becameinterested in the spiritual philosophycalledSpiritualism, a thesis spoken everywhereagainst, like as was that of the Nazarenes,but I could not stultify conscience and rea-son, and thus felt like a strayed sheep onthe cold, bleak mountain, outside of allhealthy organization. I do not long for theirleeks and onions, nor the manna in thedesert, which things did not satisfy me.The visible church to me has become toomaterial and conformed herself in fo ssl bythe letter of the Word having crucified the

80 A MERICAN SPIRITUAL MA.GAZINE.

‘ true Word, which is Christ’ the Lord. Itseems now at this late date that many call~ing themselves Spiritualists are yet opposedto the true Word. They seem to prefer theShakter, the Vend a Vista, the Brahma, theChina. to Jesus of Nazareth. Some histo-rians make out sixteen or more crucifiedSaviors. They may make a thousand, onlygive me my choice. Jesus of Nazarethtruly says, My sheep hear my voice andthey follow me ; they will not follow astranger for they know not the voice of

_strangers.Now brother, I trust that you know the

voice of the true Shepherd and will followHim, and not be ashamed of the name ofChristian Spiritualist. Some will no doubtapologize for the Jews and Pagans andother anti—Christians for the sake of popularity, or numbers under the plea of univer-sal charity and benevolence, but everyplant that my Fatherhath not planted mustbe rooted up.

Many of the best human reasons can begiven in favor of the Messiahship of Jesusof Nazareth,besides the spiritual propheciesand works that He did in the sight of manygood witnesses. Not in the dark ages ofthe world but in the days of learned Rome.Now, brother, I never expect to see you inthe flesh, but in spirit I am with you.Amen. '

Now, I hope, dear friend, you will nottake this as an intrusion. On your messageand destiny, hoping you God-speed in yourwork, I am, Rev. Sir,

Your brother in the Lord,JEREMIAH GAGE.

DR. WArsoN—Your MAGAZINE is theonly periodical I ever met with treating ofSpiritualism from a Christian standpoint.Just this one No. has shown me Bible truthin a more reasonable light than I have everknown before. Four years ago I becameso thoroughlydisgusted with the teachingsof theology, that I forsook the temples al-together and have no wish or desire to enterthem again. Providence directed me to aSpiritualist society and for two years I haveattended their meetings regularly. Themore I learn of Spiritualism, the more I amconvinced that it is the only true religion.That you may long be spared to makeknown to the world its blessed truths is thesincere wish of

Miss MARY E. GnAri=,283 Adelphi street, Brooklyn, N. Y.

‘ VAN WERT, OHIO, Jan. 5th, r877.BRO. WA'rsoN—D:ar Sir.-—New_ Year’s

greeting from the Band that controls meand also from myself. The Spirit says:“Write, for the centennial year has expiredand the new year is ushered in, but theannouncement of the Spiritual works in thelast year must be brought in action.” “Thetime is here that those who have been triedas it were in the furnaceand are found wor-thy shall and must be sealed with the condi-tional baptism,and must unite ; then we willovershadow them all with power fromon high to come against the beast andits power and overthrow

_

it and bringinto submission all worshippers of the beastand all who have accepted the imagethereof. You are right in the principlesyou've adopted, and for the benefit of eachand every faithful soul that longs to fightthe good fight and bear arms in the ranksof the righteous King.” “We advise youto call a convention, after a thorough delib-eration and understanding as to where suchconvention shall better be held, and uniteall free souls who are ready to adopt aChristian platform, into one body and namethem Christian Spiritualists the Faithful.The society here is baptized the “Societyofthe Faithful”by us, for their faith has beenseverely tried; so were you tried, andmany also, in this country and all over theworld. All who have proved faithful, andshall do so henceforth, shall receive thewhite stone from the King, as a seal and in-visible breastplate, while physically thesame is made effective by the ordered con-ditional treatrnent of the seal.” We alsosend this message to Bros. Winder, Childs,and Mosher, and the people. All of thesegentlemen are vessels reared for speciallabors for humanity's welfare. Knowingthe truth, dare to maintain it, and bow atno human shrine. Our blessings follow thismessage.' Yea, Amen, the Justice Band.I also respectfully subscribe myself,

MRS. A. KLINE.

“ Ir Dr. Slade has been treated roughlyby the law, he can, at all events, consolehimself with the knowledge that he hashighly-placedand influentialpersons amonghis tleinlcle. Most enthusiasticof his disci-ples are said to be the Princess Louise andher sister-in—law, Lady Archibald Campbell.At the house of the latter, in Beaufort gar-dens, several wonderful spiritualistic seanceshave been held.”—London lVorld.

AMERICAN SPIRITUAL MAGAZINE. 81

THE IIBW IDEAL._———1

Its Glories as Revealed by Prof. Felix Adler.inan Address delivered in New York.

New York World.,Prof.'Felix Adler lectured yesterday on

“The New Ideal,” before one of the larg-est congregations that have assembled inStandard hall since the beginning of hisSunday morning services. He said:

“There is a great conflict waging. Sci-ence is subverting many of the ancient be-liefs of mankindby showing thatthey collidewith natural laws and are antagonistic towell authenticatedfacts. The battle is notyet won, but to us the issue is not doubtful.Let us inquire into the moral bearings ofthe resuls thusfar achieved; let us considerthe losses we have sustained and the gainswe have made. We stand in a new age,with new conceptions of our aims in life andof the final destiny which we are here toaccomplish. These conceptions we call‘The New Ideal.”’

“The medieval ideal was supernaturaland transcendental in character. It mademan an exile from the kingdom of heaven,and taught him ever to turn his thoughts tothat, his real home. His main duty wasdeclared to be to dismiss the cares and bus-iness of the world, and to live in medita-tion and devotion. Such a view wasnecessarilyhostile to all the conditions bywhich the welfare of society exists. Thehistory of the early anchorites show this.”The lecturer here described thebeliefsandpractices of the Christian anchorites of theearly ages, and resumed : “Among theconsequences of the supernatural idea werethedomination of the priesthood and thepredominance of theologicalstudies to thegrave detriment of others. The asceticideal of the middle ages is the logical con-clusion of the supernatural ideal, and it hasleft its marks in all European nations evento this day. If the new ideal takes pride inanything it is in a return to nature. Thebody is not alien to the mind, but it is theseed-plot from which mind flowers out. Thepassions we are wont to associate with our

real nature are the rough materialsof which the noblest qualities are sometimesformed. The beautyof the tree is not inthe root, the trunk, or thespreadin branch-es, but in its action and fruition. t is thesame with man; it is not in the mightytrunk of intellect or the spreading branchesof imagination,but in the fruit we bear thatour moral life is seen, and the object ofour

being is accomplished. The old ideal em-phastzed the eternal that was without us,the new emphasizes the eternal that iswithin us; the old called us exiles fromtruth, the new makes us authorsof truth;the old separated heaven and earth, thenew teaches that earth is a part of heaven,and bids us establish here the heavenlyrule. '

Tau:Fdilaroftlae Spfifiudfllagauhe:New ORLEANS.

Sm :—I have heard that you understandFrench, and as I am more at home in thatlanguage than in English, I make use of itthe better to unfold to you the motive ofmy letter.

A subscriber to your MAGAZINE for twoyears, I have followed with great interestthe accounts given of your seances, and Inow ask permission to confide to you thereflections and ideas which have arisenwithin my mind in regard to the factswhich you have related in the number forOctober last-—one under the title of “ Ma-terializationof Spirits,” and theotherunderthat of “ De-materializationof a medium.”

I have appreciated, and appreciate stillyour conciliatoryviews in your philosophi-cal dissertations, but I bitterly lament yourdecision to publish all the phenomena thatyou obtain; for I foresee that manypersonswho have accepted your writings becausethey comprehend them, will refuse to be-lieve in phenomena.which you do not ex-plain; and from thence to a denial of spirit-communion there is but a step.

Here, where unfortunately the peoplehave been more than once deceived by falsemediums, material manifestations have, notthe value of those which are of a spiritualorder—of those which men cannot falsify,and which each one can himself control orverify.

The incredulous demand proofs in orderto believe in manifestations which are, forthem, supernatural; and they believe themonly when the explanations satisfy theirreason and their judgment. -

I thinkthat if you add to the facts yougive, the reasons for them, the incredulouswho have read the Boston Invcshjgtntorofthe nth inst., and other journals hostile toSpiritualism, will ragne themselves uponyour side; and among them you will per-haps find adepts who will aid you in yourwork of propagating this theory.

