  As prefatory to this volume, it may be expedient here to introduce the credentials which I have lately received from the spirit world. With the medium of their communication, Mr. Lanning, of this city, No. 124 Arch St., I have had but little intercourse, knowing him, however, by report, as a good man and a zealous spiritualist. The communication which I owe to his mediumship, was utterly unexpected by me, never having, in any way, hinted to him, directly or indirectly, that it would be desirable to receive such an indication of confidence and approbation. The first and only knowledge which I had of this, to me, stirring appeal, is comprised in the following letter from Lanning. The difference between the style of his own language, though very good for its purpose, and that which he ascribes to the spirits, must corroborate his allegation that this address did not originate in his brain. On submitting the address to my spirit father, he sanctioned the idea of its proceeding from spirits. Philadelphia, June 7, 1855. Dear Sir: I send you the following communication, and think it to be an emanation from the spirit life. I feel not a little reluctance in so doing, for it is seldom I can get any thing for others. How it may suit your mind, I do not know, nor do I wish to impose it upon you for any thing worthy your consideration. I would hesitate much to instruct one so much my senior, and whose name I esteem, were it not that I love a cause so near your heart; and I feel that my mind is only the channel through which I have every evidence, the unseen in the spirit life, at times give their thoughts to mortals. I have no idea from what spirit it came, but know it did not originate in my own brain. Very truly, yours, J. F. Lanning. To Dr. Robert Hare, Philadelphia: Prof. Robert Hare—Venerable and much-esteemed friend, it is an unwonted pleasure with us to number you as a leading mind in the ranks of this new and better gospel which is being given to the dwellers of earth. We see the many and perplexing difficulties which, to you, apparently hinder your progress in this path to light and love, and we sympathize with you in all your efforts to unfold your mind and to render it useful and happy. Could you see the great glory which is to be the issue of your labours in the new unfoldings of spiritual science, you would not despair of your mission, nor weary in your devotion to it. Let us ask you, If there is any earthly fame or consideration that could induce you to turn back again to the familiar paths in which a life of patient labour has been spent? If there is any earthly joy or brilliant attainment which you have ever enjoyed, worthy to be compared with the little you have realized since you commenced your investigations in this the most important pursuit of your life? Ask yourself how much happiness you have found in the contemplation of that fact which has been demonstrated, not only to your wishes, but to your senses, that the thinking mind never dies; that the grave, which is but the wardrobe of the cast-off garment of the spirit, has no power over the soul; that it lives on, lives ever, and must throughout the ceaseless ages of eternity continue to unfold its powers. Ask yourself, what is earth, what is fame, what is the endearment to your present life, when contrasted or compared with the assurance which you now have, that there is no death, no loss of your individuality, no severing of the ties of friendship and love which shall not be renewed again in that fairer land, the home of the angels, whither you and all you love on earth are tending? Ponder then, our venerable friend, and ask your thirsting soul, if this knowledge is not worth more than the cost of diamonds to you? We, who have laid aside the crumbling casket which contained the priceless jewel that is never tarnished, know full well the value of this gem of knowledge which now sparkles on your vision just opened. There are many things which we would like to say to you, but the conditions and circumstances which control our operations render it impossible for us to present to your mind the light which it so much seeks. To answer the demands of your spirit is now impossible to us. Time and the unfoldings of your mind can only solve the questions you would propound. You are well aware that the growth of your present knowledge is but the effect of earnest inquiry, of patient toil, and deep study, and experiment after experiment in your searchings for truth. Such was the only way you reached the position which you now occupy in the science so dear to you. It came in no other way, it could come in no other. The child is subjected to the necessity of first learning the alphabet before it is prepared to spell, and must understand the meaning of words before it can comprehend the sentence it reads. So in this investigation. That which is apparently of little meaning must first be learned, the alphabet must be mastered, hard words pronounced, and all must be understood before there is a fittedness for progression. The wisest on earth, aye, the wisest in spirit life, are learners, students: none but God is perfectly wise; and it is no humiliation to any mind that it contains not all of wisdom. Let us say to you that if patient in your investigations, you shall in due time obtain that which you so earnestly seek. Could we work miracles, (a thing impossible,) they would astound rather than enlighten your mind. Could we withdraw the veil which separates the vision from the things you desire to see in our spheres of life, you have no data by which you could make plain to yourself or to the eyes of your fellow-man the sights you would behold. Go on in your searchings, our good friend: the end is not yet with you. Brilliant minds with brilliant thoughts are burning to give utterance to earth through you. You are a selected