P© 4X 1 
 
 
 
 « 
 
 
 

 4 O 
 
 * • • * *^ 4 > * * /I 0%. 
 
 VV 
 
 
 4 <V <* * 
 
 
 4^4 
 
 
 • . •■ ' * * <^v O* « • • • • ^o ** 
 
 * J? ^. 
 
 ^."•••"•• r «** 
 
 
,$* 
 
 THE 
 
 POWERS OF THE AIR; 
 
 /• 
 
 OR 
 
 SPIRITUALISM: 
 
 WHAT IT IS, AHD WHAT IT IS NOT, 
 
 BY 
 
 One who has had much painful experience during a period of orer four jears. 
 
 Prore all things, hold fast to that which is good/'— P \vz. 
 
 DAYTON, O: 
 
 UNITED BRETHREN PUBLISHING HOUSE. 
 1867. 
 

 Entered according to Act of Congress in the year 1867, 
 
 By C. J. CLIFT, 
 
 In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United 
 States for the Southern District of Ohio. 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 Preface. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 The Author discovers a strange Phenomenon in 
 his Mental Organism- Makes efforts to discover 
 the cause — Strange Revelation 13 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 Reflections upon the probable cause of the strange 
 
 Phenomenon — The Millennial Dawn, &c 26 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 A New Character Introduced — The same Phenom- 
 ena Discovered in his Experience — A Test Experi- 
 ment 31 
 
 CHAPTER IY. 
 
 A Spirit Intelligence under the assumed Name of 
 the Almighty appears and gives a Condensed 
 History of the Universe of Worlds — The Solar 
 System— Our Earth — The Seven Heavens— An 
 Ocean of Eire 50 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 Reflection on the Strange Communication — The 
 new^,. Character falls into a Trance— Startling 
 Sight .~u.. ;w... 63 
 
4 CONTENTS, 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 The Spirit Intelligence reveals his Opinions on the 
 
 Nature and Design of Modern Spiritualism....,.,. 6? 
 
 CHAPTER VII, 
 
 The Author's Reflections upon the Spirit's Opin- 
 ions — Asks for a Perfect System of Theology...... 82 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 A Perfect System of Theology given by the Spirit 
 Intelligence , ,.,.*. 88 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 Reflections, Remarks, &c. — Place where the Wick- 
 ed Dead remain until the Judgment 100 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 Revival Power — Holy Spirit Power — How to Or- 
 ganize Moral Forces— Revivals of Religion 117 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 Called to Assemble the Jews — Preparations — Starts 
 
 for New fork, and what came of it 12? 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 The Author is Developed as a Seer — Painful Appa- 
 ration — Is Promised a Glorious Sight of his De- 
 ceased Relatives — Short Biography of a Spirit.... 340 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 A Room Pull of Human Skeletons— Devil— Vul* 
 can the Blacksmith, and many other characters 
 Introduced — Wild Animals, Reptiles, &c 156 
 
CONTENTS, 5 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 Ucrv the Strange Sights are Produced — Psycholog- 
 ical Images — Visions of Jackson, Davis, Sweden- 
 borg, &e....v....t ,...,.,....,........-.... ^ 168 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 Visions in Prayer-meeting, in Church — Cause — 
 
 Various Questions and Answers 176 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 tThe Author's Views of the Divine Life in the Soul 
 — Conditions of Receiving the Holy Spirit — The 
 Justness of the Administration of the Divine Gov- 
 ernment — Combats Modern Spiritual Philosophy. 189 
 
 CHAPTER XVI L 
 Same Subject Continued 208 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 Design of the Author in giving his Views and Ex- 
 perience to the World — Various Questions Pro- 
 pounded to a Spirit — The Answers * 229 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 Many Questions asked of a Spirit — The Answers,,. 268 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 Why Modern Spiritualism is not of God— The 
 Spirit's Reasons Assigned — The Spirit's Opinions 
 of Various Passages of Scripture ,,..„ 269 
 
6 CONTENTS, 
 
 CHAPTER XXI. 
 
 How far Spirits have Power over Men and Things 
 in the Earth Life — How they enter the Bodies of 
 Men and take Possession — The Power of Making 
 Impressions upon the Minds and Feelings of 
 Men — Reflections 277 
 
 CHAPTER XXIL 
 
 Various Questions — Have Holy Spirits any Power 
 to Control Mediums? — Sharp Debate between 
 two Spirits — Why does God allow the Wicked 
 Spirits to Live — Another Autobiography 302 
 
 CHAPTER XXIIL 
 
 Same Subject Continued—Spirits go to Theaters and 
 places of Infamy — They Travel Up and Down in 
 the Earth — Attend Revival Meetings 316 
 
 CHAPTER XXIV. 
 A Spirit's Ideas of the Atonement of Christ......... 327 
 
 CHAPTER XXV. 
 
 The Author's Comments and Reflections upon the 
 
 Same ..... r 339 
 
 CHAPTER XXVI. 
 
 A Spirit gives his Opinion on the !New Birth of the 
 
 Soul— jjeciions Answered 348 
 
 Appendix , 366 
 
PREFACE 
 
 In this work the author has not aimed at more than a 
 simple narration of facts as they occurred in his deep and 
 painful experience of several years, and the inferences 
 and conclusions which a rational mind must arrive at 
 concerning them. 
 
 The author has opened up much that will appear to the 
 reader marvelous, and by some almost miraculous. 
 
 The subject itself is one of very deep interest to all, for 
 the reason that no one can tell but that he may, like my- 
 self, become a subject of spirit influence without even a 
 pre-admonition or inclination on his part to become so. 
 If, therefore, any should suddenly become mediumistic 
 they may glean much that will aid them in duty. The 
 subject of spirit manifestations is one that is engrossing 
 the attention of the whole civilized world, and though 
 hundreds of volumes have been written in favor of and 
 in opposition to these (to say the least very extraordinary) 
 manifestations, 'yet I very much doubt whether either 
 party really understands the nature and design of them. 
 One side has endeavored to account for the strange occur- 
 ances by Odilieforce, Psichology, Mesmerism, &c, while 
 the other side have as earnestly endeavored to prove that 
 they result from invisible intelligences called spirits. 
 
 The evidences on the side of those who have maintained 
 that spirits are the cause of the phenomena have ac- 
 cumulated until there is scarcely a doubt in the mind* 
 
Till PREFACE. 
 
 of many that they originate from trat source. But be- 
 that as it ma} r , it is vastly more important to know what 
 instructions our creator designs that we should draw from 
 these lessons. 
 
 If the phenomena originate from spirits, then it is 
 certainly more important to listen to what is said by these 
 strange and invisible beings than to waste our time in 
 disputation about the facts of the origin of the alledged 
 strange occurrences. That there is intelligence con- 
 nected with these manifestations can not be*denied, and if 
 intelligence, then what is the nature of the intelligence? 
 Is it characterized by wisdom or foolishness — by gravity 
 or mirthfulness— by gross wickedness or by holiness and 
 moral purity ; or is it characterized by partaking a little 
 of all the phases mentioned? If so, then an important 
 lesson is taught us by it. 
 
 If it is characterized partly by wisdom, then set that 
 down ; if by folly, then set that down ; if by gravity, 
 mark that also ; or if by cheerfulness, then make a note 
 of that, and so on. In the course of time a sufficient 
 number of facts may be collected to form a rational con- 
 clusion in the premises. 
 
 It would be the hight of folly to reject a characteristic 
 of a phenomena because it did not meet our expectations, 
 and it would be worse than folly to receive it all because 
 it met fully the expectation. 
 
 Wisdom indicates the course to be pursued, and that is 
 to collect all the facts, all the substantial occurrences and 
 events connected with the phenomena. By so doing we 
 shall in time arrive at a just conclusion and settle the 
 disputed question on the permanent basis of Natural Law. 
 That this can be done I am very certain, and that it 
 ought to be done must seem reasonable to all. Therefore 
 
PREFACE. IX 
 
 I am for a full investigation of all the phenomena con- 
 nected with this paradoxical subject. 
 
 That I have collected all the facts connected with the 
 subject is not pretended, but that I have collected some 
 no one can deny. That the reader should believe all that 
 is herein revealed by the invisible intelligences is 
 certainly not to be expected, but I could hope for 
 higher wisdom than that all should be rejected, for 
 at times they breathe the very spirit and temper of 
 the gospel of Christ. But the reader should notice^ id 
 possible, what motives the spirit intelligences may have haf 
 in revealing what seems characterized by divine love and 
 truth. If the motives were to gain the confidence of the 
 subject for sinister ends, then that would be worthy of 
 significant note. For it may be true now, as it was 
 formerly, that seducing and lying spirits can control 
 men's minds and bodies to gain certain endg. 
 
