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Experimental investigation of the spirit manifestations, [electronic ...

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OP SPIRITUAL MANIFESTATIONS. 169llcincnibcring all <strong>the</strong> facts cominuiiicatcd to him by his <strong>spirit</strong> bro<strong>the</strong>r, itshould bo shown that any o<strong>the</strong>r <strong>spirit</strong> could narrate thcni as well as his<strong>spirit</strong> bro<strong>the</strong>r. Any inquiry made <strong>of</strong> any <strong>spirit</strong>, <strong>of</strong> whirli lltn anawcr isknown to <strong>the</strong> inquire?^, should be told on request as well as any o<strong>the</strong>r;but it will be found that answers are given only to those <strong>of</strong> which <strong>the</strong><strong>spirit</strong> knows <strong>the</strong> answers independently, through his own memory. Underfavourable circumstances mental questions are answered; but <strong>of</strong>ten,when mental questions cannot be answered, those put verbally are repliedto. I have detected <strong>spirit</strong> impostors, by <strong>the</strong>ir inability to tell <strong>the</strong> name <strong>of</strong>my sister in <strong>the</strong> spheres.865. I postponed <strong>the</strong> discussion on this question until I should havesubmitted to <strong>the</strong> reader <strong>the</strong> communications which I had received. Itrust that <strong>the</strong>se are <strong>of</strong> a nature to show that <strong>the</strong>y could not have originatedin my mind, nor in those <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> media through whom <strong>the</strong>y were obtained.866. Whatever want <strong>of</strong> ability may be shown, by Dr. Bell, to exist in<strong>the</strong> communications alleged to come from Paine, Swedenborg, and Bacon,or from <strong>spirit</strong>s personating those distinguished men, it cannot do away<strong>the</strong> valuable information which I have obtained from my <strong>spirit</strong> fa<strong>the</strong>r ando<strong>the</strong>rs, sanctioned by a convocation <strong>of</strong> <strong>spirit</strong>s. It has been shown that ina few pages <strong>of</strong> that communication, <strong>the</strong>re is vastly more knowledge <strong>of</strong>our happy prospects in <strong>the</strong> future world, than all that can be found in <strong>the</strong>Scriptures.867. Dr. Bell will not, I am sure, suspect me <strong>of</strong> any want <strong>of</strong> truthfulness,and will hardly Matter <strong>the</strong> media and myself w^ith an unconsciousorigination <strong>of</strong> ideas, which had never before occurred to ei<strong>the</strong>r.868. If he finds that in tlie case <strong>of</strong> Swedenborg and Bacon <strong>the</strong> <strong>spirit</strong>sare below <strong>the</strong>ir medial instruments in capacity, he will find that in <strong>the</strong>instance <strong>of</strong> my <strong>spirit</strong> friends this estimate must be inverted.869. My experience does not tend to establish that <strong>the</strong>re is less folly ormore wisdom in <strong>the</strong> inhabitants <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>spirit</strong> world than in this. I concurwith Dr. Bell in <strong>the</strong> opinionthat <strong>the</strong> work to which he alludes, attributedto <strong>the</strong> <strong>spirit</strong> <strong>of</strong> Paine, merits all <strong>the</strong> denunciation which he bestowson it.I concur that it must be <strong>the</strong> work <strong>of</strong> a mind, whe<strong>the</strong>r celestial ormundane, ignorant <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> rudiments <strong>of</strong> chemical philosophy. But if sucha work coming from a mortal would not disprove <strong>the</strong> author's claim to bea mortal human being, wherefore <strong>the</strong>n should a foolish book coming froma foolish, ignorant <strong>spirit</strong>, personating Paine, disprove <strong>the</strong> author to be a<strong>spirit</strong> ? It only shows that low, ignorant, foolish <strong>spirit</strong>s personate <strong>the</strong><strong>spirit</strong>s <strong>of</strong> eminent authors ; but does that disprove <strong>the</strong> existence <strong>of</strong> <strong>spirit</strong>s ?Does madness or idiocy annihilate <strong>the</strong> victim <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se afflictions ? But inall cases where communications are obtained through speaking or writingmedia, <strong>the</strong> minds <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> media are liable, unconsciously, to pervert orrepress <strong>the</strong> sentiments <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>spirit</strong>s,and <strong>the</strong>refore are not trusted by me,unless corroborated by communications through <strong>the</strong> alphabet.

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