I wish you good success in your enter-prise, and therefore have decided to give

82 AMERICAN SPIBITUAL MAGAZINE.

you my reflectionsand ideas. Moreover, Ipray you to accept the assurance of myhighest consideration.

.

Om: or Your. SUBSCRIBERS.The above letter has been on hand for

some time. Having forgotten our French,we were unable to translate it. We are in-debted to our good friend Mrs. Shindlerfor its translation.

That “the incredulous demand proofs”is very certain. That such proofs can begiven is equally certain. These proofs wehave had over three years in our city, be-fore scores of persons at atime. Sometimesin open daylight when but few were pres-ent. They are as susceptible of demonstra-tion as are other facts of which our sensestake cognizance. We refer him to one ofhis own citizens’ reports of what he saw atthe Eddy’s in the issue of the Maoazms.He wishes us to “give the reasons forthem." They are obviously necessary toconvince such minds as have sought in vainfor tangible proof of our immortality. “Na-ture abhors a vacuum." The age of faithis passing away, leaving a very large por-tion of the intellectual people of Europeand America like the Boston I:m.m'gatorskeptical as to any existence after the pres-ent. We can conceive of no means thatcould be used to convince such minds ofthe truth of another state as the return oftheir friends identifying themselvesto them.If such “manifestations” do not convincethe "incredulous" thenwe have no hope oftheir conversion until they pass over, whentheywill, as many others have done, returnto try and convinceothersthatthereis a reallife beyondthe mutsszrr.

-:-——o-o-M-——Noanmnn, Jan. 29th, 1877.

Rev. Sanwar. Wa'rsoN—Dear Sx'r.--Ihave been of late reading “ Clock StruckOne.” I wish to ask you one question, andit would be a great satisfaction to me if youwould give me your views in regard to it.

You admit in “Clock Struck One,” thatin the communicationsyou received throughI. V. Mansfield, there were some errors ingiving the initials of some names; alsoBishop Soule’s name was spelled withoutthe final e ; also many grammatical errors.

How do you accountfor theseerrors? Manyof those persons were scholarly men whenliving here. All ought to have been ableto give their own names correctly. Itwould give me much pleasure to get youropinion. Yours Very Truly,

Fa/mcrs Howarm.In reply to the question of our clerical

friend, we must state thatthe “ errors " towhich he refers do not militate_against, butconfirm the truthfulness of the communica-tions. Every error as to “the initials,” hasthat tendency. The letter e is a very smallafl'air compared to thousandsof errors foundand acknowledged in the Book which isclaimed by our friend, we presume, to beinfallible. The old saying that those wholive in glass houses should not throw stonesat their neighbors, has some good sense init, which could be used to advantage.

Let us look at these “erroneous initials.”In reading the communication from ourBrother, Wm. H. Mansfield, read itWm. R., when immediatelyhis hand wascontrolled,andHenry was written crosswise,as the double name of our Brother, whichwas correct. The other error is more im-portant. In the first communication we re-ceived from Gen. 'l'hos. Rivers, he put aW. as his double initial. We knew thiswas an error, supposing it to be a freak ofMansfield’s pencil; yet we did not feel atlibertyto erase it. Tatm-r, the whole truth,and nothing but the India, is our maxim.We had known Rivers in his collegedays-and was present when he graduated atLaGrange in 1838. We had correspondedupon the subject of Spirit communion,when he was our member to Congress, butnever saw or heard of his having a W in hisname until it was put there in his commu-nication, which contained a numberof factsthatwe did not then know, but afterwardslearned to be true of persons, -names andthings. If our enquiring friend had read“Clock Struck Two,” he would have hadhis questions answered, we think, satisfac-torily. The first annual Conference, whichmet at Somerville, Tenn., 1872, after thepublication of “Clock Struck One,” wewere charged tlrus: “Specification rst. In

A_MERICAN SPIRITUAL MA GAZINE. 83

teachingcontrary to articles 5 and 6, thatthere is a necessity for a more tangible proofof the doctrine of immortality than is con-tained in the Holy Scriptures, pages 77-134, also 17 5, 176.” While at this Con-ference we were invited to dine witha friendwith whom themotherof Gen. Thos. Riverswas stopping. As soon as she came in theparlor she said in substance: Bro. Watsonmy son Thomas appeared to me the othernight, and said: Mother, you think itstrange that I had W. in my name when Isigned it to a communication I gave to Bro.Watson on the 24th of May, and publishedin his “Clock Struck One.” Don't you re-member, mother, when I was a boy I wasso excitable that the boys gave me thenick-name of Wasp, and that I always signed myname with a W in my boyhood days?Look at any of my old copybooks and youwill always find a W in my name. Shesaid she had not thought of it for twentyyears.

Here is a small, but significant fact,known only, perhaps, to one mortal person,and she not thinkingof it for a score ofyears, and more than a thousandmilesfromthe medium, whom she never saw. “Strawsshow which way the wind blows,” and itwill be found that these little “erroneousinitials,” as we thought them to he, cannotbe explainedeven upon the theory of thecelebrated Dr. Carpehter of “ unconsciouscerebration.-” Will you ask us a few morequestions, Mr. Preacher?

New Loxnox, WlS., Jan. 1, 1877.DR. WA'rsoN—Dea.r Sir: I am much in-

terested in the MAcAznut and like the wayyou handle the subject.

New London has a population of aboutzooo inhabitants. The people here havevery little, if any light on the subject. Ihave been hoping that some good lectureror medium would find it in their way tocome here. (We don’twant “free lovers.”)But we want the true light that comethfrom above that enlighteneth the under-standing, and will show us our true relationto the spirit world, and to God. I dontthinkpreaching against the Bible, as someSpiritualists do, has a tendency to advance

the cause much, .especially among the or-thodox communities. I think it better notto tear down a man's house untilwe are ableto give him a better one, or in other.words,to satisfy him that he has one.

First, present thebeautiesand reasonable-ness of the new way, and the old shell willsoon crumble.

I am anxious to see the truth spread. Ido not know why we should not be willingto make sacrifices, as did the apostles andearly Christians.

How is the light to be carried into thedark places unless it be by missionaryeffort? I am in favor of organization, butnot sectarianism.

Yours, etc., « J. A. Grnssar.

BLOOMFXELD, Mo., Jan. 2, 1877.Rev. SAMUEL WA'rsoN—Dear friend to

humanity: Your esteemed MAGAZINE forJanuary has been received and read withunusual pleasure. I should feel like I hadlost a valued friend should I be compelledto be blessed no more by its monthlyvisi-tation.

,Would that we could have a far moreextensive circulation of your invaluablepublication with many others of similarcharacter, making as salutaryan impressionupon the minds and consciencesof thepeo-ple as you richly deserve.

We are having many anxious inquiringminds amongst those who would doubtlessbegin an earnest investigation of the har-monial philosophy, if the question couldonly be explained to them a little by someinteresting, instructive and entertaininglecturer. An ordinary one would notbe heeded here. Many of us here wouldbe highly pleased to have a good andeffective lecturer among us. The stringen-cy of money matters are such thatwe couldnot at present promise very great remunera-tion, but would do the best we could, forwe do feel great anxiety to have the scaleslifted from the eyes of our neighbors andfriends.

Yours for the rapid dissemination of ourgreatly needed religion.

' M. A. Bsnronn.

IN this age of education and general in-telligence the household is hardly completewithout a Cornish & Co. Piano or Organ.Read the advertisement in another columnand then send for illustrated catalogue atprice list.

84

AmericanSpiritualllagazine, PUBIJBHED MONTHLY.

S. WATSON, Editor and Proprietor.Terms of Subscription:

ONEYEAB, - - - - - $200SINGLE Comm, me. BY MAIL, 250.

MEMPHIS, MARCH, 1877.

OUR HOME SBANOES.

Knowing the. anxiety on the part of ourreaders to have facts given, where there was

no possibilityof collusion or imposture, we

invited Col. Eldridge and his wife to visitus.

.

The evening was very unfavorable formaterialization—theatmosphere very humidwithin, while the rain poured down on thesloppy streets of our city.

‘I had just received the Le Galilean, a

French spiritual magazine. Having forgot-ten our French, we asked Mrs. Shindler toread some of it. Soon Harry, her control,spoke, audibly giving his approval of thearticle being read. We tried to draw himout in conversation, but he said he wantedhis supper first. While at supper, herapped loud and often on the table, raisingthe _leaves of the table so that our waiterswere disposed to leave him and us to our.

selves. He had told us previouslywhen hecame he wanted some sticking-plaster putover his medium’s mouth. A piece justthe size necessary was thrown in our homemedium’slap; from whence it came we couldnot tell, but Harry said he brought it forthe purpose. This was placed securely overher mouth, and she took her seat in our.cabinet—our familysitting close around it.

