The proof palpable of immortality; being an account of the materialization phenomena of modern spiritualism

Front matter

n i n

Hi WHffi

wBSIm H

Preface To The Second Edition

To the uninformed many the narrative portions of this volume will seem like the fantasies of a mediaeval superstition. But the faithful observer of what is going on in the world must he well aware that the accumulation of facts corresponding with those here presented is getting to be irresistible. For their refutation something more than a word or gesture of contempt is now required. Those critics who hcpe to dispose of them thus easily will soon be counted in the long procession of infatuated opponents of dawning truths. The phenomena are fast spreading and becoming better known ; they attract new converts daily, and are beginning to be admitted by respectable scientific authorities, such as Wallace and Crookes in England, Perty in Berne, and Wagner and Butlerof in Eussia. All the frauds of real or pretended mediums are powerless to neutralize the effect of what has been proved, and has now taken its place among the certainties of science. Moreover, the question is beginning to be raised whether much that we have set down as the conscious imposture of certain known mediums may not be the work of foreign forces, the eccentric operation'of which we do not yet understand.

But in the revision of this work I have been careful to note all those instances in winch testimony has been weakened or withdrawn since the first edition was printed. Thus I have stricken out the accounts which Mr. K. D. Owen gave of phenomena through Mr. and Mrs. Holmes, though he has since admitted that in this case genuine manifestations were probably mixed up with those he suspected as questionable. I have also made such qualifications as seemed pertinent in other cases. Spiritualism needs no invalidated supports.

The fact that the present volume grew out of a series of familiar communications respecting the materialization phenomena, will explain, if it will not excuse, the somewhat free and desultory manner iv PREFACE.

in which the many-sided subject has been treated. If my transitions from fact to theory should seem irregular, the iault lies in the original unambitious form of the publication.

I have brought down the record of phenomena to the beginning of the year 1876 ; and it will be interesting to the student of them to remark how what seemed incredible at one time, even to advanced Spiritualists, has been confirmed as the manifestations have gone on and multiplied ; and how every new " exposure " has resulted in a reaction favorable to the confirmation of the fact involved. The course of truth, Goethe tells us, is spiral, and progress cannot be had without occasional retrogression.

That Spiritualism now offers the grounds for a science founded on observed facts is the belief of all persistent investigators. It has made its way in spite of the most vehement opposition that ever a great truth encountered. The large majority of the cultivated classes, the religious and the scientific, have all combined to hoot it down, almost blind to the consideration whether it is a thing of facts or chimeras ; for there is much in it that to a superficial observer is repulsive. But it still lives and grows. If true, it is God's truth, and we must not fear it, however portentous to our short-sightedness it may appear. It is time for people of common sense to accommodate their opinions to the facts, since it is evident that the facts will not accommodate themselves to the preconceptions and dislikes of any majority, however wise and worthy. E. S.

l?o. 68 Mor eland street, Boston, Feb. 1st, 1876.

CHAPTER I. Materializations of the Past 9-21

The recent developments— Sensitives or Mediums— Mr. Wallace on Spirit-seeing— Sensations of a Medium— T. H. Noyes's testimony—Tangible apparitions— The Hydesville phenomena— The Davenports— J. Koons— D. D. Home- Kate Fox and the Livermore Manifestations— She marries Mr. Jencken— Their Infant son a medium— Mr. Livermore's Experiences— Spirit forms, drapery, flowers, etc.

CHAPTER II. Phenomenal Proofs of Immortality 21-32

Nature of spirit materializations— Chavee's three Questions- Theory of the spirit-body strictly scientific— The Superior Organism— Christ's resurrection not a type of ours— Clairvoyance proves the spirit- body— Kant on the Moral Element— Mr. Emerson answered— G-enesis of the belief in immortality— Phenomenal Proofs— Skepticism in high quarters— Socrates a medium— His death— A Female Socrates.

