Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-11-05

leave Oh IN mystery. 1t Is necessarily 80 ;
pe man can tell where he came from or
whittier be is going "Where did you come
from, baby dear?' "Out of nothing into
here" The baby's answer is as good and
wise as can be given. No one can cay that
be has or has not passed through one or a
thousand worlds before reaching this. All
that we can say is for ourself-we don't
remember any other. But that ia no answer
for anybody else, for some people say they
do remember a previous existence. This
faith prevails among the Gypsies- an
Oriental people of whose origin we know
little but who for cent uriss have remained
among and distinct from Europeans. So in
looking forward, while we can believe in
the past and future, we see nothing OF any
other state or condition But 1t ia no I'M
common thing for other people to see-io
have Second sight" and this is especially
the case with the Scotch.
THE CHINESE THEORY.
The Scriptures use this expressions: "Aud
their eyes were opened, and they saw" etc.
This would indicate another world around
and near TO us. This .ith is no more Chris
tan Than heather or Mohammedan or Nor
mon. AL religions have a vein of this faith
running through them. The Chinese have
cherished the thought for thousands OF years,
and hence their great respect for their ances-
tors, who are all the time seeing what to do.
"Wby, !" said one to an intelligent and learned
ChinamaD, "do you want 10 be buried in
your native soil, and 90 provide in death that
the ccrpse shall be carried homer "Ob,"
he replied, "every man wants to be with his
friends, kinsmen and race; and when he
awakes afIer death he would no. be among
strangers and in strange country, with no
preparation for his advent there" 'Then,"
he continued, Syour heaven is close TO your
country, spd mems souls wander not
h.
just so, he rejoined "and we prove il by
their eften coming back and eating and
drinking with their friends, and making
them know their friends by touching them.
Such cases are common" This does not
disagree with Swedeaborg's vision OF another
world, for he talks OF the Christians and
Mohammedans and different nations and
sec's as having heavens of their own; as
would be probable, il they live at all, since
by their sfiDiries they must attract each
other, aud by their education they would be
most happy in the society of those like
themselves. But after all our theories and
reasoning, and the experience and reasoning
of mankind for ages, man being material in
a material world is seldom without some
perPlexities as to his origin and doubts as 10
his end, for the msjorily believe 10 the
transmigration Of souls.
ANCIENT DEVELOPMENTS.
la our own generation, coming thirty years
ago, is what is termed modern Spiritualism,
the first demonstrations beipg credited to the
Fox girls of Rochester, N. Y, and now ac-
cep,ed by millions in the United States and
Europe. Those who think Spirilualism to
have begun thin make great mistake. l.
commenced with the first man and the first
woman IN the garden Of Eden, to whom G.
appeared and spake in language they I'M
derstood; al d there has not be an age,
or Church, or gsneI a;ion of men 10
which He has not appeared by Himself or
His ministers. The command came 10 No ID
10 bui d the ark; the angel was with Abra-
han and Lot, End wrrstlsd with Jacob;
aud "God spoke un'o Moses" So through
all the patrIarchs and Kings, as III ChronI-
c'es do testify; and under the prophets, aud
often in the gospels the story i. told and it
runs down into the apocalypse. 1t wss the
sams with other religioni-t,, who had never
seen the Jews or card of Jesus. Tue msgii
OF the East, the oracles, philosophers aud re-
iigioniHs Of Italy, Grrece, Palestine, Persia
and Iudia--had like experiences.
NO CHANGE IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
After all this, in 1000 years of hum an
history, did the void change, or did man
change, that the d, m Dnstratious we're impos-
sible or unnecessary? Who says tina The
Roman and Greek chu. ches, Comprising
most Of the Christians, do not say it, t they
claim that the power given TO the up ,stles,
and tran, miit. d through the father, h We
remained and forever will r, m in In the
Church and hose powers includ the wo k
ing of m raclrr, The healing OF he sick, The
casing out OF devils ard the doing of mighty
works. They have recognifs4s he fact and
the scs of spirits, good audsbad, frcm The
days of ST. Peter to Leo XIII at the Vatican
to dsy.