Scarcely had we taken our seats when hecommencedwhistling, which was continuedfor some time. Then calling all our names

-—speaking pleasantly to all, inquiring as toour health, etc.—-as familiarlyas if he hadknown us in his earth-life. A free andeasy conversationwas kept up with us for a

time, after which the sticking plaster was

.umnIc4N srimrrvan MA GAZINE.

taken of!’ Mrs. Eldridge’s mouth, when,woman-like, she used her tongue freely,Harry, in the meantime, trying to make herhush. It was really amusing to hear them.It was not even a friendly quarrel, but acontention as to who should have the floor,and as we had no chairman to decide whowas entitled to be heard, they both hadtheir say, sometimes both talking at once,until at last Harry obtained the victory,andbecame master of the situation. Duringthis time there were hands out in a goodlight, reaching out to the lock to open thedoor. Several faces were seen at the aper-ture, but none suflicientlydistinct tobe rec-

ognized. Harry announced the names andrelations of a number who were present, ofwhom he could not have previouslyhad anyknowledge.

We were particularly interested in one,whose name was given, John Land. A fewdays previous,‘ “The Clock that StruckOne,” sittting on the mantle in our dining-room, which has not run or struck for a goodwhile, struck one while we were at dinner.Soon after, we received a letter that our

nephew in Arkansas had died of the con-

sumption. Harry said he was coughing ashe had not gotten over his disease, or title‘,when he took the earth form he was affect-ed as he was here.

He soon announced, “Callie is here."Not knowing any one by that name whohad passed over, we asked “Who is Callie?"when he replied, “it is a. double.” Johnand Callie’s fathermarried half sisters ofours, consequently they were double cous-

ins, brought up from infancy together, andloved as children love, before their mar-

riage. The spirit, while her body was

asleep had come with her dear departedone over a hundred miles to our homecircle. We know some will smile at our

credulity, while others will think it is su-

premely rediculous. If such be Christians,we simply refer them to Paul's case-he“was caught up," and could not tellwhether he was in the body or not. Letall that pass for some other time.

There was some slate-writing, taking of

AMERICAN SPIRITUAL mtaazuvs.

apples out of the hands, and showing ofhands in the light; but we have alreadytranscended our limits for what occurred atour first home seance with this medium.Some water was thrown on our companythat Harry said he got out of a pitcher inthe library. That which interested us mostwas a little conversation had with Mollie,who said she was very happy, and wishedto say somethingto us, which we will givebelow.

We do not believe that those who desireto know the truth can fail to .lie convincedthat Spirit manifestations are true whenthey will investigate the subject thoroughly.At home or with a few friends who meetwith one accord, as the disciples did on theday of Pentecost, will have a Spiritual bap-tism thatwill lift them above this mundanesphere of thought and feeling, to realizethatwhich is far above all price. We be-lieve that this priceless boon is within thereach of those who will seek for it withhalf the earnestnessand perseverance theymanifest to accumulate the perishing thingsof time and sense. This is what waswritten: .

"Since John Land’s death I have hadno special mission to earth, but while helingered I was close to him many hours,watching, trying to alleviate his sufferings,and to pacify poor Callie in her deep dis-tress. John is very near to his loved ones

yet, as he has not ascended to higher de-grees. He is with Callie much of the timeand her spirit goes out in search of herdear absent husband. She cannot be com-forted, like Rachel weeping for her lostloved one. She, however, is much moregrieved at the absence of him who was hercompanion. Death, Ellen, is a happy re-sult to any one in his, or my dear boy’s con-dition—yes, a happy release. There is aIaturalness for one to regret the departureofone dear togthem,but Calliewillsoon over-

come her grief by experience of Spiritpower and manifestations. She will becomeante spiritually inclined than ever; andher gift: will ‘be improved now.

‘ tion.

This is a strange thing to many, but it istrue.

Samuel, I want to say to you that a hallmust be decided upon, and not spend thetime in testing mediums in your midst-somethingmore is needed now. You arebecoming weaker every day you postponethis matter. Some will attend churchlwhile

~ others feel just like wanderers, not knowingwhere to go, or what to do.

I‘ want to see you all established in anice and inviting hall or room. Will yousoon do this? I think you will.

MOLLIE."Subsequently she wrote :

<

“Go ahead,Samuel, with your hall opera-If you can only get fixed up, Mem-

phis will be the light house predicted inthe past. Her people need somethingSpir-itual in religious worship. I mean theywanttheir worship to be more Spiritual, andsomething to move the heart to investigatethe subject of Spiritualism. Be prayerfulfor it is necessary to success.

MoLLrn.”Mv SON.-1 have not met with you '-for

a long time, so many pressing in to bringyou tidings from a better and purer world.We come to you to instruct you in mattersof importance, and to elevate your thoughtsfromearthlyobjects to thosemore eternalandspiritual,lestyou should failto obtain a rewardwhich awaits those who are faithful in well-doing. Be earnest in good works. We arealways active and find much to engage ourtime. We do not measure here by minutesand hours, but are unceasinglyemployed inour Master's work. We are happiest whenin his work, in both worlds. We influenceand impress the erring of earth. The pow-er to do this is imparted by Him who rulesthe Universe, and whose influence is felt byalL We are employed by him to ministerto those who need our influenceand watch-ful care; hence we come to instruct thro’the avenues which lie open to us. Thereare many who are yet in darkness in thespirit world, who still live near the earthsphere, clinging to their old associationsand to their wicked and perverse appetites,who need a superior and spiritual influenceand we in part are employed in visitingthem in, their lowand distressed conditiontrying to lift them from their wretched con-dition to joys above, unknown to them

86 ' AMEICAN SPIRITUAL HAGAZINE.

We are thus employed in missions of kindentreaties to those who are not yet devel-oped beyond their mortal cravings. Theirthirstings for something noble, pure andgood have not been increased to thatextentto create in their spirits a desire to leavetheir old haunts. Many a wicked man isurged by a wicked controlling spirit to per-petrate the most outrageous crime. Hecarries a devil within his own heart. Thespiritual part of man’s nature must predom-inate in order to govern the material orwicked. He must control the sinful inclin-ations, for when you would do good, evil isoften near.

Always do good and great will be yourreward, for Him who seeth in secret shallreward thee openly.

We are much interested in your attemptto organize a Spiritual Society, and to in-crease the numbers in the spiritual ranks.

This you will accomplish by ferventprayer, perseverance and patience.

I don’t wonder, Sammy, thatyou so muchdesire to hear. from us, your loved ones,and if we had the power always, we wouldsatisfy your most earnest and numerous de-sires to know many things pertaining tospirit-life.

I want you to conduct all your meetingsin a very religious manner.

Allow nothingbut thatwhich is elevatingin its tone and very impressive in its man-ner of worship. I love the zeal of a trueChristian in his or her work; much goodcan be done. Dispense the glorious truthsto all classes and to those far and near. Iexpect to be often present in your meetings.

We see a great change in the futureawaiting the world, and many vague ideasare swinging ready to fall from the slenderthread by which they are supported. Youwill live to see them. God speed the hap-py time when spirituality shall reign su-preme over all the land and that the reli-gion which you and many of your co-work-ers are trying to establish, shall sweep like amighty wind, and the world emerge fromthe darkest shades which now envelop it.The gleams of light are brightening, andenlightening, and widening to the farther-most ends of the planet.

Now I am going and will come oftenerto your happy meetings.

I am your loving father in spirit-life.Lsvrx Wxrson.

-We remarkedhow much more satisfactionthere was in this‘phase of' spirit’ intercourse.than in rnaterialization.

Yes, as you say and feel, we all agree;for we do enjoy this communion one withthe other. We have never yet realized any-thing to comfort or give joy in the phase ofmaterialization.

We are cognizant of you, and hence wecan have power given us to control the or-ganism of a person with more certainty towrite or talk, than to make ourselves visibleto your mortal vision. If you but knew thedifiiculties and laws we have to encounterand abide by, you would be better satisfiedwith what you receive in any form.

EOME SBANOB.