 If it can be ascertained that these spirit intelligences 
 are the spirits of disembodied men, or of fallen angels, 
 or both, then it is very important to know it as a fact 
 for we read in the Bible of many who were controlled 
 and influenced by devils, unclean spirits, lying spirits, 
 and spirits of divination. If the personality of these 
 beings is proved, then the scriptures so far are establish- 
 ed as the truth, and of course God in his word is glorified. 
 
 If it can be proved that the beautiful and high moral 
 toned communications proceed from holy spirits or angels 
 and those characterized by absurdity and contrarity of 
 opinion and doctrine emanate from unclean, wicked or 
 lying spirits, then a very important point has been 
 gained. 
 
 But if wicked spirits, like wicked men, can give ex- 
 pression to th3 sublime, the beautiful, the pure and the 
 2 
 
X PREFACE. 
 
 true, then it must be seen that to arrive at the character 
 of the source from whence all the spirit communications 
 emanate would be very difficult indeed, unless a holy 
 and true spirit could enable the mediums controlled to 
 do mighty works, such °as raising the dead, walking on 
 water, opening a pathway through the sea, or increasing 
 the quantity of bread and fish from five loaves and two 
 fishes to such an amount as would suffice to furnish five 
 thousand men with an ample meal, and besides leave 
 twelve baskets full of fragments. 
 
 If in the days of Moses, the prophets, and of Christ 
 and his apostles, the distinctive difference between medi- 
 ums controlled by angels or the holy spirit, and those 
 controlled by wicked, unclean, or lying spirits, was this 
 miracle working characteristic, then we might reasonably 
 look for the same distinctive characteristics at the pres- 
 ent day. That two classes of spirits have, to some ex- 
 tent, influenced men in all ages of the world must be 
 admitted by every reader of the past. The Bible opens 
 with a narrative account of a subtle influence controlling 
 a serpent to talk with and seduce to the commissson of 
 evil our Mother Eve, and also of another class of spirits 
 called cherubims who guarded the tree of life. In Moses 1 
 day and after that time the one kind were called angels, 
 the angel Jehovah, the spirits from the Lord. Those 
 spirits that controlled men for evil purposes were called 
 familiar spirits, lying spirits, who controlled false pro- 
 phets, and evil spirits such as tormented Saul. But 
 in gospel days the wicked spirits were denominated 
 devils, demons, unclean spirits, spirits of divination, and 
 evil spirits. The good spirits who influenced men were 
 denominated angels, angelic hosts, ministering spirits, 
 and spirits of just men made perfect. 
 
PREFACE. XI 
 
 Besides this characteristic difference between the two 
 classes of spirits in regard to names, there is another dis- 
 tinctive difference mentioned in regard to the powers 
 which each class of spirits exert over the bodies of men. 
 Evil spirits are represented as taking actual possession of 
 men's bodies — controlling their vocal organs to speak, and 
 to utter many remarkable sentences ; their muscles to per- 
 form mighty feats of strength, as in the case of the De- 
 moniac of Gadara, and of those who leaped upon the ex- 
 orcists at Ephesus being controlled by evil spirits. 
 
 Good spirits are never represented as entering into and 
 controlling the bodies of men, but on the contrary influ- 
 encing the mind only, by inspiring it with lofty moral 
 sentiment, correct doctrine, prophetic visions of the fu- 
 ture, and power to work miracles. This latter character- 
 istic should be distinctly noticeable, for men in all ages 
 have depended upon the performance of miracles to estab- 
 lish the fact of a divine mission. Said Nichodemus, the 
 Jewish counsellor, to Jesus Christ: "We know that thou 
 art a teacher come from God, for no man can do these mir- 
 acles that thou doest except God be with him." Moses re- 
 fused to go down into Egypt to deliver his brethren from 
 bondage, until the Almighty had endowed him with power 
 to work miracles. He knew that this power alone could 
 qualifiy him to convince his brethren of a divine mission. 
 If the human mind is so constituted that it can not admit 
 the divine mission of any man without the power to work 
 miracles, then it follows that God has established the work- 
 ing of miracles as constituting the distinctive difference 
 between those who may come to us commissioned by the 
 divine, the holy, and the good, and those controlled by the 
 powers of evil. 
 
 It may be important to remark here, that inasmuch as 
 men have been controlled to utter words, without the voli- 
 
Xll PREFACE. 
 
 tion of their own minds, by good spirits, as in the case of 
 Balaam, the high priest before Pilate, and those who 
 spoke in unknown tongues ; and of evil spirits, as in the 
 case of those who cried out, being possessed of unclean 
 spirits, demons or devils, therefore the utterance of words 
 by a man controlled by an evil spirit physically, or by the 
 divine spirit mentally — that is, by infusing the thoughts 
 into the mind- -is no evidence of miraculous power. The 
 prophets who spake as they were moved by the Holy Spirit, 
 never claimed on account of that kind of inspiration that 
 it was miraculous. Balaam, the false prophet of Moab, 
 spoke falling into a trance, whether controlled by the di- 
 vine spirit or a familiar spirit. Some Christians enjoy the 
 witness, or the testimony of the Holy Spirit with their 
 spirits that they are the children of God, yet they never 
 think of calling it miraculous, though it is certainly a kind 
 of divine inspiratian. The powers of darkness, or the 
 prince of the powers in the air, work in the children of dis- 
 obedience — that is, influences and stimulates their lusts, 
 and moves their minds to commit evil. Hence, the apos- 
 tle urges those to whom he wrote to fight against the spirit 
 of wickedness in high places, to put on the whole armor of 
 God, and strive against the powers of darkness. 
 
 Thus, reader, you will perceive that the bible speaks of 
 two kinds of inspiration — an inspiration from the Al- 
 mighty or his appointed agents, and the devilish inspira- 
 tion of wicked or seducing spirits. 
 
 In conclusion, let mo say to the reader, u prove all things, 
 and hold on to that which is good" 
 
 THE AUTHOR. 
 
CHAPTER I. 
 
 On or about the 12th of September, in the 
 year 1862, the author was sitting at his desk 
 in the act of writing, and while so doing 
 there appeared a very strange phenomena in 
 his mental organism. An intelligence above 
 and beyond my own seemed to dictate all I 
 wished to write down, without premeditation 
 on my part. This strange and almost super- 
 natural occurrence awakened in me deep 
 thoughts as to what could be its cause. I at 
 first concluded that my mind must be a dual, 
 and that the better half had just awakened to 
 a consciousness of its power. To further as- 
 certain the cause of this very strange phase 
 of mental manifestation, I obtained a slip of 
 blank paper, and without any premeditation, 
 found that I could write upon any subject 
 without in the least exercising my own men- 
 tal faculties — I had simply to write down the 
 first word, the second, and the third and so 
 on, each word being put down as if some one 
 
 13 
 
14 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 was dictating the whole matter, and yet as if 
 it came from my own mind. 
 
 After experimenting thus for a short time, 
 I became more and more deeply interested, 
 and I procured several slips of paper, and to 
 my increased astonishment I found that the 
 phenomena still continued. But with the 
 strange fact that this seeming other mind of 
 mine dictated opinions entirely opposed to 
 those I then held on many subjects. Thus I 
 went on for a time. Having fully satisfied 
 my mind that the phenomena was a fixed fact, 
 I proceeded to finish the composition that I 
 was engaged upon. This being completed, I 
 commenced to write upon another subject, 
 and had penned but a few lines when I dis- 
 covered that that this seeming other mind ap- 
 peared willing to dictate, and therefore I 
 suspended for the time being the operation 
 of my own mind, and simply wrote down the 
 dictation of the new found intelligence. I 
 discovered that it was much easier to com- 
 pose in this manner than in the ordinary 
 method — in fact, so easy was this new method 
 of composition, that I found I had written 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR 15 
 
 a whole sheet over in half the time it usually 
 occupied me in writing the same. But what 
 most pleased me was the apparent fact that 
 the composition I was engaged upon showed 
 evidently great ability in the use of language, 
 and better taste in the arrangement of the 
 thoughts, and the use of metaphors, compar- 
 isons, &c, than I possessed. I was therefore 
 pleased, and highly gratified with what ap- 
 peared to be my other mind's productions. 
 
