The Missing Link in Modern SpiritualismUnderhill, A. Leah (Ann Leah)
Religion
The Missing Link in Modern Spiritualism
Underhill, A. Leah (Ann Leah)
Fox family; Spiritualism
A gentleman (Dr. C. D. Griswold) living in Batavia had induced his
minister (an Episcopal clergyman) to visit us.
They arrived late; and, after a few questions had been answered, the
word "done" was spelled. They did not understand the meaning of this,
and continued their questions. Suddenly a loud rapping, in a distant
part of the room, spelled out, "Why the devil do you ask questions after
you have been told done?"
This was a terrible damper to us all. The minister stood aghast, looking
first at one and then at the other with astonishment, as if wondering
what kind of creatures we were. The friend who had brought him was
mortified in the extreme. They remained in town, and called on us again
the next morning. All things were quiet, and we sat down with these two
gentlemen alone. The doctor asked this question, "Will the spirit of my
dear father come and answer my questions?"
Immediately the alphabet was called for, and spelled out this sentence,
"When good Spirits say 'done,' you should not seek for further
communications. Order is heaven's first law, and you should not overtax
mediums; for no good Spirit will answer, after their guardians say
'done.'"
The doctor received the explanation favorably, and felt greatly relieved
when he saw his friend, the minister, was disposed to investigate
further. With us all was turmoil and confusion. When manifestations and
communications were consistent, we believed them to come from good
Spirits; but when they were to the contrary, we condemned all as evil.
We had no religious prejudices, no motive whatever in establishing
theories. We could make no satisfactory explanations to the various
interrogatories, made by promiscuous parties who were constantly in
attendance.
Let me here emphasize the fact that the general feeling of our family,
of all of us, including Calvin Brown, who was virtually one of us, was
strongly adverse to all this strange and uncanny thing. We regarded it
as a great misfortune, as it was an affliction, which had fallen upon
us; how, whence or why, we knew not. The influence of the surrounding
opinion of neighbors, and the country round about, reacted upon us in
conformation of our own natural and educational impressions, that the
whole thing was of evil origin, unnatural, perplexing, and tormenting;
while its unpopularity tended to cast a painful shadow upon us. We
resisted it, struggled against it, and constantly and earnestly prayed
for deliverance from it, even while a strange fascination attached to
these marvellous manifestations thus forced upon us, against our will,
by invisible agencies and agents whom we could neither resist, control,
nor understand. If our will, earnest desires and prayers could have
prevailed or availed, the whole thing would have ended then and there,
and the world outside of our little neighborhood would never have heard
more of the Rochester Rappings, or of the unfortunate Fox family.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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