Just as we were ready to go to press afew friends, representing the Bench, theBar and the Medical Faculty, met Col.Eldridge and wife in our library with 011'

family. Two of the doctors placed stick-ing plaster securely over Mrs. Eldridge'smouth, covering from her nose to the bot-tom of her chin. She was tied securelyand fastened to the chair inside our cabinet.Soon Harry commenced talking, by speak-ing to every one present, calling their namesdistinctly. Conversation was-keptup for aconsiderable time with us upon various sub-jects. Hands of different sizes were putoutside. He asked to play Home, and letthe top sash of a window down, leaving theblinds closed, while he went after somegrapes for us. In less than five minutes hesaid he brought them, calling us up to thecabinet, when he placed in our hands threeor four bunches of large Malaga grapes,which by his direction we distributed amongthe company. Mrs. Eldridge had beencarefullysearched beforegoing inside, whenthere was nothingbut her ordinary clothtngfound about her person. During our con-fab we told Harry we wanted to talk tohim about a matter. “I know what it is,"said he; “it is, can we do these things inthe hall now being fitted up.” “Yes, thatis what we wanted to ask you.” “I will

V let you know to—morrow," he replied. Therewas slate writing with single and double

.slate for the gentlemen, which was satisfac-tory. Hands were seen-shaken which couldnot possibly be Mrs. Eldridge’s.

AMERICAN SPIRITUAL MA GAZINE. 87

GOING T0 TEXAS.

Some how or other theTexaspapers haveit thatwe are going to thatState on a lec-turing tour. Some one has sent us the fol-lowing clipt from the Statesman published atthe Capital : '

The 1Ye.spen'an asks what good has spirit-ism ever done? What fact has it madeknown? What beneficient influence has itever exerted? Has it made men better ortaught them anything? These inquiries aremade because it is announced thatDr. Sam.Watson is coming to Texas: He wouldreconcile the Bible with the faith of the“spirits." He tells of the witch of Endorand of those whose “eyes were opened,”and they saw angels “ascending and de-scending." He quotes numberlesspassagesfrom the Bible to prove that it is a “spirit-ual” book. Many people read the sacredvolume with one eye closed by sectarianprejudice and the other only winking occa-sionally when a new idea forces itself uponthe mind’: vision. But we only proposedto say that Dr. Watson is not a showman orjuggler, or table-tipper, or slate-writer. Heis a native-born gentleman, of excellentlearning and abilityand a life-long, devoutChristian. He speaks well, and alwaysscnsib y, and believesthe Bible and in theChristian’s philosophy to which he super-adds the idea and conviction thatSweden-borgians generally accept. He thinks thedead still live even here on earth, and thatdeath is only one of the transformationswhich we must undergo in infinite progres-sion from nihility to Godhead.

We made a rapid tour through Texaslastspringjwas a year, while on our crutches.We have many old friends. of other daysscattered over the “Lone Star State” whomwe would like to see, but cannot tell nowwhether we can or not this spring. If weshould and there are those who would liketo discuss the questions involved at thefirstof the above paragraph or any other perti-nent to the subject, we will divide thetime with them at any place with any onewho is endorsed by the community in whichthey live. ‘ We will, as we may be able,answer questions propounded which aregermain to the subject of Spiritualism, aswe understand it. We shall expect a re-spectable church or hall to be provided be-

fore an invitation is extended to us to visitany place and that no admission fee be re-

quired of any one attending.

WE call special attention to Gen. Edwards’article on organization. We do not believein any “side show” or “free platform” onwhich to stand and discuss “Mr. ]ameson’sAtheistical views” or the defunct fooleriesof the convention “of which he was theSecretary.” From such we turn away indisgust, and can never afiliate in any sensewith those who would propagate such opin-ions. We have never foundanywhere suchinward purity inculcated as has been theteachings we have had in all of our investi-gations on this subject from our spiritfriends. And whilst we have ever opposeda creed system oforganization, yet we havealways advocated such a declaration ofprinciples as thatall may know exactlywhoand what we are.

The term Christian has such an ambigu-ous meaningas held by thehundredsofsecswho claim thatname, that it does not Infi-ciently designate our distinctive charactersso as to show the world our proper colors.This, withevery otherquestion, we left withthe delegated convention. It seems to usthat the principles Bro. Edwards would“inscribeon our banners" constitute a basisof a platform broad enough for all the Spir-itualists to stand upon.

Dr. Brittan gives Spiritualists some goodadvice about throwingoil‘ the “nrral trump-ery” which some have tried to pack upon“our sublime philosophy." We hope theconvention will cast oil‘ all the “heavyfreight" and have nothing “deleterious orunclean” in any respect attached to our“spiritual household."

_

Mrs. Shindler’s book, A SotrrnaaxaaAMONG ma SPIRITS, is now in press, andwill be out in a few days. Price $.r.oo;postage 6 cents. Address Mrs. Mary DanaShindler, No. 143 Mainstreet, Memphis,Tenn. '

OB - AMERICAN SPIRITUAL IIAGAZINE

IRS. KILLER.' After our printer had told us he had no

more space for other matter, Mrs. Shindlergave us 8'pages relative to seances she hadwitnessed with this lady. As those will bepublished in her book soon to be out, wemust refer our readers to it there.

We were present one evening since whena number of persons came out, three at atime. A lady brought an orange, cut it upand gave each of us a piece, first of thepealing, then of the orange. Mr. Thomas,whose father was present, came jout, walk-ing with heavy tramp over the floor, shookhands with us and sat down by us, takingofl’his hat,all as perfectlynatnralasan earthmortal would.

We make one extinct from Mrs. Shind-ler’s account:

“On this occasion Eliza, sister of Mr.Thomas, was very lively, oing in and outof the cabinet,dancing amfwaltzing. Twicewe saw two white figures at the saline time.At length Redface desired that the lightmight be a little raised “for squawshindlerto see Gen. Lee's face.” This was doneand I was called to the aperture. Then isaw a face which seemed to be self-lumin-ous, and which certainly resembled theper-traits of our beloved chief. I had neverseen him in earth-life. The eyes were soft,brilliant, and natural, and gazed into minewith unmistakable intelligence. To twoseqeestswhichlrnadehe bowed his head‘repeatedly. He thentook my hand, passedIt over and under my chin, thenplacedbothhis hands upon my head. The heard wassoft as the softest silk, and the throat feltjnstlikereal flesh and blood. Someotherswere called up, and, finally, thatgood andhonest champion of truth, Dn. SAIIUILWmson. I preume thatby this time thespirit had begun to lose "power," and per-haps the face had undergone some change.(I thinkI have seen my husband's feemrcschan e while I was gazing on them. Dr.W., fiike an honest man, demurre aboutthe likeness, end Redfnoe requested him totake his seat, and wait till Gen. Lee couldget more power. Dr. W. went up a sec-ond time, and expressed himself better labisfied. We were then requested to engagein prayer before Gen. Lee came out amongus. Accordingly,we knelt in prayer, Dr.W. repea ‘ the Lord's prayer, in whichwe all join in unison. I was again called

up to the cabinet, and the figure steppedout, again placed his hands upon my head,and kissed me on my lips. Taking myhand, he led me a step or two towards mychair, then seated himself in another, re-mained there a few seconds, and returnedto the cabinet. I will remark that whenDr. ‘W. was about returning to his seat, thisspirit form, I think, took hold of him andpulled him back, then accompanied himnearly to his seat. After a while I wascalled up to see my husband. He was inhis surplice, and kissed me on my lips. Iasked him to speak to me, and he whis-pered, “Go to your seat." Lingering still,he took my hand, and led me nearly to myseat. My husband’s face looked somethinglike thatof Gen. Lee ; and, really, in theirpictures, there is quite a singularity of out-line. The figure of a child, said to be thatof little Essie Mott (daughter of Mr. Mott,the medium,) came out, and went quite upto Mr. Thomas, who, in earth-life, knewher well. After the sennce I went into thecabinet to rub Mrs. Miller, and help to gether out of the trance. At thesuggestion ofsome one the curtain was dropped to keepout the light, and thenand there, with nomortals in the cabinet but Mrs. Miller andmyself, and with both of her cold and rigidhands in mine, other hands were forciblyputting the top of my head, and ellthewaydown the body.

.