 Having satisfied myself so far, as to the fact, 
 that I had apparently two minds in the same 
 body, I resigned myself to musing on the 
 strangeness of this phenomena. I could not 
 remember to have ever read of any occur- 
 rence like this in any book which had come 
 under my observation. I remembered to 
 have heard, in a ministerial conference, the 
 fact suggested that the ancient prophets were 
 inspired in two ways: First, physically or 
 mechanically; that is, the hand being con- 
 trolled by divine power, wrote as the spirit 
 moved it to write. Or second, the mind was 
 so influenced that the divine idea came into 
 the mind of the prophet without any effort 
 
16 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 on his part, and, indeed, without his being 
 able fully to comprehend the subject which 
 was being written upon. I then remembered 
 the words of Paul, to the effect that some 
 ideas he obtained from the Lord, whilst other 
 ideas which he gave expression to were sim- 
 ply his own judgments in the matter. 
 
 Thus I went on musing, and revolving in 
 my own mind what this could signify, or 
 what could be the source of this so strangely 
 manifested power of composition. I stil\ 
 further tested this matter by placing my hand 
 upon paper, and found that this seeming other 
 mind, or it might be super-mundane intelli- 
 gence, was disposed to dictate. I therefore 
 requested an answer to the following question : 
 
 "Why is this war which is now being 
 waged by the rebels in the southern states 
 permitted to continue ?" To which I receiv- 
 ed the following answer : 
 
 " You dwellers in the form are too anxious 
 about the direction which great events take, 
 and for this reason ye can not make one hair 
 white or black." 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 17 
 
 Question. — " But would you not feel anx- 
 ious provided your house was on fire?" 
 
 Answer. — No, not unless my being anx- 
 ious would extinguish the fiarne. You are as 
 helpless as the nursing child, and we are not 
 permitted to help you/ 7 
 
 Question. — " Why are you not permitted 
 to help us, and so stop the war instantly?" 
 
 Answer. — " We have the power, but are not 
 permitted for a wise reason, for the very wise 
 reason that we are appointed as your instruc- 
 tors or teachers, and you would not expect 
 the teachers and instructors to set such an 
 example before their pupils." 
 
 Question. — "What! not stop a devastating 
 war? It is a part of the office and work of 
 teachers to settle disputes among their pu- 
 pils?" 
 
 Answer. — "Very true, but those engaged 
 in the war can do no actual harm. What 
 does Paul say in reference to this matter, in 
 Cor. vi., iii? Does he not say 'the saints shall 
 judge angels,' and if so, can wenot judge men? 
 Most certainly we can, and judge, too, in ref- 
 erence to the propriety or impropriety of 
 
18 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 stopping a war. "We have all power in our 
 sphere — we kill and make alive, we build and 
 we tear down. Then if so, why not leave it 
 all to us ? If you can not make one hair 
 white or black, then why, in the light of rea- 
 son, should you feel even an anxiety?" 
 
 Question* — " We may devise our way, 
 though God directs our steps ? " 
 
 Answer. — "Devise your way, yes, you can 
 do that, but what avails the devising your 
 way, if in the end it appears that every step 
 has been directed by an unseen power?' 9 
 
 Question.— "But, do not the rebels do 
 harm when they fill the land with devasta- 
 tion and bloodshed?" 
 
 Answer- — " Yes, but the waste, destruction 
 and sufferings are only temporary. In the 
 end it will work out the peaceable fruits of 
 righteousness. Do you not know that all 
 things are working together for good to 
 those who love God, to those who are called 
 according to His purpose; that is, to those 
 who are the children of God ; and are not all 
 children of God, (although some be in rebel- 
 lion) children of one common Father? Then 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 19 
 
 it will work out for their good as well asours. 
 We are the instruments to chastise them, and 
 we as their father will rejoice, that there is 
 seen in their conduct afterwards the peace- 
 able fruits of rignteousness. We must over- 
 throw the system of slavery, and to do that, 
 we set you to quarreling over it, just as if 
 two boys had caught a little harmless bird 
 which they both treated cruelly — yes both, 
 for the north has winked at the sin, and has 
 been more or less partakers in it. I say these 
 boys being both guilty, one perhaps more 
 than the other, but both guilty. Then, if we 
 should set them to quarreling, and in the 
 scuffle the bird should escape, would that not 
 be an exhibition of wisdom of the highest 
 order ? I know your reason admits it." 
 
 Question. — " But may they not succeed in 
 their designs of establishing that system of 
 polity which has been called the S sum of all 
 villanies,' and thus curse the world with a 
 large overgrown upas tree ? " 
 
 Answer. — " Not at all. We have never en- 
 tertained the design of letting them hold on 
 to the bird, else we would not have set you to 
 
20 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 quarreling. If we have the control, and our 
 hearts are in sympathy with the oppressed, 
 most surely we shall see that the bird makes 
 its escape, You well know that you both 
 have no need of this bird. God, your maker, 
 made it to be free as well as yourselves, and 
 to enjoy the inalienable right of liberty and 
 equality. All are made for enjoyment, each 
 in their several spheres of earth life." 
 
 Question. — "But when we scan the past, we 
 observe that great systems of error have aris- 
 en to flourish, and to curse the world. Why, 
 if saints and angels have control of the earth 
 life, did they allow such collossal statues of 
 evil to be raised." 
 
 Answer. — " We know best what a collossal 
 statue of evil is. At times which we well 
 understand, we can make collossal statues of 
 evil work together for good as well as minor 
 evils. Know you not that we have power, we 
 have all power of life or death over all the 
 inhabitants of the earth ; we are the educators 
 of the earth sphere ; we are the rulers as well 
 of spiritual wickedness in high places as in 
 low, as well in king's palaces as in lowly cots ; 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 21 
 
 we are the rulers of the hells as you call them; 
 we rule all below us in the scale of being. 
 Hence, we control the world and all things 
 therein — the elements, the winds, the storm, 
 the summers and winters, earthquakes, vol- 
 canic eruptions, simoons, and all pestilences, 
 famines and plagues, in fact, there is nothing 
 in the earth but what we control. As Paul 
 says, ' the saints shall judge the world,' that 
 is, rule it. The ancient judges were rulers, 
 hence, to be a judge, implies the power to 
 rule, control, and govern the destinies of 
 things. If the saints then are to judge the 
 world they must have entire control, and 
 hence, must govern and dispose of events as 
 in their judgment will best subserve the in- 
 terest of the world. What you suppose are 
 collosal statues of evil, are in reality only 
 forms of good ; you should know that saints 
 are those so far progressed in good that they 
 will do no evil, even if permitted. Then if they 
 have control of all events in the earth life, 
 and have wisdom to direct, surely, all will be 
 made to work together. 
 
 "As to the wisdom of the saints, we say 
 
22 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 they are wise, for they are all taught by God, 
 that is, through the instrumentality which 
 God has ordained to teach them. God ap- 
 points one order of beings to instruct others, 
 just as the father of a family is, by the divine 
 order, appointed to instruct his family, and 
 then in turn they will become the instructors 
 of others. Men are appointed to instruct 
 their fellow men, and by so doing instruct 
 themselves. 
 
 "You are an example of the meaning in- 
 tended to be conveyed. You begun by teach- 
 ing school, then in a mechanical way you 
 taught or instructed many in mechanics, then 
 in Sabbath-school, in the church ; in the Sun- 
 day-school missionary w T ork you taught many, 
 you have done well, have been faithful over 
 the few, therefore you shall be made ruler 
 over many. 
 
 "So God will make His saints wise to rule, 
 will give them wisdom, not of the world, but 
 of himself. As soon as any man fits himself 
 to be a workman, thoroughly furnished unto 
 every good word and work, then he shall be 
 
% 
 
 POWERS OF THE AIR. 23 
 
 exalted, and shall sit on a throne to judge 
 the tribes of Israel. 
 
 "You are now a ruler over many, and there- 
 fore will teach them these lessons, and do it 
 well 9 too, I well understand your method of 
 teaching — it is very impressive. But you are 
 to teach in a higher department, you are to 
 instruct even those who instructed you, and 
 they will wonder at your eloquence — even 
 fathers and mothers in Israel shall receive in- 
 struction at your hand. I know, too, that it 
 will be well done, for you are worthy. Let it 
 be recorded, for it will surely come to pass. 
 You are to go forth (having received the in- 
 spiration of God), to teach, to baptize all na- 
 tions in the name of the Father, and of the 
 Son, and of the Holy Ghost. You are com- 
 missioned to teach and to preach, and your 
 commission is not of man but of God. 
 
