Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-11-15
GHOSTS ANDDREAMS
The Spirit Visitors Who Appeared 10
President TyIer's Sister Many Years
Ago-Strange stories.
Inspector Jewett's Recent Dream-Pres'
ident Grants Parson AvOws Him
self Spiritualist.

preached by the Rev. DR.. J. P. Newman 81
the Madison Avenue Congregational church
last Sunday has excited considerable COM
ment. His subject was, do the Dead he
turn the sermon being one OF series on
the Immortality of the soul. He took the
position that the spirits of the dead inhabit
al invisible world and that communications
are received from them. DR.. Newman IN
conversation yesterday with Tribune re-
porter said:
There has been q belief in spirits among
nearly all nations, and that there is an inter
mediate state has been almost universally
believed. In Bible times the two worlds
met. There was communication between
them as there ia now between New York and
London-not SO frequently, of course. Ii
spirits exist the question comes as TO what
form they have. In the first place say that
wherever there have been appearances the
spirits have been in human form. 1t Is
physiological fact that the human soul Is CO.
extensive with the nervous system. Ii you
take away everything from the body but the
nervous tissues, you still have left the human
form. Death is the evolution of the soul
out of this system of the human body"
"Do you believe in a communication with
departed spirits?''
Nothing is more clearly taught in the
Bible. Not less than FIVE persons are re-
corded there as having returned. Christ
had pre-existence. During the three days
intervening between His death and resurrec-
ton His spirit is represented as absent
from His body. First He visited Paradise,
for He told the thief on the cross that He
would meet him there on the day OF his
death. Then He went 10 Gahenna, for He
preached to the spirits who "aforetime were
disobedient" The Scriptursl record is in
Peter iii, 10. There is no doubt some &C.
cepted His teaching. This is presupposed
by the fact of His preaching TO them. He
| then returned 10 the earth, and is to return
again."
"Was Christ in the flesh or the spirit, in
your opinion, after the resurrectiou?"
! 'He took up His body again, but it under
went transform alton before His ascension.
Then there are the cases of Samuel, Moses
and Elijah. Moses represented the disem-
bodied spirits and returned after an absence
OF ] 500 years. Elijah, representing the en-
bodied spirits-he was translate you know
returned after 1000 years."
"What was their mission%
"They were evidently committee OF two
sent from the spirit world to inquire of
Christ whether BE felt himself competent to
make their heaven permanent by His death
on the cross. They were familiar with this
world; they knew where Christ was; what
mountain top He was on praying; they
knew He was TO die ia Jerusalem-a future
event."
"Did you make use OF Paurs case in your
argqment?"
law of deviation he was caught up to the
third heaven and heard, as he says, things
not lawful for him 20 utter. He came back
and lived twenty years after this event. 1t
was to him the inspiration of his ministry,
and enabled him 10 endure martyrdom. He
is the only man that ever loDged for death.
He knew all about it. He had been there"
"What do you think of Swedenborg's
theories"
"There can be no doubt that h, is correct
in his assertions that the spirits of his friends
come to him and communicate with him.
There are many cases where there seems 10
be this communication of spirits. When the
father of the eloquent Buckminster WAS
dying in New Hampshire he suddenly ex-
claimed: MY son is deadp HIS son did die at
that verv moment in Boston. / buried a pre-
cious woman few years sgo. Her only son
was in Iowa. While blowing in field he
suddenly stopped and said his mother WAS
dead. The young mans father, who was
matthew atician, made calculation, and
found that the death and the impression re-
ceived BY the san were coincident in point of
time 10 the moment"
elbow did you get this evidence?"
"From the father and son. l knew them
both WE'LL"
'Iu what way did you account for the
transmission OF such intelligence"
"The mothers spirit may have commune
able instances of similar character to thOss
have cited in my own life"
ado you believe in verbal messages from
the spirit world as well as spirit impression~
Stepping away from necromancy and
things of that sort, there are persons, be-
lieve, who are messengers of the spirit
world"
"By what means do they come into pos
session OF this power?'
"Faith is condition. These persons yield
themselves to the influence. Others through
Them, by consentiug and exercising faith,
may receive communications"
els moral character condition.
"Bad spirits may communicate through
bad persons"
"Do YOU believe in the theory that the
spirits of the dead are familiar with the
condition and acts of the liviRg%
"Just as the angels rejoice over repent
ant sinner, our dead friends are familiar
with our condition, and are our companions.
A great army of evil spirits are the COM
panions of the wicked. While it is beauti-
ful to celebrate All Souls Day in praying
for the dead, it is a wonder to one that
nothing is said of the dead praying Tor us,
which is a great Bible truth. 1t is stated in
Revelation that the prayers OF saints are as
precious incense ascending from golden GEN.
GERS"
rs it not unusual for a clergyman to de-
clare his belief in the communication of
spiris?"
SIT is exceptional for one to take up the
subject and treat it logically and philosoph-
ically. Many clergymen speak of the exist
ence OF spirits in sentimental way, and for
rhetorical effect"
"May they not do this and yet not believe
in Spiritualistic doctrines"
''They do wrong if they do"
"How long have you entertained your
theories on this subject"
"For twenty years"