I033 BPAOB.Wemustenlargeonrborders as soon as

our subscription will justify it, which wehope will be soon. We have communica-tions from prominent Spiritualistsf in NewYork,Chicago, New Orleans, Oxford, Wash-ington,butare compelledto lay overone ttomPhiladelphia,byCol. Kase,anotherfrom Bos-ton bya “King/' one from Jonesboro, Ark.,by Dr. Meek.‘ We say to the friendsof thecause, send usfive hundred more subscribersand we will make the Msoszms athird larger, without ‘increasing its price.Make up clubs and let us have room formuch interesting matter that we are com-pelled to lay aside for want of space.

cu. Eldridge and his gifted wife «renewfillingsppoistments in this state and Als-hns. Oornnmritios winning their servicesesnwrltehimstuxitcityantiiuthIn-ah.Aker thatate, It Blneveport, ta. -

AMERICAN SPIRITUAL HAGAZINE. 89

“VIA!0!‘ THE SUUII BBPIBTED?"

What of all who have died and who shalldie between this day and the last ———-

curiosity enquires here. A state so near,so certain, concerns us all. The soul wouldexplode before entering “the land of dark-ness itself.” We look—we cannot helplooking-—in that direction. That long in-terval between death and the resurrection,how is it spent? and where? Thus writesBishop McTyeire in his sermon publishedin 27!: Jldbodist Pulpit Swab. From hisstandpoint it may well be called a land “ofdarkness,”but from ours we think there islight from the beyond, which dispels thegloom that has been thrown around thefutm-e. It is natural for us to try to “ ex-plore ” that “ undiscovered country,” as

Shahspeare calls it, but we must passthrough a wilderness more formidable thanthejourneysof Moses to the earthlyCanaanif we have to depend only upon what iscontained in a certain old book in regard toinformationrespeciing that" long interval.”We search these records in vain for suchknowledge. We ask its expounders andreceive for answer, "We must walk byfilth,not by sight.” Thanks to the goodangels, the veil betweenthe two worlch hasbeen lifted--"The gates are ajur”--andloved ones come and tell us of theirbeauti-ful homes beyond the river of life (not ofdeath.) We have read with much interestan address delivered ‘before the New Castle(England) Psychological Society, by T. P,Barkas, I-‘.G.S.

He commencesby saying,‘ ‘ ‘At thepresenttimegreat interest is beingtaken in the inves-tigation of the alleged phenomenaof mod-ern’ spiritualism. " " * I desire toplacebeforeyouarecordofaseriesofpsy-ehological phenomena, which I believe areuparalleled in the entire range of psycho-logical investigation.”

The following extract is taken from theexperience of one of the persons who oom-Ilnicatedwith thisscientificgentleman If-15 men in our community would thus in-oestipse thismost deeply lnterelting subject

and make theirreport through the press, itwould supersede and be far more interestingthan one which has appeared denouncingthe subject and falsely asserting that notone in a hundred felt any interest in thematter:

THE FUTURE LIFE.

Q.—-Will you kindly give us the informa-tion which you promised on Monday even-ing last, as to your conditionand the generalarrangement of affairs in the sphere inwhich you now dwell? That statementwould be of great interest to all of us.

A.-—-I willcommence with my experienceon first entering my new life.

Q.—-Thanks. We shall be glad to learn it.A.--I told you before that the last nine

years of my life were years of pain and, so excruciating that I looked and

longed for death as the only means of relief‘from my suffering. Notwithstanding myGerman education, I had never taken topneumatic: or metaphysics, and had reallynever troubled myself about the future. Tomy mother and sister I owe allthegood inmy nature, and when I spoke to my motheras to the preparation necessary for thefuture state, she said, “Live, my son, sothat when you leave this earth you mayleave nothin to regret behind. Be honest,truthful, coura , that is the prepar-ation! advise." During the last few daysof my life! suffered extreme anguish, andmy motherwas once sitting at my side, andwhen I made a murmur of complaintcheered me by saying, "Deathis very nearnow, you will soon be free,” and I blest herthen, as I have done since, that nothing inher words or manner made me afraid to die.I rememberalter this, falling into a stupor,but I can still feel the kiss on my brow, andthe words, "He is going.” Directly afterthis the pain ceased, and I felt—how can Idescribe the exquisite pleasure, the intoxi-cating delirium that took possession of mywhole body? I can only liken it to thebeatifie trance of the opium eater. I wasroused from this trance by a form whichbade me come, and I then knew, for thefit-st time, that I had died.

Q.--You have now favored in with anaccount of entrance into me otherstate; will you please to give us some ac-count of your experiences when there?

A.--I rememberwishing thatmy motherknew thetrhe an "wuallevenbut,wheflgl turned to tell her, I found myself ina strange place, with an old man standinr

I

90A

AMERICAN SPIRITUAL MAGAZINE.

looking pityingly beside me. I said, “Iwant to speak to my mother,”but he replied,“Not now, come.” So I followed himover hills, through valleys, the while draw-ing such breaths of pure air, that everydraught I inhaled seemed to give me life,strength and happiness.

We came to a city-—a city not built withhands, and such as I cannot describe. Itwas the very perfection of the architect’sideas. We wandered through it, and I sawa group of men discussing some weightymatter, and when I came nearer, I recog-nized some of the grand old heroes whom Ihad thought and spoken of with reverenceduring my life, and I involuntarilybowedmyself before them. I enjoyed some ex-change of words and ideas with them, andI found that they inhabited this beautifulplace‘, not for the deed for which the worldremembered them, but for the self-denialand self-sacrificefor which theyhad receivedno thankson earth. -

After a while my guide beckoned me tofollow him again, and we proceeded overmore hills, fertile plains, and by streamssparkling as they flowed through the richverdure, and we came to another.city,vil-lage, (which you will) and there we sawhundreds of little children. “This,” saidmy guide, “is the children's village, andthese women are the mothers, who have lefitheir own on earth, and who undertake thecare of the little ones. You see how greatthe sympathy between them, how fondlyeach loves the other. These childrenwillgrow in wisdom and understanding,andwilltake their places among men." Then wepassed on, and stood in a company of men,painters, writers, they had been, but thesegreat masters of the earth, how low theyhave fallen when compared with those whostarved on earth for want of patronage. Wespoke to all, and I recall with pleasure howeach had some kindlyword for thestranger.“ Where.” I asked my guide, “are the phi-lanthropists, those men whose names standhigh for their works of charity?" “Thisway,” said my guide, so we turned andcame lower and lower and lower, and saw agreat multitude of men listening to theteachings of one who, when I came nearerI {recognized as one of England's greatestphilanthropists, there continuing the workof raising those who on earth had not. triedto raise themselves. “ There,” said myguide,.pointing out to my notice some of themultitude, “are your kings and rulers, yourstatesmen; how low are they; see there inthe rank above them are the poor, the beg-

gar, who by reason of their greater aspira-tion after good are higher than kings orprinces. There again are those who wereidiots and insane; these are among themost promising of that vast multitude; seehow eagerly they devour the knowledge thatwas denied them on earth; they comeamong us pure as the veriest infant.”

Q.-——We shall be glad if you will proceedwith your description.

A.-——I would rather, now that I have in‘troduced the subject, that you would askwhat questions you want informationupon.This is a difficult subject to deal with, sinceI must use a metaphor all through, but Ikeep to the truth in every particular.

Q.-—Have you and your companions inspiritual world visible organized humanbodies?

A.—-We have visible organized forms, butsuch forms as you in your material formwould not recognize. You see your friendand know him to be your friend; so dowe, when we see the spirit of our friend,know him to be our friend, in the samemanner that you recognize yourselves; yetif you were to see us with your materialeyes you would not recognize us. I canliken it only to this: The butterfly wouldnot reoo in the chrysalis a fellow-crea-‘ture. e do not see the form, but thespirit, and recognize our friend by it.

Q.--Are your organs of vision the sameas ours, and do you see by some kind ofether, as we are supposed to do?

A.—lt does not require eyes to see, evuon earth; sight is indepfndent of the eye,even there, I believe. ou can convey im-pressions to the brain in many ways. Yes,we have organs answering the same purposein every particular that you have, but as tothe ether particles, I cannot tell. I havenever thought about the matter, but I willinquire and tell you more.

Q.—Do you partake of food for the pur-pose of supplying the requirements of yourspiritual bodies?

A.—Do you give your brain food? Wefeed our bodies on the same food as you doyour brain. We eat it, if you will, digestit, and cast away the more worthless.

Q.—Do you move rapidly from place toplace, and how?

A.—We move from placeto place rapidly,or otherwise,by themere exercise of what youcall will-power. We wish to be in a place,and, if circumstances permit, can be therewith the wish. We, as it were, rid ourselvesof the encumbrance of the body, and can

AMERICAN ,SPIRIT'UAL MAGAZINE. 91

travel quicker throughspace than electricity.Q.—Is there a heaven or a hell, or are

thereheavensor hells,and do thosewho leavethis world go at once to either the one orthe other? If not, what is their state?