 "At the commencement of your work you 
 will be considered a person of small moment, 
 but what of that, you know your birthright, 
 you have wisdom and that will gain you the 
 respect of some ; you will be considered ec- 
 centric, and will receive some persecution ; 
 
24 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 but I desire it to be so, as it will give you an 
 air of independence of all creeds and opin- 
 ions. You will be guided in your sermoniz- 
 ing and addresses by myself, who was called 
 to the upper world for this very purpose. I 
 can control your mind to a very nice degree, 
 and being appointed to be with you, the na- 
 tions that sit in darkness shall receive glori- 
 ous light. A man has been appointed, who 
 will be your associate in this work, you will 
 be his guide and instructor, and so together 
 you will be thoroughly furnished unto every 
 good word and work. You see how your 
 hand moves, not by your own will, but by the 
 will of another; know ye. that that hand shall 
 do wonders in the earth. Keep humble, be 
 prayerful, trust in God. 
 
 "You need not immediately inform the 
 brother of his appointment, but wait for fu- 
 ture developement. 
 
 "Inasmuch as I saw you were very humble, 
 and did not desire to be first, I have consti- 
 tedyou the head of the commission. I have 
 constituted you the Mercury, the expounder 
 of Divinity, and he the Bostranger, the sim- 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 25 
 
 pie one but good. Your associate may be 
 dissatisfied, but he must submit, for so it is 
 decreed. You have been faithful in the few 
 things, therefore you shall be the ruler in 
 many. 
 
 "Do not be astonished or afraid when I tell 
 you that I am your Lord and Master, Jesus 
 Christ. I know your works, I know that 
 you are worthy, and therefore have I called 
 you. You need not be afraid of me, you 
 know I am your Savior, I have taken upon 
 myself your nature, and therefore am your 
 brother in very deed. Keep humble, and I 
 will arrange all things, and direct you in your 
 work." 
 
CHAPTER II. 
 
 Kind reader, this closes a very remarkable 
 communication* Remarkable as well from 
 the manner in which it came to me, as the 
 very remarkable announcements and decla- 
 rations contained in it. To me it came like a 
 peal of thunder in a clear sky. "What could 
 it mean ? I felt in some measure, I imagined 
 as did Isaiah, when there was revealed to him, 
 by a vision, the throne of the Almighty: 
 " Woe is me ! for I am undone ; because I am 
 a man of unclean lips, and dwell in the midst 
 of a people of unclean lips." I could not 
 think it possible that a man of such meager 
 talents as myself could be selected to carry 
 out so important a mission. 
 
 But I saw that it did not require talents, 
 because here was an intelligence, a wisdom 
 vastly above my own — a wisdom that could 
 be communicated to me with the utmost ease. 
 I remembered much that I had read on the 
 second coming of Christ. I knew well that 
 
 26 
 
POWERS OF THE AI&. 27 
 
 the six thousand years corresponding to the 
 six days of the week had nearly expired. By 
 the calculations of some they would expire in 
 1843, by others in 1848, but Dr. Cummings 
 and others had fixed the utmost limit in the 
 year 1866. That the mellenial sabbath of a 
 thousand years was soon to dawn I had not 
 the slightest doubt. How would the immor- 
 tal Jesus make His appearance ? Would He 
 come in the clouds of heaven, with power 
 and glory ? It was declared in holy writ, 
 " Te men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up 
 into heaven: this same Jesus which is taken 
 up from you into heaven shall so come in like 
 manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven." 
 This, and other passages of similar import, 
 seemed to indicate that He would make a 
 personal advent, and would preach in a mi- 
 raculous manner to the nations of the earth, 
 giving the truth greater moral power, and 
 thus consummating in a very short time the 
 fulfillment of the prophecy : " The heathen 
 shall be given to Jesus Christ for an inherit- 
 ance, and the uttermost parts of the earth 
 for his possessions," and thus would be ush- 
 
28 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 ered in the crowning glory of the work of 
 years, the millenial sabbath of the earth. 
 Other passages came trooping into my mind, 
 that seemed to in dicate that the great Messiah's 
 coming would be in spirit; that is, in the 
 hearts of his people, intensifying their piety, 
 inspiring in them a higher and holier zeal, 
 a loftier aspiration for truth, and giving them 
 a wisdom hitherto unrealized by man. This 
 would enable the church to apply with tran- 
 scendently greater power the moral forces of 
 the gospel. This consummation of the great 
 and most desired of all works, in the most 
 speedy manner possible would usher in mel- 
 enial glory, but in a different manner from 
 the one indicated. Among the passages of 
 Scripture occurring to my mind as bearing 
 upon this phase of the subject were these, 
 which seemed to settle at once the whole ques- 
 tion as to the manner of His coming. Jesus 
 said, "the kingdom of God cometh not with 
 observation : neither shall they say, lo here! or, 
 lo there ! for, behold, the kingdom of God is 
 within you/' Then again, it is said: "For 
 the kingdom of God is not meat and d?ink ; 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR.. • 29 
 
 but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the 
 Holy Ghost." That is, the practice of right- 
 eousness, or right doing, gives peace and joy 
 in the Holy Ghost. 
 
 Again : Jesus said, "the kingdom of heav- 
 en is like unto leaven which a woman hid in 
 three measures of meal until all was leaven- 
 ed." This passage, with the two quoted pre- 
 ceeding, very clearly settled the matter in my 
 mind that Christ's coming would be in spirit, 
 in the hearts of His people. As the leaven 
 penetrated to each individual particle of the 
 meal, subduing all to itself, so the gospel, 
 the kingdom of heaven, would reach every 
 heart, awaken the latent powers of the soul, 
 quicken the understanding, and purify the 
 conscience, thus making the man alive to all 
 his moral relations. Ah, thought I, this will 
 be the way, Christ as He has indicated in His 
 remarkable communication, will dictate the 
 sermons of His ministers, and the truth com- 
 ing burning hot from the lips of Him who 
 spoke as never man spake, will come down 
 with most powerful effect upon the hearts 
 and consciences of men, resulting in a most 
 
30 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 marked, even a miraculous effect upon them. 
 The truth, thus brought to bear, rolling on, 
 as the little stone cut out of a mountain with- 
 out hands, would soon fill the whole earth 
 with the praise of God. Thus I came, it 
 seemed to me, to the only conclusion I 
 could come to, to-wit: that I was inspired by 
 Jesus Christ himself, that I was promised all 
 needful aid, and that in the furtherance of 
 this wonderful work I should be the head 
 and leader of the commission. 
 
CHAPTER III. 
 
 Now, dear reader, imagine if you can my 
 position: called of God, through His son 
 Jesus Christ, to take the lead in a new dis- 
 pensation, called by evidences to me, seeming- 
 ly, as proof worthy as any evidences given to 
 the prophets and apostles. What do you think 
 were my feelings, what my emotions, thus to 
 be called to so great a work by the Lord Je- 
 sus Christ. .Leaning back in my chair I fell in- 
 to a deep reverie : Here I am the head of a 
 family, advanced to the meridian of life, with 
 limited influence, without fame, without hon- 
 ors ; called of God, inspired and commission- 
 ed by Jesus himself, to preach baptize, and 
 become the inspired leader of anew and glori- 
 ous dispensation. But this cheering thought 
 came soothingly to my inner soul, Jesus be- 
 ing my helper I can do all things, having 
 His wisdom I can not err, having His pres- 
 ence I shall not be comfortless, having His 
 power I shall be irresistable. 
 
 31 
 
32 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 It might be proper for me to remark here, 
 that I knew something of spiritualism; that 
 I had seen it in some of its grosser manifes- 
 tations, such as the tipping of tables, rappings 
 upon stands, boards, &c. On one occasion at 
 the house of a Quaker, I witnessed what is 
 called involuntary or mediumistic writing. 
 It appeared that some one desired informa- 
 tion with regard to a fortune of money which 
 they had a prospect of inheriting, and the 
 more perfectly, as they afterwards said, to as- 
 certain whether the Quaker's spirit friend 
 could read the thoughts of the persons pres- 
 ent, he did not disclose his object. The 
 Quaker having arrived from the field where 
 he had been at work previous to our calling 
 upon him, seated himself at the stand; this 
 done, a slate and pencil were placed before 
 him. He was a large, portly man, of about 
 fifty years of age, with an honest Quaker look. 
 Not many moments elapsed after having 
 seated himself, before his arm began to trem- 
 ble, then to move in the most violent manner. 
 Seizing the pencil by a dash of the hand, he 
 began to write in large, plain letters so fast 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 33 
 
 that I dould scarcely perceive the pencil from 
 the rapidity of the motion. The writing com- 
 pleted, the pencil dropped from his hand, and 
 all eyes were fastened on the writing, the 
 Quaker read the sentence, the others, with 
 myself looking over, which proceeded thus : 
 " Our mission to this world is not to recover 
 lost money, but to recover lost souls." Every 
 one looked astonished. The Quaker remark- 
 ed, that had he known the mission upon 
 which the gentleman came, he could have in- 
 formed him that the results would have been 
 precisely as they were. 
 
