The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1855-04-19

appears in mysterious manner you will
know where il has gone; and if any thing is
wrong in the household your servant is not
10 blame, for the spirits have doubtless been
paying you visit and enjoying your hospi-
tality.
Many persons may think that no such de-
velopmenls. as have related have ever been
heard of before this modern spir,ualism
came in fashion. But such are far deficient
in their education upon mental philosophy
aud the history of popular deusions There
is no novelty in this spiritualism, and its as.
sumed philosophy ia very old. Homer tells
US OF walking tripods in his day. That the
Witch of 'Endor raised Samuel from the dead
you are all tanghi to believe from your early
childhood have read the report of trial
for sorcery which took place in London about
the close Of the l7th century, in which lwen-
ly or thirty witnesses (all admitted by the
court and the counsel on both sides 10 be ell.
titled TO credi) declared upon oath that rhey
behed certain prodigious occurrences which
we find 10 be analogous, in all respects, to
the phenomena Of Modem Spiritualsm -
Then we have the era of the Salem Witch
craft and in all aeea The. snpersii,ious have
been awed by uusccounlable mental phe.
nomena, and the credulous by arts of ma.
gic.
At one time sect arose aunofig the
Welsch called the Jumpers, who were affect
ed by a magnetic epidemic, or mental ilIu.
sion. In France similar ssci arose called
the Whippers, who sought religion by whip
ping each other. They were sad and gloomy,
and swelled TO thousands. Multitudes of
them-priests and cardinals-wers often
seen in the streets with leathern lhongs whip.
ping each others naked backs.
In 1887 sect Of Dancers sprang up in
Flanders. They would all at once fall to
dancing in the most violent manner, and.
when exhausted by the exercise would fall
down together in trance. had visions, saw
spirits, and would finally awake from the
state. The sect was numerous, and Mosbeim
tells US they were cured by music. He traces
them down 10 the present Shakers, who, il
seems, have had writing and speaking medi.
ums for more than century. In 1883 sec,
of Convulslonisls appeared in France. Five
or six hundred Protestants OF both sexes re-
sarded themselves inspiredby The Holy Ghost
They in The main resembled the Jumpers.
Their number swellsd 10 thousands, and they
were of all ages and sexes, but chiefly boys
and girls and persons of middle age. They
had strange fits, staggered and trampled, and
fell down as in trance. They struck them
selves, fell on their backs and heaved their
breasts. They remained awhile iu frances
and declared they saw Heayen, He'll, Paradise
and angels. They had violent agitations of
the body: and the hills resounded with their
cries for mercy and imprecaions against the
priests.
The earlier Mormons were frequently at.
tended with twitching and convuslons, and
in one OF their meetings which attended
saw the manifestations of minds that enthu-
siasm had prepared for any distorted impress
sions.
The believers in Millersm record some
phenomena as mysterious as any OF the new
philosophers have seen, and give us about
equally good authority in proof, which we
may accept five please. AT meeting Of
the friends Of Millerism held in Wallham in
lS42, lady was taken from her seat (they
say) by some unseen power, and carried up
TO the ceiling Of the room and she aflerward
declared that 1t was done without anv effort
on her part. More recently another lady of
the same place iestifes that she has in SIM
liar manner been taken from her seat in
church and carried up above the tops of the
pews, and at times at the advent meetings
strange noises have been heard Houses al
so have been shaken, mirrors shattered 10
pieces and furniture broken.
How much like this are the cases which
the Harmonial Philosophers furnish. Take
one BY La Roy Sunderland, for he is among
the highest authority. A clarivoyant medi-
um was taken 10 Cambridge for the purpose
Of visiting gentleman twho had been con-
fined by a spinal difficulty some ten years or
more. The spirits gave beautiful responses
4 for his consolation, and 10 the sight of all
present the sick man and his bed were mo.