The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-02-19
SPIRITUALISTIC VAGARY.
Milo Norton Claims a Revelation From
Bishop Thomas.
MEMBERS OF THE BISHOPS CHURCH

Rather More Amused Than Indignant
at the PretensiOns Made by NH. Nor
tOn-WhaE the Letter Says
Mr.. Milo Norton, one of the Spiritual
ist leaders of Topeka, has made public
what he says is letter dictated to him
by the late Bishop Elisha s. Thomas of
the Episcopal church with the request
that it be published in one of the Topeka
newspapers.
The letter is an absurd document and
the members of the Episcopal church
when they first learned of the letter and
its contents did not know whether to be
Indignant or to laugh about it, but they
finally decided that they would laugh.
Dean Bodlev of Grace cathedral said
to STATE JOURNAL reporter: 81 heard
that such letter was in existence sew
eral weeks ago, but it is not worthy of
any serious consideration"
As he read the letter in the reporters
presence he remarked: "The writer of
this letter does not understand what
Bishop Vail taught. This is amusing
indeed. Bishop Thomas never wrote as
miserable English as this. Bishop
Thomas was one of the most polished
scholars and he used the very best of
English and to think he is accused of
framing such sentences as these. This
IS something like the alleged spiritual
istic writings of Lord Byron. Lord By
ron was perfect poet, every thought,
word and action of his was poetical, yet
the Spiritualist mediums would have us
believe that he dictated verses from the
spirit world which are the worst kind of
doggereI."
Other members of the church read the
letter with i'll suppressed amusement.
The following is the letter which Mr..
Norton says was dictated to him by the
late Bishop Thomas:
"My Dear Brother=I am DESTROYS to
avail myself of the privilege you offered
me this morning in the short interval I
had with you, of making my wishes
known through you in regard to the dis
appointments I have experienced since
passing to the spirit life. 1t is similar TO
what has been reported through your
fundamentally by BishopVaiI and others
Although have never had the pleasure
of your acquaintance personally, as had
Bishop Vail, still it is very natural for me,
knowing what l have learned of others
reporting through you from the spirit
life, to come to you and solicit this priVi-
lege.
I'VE esteem it a great favor to be per-
mltted to make our wishes known in this
manner, Notwithstanding we had been
taught the doctrine that it was impossi-
ole for the Inhabitants of the spirit world
to return to earth and communicate as
am doing.
"And now, my dear brother, l feel it
duty for me to report that l have learned
to my great sorrow that what has been
reported through your organism con-
corning the Christian system
of salvation by Bishops Kingsley
virtue in the blood of Christ to wash
away sins than in the blood of any other
man or beast. is true. And this being
the fundamental doctrine of the Christian
system, the whole structure of salvation
taught by all the evangelical churches.
falls to rise no more.
1--WE are held responsible for teaching
such errors, although we verify believed
them to be true; and we find it very i'm
portant matter, when we find an opening
through which we can make this confess
sion, for US to do SO, and thereby do what
we can to undo what we have done
amiss.
"First. We will say we have not met
with any such reception as we have been
taught from our childhood to believe
would be accorded to all persons who &C
cepted the offers of salvation as taught
by the evangelical churches, based upon
the doctrine as provided through the
death aud sacrifice of Jesus of Nazareth,
who was called the Christ We not
only accepted and believed that doctrine
our life work, with the assurance that
when our work on earth was finished we
should be rewarded with an eternal rest
in the kingdom of heaven, where in the
company of the Savior and the good of
all the ages, we would be permitted to
praise God to all eternity.
"But to my great establishment, when
l awoke on the spirit side of life, fail
ed to meet with any such reception as
l had anticipated. l found myself in
comparative darkness. l soon found the
reports that had read that were said to
have been written and inspired by Bish-
op Vail through Brother Norton, were
strictly true. l soon learned it was an
important thing for me to do to seek an
opportunity of obtaining the same favor,
to make a confession to the Inhabitants
of the earth that the doctrines of saliva
ton through the sacrifice of CHRIST upon
the cross of Calvary, are a great fraud
upon the inha bitants of the earth.
81 find this to be the universal testi-
mony of all my friends and acquaint-
ances that l have met since l have been
in the spirit life. 1t ia now my urgent
request that what l have written may be
made public and that my old friends will
accept it as a warning to them and &C.
cept and profit by it. Instead of pro-
claiming the writing and instrument
through which il is given as a fraud, to
investigate and try to learn whether it is
true or false. Il. 5. THOMAS,
Formerly Bishop of the Protestant
Episcopal Church"