PRoTEsTANT srIRITUALIsM.
But if that does not sstisfy Prot stanfs
they can turn 10 heir own s-cts and find more
or less OF the same experience at home.
Mbriin Luther believed in a personal devil
which beset him, and on one occasion he
threw his inksiand at him; aud all the
leaders of the R-formation were in accord
with him. They burned beretic-, and hard
eDed themselves 10 deeds as bloody as Free
IN ans or Guiteau's, believing the i'm IMPRESSIONS
upon them "inspired," aud down 10 the days
OF Cotton Ma h.r they destroyed witches by
the hundreds and thousands, and in the total
to msny millions. They declared they were
command 10 Try the spirits, ard the evil
spirit. d-ihe witches-they were not 10
suf 10 live.
sPIRITUALIsM IN MODEM CHURCHES
The Seventeenth, eighteenth and nine
teenih csuturies are period of eniighten-
me OF and freedom civil and spiritual, but
We Fl I'd no dIffereBc, In the secis or religious
org au'zaiions. They all sustain, and while
they have grow b, adhere 10, my sticism and
spiritual manifest ations, as some say Though
such usually b.long to Churches that have
performed their mission, gone to seed and
eotered upon decay J, spiritusl extravagances
and fanaticism. Quakerism, from George
Fox and WilIism Penn down, made the
movement of the spirit their cause of action,
aud The monitor within their own breasts the
regulator of life. The Shakers, beginning
with Ann l. e, were more demoustr4tive,
though less aggressive upon The WIZ DIS
people. They retired 10 homes, and kept in
communication with the unseen world, were
inspired to write aud speak, had power 10
heal, and witnessed all the phenomena OF
"Modern Spiriiualism." SEedenborg came
at the same time in open communication
with the spirit world, though warning others
not to be led away by deceiving and lying
spirits. The Wesleys fellinto the same line,
aud in their fathers house witne- sed the
demonstrations, the same as Pr f. Phelps, of
Andover, did in bis fathers house in Connec-
ticut, aud in neither case could they be cast
out even by prayer and fasting" nor could
they be accounted for. 1t has been the same
with The Mormons, the last corners.
THE METHODIST sPIRITUALIsIs.
o. the spiritual phenomena at the rectory
OF the Rev. Samuel Wesley, father of Charles
and John, aud their seventeen brothers and
sisteTs-ior there were nineteen in ALIVE
have foil account in the several lives oil
John Wesley and in he histories of Method
ism; and no one OF the many aud very dis
tinsuished snd learned writer's upon these
topics ever thought of denying them, MOI
could they account for them. We qnote the
following from The Hitory of Methodisnl, by
the Rev. Abel Stevens, D. D, LID, still
living, and known to many OF our read rs
whose wife was lady for some years q resi-
dent of Newburyport. He says:
RAPs AT THE EPwoRrH RECroRY
Writers on Methodism have been inter-
esttd in .rsting the influence of Wesley
domestic educ atom on tue habits of nis man.
hood and the ecclesiastical system which he
founded. Even the extraordinary "noises'
for which the rectcry became noted, and
which still remain unex Explained, are supposed
10 1--we had a providentizl influence upon
bis character These phenomena were siri-
kipgly similar to marvels which, in our
times, have suddenly spread over most of the
civilized world, perptexiDg The learned, deiud.
ing the ignorant, producing "spiritus lisilc'
literature OF hundreds of volumes and period
ieals. The learned Priestley obtained the
family letters and journals relating to these
curious fsctr, ard gave them 10 he world as the
best auI he nficated and best told story OF the
kind that WAS ever extaDt. John Wesley
himself has left US a summary of these mys
FERROUS evenir. They begun usually with 8
loud whistling OF the wind around the house
E fore it came into mr. room the latches
were frequently Lifted up, the windows clat-
tered, and Whstever iron or brzss there WISE
in =uy room, let the inmates make whai
noises they could, as they sometimes did or
puF pose. It's dead hollow note could be clearly
hesrd above them all The sound very otter