 The conversation then turned to a discus- 
 sion of the manner in which he first realized 
 the presence of the spirit friends, as he called 
 them, the substance of which was about this : 
 A grandchild living in the family, whose moth- 
 er having died, had at different times amused 
 itself by drawing lines and figures on the slate. 
 Upon one of these occasions there was found 
 written upon the slate these words : " Please 
 keep the child's hair from falling over its 
 eyes." From this time on, the child's hand 
 was frequently seen to trace lines of a similar 
 
34 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 character, and finally resulted in its writing 
 out several pieces of poetry, which, says the 
 Quaker, I have copied into a writing book, 
 and have them preserved. 
 
 I now distinctly remember that this cir- 
 cumstance awakened considerable reflection 
 within my mind, and my trains of thought 
 ran about in this manner : If spirits come 
 to this w r orld and if their mission is to save 
 souls, surely it can but result in a great good 
 to the race, and perhaps this may be the com- 
 mencement of the millenial dawn. But then, 
 upon the other hand, serious objections in- 
 terposed — first, I had observed that of all the 
 sentences tipped, wrapped or spelled out by 
 the use of the alphabet, I had never heard 
 an expression that seemed to indicate con- 
 cern in the least degree for the salvation of 
 lost souls — not even an exhortation to repent- 
 ance or the exercise of faith in the Lord 
 Jesus Christ. Believing, from the very nature 
 and constitution of God's moral government, 
 that a&en could not be saved without repent- 
 ance, godly sorrow for sin, and faith in the 
 Lord Jesus Christ, I therefore concluded that 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. S5 
 
 spiritualism could not be of God. Besides 
 I bad never witnessed in the life and conduct 
 of professed spiritualists any thing like inter- 
 est or concern for the salvation of men ; on 
 the contrary as far as I had observed, they 
 seemed to loose their spirituality and their 
 earnest piety. That is, If they had ever been 
 punctual in the attendance upon public wor- 
 ship they afterward attended less punctually ; 
 or if they had been in the habit of praying 
 fervently, they afterward prayed less fervent- 
 ly; if they had before shown considerable 
 interest in the salvation of their fellow men, 
 they appeared to manifest less interest. "This 
 fact caused me to loose confidence in spirtual- 
 ism as a moral and spiritual power for good 
 to the world. I had been of the opinion 
 that the millenial daws would begin by 
 deepening the piety of at least all professors 
 of religion, filling them with a loftier philan- 
 thropy—intensifying their desires for moral 
 purity, and giving them in the fullest sense 
 the spirit and temper of Jesus Christ. 
 
 But to return to my narative. After 
 finding that I was inspired (as I then be- 
 
36 POWERS OF THE AIR, 
 
 lieved), I resolved to submit it to the severest 
 tests. I obtained paper for a sermon and 
 seating myself at the writing desk, to my 
 surprise the inspiration came. I say surprise 
 because I had lingering doubts that all was 
 not " gold that glittered. " 
 
 The text prepared was in these words — 
 "Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all 
 her paths are paths of peace. " I wrote down 
 every word just as it was dictated, and it 
 was dictated as fast as I eouid possibly move 
 my pen. I felt happy, very happy, with 
 Jesus at my side, as I verily believed. As 
 the writing progressed I felt the more certain 
 that it was true because the style and diction 
 indicated a pure mind and heart 
 
 When I had thus written over about the 
 half of the paper, a neighbor dropped in to 
 see me. Passing a few words with him I 
 remarked that I was writing a sermon, and 
 to test his judgment as to the merits of the 
 production I read to him a few extracts. 
 He listened with marked attention, and at 
 the conclusion said: "It is too severe, too 
 sharp and cutting, in its style; the truth is 
 
POWEKS OF THE AIR. 37 
 
 made too plain — the people will not bear it. " 
 I replied by saying I thought the people 
 needed plain, pointed preaching. A few mor e 
 words passing between us, the friend left and 
 I went on with my writing, better than ever 
 satisfied that Brother Jesus, as he said I must 
 call him, was dictating every word. 
 
 Becoming a little weary I arose and went 
 into the garden, as was my custom, for a 
 walk. While passing to and fro, meditating 
 upon these strange occurrences, I distinctly 
 heard a " still small voice " saying, " I am 
 your Father and your God. " I was startled, 
 but the voice continued, saying; "Be not 
 afraid, I am your Father and your God a 
 I am the Almighty, the creater of all things. 
 In this manner I spake to the patriarchs of 
 old — to Adam, to Noah, to Abraham, Moses 
 and others." Notwithstanding these assur- 
 ances and the kindness of the manner and 
 tone of voice, I trembled and was near being 
 overcome, when the " still small voice " con- 
 tinued by saying: "Be not afraid, I am your 
 Father, and if a Father then why be afraid? 
 Should the presence of a kind earthly father 
 
38 POWERS OF THE AIR, 
 
 awaken fears in any one, much less in his 
 own children? lam your Maker and your 
 Father, and you are my child — my very dear 
 child ; child by creation and also by redemp- 
 tion, therefore you need not fear, " I became 
 composed, but felt that God had selected a 
 very poor instrument for so great a work^ 
 Then the voice went on to say ; " I have 
 chosen you to be my second Christ; I have 
 appointed Jesus, my son, to 'instruct you and 
 make you wise in all things — -to do my will 
 in the great work of man's salvation. " I 
 remarked (for I began to have some confi- 
 dence and assurance, the words seemed spoken 
 so kindly), that the scriptures would not be 
 fulfilled unless Jesus should come the second 
 time in the clouds of heaven, and every eye 
 behold him. To this the voice replied that 
 I should begin preaching in a very humble 
 manner, but through the wonderful wisdom 
 and unction that should characterize my 
 preaching I should become very noted. At 
 the close of my career I should be standing 
 in the pulpit of one of the best churches in 
 the land, and while addressing the people in 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 39 
 
 the most fervid mariner and while all eyes were 
 intently beholding me I should be caught up, 
 passing through the roof without injury as 
 the angels appointed would remove the tim- 
 bers and with a mighty hand scatter every 
 fragment of the church to the four winds. 
 Continuing my upward flight I should be 
 seated upon a cloud which would be prepared 
 for that especial purpose, and there remain 
 until the world should be made to revolve 
 upon its axis until one entire revolution had 
 been made, thus giving all the inhabitance of 
 the earth a view of their Messiah or Savior. 
 After listening to this most (to me) re- 
 markable declaration of my calling, future 
 course, &c, I returned to my study and con- 
 tinued the sermon which I believed was 
 being written by inspiration. I noticed, too, 
 as I took my seat, that my inspirer, who 
 called me brother, could speak to me as did 
 the father and in the same " still small voice." 
 From this time onward any remark he wished 
 *to make to me, instead of dictating the word 
 which I wrote down, he addressed me directly 
 — not apparently my mind through the in- 
 
40 POWERS OF TIIE AIR. 
 
 strumentality of my ear — but my mind di- 
 rectly. 
 
 I continued at my sermon but a short time 
 when matters of a domestic nature engaged 
 my attention and the sermon was laid aside 
 for the time being. 
 
 CHAPTER 
 
 It will be proper here to notice the person 
 alluded to at the close of the communication 
 in these words: "A man has been appointed 
 to be your associate in this work; you will 
 be his guide f»nd instructor, and so together 
 you will be thoroughly furnished unto every 
 good word and w^ork. " 
 
 This man alluded to was my particular 
 friend. Some five or six years previous to 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 41 
 
 the time of our acquaintance he experienced 
 religion. It was at a time when all his mental 
 and physical powers had arrived at their 
 fullest maturity — at a time when the excite- 
 ment of his emotional nature would not be 
 likely to lead him astray — but in the calm- 
 ness of his mature judgment he would be 
 fully competent to decide that he had met 
 with that change denominated in scripture, 
 " a being born of God. " A short time after 
 he had met with this great moral change, he 
 felt deeply impressed that it was his duty 
 to preach the gospel. For this holy work 
 his previous education and employments, 
 instead of being of that kind which would 
 have filled his mind with stores of moral 
 and spiritual truth, filled it with every thing 
 but that kind of truth. 
 
