SPIRITUALISM.

Thames Star, Volume XI, Issue 3682, 13 October 1880, Page 2

SPIRITUALISM.

(To the Editor of the EvJNXiTO. Stab.) [ , Sib, —As many persons hare beea inquiring about Spiritualism lately, and as I have been reading a few books on it,. I thought the information, if pat" in a condensed form, might be interesting to . your readers. Spiritualism is as old as man in one sease, but under its present form it is only about thirty-two years ' old. It commenced with a poor family' in America called Fox—J. D. Fox and family, consisting of wife and two d aughters. They were honest and upright people, and were much respected. It was in the year 1848, when they heard knocking* all of er the house that annoyed them much, and which they could not account for. The knocking became louder, and they then got answers to questions by knocks. In reply to a question from Mrs Fox tea knocks were. given; she then asked how old her daughter Margaret was, and there came twelve raps, the' exact number of years old, and many questions were asked and/ correct answers given. This was a sort of spiritual alphabet, which is now made use of all over the world. One rap it "no," two raps is "don't know" or "doubtful," three raps "yes," 4 "sing," 5 is " use the alphabet," 6 " light up," 7 " medium waken up," 8 " close the circle." What they mean by using the Alphabet ia to run a pointer along the alphabet, and a rap *is made at the right letter to spell out anything the spirit wishes to communicate. The spirits promised that if a public meeting was got up, : they would come and manifest themselves. .. in this way, which they did, ta the astonishment, not only of New York, but throughout America. This was the commencement of Spiritualism, which has spread throughout the ciri* lized world, and has millions of adherents and has spread as no other principles ever did. It has made its iray. into every religion, and every sect, and amongst its followers are the most learned and best thinkers of the age. Now, lately f omr o f the most learned men off(^many .have carefully examined it and r profess to)be convinced of, its truth. They *sfc fer the strictest examination. They wish no one to take it on trust until they are satisfied by plain demonstration. Their advice is to prove all things, and only hold to the ' one which you know to be true, for they say all can know this truth if they are patient and persevere. But any one that is bigoted and -believes, he has nothing to learn will only make slow progress, for all have to commence at ABC. It might seem simple to a child to learn the alphabet, but the door to know* ledge is closed if he does not first laarn it, and so they say of Spiritualism, that it is mounting up to a high position to discover a new world of harmony, beauty, and grandeur that was never dreamt of •> before. They say that they have dis< covered that we are always surrounded by Angels and spirits, that oar departed friends are frequently around as and eon* ■* tinually know all about us, and- are always anxious to communicate to us, bat they are under a law, and can only eom> municate to us according to law. ' OneJof the subtile forces made use of to accomplish this is animal magnitism; that it re* quires a negative and a positife condition —the spirits are the positive' and the mediums are the negatives*. Mesmerism is something similar to being in a trance; the difference is the medium in a trance is operated upon by % departed spirit, while the one mesmerised is operated upon,by a. human being in the body. lam only • learner at present, and I only give you what I have learnt from their literature; but if all the world be in a move about this matter, and if there be a truth in it, why should not we people of the Thames know it. It requires men ;©f courage to march on, and." one" pf the scientific investigators of. Spiritualism is Mr William Crookes, F-.11.8,, discoverer of the metal thallium, editor of the Quarterly Journal of Science. He says that he has had manifestations that absolutely preclude all possibility of imposition. A committee was appointed by the London Dialectical Society' to investigate it, and their, report given in July 1871 made a book of 412 large octavo pages. Many of the committee were at first sceptical but < their testimony was that thirteen witnesses state that they have seen heavy bodies— in some instances men—rise slowly in the air and remain there so,me time without visible or tangible support! Fourteen witnesses testify to haying seen hands or fingers not appertaining-to any human being, and life like in appearance, which they have grasped, and are therefore convinced were not the result of impostor or illusion. According to their late publications they say the spirits and Angels are gaining greater power for giving manifestation, and they will be able to send forth a spiritual.wave over the length and breadth of the land* and all will shortly have an opportunity to know whether those things are so or not. As I have not got half through what I wanted to say, if you think it is anything your readers will like, I will write another letter on the same subject before long.— lam,<fcc, , J. Hoik.