A.--I have never heard of the hell sincecoming here, but of heaven I have, ‘andthat seems still above us. I think that thereal meaning of the word (hell) is, a pit orgrave. If that is so, then I imagine that thecondition of some of the multitude I havementionedmaybethehell, but I am not sure.

Q.—Have you anything in your sphereequivalent to our time, and do you ever feelennui or langour ?

A.—We have days, nights and seasonssimilar to your own. We tire sometimesbut take rest; not in the same way as you,but in a way well calculated to restore us.

Q.-—-What is your usual mode of socialintercourse? -

A.—We visit when we wish to interchangeideas, and get our friends to visit us. Wespend much time in debating and organis-ing schemes for raising the status of thelower in condition to ourselves.

Q.-—Have you any mode of worship,and, if so, what are your leading forms ofworship.

A.—We have as many-—no, almost asmany, forms of worship as yourselves. Itis the employment of very many, but putto greater use than on earth. By worship-ing the Deity truly, we raise ourselves, andto do so truly we must raise others; thus,by our own deeds, crowning ourselves andbenefitingothers.

Q,—Do you meet with any beings des-ignated angels? Have they any directrelationshipwithmankind-4'.e. were angelsonce men.

A.—There are angels, but they belongto a yet higher sphere than I have acquain-tance with. They are sent at times withmessages to us, even as they have been toyourselves; but, as to your question—werethey once men—I believe if they were,they never lived on earth; at least such isthe opinion of many here.

Q.—Will you please to inform us withwhat sciences and with what languages youare acquainted, in order that we may askquestions in relation to those subjects withwhich you are most familiar?

A.—Acoustics, light, heat, magnetism,electricity, principally, but of a few more;but of languages, I know but little morethan English. I certainly once knew Ger-man as well, but, during my illness I let itgo down; still, I might beable to recollect itif necessary.

BBOOBD BOOK WITH "FORMS OF ORGAN-IZATION. BY-LAWS. ETO.

WE had intended to copy the Constitu-tion proposed by Bro. S. S. Jones, for or-

ganization, but the Barmerhas, and, as willbe seen by the following notice, it can beobtained in a book. Those who desire itcan do so at a small cost.

The above zoo page, nicely gotten-upRecord Book, containing articles of associ-ations, by-laws, form for keeping records,etc., etc.—-printed from large, clear, newstereotype plates, are now being deliveredto thosewho have heretofore ordered them,and will be forwarded by mail to any part ofthe United States or the Dominion, onreceipt of the price.

These Record Books are sold at cost, forthe purpose of facilitatingthe work of localorganizationsof Spirituahsts. The cost ofthe book, with the nicely printed articles,by-laws, etc., ready for use, is sold for thesame thatalike Record Book would be soldfor by dealers withoutsuch fonns.

Cost of the Book, sent by mail, at publish-er’s expense, 81.50.

Address Rdigia P/u7a:oflu'cal PublishingHouse, P. 0. Drawer 501, Chicago.

Tris Iumsrursn Axuwar. or Pans-uonocv and the Haanrn Auuuuc, for1871, have been combinedand are issuedat one publication at the low price of tencents, which certainly does not more thanpay the cost of production. The contentsinclude much that is interesting and impor-tant. Besides the monthly calendars andthe___usual astronomical calculations, thereare seasonable suggestions for each monthin the year in regard to diet and care ofhealth. We have, also, notes and articleson “ Principles of Phrenology;” “Self-Study and Development of Character; "“American Women Journalists,” with fiveportraits; “ Acquisitiveness—How to TrainIt; ” “ Mental Science; " “ A PrimitiveEast India Tribe," illustrated; an illustra-ted articleon “The Cultivation of Flowers;"James Russell Lowell,with portrait; “Coldsand their Treatment;” “Principles of Hy-giene," and a choice selection of miscellane-ous matter.

It is well printed, with many handsomeillustrations,and will be sent by mail, post-paid, to any address, "on receipt of tencents, by S. R. War.I.s & Co., Pususnans,737 Broadway, New York.

'I AMERIOAN SPIRITUAL MAGAZINE.

TEST SPIRIT PHOTOGRAPH.This Picture was made December 25th,

1875, in Cincinnati, by Jay J. Hartman un·der the most rigid test conditions, in a gal.lery he had never before, with Ca·mera, Glass and Chemicals of a skepticalphotographer, all of the manipulations ofthe plate being done by a skeptical photo-grapher, Mr Hartman simply standing bythe side of the camera with his hand restiog thereon, never entering the dark room,nor at any time seeing or handling the plateand all the time closely watched by sixteenrespectable, intelligent gentlemen.

CINCINNATI, December, 25. 1875.WE, the undesigned, having taken part

in the public investigation of Spirit Photographing given by Mr. Jay J. Hartman,hereby certify that we have closelyexamin.ed and watched the manipulations of ourown marked plates, through all the variousworkings, in and out of the dark room, and)lave been unable to discover any sign offraud or trickery on the part of Mr. Jay J.Hartman. \

We further certify that the lastsitting, when this result was obtalDed, Mr.Jay J. Hartman did not handle the plate orenter the dark room at any time.

JAY J. H ....Paqnte4 114_501876.

AMBER PHOTO-HOUSE,ftllIAd1r.lf, .

• M W YOB:a: crrr.

TO BAIIIST lIlU8 eF IPIIITI1TBlOoUU:s.SAVANNAH, Dec. 18, 1876.

Ma. S.WATSON-Dear Sifl-Many of yourreaders may wish to communicate withtheir spirit friends, but lack even'that feeblemediumistic power which is COD-sidered the first step to or begtnning of me-diumistic development, viz.: the power tocommunicate by tippings of the table.But there has been discovered, by my wife,a method which will enable many persons toget manifestations who could not get tip-pings of the table; and for those whorequire tippings ot the table to point outthe letters when the alphabet is called, amethod is here offered that will facilitate op-erations greatly. My wife and myself haY'ing discovered that we conjointly (not

were able to have intercourse withour spirit friends by tippings, found the pro-cess very tedious; but as 900n as we triedthe new method our spirit son exclaimed:"Oh,dear papa and mama, you have maCeour work so easy now."

The method is this: I have on the tablepainted the letters of the alphabet, thus:

I

III,

......

On this table we place a polished littlerod, rounded below and pointed on bothends; the upper side is wide for the fingersto rest, and also rough, so they do not glideoff'. The table of course must be verysmooth-I facilitate operations by putting alittle powdered soap-stone on it. On thisl"OlIl the fingers of the two peneas sittiBg onthe opposite sides are placed, aud the rod i.allowed to glide from letter to letteI'. Withthis little arrangemeat we receivenow faster than by writing. If you thinkthi. ialonnatioo useful,.your reaclen atewelcome to it. Fratema11yyo.lll.l.L K.•

92 AMERICAN SPIRITUAL MA GAZINE.

TEST SPIRIT PHOTOGRAPH.This Picture was made December 25th,

1875, in Cincinnati,by Jay J. Hartman un-der the most rigid test conditions, in a gal-lery he had never visited before, with Ca-mera, Glass and Chemicals of a skepticalphotographer, all of the manipulations ofthe plate being done by a skeptical photo-grapher, Mr Hartman simply standing bythe side of the camera with his hand resting thereon, never entering the dark room,nor at any time seeing or handling the plateand all the time closely watched by sixteenrespectable, intelligent gentlemen.

CINCINNATI, December, 25. 187 5.WE, the undesigned, having taken part

in the public investigation of Spirit Photographing given by Mr. Jay J. Hartman,

ereby certify that we have closely examin-ed and watched the manipulations of ourown marked plates, throughall the variousworkings, in and out of the dark room. andhave been unable to discover any sign offraud or trickery on the part of Mr. Jay I.Hartman. *

We further certify that during the lastsitting, when this result was obtained, Mr.Jay J. Hartman did not handle the plate orenter the dark room at any time.

JAY J. HARTMAN.Patented Kay6. 1876-

AMBER PHOTO-HOUSE,IIIIMDVAY, .

NEW’ YORK CITY.

THE £1‘ IPIBITSAVANNAH, Dec. 18, I876.