 Still unfitted as he was, he felt a clear con- 
 viction that it was his duty to proclaim that 
 truth which had emancipated his own soul 
 from the bondage of sin, so he resolutely set 
 himself to the work of preparing sermons. 
 Not being able to draw very largely from 
 books, and having so limited an acquaintance 
 
 4 
 
42 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 with the sacred Scriptures, he found that his 
 work progressed but slowly. In the intervals 
 of rest ad application he resorted to the habit 
 of pacing to and fro in his room. This 
 proved more successful in the matter of 
 sermonizing than application to books, for at 
 intervals strange and startling ideas came 
 rushing into his mind. These he secured by 
 jotting them down upon scraps of paper, and 
 pasting them upon the wall of the room. 
 After pacing thus for a length of [time, he 
 found that a sufficient number of ideas had 
 been gathered together to form the basis of 
 a good practical sermon. 
 
 Having met with such unexpected success 
 in collecting ideas, he resolved to continue 
 the practice in the future, rather than pour 
 over musty volumes of theology to obtain 
 them. But what might seem somewhat re- 
 markable to some, he found, by often repeat- 
 ing this method of preparing sermons, that 
 the ideas came more and more frequent and 
 with greater distinctness into his mind. Thus 
 he continued until after the lapse of a con- 
 siderable time he found that pacing the room 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 48 
 
 to and fro was entirely unnecessary. By 
 placing the text at the head of the page, 
 then composing his mind to a quiet, passive 
 state, he found that ideas flowed into his 
 brain as fast as the hand could place them 
 upon paper. After the expiration of two or 
 three hours he would find, upon reading, 
 that a well arranged and very appropriately 
 illustrated sermon had been penned. 
 
 At this time he knew not the source of 
 this strange kind of inspiration. He sup- 
 posed, as he expressed to me, that it was 
 simply a gift — a rich legacy from his creator. 
 
 He invited me to his study for the purpose 
 of witnessing some displays of his wonder- 
 ful powers of composition. We entered his 
 study together, and being seated he requested 
 me to select any subject I might choose and 
 write it down at the head of a sheet of paper, 
 and he would proceed to enlarge upon and 
 •develope the subject without any premedita- 
 tion whatever. This I found he could do 
 with the greatest ease, and with very great, 
 rapidity; but what seemed tQ me the strangest 
 
44 FOWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 of all peculiarities about this manner of wri- 
 ting was that he knew nothing more about 
 what he had written down than I did myself 
 before reading it. All he could say in answer 
 to questions propounded was that he render- 
 ed his mind as perfectly passive as possible. 
 Thus as one after another the words came 
 into his mind, as if dictated by some invisi- 
 ble person, he wrote them down with the 
 greatest possible dispatch. At the closing 
 up of the writing upon each subject given 
 him he seemed somewhat physically ex- 
 hausted, but his mind showed no signs of 
 languor or fatigue. 
 
 After repeated experiments in attempting 
 to determine the cause of this mental phe- 
 nomena, I came to the conclusion that a sub- 
 ject of so grave a character could not be 
 pronounced upon with the limited number 
 of facts before me. 
 
 To my clerical friend the facts presented 
 were as inexplicable as to myself. Had he 
 been controlled physically — that is, his hand 
 and arm been made to move mechanically 
 and without the volition of the mind, and 
 the ideas written down without the know- 
 
POWERS OP THE AIR. 45 
 
 ledge of the subject — I could have come more 
 readily to the conclusion that . it originated 
 from invisible intelligences. But that words 
 could be dictated to the mind of the subject 
 and by him communicated to paper from an 
 invisible being was vastly more difficult to 
 comprehend. 
 
 I repeatedly asked him in regard to his 
 not understanding the matter of the subject 
 written upon until it was read to him. He 
 seemed positive that he could not bring to 
 mind a single idea until he had read the sub- 
 ject matter of each communication. I re- 
 marked that it certainly was a phenomena of 
 mind which no writer upon that subject had 
 ever alluded to, and with this remark we 
 parted for the evening. 
 
 A few days after this interview with my 
 clerical friend, the thought occurred to me 
 that I could bring a test which would more 
 fully determine whether the ideas originated 
 from some hitherto latent powers of his 
 mind, or from a spirit intelligence. 
 
 The test which I thought of proposing 
 was to present to him a subject to be written 
 
16 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 upon which I was satisfied that neither of 
 us could possibly know any thing about. 
 The subject which I thought to propose was 
 that of the natural birth — a subject which 
 all must admit is shrouded in great mystery, 
 especially as it regards the origin of the 
 human soul, as to whether it is from either 
 parent or directly from God. I here subjoin 
 the question and the reply given to it: 
 
 Question. — How is the human soul in- 
 troduced into the unborn child, and from 
 whence do the souls of men come? 
 
 Answer, — There are two realms — first, 
 matter filled with spirit, and second, spirit 
 free of material incumbrance. The great 
 spirit world in which all the material worlds 
 are floating is spirit positive ; the soul world 
 is spirit negative. In this tremendous ocean 
 of spirit positive there floats myriads of ex- 
 istences in the form of Monads, rained down 
 from the Infinite, each one a particle of soul 
 given off (so to speak) from the Great Eternal 
 Mind. The Monads are not spirit negative, 
 such as is contained in and constitutes the 
 world of matter in all its million forms of 
 beast, bird, reptile, and vegitation. Neither 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 47 
 
 is it spirit positive, such as constitutes the 
 sea, in which the worlds do float and whose 
 purer sphere constitutes the breathing ele- 
 ment of disembodied spirit, — but they are 
 the original soul germs of immortal beings. 
 They are particles of the Deific Mind — 
 unique, unpartialed, homogeneous, old as 
 Deity yet young as the new born infant — 
 ajways existed, ever will exist. If you eould 
 see as disembodied spirits see, your gaze 
 would be directed to the fine, soft, and glori- 
 ous silvery sea spreading away in all direc- 
 tions. In this clear expanse floats uncounted 
 myriads of these globular, unparticled monads, 
 all infinitesimal m volume and each one 
 enveloped in a fine electical substance which 
 surrounds them perfectly. The spiritual 
 waves bear them on towards the earth life. 
 By a mysterious power they are drawn to 
 the human male brain through the lungs. 
 There they remain until a certain physical 
 act is performed, when they descend, effect 
 their mission, and the incarnation of a soul 
 is effected and made ready to enter upon a 
 new career of being. 
 
 After reading this reply to my question, 
 
48 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 we both agreed that the subject was admira- 
 bly treated and, so far as v:e knew, very truth- 
 fully ; for it seemed but an expansion of Sol- 
 omon's declaration : " The spirit shall re- 
 turn to God who gave it." Thus matters 
 stood when the phenomena in relation to 
 my own mental exercises occurred. The ex- 
 periences of my friend were so very nearly 
 similar to my own that I could scarcely have 
 a doubt of his inspiration. Only these dif- 
 ferences seemed manifest between his experi- 
 ence and my own, his inspiration came by 
 degrees — my own came suddenly. His mind, 
 like my own, was impressed with the words, 
 but not, as in my case, so distinctly as to ap- 
 pear to the mind as words spoken by another. 
 The reader will remember that the spirit 
 intelligence that addressed me in the garden 
 claimed to be the Almighty, but the one who 
 dictated the sermon represented himself as be- 
 ing the Lord Jesus Christ. Notwithstanding 
 their positive declarations as to their identity, 
 and all the evidence corroborative of the fact, 
 an occasional doubt would flit across my 
 mind. I knew the utter folly of obeying the 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR 49 
 
 voice of an invisible intelligence unless there 
 was sufficient evidence of the identity of the 
 persons who spoke, and as the awe first in- 
 spired by the alledged divine presence had 
 begun to subside I, therefore, resolved to ask 
 some questions which, if answered, would re- 
 solve all my doubts and make my duty plain 
 before me. I was willing to obey the Lord 
 in any thing He might require, if I could 
 really satisfy myself that it was the Lord Je- 
 hovah who had called me. I therefore ad- 
 dressed the intelligence in language somewhat 
 after the following manner: " If thou art 
 the Almighty Father of us all wilt thou in- 
 form me as to the manner in which the worlds 
 were made and placed in the positions they 
 now occupy." 
 
 To which the intelligence replied in man- 
 ner something like this : " My son, I will 
 answer your question because it would not 
 be right to require a child to perform a work 
 of so grave a character without full and satis- 
 factory evidence of the divine authority of the 
 command. I will, therefore, to further assure 
 your mind, and to resolve all doubts of my 
 
50 POWERS OE THE AIR. 
 
 identity, give you a condensed history of my 
 work as the Creator of the universe, or rath- 
 er of the seven universes which I have al- 
 ready made." 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 "In revealing this to you, my child, I shall 
 use familiar language — it would not become 
 me as your maker to use other. 
 
