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

OF THE EXISTENCE OF Sl'IllITS. 801flourishes, folded it/ and placed it iu my wife's hand. It then flew aroundthe room, darting from the table up to the ceiling, there making three or fourdistinct knocks, and darting down and up, repeating the knocks a numberof times in succession ; it then passed all around the room, stopping andshowinj: the hand to all that wanted to see it. It then commenced dartingaround the room again, and snapping its fingers as loud as a man coulddo. It then threw the phosphorus in the back corner of the room, said"Good night," and was gone. Mr. Koonsthen lighted the candle, and mywife road the paper which was given her by the spirit hand, as followsTHE spirit'sletter.1518. To the Friends of this Circle: After various inquiries made atthis circle,we deem it highly necessary to reply by stated reasons, why ourpresiding spirit declines to give the names of the spirits present duringour performances at this room1519. 1st. Let the inquirer conceive himself entering a congregatedpromiscuous assembly of persons, who are all anxiously awaiting his approachunder the discharge of some important and general mission, in behalfof those in attendance. On entering the assembly, he looks aroundupon his anxious inquirers, and sees them attended with their respectivesafeguards, such as he never saw before. In the discharge of his officialduty, however, he is necessitated to exclude himself from the direct viewand intercourse of the safeguards, so as to be brought into a nearer relationto the corresponding jDarties. The interlocution accordingly takesplace, when each one in turn begins to interrogate the speaker in his excludedposition, on subjects relating to their excluded guard, of which thespeaker knows but little or nothing, except the cognition of their presenceon his arrival ; and in order to acquaint himself with the circumstancesand matters inquired after, so as to answer correctly, the speaker has todisencumber himself at every inquiry, and not only so, but would also failto perform his devolved duty by submitting himself to the scrutiny andcriticism of the corresponding parties. Which, then, of the two requirementswould be of the most consequence—to discommode the general interestof the assembly and that of his own official duty, or to omit the latterand attend to the discharge of a more important and higher duty, by whichthe peace and consoling riches would be augmented to the fulness of theircup?1520. Now, this is the position our presiding spirit occupies. Whenhimself and band enter the room, he recognises, many bright guardianspirits interspersed among the promiscuous assembly, of whom he has noknowledge. And in the discharge of their manifesting performances, theynecessarily must assume physical incumbrances, which shuts them from adirect view of the attending spirits; and as many questions that are ledin relation to them so often, the corresponding spirit has to disrobe him-