MR. S.wAT$0N—DearSir~—Many of yourreaders may wish to communicate withtheir spirit friends,but lack even‘that feeblemediumistic power which is generally con-sidered the first step to or beginning of me-diumistic development, viz.: the power tocommunicate by tippings of the table.But there has been discovered, by my wife,a methodwhich will enable many persons toget manifestations who could not get tip-pings of the table; and for those whorequire tippings of the table to point outthe letters when the alphabet is called, amethodis here offered that will facilitateop-erations greatly. My wife and myself hav-ing discovered that we conjointly (notsingly) were able to have intercourse withour spirit friends by tippings, found the pro-cess very tedious; but as soon as we triedthe new method our spirit son exclaimed:“0h,.dear papa and mama, you have madeour work so easy now.”

The method is this: I have on the tablepainted the letters of the alphabet, thus:

On this table we place a polished littlerod, rounded below and pointed on bothends; the upper side is wide for the fingersto rest, and also rough, so they do not glideoff. The table of course must be verysrnooth—I facilitateoperations by putting alittle powdered soap-stone on it. On thisrodthe fingersoftlie two peuonssitting onthe opposite sides are placed,and the rod isallowed to glide from letter to letter. Withthis little arrangement we receive messagesnow faster than by Ifyouthinkthis information useful, your readers arewelcome to it. Fraternallyyours, 1.. K.

AMERICAN SPIRITUAL MAGAZINE. 9|

Onowru, Mrss., Dec. 21, 1876.DR. S. WA'rsoN—-Dear Sir: I am delight-

ed with your Mnoazrru-: and believe it in-culcates the truth more in accordance withmy views of the hereafter than the theoriesnow prevalent in the world. It does seemto me, thattheglorioustruthsof Spiritualismare destined ultimately to prevail, as thereturn ‘of departed spirits through mediumsmake them clearly demonstrable. Youwould be surprised to know how rapidly thespiritual beliefis insinuating itself into theminds of the higher class of thinkers. Ithas spread very rapidly with us, and theother day I heard an intelligent gentlemanremark, that if we had an organization of

- Spiritualists in their community the numberof them would be greater than any one ofthe Christian denominations could muster,and in this remark I concur with him. Ithinkthe harvest here is ripe for a reaper. '

Can you not come down and put in yoursickle? The people would be delighted tosee you, and I sincerely believe that itwould be greatly for the interest of thecause, and of yourself to come. I am withmuch respect, Yours, etc.,

A. M. Ivv, M. D.We would be glad to visit Okolona. We

used to have some Methodist friendsin thatvicinity whose eyes we would like to be in-strumental in opening to enable themto addto their faith knowledge, and see face toface as we have often done our loved ones.

BEAVER DALE, '\V1-rrrru-:Ln Co., CA.DR. WA'rsoN—Dmr Sfr: I am now in

my 71th year and have never had my atten-tion turned to the subject of Spiritualismuntil two or three years ago, my opportuni-ties for investigating the subject have beenvery limited, but I have seen and heardenough to convince me of its truths. I amamazed that people take so little interest ina subject of such vast importance. I at firstthought I could soon convince my intimatefriends of its truth, but I found I was mis-taken. They-will believe me on any othersubject, but when it comes to Spiritualism,theyshake theirheads and sayI am mistakenand say they have to see thesethingsbeforethey can believe them. At the same timethey believejust such thingsrecorded in theBible that took place two or three thousandyears ago.

AThere are but very few Spiritualists in thispart of the counnéy. They are howeveramongst the best e ucated and as intellect-

ual as any in the neighborhood, and aregenerally in someorthodox church.

The newspapers never mention Spiritual-ism unless to condemn it or to notice theexposure of some "medium, which theycon-sider the death-blow to Spiritualism; but itwill not stay dead. '

I am anxious to receive your paper;please send it as soon as convenient.With my best wishes for your welfare and

the success of the Mnonzxm-1, I am respect-fully, Your friend, .

G. R. Bxowx.-—»---- - ot

Oxronn, ILL.Rnv. S. WA'rsoN—-DearSr'r: I like yourjournal very much; it treats the subject in a

more candid manner than any other publi-cation of the kind that I have ever seen.In fact I thinkit is on just the right track.Many years ago when Spiritualists wererunning the Bible to the lowest notch, Ioften told themthatit was thebest exponentofSpiritualism theyhad, and I believeit yet.With Christ for our example and,the Biblefor our guide, we certainly ought not tomiss the way, but by the light of modernSpiritualism, what before appeared dim,now seems clear and plain.

It is true I never had the opportunity ofinvestigating the physical phenomena ‘ofSpiritualism, yet I have read about it sinceits first start, and have viewed it with favor,in fact, my conclusions about it, at first,were that it might be so, and now afteryears of reading, and especiallysince I haveread your very able journal on the subject,I can no longer doubt its truth. May Godand the angel-world aid you in your goodwork. I will add that I‘ am now and havebeen for near twenty years a Methodist.

H. H.

LoanArrasnnavon SPIRlTUALISM.—Whatmere intellectual - conviction of a futurestate can vie with the consoling certaintyoffered by theSpiritualistic belief,thatthosewhom we have lost upon earth still hoverround usin our daily course; sometimeseven appear to us in bodilyform ! and con-verse with us in human speech. No merehope of meeting them again can for a mo-ment equal the delights of seeing their well-known shapes, and hearing their familiartones. Hence the Spiritualist has undoubt-edly asource of comfort in his faith whichmore rational creeds can offer nothing tosupply,—Lord Amberley‘s Analysis of RPligious Belief’, vol. ii., p. 593.

94‘

AMERICAN SPIRITUAL MA GAZINE.

We give below the Charter, Constitutionand By-laws of the State Association ofSpiritualists and Liberalists of Tennessee.They have secured an eligible hall on thesecond 'floor of 392 Main street, in the Gay-oso Block, which has been fitted up in goodstyle for their meetings. They invite allSpiritualists, Liberalists, and all desirous toinvestigate and know of a truth the realityof spirit communion, to attend their meet-ings at all times, of which due notice willbe given. The name, HARMONIAL HALL,will be seen over the door, which willalways be open for the reception of enquir-ers after truth. We proscribe no one fortheir belief-—-are no inan’s conscience-keeper; claim nothingfor ourselves that wedo not concede to every one. The right tothink for themselves on all subjects is onewith which we do not propose to interfere.Hoping that we have a neuclus aroundwhich all may unite in one common broth-erhood for the promotion of our presentand future happiness, we submit the Char-ter of our Association:cunt-rr.a or ‘ms SPlRITUALlS‘l'S'AND Lissa-

iu.is-ns’ ASSOCIATION or T1-ll sureor rsrmassn.

Be rr Know, That Samuel Watson,Matthew Hawks, F. W. Irvine, W.Smith, John Zent and R. P. Glenn, all cit-izens of the State of Tennessee, and theirassociates and successors, are hereby ae-ated and established a body corporate andpolitic under thename of the SPlR!'l‘UALlSTS’AND Lissiur.is'rs‘ ASSOCIATION or ‘msSnrs or TENNESSIB, with capacity, in saidcorporate capacityand power, to make con-tracts, to hold, buy and sell property, bothreal and personal, to contract and executeleases, to take grants, gifts and legacies, toexecute mortgages and deeds of trust, tohave succession and a common seal, tomake a Constitution and By-laws for thegovernment and legislation of its aflairs, tosue and be sued, to do and perform all suchthingsas may benecessary to the fulfillmentof its objectsand maintenanceof its objects,and its rights under this act, consistent withthe laws of the State and all other privi-leges guaranteed to and conferred uponchurches and all otherreligious societiesandinstitutions.

The purposes of this Association shall bethe propagationof the Spiritual, Progressive

and i-Iarmonial Philosophy,and their andits teachings,and theretomay sustain publicworship, establish local societies throughoutthe State; may establish lyceums andschools; may establish libraries, either pub-lie or circulating;.may ordain ministers;appoint missionariesand lecturers.

SAMUEL WATSON,MATTHEW HAWKS,F. W. IRVINE,W. J. SMITH,R. P. GLENN,JOHN Zr-:N'r.

I, C. N. Gibbs, Secretary of State of theState of Tennessee, do certify that the fore-going instrument, with certificates of ac-knowledgment of probate and registration,was tiled in my otiice for registration,on the 30th day of January, 1871, and re-corded on the goth day of January,i877, in Corporation Record Book A, insaid ofiice, page 383. _

In testimony whereof,I have hereunto subscribed my official. sig-nature, and, by order of the Governor, at‘-fixed the great seal of the state of Tennes-see, at the department in the City of Nash-ville, this i3th day of January, A.D. 1877.

Ciuis. N. Gisss,Secretary of State.