 "Know, then, the gradations of matter or 
 substances : First, Spirit is the inner princi- 
 ple of matter, mind, or soul, the inmost 
 of spirit; and Think the life-principle of 
 soul, and God, your Creator, the inner life- 
 giving principle of think; therefore I am the 
 All in All. The vast ocean of spirit essence 
 in which all the worlds and universes of 
 worlds are floating, is spirit positive, and it 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 51 
 
 is the inner life-principle of matter in all its 
 varied forms of crystalization, plants, trees, 
 and animal life. 
 
 "The material worlds, which are the source 
 of all spirit existences, are made from the 
 great ocean of molten matter which forms the 
 basis of this universe of worlds. From this 
 vast, and by mortals incomprehensible, ocean 
 of liquid fire there arises clouds of vapor, or 
 matter in the sublimated form. These clouds 
 of matter are set in motion by positive and 
 negative currents of electricity. The friction 
 caused by the rotating motion produces con- 
 densation, and condensation evolves heat 
 — the heat causes the mass to retain the fluid 
 condition until the increased velocity of the 
 motion causes the immense mass to throw off 
 large bodies of the molten fluid, these form 
 the primary planets of the system. They in 
 turn, from the increasing rapidity of their ro- 
 tating motion, first assume the oblate sphe- 
 roid, and then from their equatorial surface 
 other masses are evolved which, after assum- 
 ing the globular form, constitute the moons 
 or secondary planets. 
 
52 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 "But when the elemental matter of the 
 primary planets, as it waxes more and more in- 
 flexible, is thrown off it often remains unbrok- 
 en. When this takes place a ringed satellite 
 is formed, and when the velocity of the plan- 
 et is still farther increased, and the amount 
 of matter remaining in the vast orb is suffi- 
 cient, then two or three ringed satellites, be- 
 sides several globular ones, are the result. 
 The planet known in your world by the name 
 of Saturn is an example of the kind allud- 
 ed to. 
 
 " When the molten globe thrown off from 
 the sun is of insufficient size to evolve the 
 ringed or globular satellites, then it continues 
 to revolve without them, as does your planet 
 Mercury, without even a single moon to beau- 
 tify the nights and render them more pleas- 
 ant to the myriads who may inhabit it. The 
 molten globe remaining after the matter con- 
 stituting the primary and secondary planets 
 has been thrown off becomes the central sun 
 of that system. This sun, according to the 
 laws which I have established, must contain 
 in weight the exact amount of matter that all 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 53 
 
 the planets and satellites put together contain 
 which have been evolved or thrown from its 
 surface. 
 
 "The youth period of each planet, embraces 
 the time which elapses between the evolution 
 or birth period, and the stage of the planet 
 when its surface crust has arrived at a consid- 
 erable degree of thickness, and the action of 
 the elements has pulverized its rocks into the 
 coarsest soils capable of sustaining the lowest 
 forms of vegetation. 
 
 " The time which elapses from the first ap- 
 pearance of vegetation upon the planet until 
 sentient existence in its myriad forms of ani- 
 malcula, reptile, insect, and fully perfected 
 animal life has made their appearance, is call- 
 ed the manhood of the planet. 
 
 "But as there was a time when the planet, 
 by reason of its heat, could not sustain veg- 
 etable or animal life, so in the lapse of ages 
 there must arrive a time when the earth shall 
 have parted with so much of its heat that its 
 frigid and desolate condition would not ad- 
 mit of animal or vegetable life being produc- 
 
54 POWERS OF TIIE AIR. 
 
 ed even in their lowest forms. This period is 
 called the old age of the planet. 
 
 "Thus you must perceive that worlds wear 
 out, waxing old us doth a garment. At this 
 stage of the planet's existence the law which 
 sustains them in mid-heaven is suspended, 
 and they drop, like untimely fruit, into the 
 bosom of mother ocean from whence they 
 sprang. Having been dissolved by the fervid 
 heat of that vast ocean of liquid fire, they 
 are again raised in vapor, to go through the 
 same process as before, of nebulous forma- 
 tion, condensation, and new world-formation. 
 
 "You will therefore perceive the grand and 
 awful truth that with every world, as well as 
 with every rational creature, there must ar- 
 rive a period of time called the judgment day. 
 Jesus, my Son, informed you that in the last 
 day he would come in the clouds of heaven, 
 with power and great glory, and then shall 
 he sit upon the throne of his glory, and be- 
 fore him shall be gathered all the nations, 
 and he will separate them as a shepherd di- 
 vides his sheep from the goats, and he shall 
 set the sheep on his right hand but the goats 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 55 
 
 on his left. Then shall he say to those on 
 his right hand, ' Come, ye blessed of my 
 Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for 
 you from the foundations of the world/ But 
 to those on his left hand will he say, 'Depart 
 from me, ye accursed, into everlasting tire, 
 prepared for the devil and his angels.' You 
 will perceive from this, my son, that not only 
 the worn out worlds are cast into the lake of 
 fire, but all the wicked — the chaff, the un- 
 fruitful trees — go with them. But the children 
 of the kingdom — the wheat — shall be gather- 
 ed into my garner above, to go no more out 
 forever, 
 
 "But you will ask to what garner are 
 they gathered. I will tell you. Very far 
 above the universe to which your planetary 
 system belongs, there is another universe of 
 worlds, made up of infinitesimal particles 
 thrown oft* from the worlds of this universe. 
 These finer particles ascend as they escape 
 from each world just on the same principle 
 that vapor ascends from the ocean and forms 
 clouds ; or on the same principle and in the 
 same manner as the grosser elements, from 
 
56 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 which your worlds were made, arise from the 
 great ocean of unquenchable fire below, 
 
 "These infinitesimal particles are aggregat- 
 ed and condensed into globes of immense size, 
 from which are thrown off their moons and 
 ringed satellites, just as is done in your gross- 
 er material universe, only that this whole uni- 
 verse of worlds is beyond all comprehen- 
 sion of finite creatures most grand and inex- 
 pressibly glorious, 
 
 "The fine, soft, ethereal sea in which these 
 countless suns and worlds are floating, is the 
 source of a life of as much higher type as hu- 
 man life in your world is above that of the 
 snail that crawls with measured slowness. 
 But grand and beautiful as those worlds may 
 seem to be, as compared with the worlds of 
 your own universe, still there is another 
 universe above that still more grand and 
 glorious. The material of this universe is 
 derived from the one below it — being com- 
 posed of the inconceivable fine, soft, and 
 glowing particles which rise like a vast ex- 
 halation to the regions above this universe, 
 forming, when aggregated and condensed, in- 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 57 
 
 to worlds by similar laws and in the manner 
 alluded to before — another universe, as much 
 more grand, and imposing, and beautiful as 
 the one next below it is more glorious than 
 the rudimentary universe to which your sun 
 and planets belong. 
 
 "As the first universe above your own is 
 called the first heaven, so the one just describ- 
 ed by the order must be the second; and an- 
 other above that, made up of rejected par- 
 ticles from the second, is called the fourth uni- 
 verse but the third heaven; so another above 
 the third having been created in the same 
 manner and by the same general laws which 
 I have established, is denominated the fourth 
 heaven. Another above this called the fifth, 
 and still another called the sixth heaven, 
 when you reach the universe globe called the 
 seventh heaven, or the heaven of heavens. 
 Of the glories which attach to and surround 
 that super-celestial abode of the righteous no 
 finite mind has or can conceive. 
 
 "If the light from your sun clothes all na- 
 ture in your world with such glories as you 
 behold, what, think you, must be the trans- 
 
 5 
 
58 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 cendent glories of that light which emanates 
 from my great white throne, and these par- 
 ticles of the finest, purest, and softest light, 
 reflected and refracted from countless forms 
 of immeasurably refined plants, flowers, 
 shrubs, and trees ? 
 
 " On this vast universe globe which consti- 
 tutes the super-celestial heaven, or the heav- 
 en^of heavens, is to be found the New Jerusa- 
 lem. Its walls are represented as being built 
 of what in your world is considered the most 
 precious and costly stones ; the magnificent 
 and lofty gates of solid pearl; the streets 
 paved with gold. In that great city is to be 
 found my palace, and within that the great 
 white throne, which is the throne above all 
 thrones, principalities, and dominions. There 
 my glory dwells, and there centers all that is 
 ineffably sublime and exquisitly unique and 
 beautiful. 
 