Chapter III

Materializations at Moravia, N. Y., and Elsewhere 32-41

Mr. Hazard ■ s Eleven Days in Moravia— Materializations foretold— Efforts to manifest— Mrs. Hazard appears— Mr. L. A. Bigelow's testimony— Mr. Isaac Kelso's— A spirit speech— Suspicions of . fraud dissipated— Mrs. Packard's testimony— Dr. A. S. Hayward's— Medium ship of Dr. Slade— Testimony of Mrs. A. A. Andrews— Of Mr. Clarke Irvine— Mrs. Hollis's Mediumship— Dr. N. B. Wolfe's testimony— Mr. D. H. Hale's— Mr. F. B. Plimpton's— Katie King in Philadelphia— Dr. H. T. Child and Mr. Owen— Question of Identity— John King— Reflections.

CHAPTER IY.

Materializations in England 41-67

Experiments in London— Mrs. Guppy— Messrs. Heme and Williams—The phenomena through Miss Cook— The spirits John vi TABLE OF CONTENTS.

and Katie King— Portrait of John King— Mr. Williams's mediumship— Miss Cook and Mr. Heme— Remarkable incident— Letter from Miss Cook— Katie's efforts to materialize— Mr. W. H. Harrison's testimony— Katie and her medium— Spirit drapery- Mr. Blyton's testimony— Mr. Charles Blackburn— Katie walks forth— Letter from Dr. Gully— Mr. Coleman's testimony- Prince Emile's— Dr. G-eorge Sexton's— Dr. Gully's— Seizure of the spirit- form— Mr. Dunphy's statement— Mr. Tapp's testimony.

CHAPTER V. Scientific Investigations 67-72

Mr. Crookes investigates the materialization phenomena— His letter— His apparatus— The Dialectical Society— Their conclusions —The facts scientifically tested— Theory of Psychic Force— Dr. Rogers— Serjeant Cox— Unconscious cerebration— Insufficiency of the theory— Remarkable incident— Mr. H. E. Russell's testimony—Definition of Substance.

CHAPTER VI. Spirit and Matter 72-85

Are there two substances— Immateriality— Soul and Spirit— Immortality in the Bible— Ancient belief in Spirits— The Christian Fathers— Primary conception of spirit— Augustine— Descartes- Spinoza an anti-Spiritualist— His con "rove rsy with a Spiritualist— His system— His notion of immortality— Idealism and Realism—Proofs of spirit power over matter— Astonishing facts- Spirit writing— Levitation— Music— Photography— Letter carried by Spirits— S. C. Hall's testimony— Mr. W. H. Harrison's —Space to Spirits— Swedenborg's teachings— Herbert Spencer- Man's limitations.

CHAPTER VII. Priority of Spirit 85-94

how far the senses teach us— Two entities or one— Man a trinity- Testimony of seers— Skeptical exclusion of causation— Spiritualism extends the realm— On photographing spirit-forms— Papillon on Matter— Hegelian doctrine of nature— Mr. Lewes" s objections answered— Ferrier's abuse of Spiritualists— What is meant by spirit— First Causes— The Deific Nature.

CHAPTER VIII. More of the Phenomena through Miss Cook . 94-110

Mr. W. H. Harrison on Miss Cook's mediumship— Her own account— An unspiritual spirit— Anecdotes by Mr. Dunphy— Miss Kislingbury's testimony— Sittings for a photograph of the spirit Katie— Mr. Harrison's testimony— Mr. Luxmoore's— Messrs. Varley, Crookes and the electrical test— The crowning proof- Mr. Crookes' s testimony— Katie's spirit drapery— Cut places made whole— Farewell seance— Mrs. Ross-Church's account of it— Photographs by Mr. Crookes— His conclusive experiments.

TABLE OF CONTENTS. vii

CHAPTER IX. American Phenomena 110-123

"What is meant by immortality— Phenomenon and Cause— The Philadelphia Katie King— She disappears and reappears— Mr. A. B. Crosby's testimony— Dr. C. Pane's— E. D. Owen's— The proof palpable— The two Katie Kings— Credulity of Skepticism—A question— Anecdote by Mrs. A. A. Andrews— Clairvoyant Predictions— Mr. Irvine's testimony— Rev. S. Watson's — Rev. R. S. Pope's— Reflections.