CONSTITUTION.Any person seeking for the truth and do-

siring to lead a better life, may become amemberof this Aociation by signing thisConstitution, or causin it to be done, andpaying one dollar, whic shall make him orher a member for one year. Any membermay withdraw from the Association atpleasure. The payment of twenty dollarsshall constitute a life membership.

orricsas.The ofiicers of this Association shall be a

President, Vice-President, Secretary andTreasurer, who shall be elected at the reg-ular annual meeting. Six Trustees shall beelected at the first meeting,who shall decideby lot which two shall serve for one, twoand three years, and two shall thereafter beelected annually to serve for three years.Said Trustees, togetherwith the President,Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurershall constitute the Board of Managers ofthis Association.

The oficers shall be elected by ballot,and shall serve until their successors areelected.

BOARD or MANAGERS.1. The Board shall have entire control of

all business matters of theAssociation. They

AMERICAN SPIRITUAL MA GAZINE. 95

shall meet semi—annually for the transactionof business at such place/as the Presidentshall direct, or they may determine fromtime to time. Five members may consti-tute a quorum for the transaction of busi-ness, but a less number may adjourn.

2. The Board may adopt a code of By-laws and Rules of Order for the govern-ment of themselves and the Association,which shall be submitted to the first annualconvention of the Association for approvaland adoption.

3. They shall (through the Secretary)make an annual report to theAssociation ofall their doings, containing an accurate ac-count of all moneys received and expended,and in no case shall money be paid fromthe treasury except in such manner as shallbe provided in the By-laws.

ussrmcs.4. The annual or business conventions of

this Association shall be held at such timeand place as may be determined by theBoard of Managers, or during the sessionby the Association, and all business shall beconducted by the members of the Associa-tion, as the By-laws and Rules of Ordermay direct.

AMENDMENTS.5. ThisConstitutionmaybeamendedatany

annual meetingof the Association by a two-thirdvote of thememberspresent, provided,that said amendment be submitted to theSecretary in writing at a previous meet-ing, and that Article Third, as to member-ship, shall not be amended so as to prescribeany article of faith or belief as a conditionof membership.

NATIONAL oouvnrrrion.Arr. 6th. This Convention will send

delegates to the National Conventionto be appointed by the Committee selectedat theConvention held at Philadelphia,July5th, 1876, in accordance with such provis-ion as ma be made for the representationof States in the National body.

BY-LAWS.sscrron i.

The President shall preside at all meet-ings of theAssociation and of the Board ofManagers. He shall cast thedeciding votewhen the Convention or Board may beequally divided, and decide all points oforder subject to an appeal, which shalll bedecided by vote without debate. He shallcountersign all checks drawn by the Secreta-ry on the Treasurer, and perform such oth-er duties as his position on the Board may.require.

SECTION II.The Vice President, in the absence of

the President, shall perform all his duties,and should both be absent, the chairmanpro tem of the Board shall perform all suchduties.

SECTION III.

Citations may be served on the Presi-dent, or Secretary of the Association, ac-cording to

SECTION iv.The Secretary shall keep a faithfulrecord

of theproceedings of the Association, andof theBoard, in books provided for thatpurpose, draw and sign all checks on theTreasurer, collect all moneys due the Asso-ciation, pay thesame to theTreasurer, tak-ing his receipt therefor, and shall make asemi-annual report to the Board and anannual report to the Associationof all mon-eys received,

_of the membership of the

Association, and perform such other dutiesas may be required.

SECTION v.The Treasurer shall keep a correct ac-

count of all moneys received and expended.He shall y out money only upon thecheck of e Secretary, countersigned bytheacting President of the Association. Heshall render a semi-annual report to theBoard, and an annual report to the Associ-ation, of all moneys received and expend-ed, and perform such other duties as maybe required.

sscriou vi.The Board of Managers shall meet

semi-annuallyat such time and placeas theymay designate and may call a meeting ofthe Association, whenever deemed necessa-ry for its interests. In the absence of thePresident and Vice President, the Boardshall choose a Chairman, who shall act asPresident during such continued absence.

Any memberof the Board unable to bepresent a any meeting, may appoint asproxy any memberof the Association to at-tend said meeting and cast his vote.

At the request of two members the Sec-retary shall call at meeting of the ‘Board,designating the time and place for saidmeeting. -

SECTION vii.The Board shall appoint a Finance Com-

mitteee of three members to serve oneyear, who shall examine the books ofthe Secretary and Treasurer, and report tothe Board when required, and make an an-nual report to the Association.

96 AMERICAN SPIRITUAL MAGAZINE.

sncriort vm.The President, Secretary and Treasurer,"

may ordain Ministers of the Gospel andLecturers tovisit all s of theState of Ten-nessee, with authorityto organize local As-sociations, solicit members and funds forthe State Association, with all powers con-ferred by law under the foregoing charter.Said Missionaries and Lecturers shall ren-der a quarterly report to the Board, and ageneral report to the annualmeeting of theAssociation.

SECTION IX.These By-Laws may be revised at’ any

meeting of the Association, upon a two-third vote of the members present, the al-teration or addition required having beenpresented to the Secretary in writing at aprevious meeting.

SAM’L VVATSON, Chm’nM. Harms, Sect. ‘

The President, Secretary, and Treasurer,shall have, under seal of the Association,power to appoint and empower Ministers ofthe Gospel, yving them a certificate of thesame under seal of the Association.

PLAIN TALK PRDH AN OLD FRIENDTHROUGH ova HOME MEDIUM.

I must insist that you sing and pray be-fore you can harmonize with the spiritfriends who come to tell of the life beyond.We want your circle to be more spiritual.You cannot expect mediums to be subjectto spirit control from the higher sphereswhen their minds are not directed to spirit-ual subjects until they are seated to write.Even then they are often occupied with thefloating thoughts which may perchance findIodgment in their brains. Such communi-cations, while they may interest and excitewonder, sometimes their spiritual effects arenot what those coming from higher and ho-lier spheres would be.

You have progressed to that plane ofspiritual beliefthat would attract the angelsfrom their spheres of light, and whose pres-ence would illumine your pathway if youcould always have that ha.rmony.of soulsand spirits which is necessary to hold themnear to tell of the joys of immortal life andhappiness that “Eye hath not seen, norear hath hear .” I do not complain, butonly exhort you to be more spirituallyminded in your meetings. I know you de-sire the truth, and we want to make itknown. We must have conditionsharmon-ious with spirit-laws to do this. S iritsmust not be dictatorial, for mortals aveidentities as well; but we must persuade andcounsel. It is for your instruction that we

leave our bright abodes and come to earth.It has no attraction for us, but to benefitjourneying and struggling mortals in theirprogress to eternity. My control to-nightwas to tell you what I have said. Now Igo. Moses Bnocx.

We asked him to stay and give us furtherinformation--remarkedthat we used to talkof the subject of Spiritualism when littlebut table-tipping was known. He wrote asfollows:

Friend Watson: What is it you want toknow? I am, you know, a Spiritualist, andready now as in earth-life to talk of thosethings.

,

I labored for the good of soulsthen, and am doing the same now, but myknowledge is greatly increased and I cantell you more of spirit-life than you haveever learned from table-tipping if I can onlyhave proper conditions. But you must letme have them before I can tell just whatwill satisfy you with all the light you haveNow proceed with questions if you haveany.Quasrronz Tell us of your home, em-ployments and surroundings ? '

~ Aivswsn: I entered upon this life halt,maimed, and blind with theold dogmasandcreeds of Methodism hanging to me. Isoon saw the time had come with thechurchwhen she must throw them aside to go intoall the world and preach the gospel. Christtold them (his disciples) to preach. Ifound my home bright with the love ofGodand the company of the first born who madetheir robes white in the blood of the Lamb.Those who had come up through tribula-tions as he had come. You want me todescribe my home from a material stand-point, or rather to give you an idea of itsappearance from association with materialthings. I cannot do this; neither would itdo you any good, for you have had “lineupon line, andprecept upon precept," stillyou are no better satisfied than when youfirst heard a materialdescription ofspirit-life.Such points I have never touched and willnot now, for I cannot give your materialunderstanding a correct view of spiritualhomes, avocations and employments. Restquietly on thatpoint, my brother, until youcome over and ou will then understandhow difficult it is to instruct the materialmind in regard to spirit surroundings.We were intimate with our friend formany years. He spent much time withourfamilywhen Presiding Elder of thisdistrict.Was one of the first preachers we ever con-versed with upon the subject when table-tippings were first known in this country in1852.