Monongalia mirror. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1855, 1853-01-01
Tic Rapp!ns D,slssl9a. q Nsat Tss,.n

4IIu SuWFSHuH |ILSWebtfhti l1HoNei.Sl
lin Wisconsin, furnishes tho following
statement Of Tho tnonstrous lelusio,s
and absur,siti1ss disseminated in that
region by men protesting to BIO Min.
listers Of the Gospels;
s-"Some Of the clergy in the eastern
part Of the county (Clarkc) say that
they are inspired by tho spirits, aud
that their sermons delivered out of tho
pulpit are not their own. but that they
arc The instruments through which the
spirits operate upon the mass Of the
people. Weaunderstand that these
divines. or the spirits through them,
say that the millennium is commenced.
lliai in less than Eve yours the wicked
are to be swept from The face of the
earth, and the righteous ale. to inherit
it forever. Ills reported that one Of
the divines said on Sunday Inst. While
preaching to crowded house. that
not more than a dozen Of Ills audience
would ever pass through the shades Of
death, 1t is also said that thespiri,s
have informed the people, througll'lhe
mediums, that the old way Of bap,iz-
ling is all wrong, and that they should
use use water instead of wine for sacra.
mental purposes; and we are inform.
ed that the people, are following di.
rections to the letter A new church
has been organizedFculledsth Church
of Christ, and a meeting is nov being
held, which commenced one weekiago.
and is 10 be continued,until the,spirits
tell them to, stop. We areltold that
they do no, do a single thing without
first consulting theispiri,s. The ex-
citement in the ueighborhood is great
and some of the bes, men in tho coun.
try arc strongibelieyers." aor--hltay
~ While this monstrosi'y f"spi.
rit rappers" was kept at distance
we f.lt mo other emotions than those
Of pity for the delnded, and contempt
for those who lead them astray. But
we now learn, with anxiety and alarm.
that quite q number NJ 'l,a Of persons, in The
upper end ofthis county, have become
victims ofthe delusion'; and that some
d
Of our Baptist brethren, heretofore in
good standing, are among the number.
Now what in the name Of all that 4
oIyely and of good report are these
agpess driving att Was there ever
. mean, SO stupid, so'despicable, and
2 soul de-; destroying an imposition upon
human intellect ? How can any
~. rofsssing to regard the Bible as
~ I'D of God, and to be divinely
s All expound its sacred teach.
Inns, so y forget its positive injunc-
|,;an. and IND himself to work the
devices If ,hsSked one The Di.
vine Lawgiyer ssS s. ii I'm
Regard not thea..a !. have .i FAM
liar spirits. neither seek z aha.sgylizards
to be defiled by them Lev. 49,
s"And thessoul that turneth aftel
such asihaye familiar spirits, and after
wizards, to go whoring after them,
Twill even set myiface against that
soul, and will cut him off from among
his people, Lew 20: g. ila7,',e5
1 "a man also or woman thai, hath
a familiar spirit, or that's wizard,
shall surely be put to death. Lev
90: 81. l,, .5,.:gp,.ilF..3g ,:8s,
"And when they shall soy unto YOU
Seek unto them that have familiar
spirits, and unto wizards that peep
and that mutter: shouldinot a people
seek unto their God ? forthe liyingt to
the dead els! s:l9, ,,,,
Ell is doubtless concedingi too
much to the heartless lvagabonds who
originated this miserable 3trickery, to
allow them to hold.converse with "fa.
miliar spirits" or any other sort of
spirits, except those produced by dis
tillation. It's altogether a7ow bust
ness, this thing Of rapping on d. show
ing about tables, creeping underaoors
and the like; and we have an idea
that none but the louer class of dem.
ons, such as sought companionship
with the s,eiae Of Gadara, would be I
guilty Of il! Upon tho whole, we
incline to the opinion, that this whole
matter Of "spirit rappings" belongs
rather to human knayery and folly,
than to diabolical influence. So far
as we are informed, it is ps,y aoeak-
minded persons only, that become
"mediums," or dupes, or mailiacs, IN:
der this delusion. A bad cause re-
quires the services ofsmart, ingenious
advocates, and Satan seldom employs
/ nun,,L ,l1o,to IL, ~. s,o,L