instrument of our own choosing, and we are watching and guiding in the path and to the goal you seek. You may not only “speak trumpet-tongued to the scientific world,” but in thunder-tones to those savans who think they are the masters of the keys of knowledge. Author’s Reply to the preceding Address.Philadelphia, June 15, 1855. To my spirit friends, to whom I owe the preceding address: It is quite unnecessary for my angel friends to urge upon my heart, or upon my reason the nothingness of this world, in comparison with that of which a description has lately been given to me. So highly do I estimate the prospect thus awakened, that it seems almost too good, too desirable to be realized. There are so many painful ideas awakened in my mind respecting the lot of humanity, by the events of past and present times, that it is difficult to conceive that, at the short distance of little more than the eightieth part of the diameter of our globe, there should be such a contrast. But to heighten my appreciation of the inestimable value of such an heirship is utterly uncalled for. If there be any drawback, it is the misery which pervades this mundane sphere. The sympathy which, on the one hand, ties you to this world, must, on the other, cause a participation in the sufferings which pervade all animated nature. While I am aware that sympathy, as above suggested, would prevent me from flying from a perception or contemplation of the wretchedness in question, it seems as if the heaven of Spiritualism were, in this phase, in some degree open to the objection to the heaven of Scripture, founded on its too great proximity to hell. Is not the spiritual heaven too near this sphere, and too much associated with it by its sympathy, not to suffer indirectly a portion of its miseries? If there were any thing I should deem to be requisite to render existence in the spirit world happier, it would be the power of removing the miseries of this lower world, and especially those arising from Error—the most prolific source of evil. According to Addison’s allegory, Death admitted the pretensions of Intemperance to be superior in destructiveness, to those of any of the numerous diseases which competed for the honour of the premiership in his cabinet; but might not Error have successfully competed with Intemperance?—Error, the main cause of intemperance, of intolerant bigotry, and of war, which destroys both by the sword and by sickness which it induces? It is difficult for us to conceive that good, affectionate spirits are not unhappy at witnessing the distress which they cannot relieve. The prisoners at Sing Sing are said to undergo mental torture by the silence imposed upon them. Yet this is imposed upon spirits, when often a word would prevent fatal events. Nevertheless, Spiritualism, so far as it prevails, will make all better: in the first place, by removing error and sectarian discord, and, in the next place, by making nature the object of our study, and, indirectly, of our worship, as the work of the Being who created all. You need not any more strive to stimulate my estimation of the high office which you bestow on me as promulgator of the knowledge given me of the spheres, than to excite my appreciation of that knowledge. I would not relinquish my position for any temporal sovereignty. My love of truth, my desire for human happiness, would be sufficient for my pay in causing truth to triumph, as that, of course, would be a heaven to me in contemplating the misery obviated and the happiness induced. Doubtless, not to be fairly appreciated would be painful; while merited applause would be a high gratification; but, were that my primary motive, I should not deserve applause. All that I would desire would be, to have that share of honour to which I might be entitled in common with other colabourers in the cause of truth: to exist in the spheres on the same plane with the illustrious Washington and his coadjutors, and associated with my beloved relatives and friends, having access to Your truly devoted servant and friend, Robert Hare. Having suggested to my spirit father that it would be expedient that some names should be attached to the credentials with which the preceding address from the spirits seemed to endow me by appointment, he induced several spirits of eminence to accompany him to Mrs. Gourlay’s this morning, (August 4, 1855.) This gave me an opportunity to read Lanning’s letter, the address which I received through him as above represented, and my reply. In return I received the subjoined communication. Communication from an assembly of eminent spirits, sanctioning the credentials transmitted through the mediumship of Mr. Lanning.August 4, 1855. Respected Friend: We cheerfully accompany your father to sanction the communication given through our medium, Mr. Lanning, to yourself. My friend, we have sought media in various localities through whom to accredit you as our minister to earth’s inhabitants, but owing to unfavourable conditions, we have, in most instances, failed. We perceive with pleasure that your heart is fully imbued with the importance of your holy mission. It needs no fulsome flattery from us to incite you to action. A principle of right and truth pervades all your movements in this spiritual campaign. We truly style it a campaign, since you are battling fearlessly against Error, that hydra-headed monster who has slain his millions and tens of millions. We have looked forward to the publication of facts involved through your experimental investigations with interest. The communication above referred to was given by one who stood high in the estimation of the people of our great republic; but, for personal reasons, he wishes to withhold his name. Be it known to all who may read these credentials, that we sanction them, and authorize our names to be affixed thereunto.
