Tim, did you hear what an infernal scrape I got into last night? No, you didn't. Well, I went to our friend Fred's; he didn't want to drink when I found him; his dimes looked so extremely large. Well, I destroyed that feeling, and made him think he was dry. He drank, and drank, more than I wanted him to, until I was so drunk that I could not break my connection with him, or control his mind. He undertook to go home, fell into the snow, and came near freezing to death. I suffered awfully, ten times as much as when I died.' . . . Reader, we draw the curtain over scenes like these, such as are daily occurring in this society." In these cases the whole evil of the indulgences of course falls upon the mediums; and who would wish to assume personal relation with such a world, and be forced to bear in their own bodies the evils of the unhallowed indulgences of unseen spirits, against their will?
Other scenes represented as taking place in the spirit land, are most grotesque and silly and would be taken as a burlesque upon Spiritualism, were they not put forth in all gravity by the friends and advocates of that so-called new revelation. Thus Judge Edmunds, giving an account of what he had seen in the spirit world, mentions the case of an old woman busy churning, who promised him, if he would call again, a drink of buttermilk;he speaks Page 118 of men fighting, of courtezans trying to continue their lewd conduct; of a mischievous boy who split a dog's tail open, and put a stick in it, just to witness its misery; of the owner of the dog, who, attracted by its cries, discovered the cause, and beat the boy, who fled, but was pursued and beaten and kicked far up the road. See Edmund's "Spiritualism," Vol. II, pp. 135-144, 181, 182, 186, 189. Surely here are the diakka playing their pranks in all their glory.
MISCELLANEOUS TEACHING On the leading points of faith as held by Christians generally, quotations have been given to show sufficiently what the spirits teach, and the object they are trying to effect. But the reader will be interested to learn what they teach on some other points which incidentally appear in their communications.
Spiritualists object most strenuously to the idea of unconsciousness in death, or to the Bible declaration, "The dead know not anything." But the spirits themselves teach this very thing. Thus Judge Edmunds, Vol.
II, Appendix B, p. 524, quotes the confession of a spirit that he was totally unconscious for a time, he could not tell how long, and awoke to consciousness gradually; and that the state of unconsciousness differs with different persons, depending on circumstances. A. J. Davis admits that Professor Webster was eight days and a half unconscious.-- "Death and the After Life," pp. 18, 19. Page 119 Through Mrs. Conant, medium, in Banner of Light, June 3, 1865, we have this information: "It is said that some spirits require a thousand years to awake to consciousness. Is this true? -- Yes, this is true." In "Automatic Writing," p. 93, the spirits teach the same thing to-day. If others deny such statements, it only shows that their testimony is contradictory and therefore unreliable.
Again, the Bible doctrine that the incorrigibly wicked must cease from conscious existence, is denounced by Spiritualists; but on this point the spirits confess also: -- " Ques. -- Do I understand you to say that a diakka is one who believes in ultimate annihilation?
"Ans.--Only yesterday one said to a lady medium, signing himself 'Swedenborg,'
this: 'Whatsoever is, has been, will be, or may be, that I AM , and private life is but the aggregative phantasms of thinking throblets rushing in their rising onward to the central heart of eternal death.'
"-- "Diakka" p. 11.
" Q. -- Does every human being continue life on higher planes?
" A. -- Shall not all who are abortions die?
" Q. -- Do you mean that some born on this plane may spiritually die from lack of force to persist?
" A. -- Yes--both women and men are born into the divine humanity who must necessarily perish, because they have not sufficient soul strength to persist." -- "Automatic Writing," pp. 101, 102. There is, it seems, a purgatory in the spirit world. In answer to a question, a spirit replied: -- "There is a sphere in spirit life allotted to those who leave the earthly plane in spiritual ignorance, which is not pleasing to dwell upon, yet which is absolutely necessary to spiritual soul growth."- Id., p. 90. Page 120 Spiritualism is claimed to settle the question of immortality; but the spirits confess themselves ignorant of it: " Ques. -- On your plane do you arrive at certainty in regard to immortality?
" Ans. -- We here are as ignorant as you are as to the ultimate of existence. immortality is still an undetermined issue. One life at a time seems as pertinent with us as with you."-- Id., p. 103. The spirits' heaven, it seems, is not so desirable a place that it prevents their being homesick. " Ques. -- Why are you homesick?
" Ans. -- Have not found out the real reason; things are so different from former ideas."-- Id., p. 111. Spirits are not allowed to tell too much about their condition, as the following question and answer show: -- " Ques. -- Can't you tell us what makes it pleasanter,--describe so we can understand?
" Ans. -- You'll find out as I did -- 'gainst the rules here to tell. . . . Just be patient--it's all easy enough when you learn how. I was puzzled, but it all seems straight enough now."-- Id., p.
115. They teach the pre-existence of souls, and the old pagan doctrines of the reincarnation of souls, and the final absorption of all into Nirvana. Aspirit having answered that all had been asserted in some other forum, questions and answers followed from which we quote: -- " Q. -- Is that statement an intimation of the truth of reincarnation?
" A. -- Souls of all who have preceded you are centered in you in spite of your childish protests. Ask not of those Page 121 predecessors; for they yet live in you, and you in them.
