Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1852-11-18
Rapping Spirits Tested.

ping" worthy of being dignided with the idea
that they proceed from-even evil spirits, yet
being aware that large portion of those who
have Witnessed these performances, believe them
to be produced by other than human agency,
and consequently that the question, what kind of
spirits these are, remains to be settled, we cheer
fully yield to the wishes of our patron in inser-
ting the following article which was recently pub
lished in pamphlet, in the city of New York.
Ed.
6 Believe not every spirit, but try tho spirits whether
they are of God, because many false prophets orlyng
spirits are gone out into the wohi."-s' consuiter
with familiar spirits shall be found among you'll
John iv.1 Deut. xviii. 10, Il.
Probably no question puOliel Ated, nos-
been more generally embarrassingNid difficult
to settle, than that of modern spiritssl Maniies-
tntions, SO called. The friends of the worders
maintain that they are caused by spirits Of the
dead, returned from the spirit world. TO enlighten'
mankind, as the spirit Of God Christ, and angels
did it formerly, on coming from heaven to earth
Yet large class of their opponents consider
the whole as mere human imposture while a
third class, admitting their being done, ratherb by
spirits of some kind, consider them not spirits of
dead at ALL but " unclean," Iyngs spirits, j" such
as, besetting men, have made them tormented
naniacs and were often cast out by divine
power And as proof that the thing is not
mere human sleight of hand performance, but
something much worse and beyond that, large
committees of opponents, most suihble for the
purpose, have often thoroughly examined the
rapping phenomena, and reported publicly that
they were not human deceptive performance,
but an absolute mystery of some kind, so far as
they could ascertain. These reports may be
seen in the Auburn" history "ofthem, and 9TH
er such publications now common. And should
not the manifold evidence of trusty eye and ear
witnesses of the same, now in our midst, be so
regarded? And let us who oppose the rappers,
not join sides with them, by denying their being
spirits at all, which naturally acquits them, and
as they wish, Of the charge now against them,
that they are indeed the worst and most to be
punished of all spirits condemned in Holy Writ.
In very limited humble attempt low to assign
reasons 70. not regarding the rpping spirits, as
spirits of the dead, sent back, as they say but
rather such as are of the most evil character,
formerly tormentng and bewiching both human
beings and swine, the following considerations
are respectfully submitted =
l. 1t is well known by many who have look
ed most at this subject, that those.is no admissi-
BILE conclusive evidence yet before US. that the
spirits of the dead are the real authors of these
phenomena. And, indeed, there is no evidence
at all from witnesses positively knowing who
they are, on this side of the question. except
from the rappcrS themselves. But while this
testimony is wholly er paie and in their own
defense, as they are now accused by many, we
are naturally forbidden to receive it here, what
ever their character, on further trial. may prove
to be. Men on trial for alleged offences, expect
no acquittal merely on their own testimony
Neither does any tribunal think OF acqultlng
the arrested, however innocent, except on Other
testimony than that of their own pleading ".No
Guilty." And even the Lord Jesus Christ, Oh
coming from heaven to earth, on his great mis-
sion from God Almighty, declined having his
own mere testimony taken, as proof in the case
He rather urged the testimony of his Father
and the extraordinary works done through him
SELF as admissible proof on the occasion.
Then, why should the mere testimony OF these
rapping spirits be now further urged upon US al
proof that they are " not uncIean,"" lying spr
it's" but rather theisprits oftheancient prophets
apostles, Washington, Franklin Tom Paine, ~
together with the more immediate dead relatives
; of those who consult these spirits For such
indeed. they have most aOandantly declared
themselves to be, within the last two years or SC
since beginning in the Fox family In wester
0 New York. And yet they are no new thing il
e the world, as histories of all ages and cQuntrle
l have shown; though in outward forms and par