Postscript by the author.It is a well-known saying that there is “but one step between the sublime and the ridiculous.” This idea was never verified more fully than in the position I find myself now occupying, accordingly as those by whom that position is viewed may consider the manifestations which have given rise to it in the light wherein they are now viewed by me, or as they were two years ago viewed by myself, and are now seen by the great majority of my estimable contemporaries. I sincerely believe that I have communicated with the spirits of my parents, sister, brother, and dearest friends, and likewise with the spirits of the illustrious Washington and other worthies of the spirit world; that I am by them commissioned, under their auspices, to teach truth and to expose error. This admitted, I may be reasonably inspired with the sentiment authorized in the preceding credentials, that I hold my office to be greatly preferable to that of any mundane appointment, and for the reasons above given in those credentials. But how vast is the difference between this estimate and that which must ascribe these impressions to hallucination! my position being that of a dupe or fanatic. Yet there can be no man of real integrity and good sense, unimpaired by educational bigotry, who will not respect sincere devotion to the cause of piety, truth, and human welfare, here and hereafter, however displayed. Hence, although the foregoing prefatory pages should have no other influence, they may operate to show my own deep conviction of the righteousness of my course, founded, as I believe it to have been, on the most precise, laborious, experimental inquiry, and built up under the guidance of my sainted father, as well as under the auspices of Washington and other worthy immortals. Those who shall give a careful perusal to the following work will find that there has been some “method in my madness;” and that, if I am a victim to an intellectual epidemic, my mental constitution did not yield at once to the miasma. But let not the reader too readily “lay the flattering unction to his soul” that ’tis my hallucination that is to be impugned, not his ignorance of facts and his educational errors. The sanction of the spirits, as above given, was obtained under test conditions; so that it was utterly out of the power of any mortal to pervert the result from being a pure emanation from the spirits whose names are above given. It ought to be understood that the sanction given by the spirits whose names are attached to the preceding certificate, was obtained under test conditions, as explained in paragraph bb., dd., in the description of Plate iv. Moreover, I placed my hand on the instrument illustrated by Fig. 2 in same plate, so as to question the spirits directly as to the reliability of the affirmation, previously given to me, and the fidelity of the medium generally. In both cases the index moved so as to give an affirmative reply. SUPPLEMENTAL PREFACE.The most precise and laborious experiments which I have made in my investigation of Spiritualism, have been assailed by the most disparaging suggestions, as respects my capacity to avoid being the dupe of any medium employed. Had my conclusions been of the opposite kind, how much fulsome exaggeration had there been, founded on my experience as an investigator of science for more than half a century! And now, in a case when my own direct evidence is adduced, the most ridiculous surmises as to my probable oversight or indiscretion are suggested, as the means of escape from the only fair conclusion. Having despatched a spirit friend from Cape Island, at one o’clock on the third of July, to request Mrs. Gourlay, in Philadelphia, to send her husband to the bank to make an inquiry, and to report the result to me at half-past 3 o’clock, the report was made to me as desired. The subject was not mentioned until after my return to Philadelphia, when, being at the residence of Mrs. Gourlay, I inquired of her, whether she had received any message from me during my absence? In reply, it was stated that while a communication from her spirit mother was being made to her brother, who was present, my spirit messenger interrupted it to request her to send her husband to the bank to make the desired inquiry: that, in consequence, the application was made at the bank. The note-clerk recollected the application to him, but appeared to have considered it as too irregular to merit much attention. Hence the impression received by the applicants, and communicated to me, was not correct. But as it did not accord with that existing in my memory, it could not have been learned from MY mind. Wishing to make this transaction a test, I was particularly careful to manage so that I might honourably insist upon it as a test; and, until I learned the fact from Mrs. Gourlay and from the note-clerk that the inquiry was made, it did not amount to a test manifestation. But, if I had been ever so indiscreet, would it not be absurd to imagine a conspiracy between any person at Cape Island with Dr. and Mrs. Gourlay, her brother, and the note-clerk at the bank, to deceive me on my return by concurrent falsehoods? I submit these facts to the public, as proving that there must have been an invisible, intelligent being with whom I communicated at Cape Island, who, bearing my message to this city, communicated it to Mrs. Gourlay, so as to induce the application at the bank. Otherwise, what imaginable cause could have produced the result, especially within the time occupied—of two and a half hours? The existence of spirit agency being thus demonstrated, I am justified in solemnly calling on my contemporaries to give credence to the important information which I have received from spirits, respecting the destiny of the human soul after death. They may be assured that every other object of consideration sinks into insignificance in comparison with this information and the bearing it must have upon morals, religion and politics, whenever it can be known and be believed by society in general, as it is by me. |
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