CHAPTER X. Materializations through the Eddy Family . 123*135

Facts for induction— Tyndall and the Cambridge professors on Spiritualism— The Eddy mediums— Col. Oicott's statement- Amazing phenomena— Troops of materialized spirits— A. J. Davis on the phenomena— On Spirit and Matter.

CHAPTER XL The Spirit-body 135-154

Reliability of seers— Swedenborg— James E. Smith on individual revelations— All imperfect— A glorious truth— Kardec on spirit teachings— The spirit-body— Universal testimony— Chaseray— Cabanis— Coleridge— Dr. Georget— Scriptural pneumatology— Resurrection of the body— The true body— The lower animals- Sir J. E. Smith— Charles Bonnet— A future for all— W. M. Wilkinson— Melancthon— Luther— Calvin— Proofs of direct action of Spirits— A nervous ether— A wonderful world of spirit— Kardec and Bacon on the spirit-body— Plutarch on mediumship— The creation out of nothing— Materializations of clothing, ornaments, etc.— The spirit-body not a mere hypothesis.

CHAPTER XII. Power of Spirit over Matter 154-160

Origin of force— Vera on force— The Darwinian theory— Moleschott on thought— Tyndall's speculations— Coleridge and Schelling— Priestley— Paul Janet— Can matter evolve mind— Atheism contrary to science— Tyndall's slur at Spiritualism.

CHAPTER XIII. Unity of Forces and Phenomena 160-167

The search for unity— Aryan monotheism— Chemistry tends to unity— Reduction of living forms to unity— Principle of life- Suns and planets not dead mechanisms— Identity of life and spirit— Protestant and Catholic concurrence— Double consciousness—The All in All.

viii TABLE OF CONTENTS.

CHAPTER XIV. Relations of Spiritualism to Belief in God . 167-187

Atheistic spirits and seers— The finite and infinite— Descartes— Emile Saisset— Mill, Spencer and Lewes on theism— The Experience Philosophy— Personal incident— Biichner denies clairvoyance— Spiritualism a science— Picton— Christlieb— The supreme question— Materialism explains nothing— Spiritualism not atheistic—Rev. John Caird— Dogmatic materialism answered— On design in Nature- Divine personality— Hartmann— Schopenhauer— Picton— Bacon.

CHAPTER XV. The Divine Nature triune 187-138

Pantheism— Spiritualism enlarges our views of God— Union of Pantheism and Theism— John Scotus Erigena— Bruno— Wm. Law— Rev. John Hunt— God personal— Huxley admits double consciousness— Mozart" s case— Inferences— Three in One— Man has a divine prototype — Naturalism and Theism — Swedenborg— Christlieb— Hegel— Schelling— Vera— God self- limited in Nature —The divine and human trinity— Hooker— Hamilton— Cousin.

CHAPTER XVI. Relations of Spiritualism to Morality . . 198-209

Direct bearings of Spiritualism on a science of natural morality- Wallace's testimony— Spiritualism eclectic— Religion and ethics —Conventional morality— Socrates on Evil— Nature of the moral law— Baxter— Personal experience in mesmerism— Townshend — Origen— St. Thomas— Spinoza— Sin punishes itself— Materialization— The triune principle— Atheistic begging of the question —A moral creed— Teachings of Spiritualism.

CHAPTER XVII. The Message of Spiritualism 209-220

Old revelations made new— Notions of a future life— Humboldt- Newman— Kant— Strauss— Leon Case— Indifference to life- Thomas Buckle— Laboulaye— Auerbach— St. George Stock- Personal Experiences— The Mesmerists— Kerner— Objections to Spiritualism — The Satanic theory— Locke's advice — Guldenstubbe— James Martineau— Dr. Carpenter answered— Rev. Mr. Voysey's objections— Sentiment must yield to facts.