The Worthington advance., 1878-11-14

CRANDALL Bros.
4 QUERTS SPfRITUALLS1IT TR UE'
EDITOR ADVANCE: Will some one
answer who knows? Having read the
pro and con in the ADVANCE, I come
for more light upon the subject. Now
where there are SO many thinking
minds looking toward Spiritualism, it
inclines one to peer about, to see wl.eth.
er there be fire with this smoke.
In some previous numbers of the
ADVANCE we saw a test rule, "By
their fruits ye shall know them." but
it recoiled so severely upon the one
who fred it ut Spiritualism, that 1 am
almost afraid to use it. Besides we
who have not the time (for temporal
affairs engross our time more than does
the spiritually would like to see some Of
the ''fruits'' in our immediate neigh.
borhood.
So far as can learn, Spiritualism is
either the must beautiful belief which
man has given him or it is the most
abominable fraud ever perpetrated up
on u credulous people. If true, it is
beautiful because it leads to the very
gates of heaven, and gives man i
stronger inclination to do right, by let
ting him know the prize for which he is
striving; making Of him Il being who is
intelligentIy following the way shown
to him by his own God-given senses
and feelings, and not because of any
(miss?) translation OF any other per-
SON. 5 ''say So" It is beautiful, because
it leads one to those who have gone be-
fore, preparing the way. It is beauti-
ful, because it allows Of their coming
back to show us the way prepared.
bearing the ''olive leaf'' as u token of
''the land" to us imprisoned mOrtals.
If truth, Spiritualism is beautiful, be-
cause it allows us to see, to hear, and
in fact to Use all the faculties, in know
ing what is to come. If true, it gives
us knowledge instead of the blind
guess-work of theology, for it is guess
work. Man cannot compel belief; nei-
ther can he compel unbelief. 1t we
know, we ),erforce believe.
On the other hand, if Spiritualism is
false, it is the most abominable Of all
doctrines; because, after leading us to
think of all the beauties of sense and
and feeling, after calling upon us to
reach for this knowledge, after causing
us to think heaven is nearer earth thai,
we thought, after raising US to the sew.
enth heaven of hope, if false it drops
us back again, deeper than ever into
the slough OF theology. QUER1sT.
Will some one who knows answer
''Querist' through the ADVANCE.
For one, We kno'o that Spiritualism is
true, because we have received hund.
reds Of communications from spirit
friends, through mediums. some OF
whom did not even know our name and
could not possibly have known where
we were from, who our friends were,
or what our past history had been.
Yet through these mediums we receiv.
ed accurately the names of the spirits
communicating, allusion to past events
and acquaintance with the spirits which
were absolute tests, and promises and
prophecies which have been fulfilled to
the letter..
We received 80 communications
through Mrs. Blade, independent slate
writer, in broad daylight, with nothing
but small crumb of pencil the size of
grain Of wheat to do the writing
Yet that little crumb moved over the
slate and wrote intelligent messages
with no visible hand touching it, while
at the same time we went on talking
to Mrs. Blade on Il variety Of subjects
We received sixteen communications
through DR.. j. V. Mansfield, at the
Sherman House, in Chicago, from our
father, brother, grandmother and 9th
er friends, and in every instance the
questions we asked were sealed up
Names were accurately given in every
case and past events referred to which
left no doubt rs to the identity of the
spirit. In several cases the handwrit.
ing of the spirit was almost fac sim.
lie of the friends writing while in the
flesh. We have these communications
and will gladly show them to any one
who wishes to see them.
We held Il conversation with spirit
through the aid of Mrs. Hollis Billings,
whose phase is the Independent Voice,
at the residence of her husband, DR.,
Billings, in Chicago. This was at noon.
day and the voice came within two or
three feet of us and talked for fiftee,,
minutes, answering our questions, re.
ferring to former communications and
past events, repeating promises made
through other mediums, giving names
accurately, ETC., and removing from
our mind the last shadow of doubt as
to the identity of this most beautiful
and exalted spirit. Mrs. Hollis did not
even know our name nor where we
were from, and even if she had known
these, it would have taken six months
time and cost her 81 900 in money to
have obtained the facts to conduct
that brief conversation. Remember
that all the while Mrs. Hollis sat fac.
ing us, joining in the conversation in
her natural voice, while the independ.
ent spirit-voice spoke out of the al,
within 4 few feet of our ear.
We received through May Shaw, a
girl in Chicago, dozens Of communica:
tions from dozens of spirits. giving
names, da.es, past events, etc., with {:
correctness absolutely overwhelming
This little eirl, who never saw us before
told us our name, the names of dozens
of friends in the spirit world and in
tile flesh, and described accurately the
state of affairs here in Worthington
giving names of friends and foes, tell.
ing US what they were planning and in.
tending, and foresl,adowing the results,
m*ny Of which have already been full,
filed to the letter. =. = =
i But time and the columns Of the