 " This magnificent city of all cities constitutes 
 the audience chamber of the great, grand uni- 
 verse of universes, or heaven of heavens. It 
 is the place where I delight to honor those 
 
POWERS OP THE AIR. 59 
 
 who, under great tribulation and in the fiery 
 furnace of severe trial, have honored me. 
 
 " But grand and magnificent as all these vast 
 universes of worlds may appear to you, they 
 constitute but a very small portion of my vast 
 empire, for outside of these universes of worlds 
 and upon every side is to be found my chaos, 
 or matter in an unorganized and unparticled 
 state. But my empire does not stop at this 
 point, for the infinite regions beyond this I 
 call my space, where through the ages to come 
 I intend to display my creative power to 
 admiring universes of intelligences in the pro- 
 duction of still greater and more magnificent 
 universes of worlds than has hitherto been 
 beheld. This shows me to be a being that 
 delights not in inglorious ease, but in work- 
 ing out the great, grand problems of universal 
 empire. 
 
 " But do you suppose that the organized 
 universes of worlds which fill up with shining 
 orbs the different heavens and the chaotic 
 universe and the universe of space to be the 
 full extent of my empire ? I tell you it is not, 
 for my empire extends as far beyond the 
 
60 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 utmost verge of my space as it is possible for 
 me to think; yea, it extends farther than that 
 — it extends even as far as I ever will think. 
 Thus, if yon can conceive of so vast an 
 empire and not let reason totter from its 
 throne, you have a faint outline of my past 
 and prospective handiwork. 
 
 " Men of your earth have thoughts, and when 
 fully matured they seek to externalize them 
 in all the varied forms of mechanism, 
 sculpture, painting, poetry, prose, and the 
 like. So the created universes and the 
 mighty hosts thereof are my thoughts exter- 
 nalized. These thoughts proceed from me in 
 regular order, and constitute the grand pro- 
 cession of the ages. 
 
 N As insignificant as man may appear to be 
 in his unregenerate, unrenewed state, still 
 when born and quickened by my spirit and 
 created anew after the image of Jesus, my 
 son, he becomes a microcasm — a universe 
 within himself. An angel might comprehend 
 one single faculty of man as it now is, but to 
 comprehend that faculty as it will be in its 
 full, perfected strength, the mightiest angel 
 
POWERS OP THE AIR. 61 
 
 intellect would be inadequate. Could you 
 know what man must become to be the 
 master-piece — the crowning glory of the infi- 
 nite uncreated mind — you would then know 
 in what estimation man's powers of mind and 
 soul should be held. How very little man 
 knows of himself. There yet remains im- 
 mense oceans, gulfs, bays, and even whole 
 continents of yet unexplored territory within 
 that sublime and wonderful composition, The 
 Human Mind. 
 
 "But know thou the order and gradation of 
 spirit being. The unsaved of earth as they 
 drop their earthly material dwellings pass 
 into the air and are invisible to those remain- 
 ing in the form. So the saved of earth life, 
 when their spirits are freed from the mortal 
 prison, pass up and beyond the air to the first 
 heaven, but so very much finer and purer are 
 these spirit forms that they are entirely invis- 
 ible to the gross and impure spirits of the air. 
 Also those of earth life who having become 
 so morally pure as to be prepared to enter 
 the second heaven are, as they escape from 
 their bodies, invisible not only to the grossly 
 
62 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 impure spirits of the air, but also to those in 
 the first heaven. So also those who, by right 
 living and right doing have fitted themselves 
 for an entrance into the third heaven, are also 
 so etherial and refined as to be invisible to 
 any below them in the heavenly scale of 
 being. 
 
 " This same order continues until the high- 
 est, the super-celestial, heaven is reached. 
 There the only invisible beings are myself 
 and my son, who is equal with me in every 
 divine perfection. But as we can reveal 
 ourselves at pleasure to any and all the 
 creatures we have made, so by special permis- 
 sion the intelligences of each of the several 
 heavens may reveal themselves to those below 
 them in the divine order of gradation. This 
 order we have established that the higher 
 orders of intelligences may be the better able 
 to rule those below them. 
 
 "By this arrangement intelligences from all 
 the different heavens may visit your earth, 
 and yet the corrupt, wicked spirits of your 
 air would be as insensible of their presence as 
 those still remaining in the body. 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 63 
 
 "As the Anglo-Saxon and German races 
 have now grown so sensitive that spirits can 
 impress their minds, and in many instances 
 control their bodies, so I have determined to 
 introduce a new dispensation, and for this 
 purpose I have called you and your friend to 
 open and prepare the way for its introduction. 
 Be humble, prayerful, and faithful, and all 
 will be well. 
 
 CHAPTER Vh 
 
 This Communication, with the one pre- 
 ceding it, so won on my confidence that I 
 scarcely entertained a doubt but that this 
 emanated from the source it professed to. I 
 felt that it must be a stupendous piece of 
 folly, or a magnificent scheme for the glory of 
 
64 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 God in the salvation of all the nations of the 
 earth. 
 
 I often visited my friend, and as I then 
 believed my divinely appointed companion in 
 labors for the introduction and organization 
 of a new church whose ministers should all be 
 inspired and imbued with the highest wisdom, 
 and that, too, direct from the great author 
 and source of all wisdom. We conversed 
 together upon all these great topics thus far 
 introduced, and we were of one mind. Our 
 moral sympathies seemed to flow together 
 like two streams of water. 
 
 About this time as we were conversing 
 upon the all absorbing topics of the new dis- 
 pensation (we were sitting in his parlor) all 
 at once his countenance assumed an altered 
 appearance, — the tone of his voice changed, 
 and I soon found myself conversing with an- 
 other person. He was in what I considered 
 the trance state. The spirit intelligence con- 
 trolling him claimed to be his twin sister. 
 The conversation turned upon the subject of 
 her decease, and especially the manner in 
 which she had succeeded in gaining first 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 65 
 
 mental, and then, as at present, entire physi- 
 cal control. She stated that she was fully 
 aware of her brother's unfitness for the gospel 
 ministry because of his early training, and 
 his great ignorance of the Scriptures, and 
 theology in general. But such was her sym- 
 pathy for him and his family that she had 
 determined to overcome all these obstacles by 
 obtaining from lofty intelligences such aid 
 as he might need in the preparation of his 
 sermons. She also stated that she was very 
 much endeared to her brother, being an only 
 sister, and she felt great interest in the great 
 enterprise we were about to engage in, and 
 assured me that we would have all necessary 
 aid, and particularly that her brother could, 
 in time, be controlled by spirits so as to 
 astonish the world by his divine eloquence 
 and words of wisdom. 
 
 She desired me to aid her brother in filling 
 the position he then occupied as under shep- 
 herd of the chosen of God, She also directed 
 me to purchase a blank book, and to carefully 
 copy into it all the communications they 
 
66 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 might from time to time give us to properly 
 prepare our minds for the great work. 
 
 I wished to be informed how soon we 
 should be ready to commence our labors. 
 She replied that it would be some considera- 
 ble time before the great ship of the new 
 dispensation would be properly freighted, but 
 that as soon as all things were ready we 
 should be notified. She then went on to 
 state that we might expect, through her 
 brother, a communication from some lofty in- 
 telligence upon the present aspects of spirit- 
 ualism, and why it had made its appearance 
 in just the manner it had. From this time 
 onward she stated that if I wished to con- 
 verse with her personally at any time I should 
 signify it by a distinct mental desire, and 
 she would immediately cause him to pass into 
 the trance state, by gaining mesmeric control 
 of his vocal organs, and then would answer 
 any questions I might propound. With this 
 arrangement she released him from the con- 
 dition he was then in, and immediately he re- 
 marked as he gained control of himself, " I 
 think I must have been asleep. " I informed 
 
POWEBS OF TAE AIR. 67 
 
 him that he had been in a trance state and 
 had been conversing for some time. He 
 wished to know what he had said. I inform- 
 ed him of some things that we had conversed 
 about, but some I kept to myself. 
 
 CHAPTTR VI/ 
 
 I here subjoin the communication received 
 through him, as alluded to above : 
 
 COMMUNICATION. 
 
 "How strange that men always are anxious 
 to learn that which is perfectly useless. 
 Angels and spirits do not attach any import- 
 ance to many of the propositions which your 
 teachers of theology are so anxious to sustain, 
 because it matters not at all whether we 
 adopt the theory that this globe was, from 
 
68 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 its infancy to its present state, progressed 
 out of chaos by separate acts of creation 
 under the fiat of the Almighty, or whether 
 we believe the progress of growth has been 
 one of development out of the life principle 
 so imposed upon the new world at its birth 
 that time could not go on without their un- 
 folding gradually and according to a law. 
 
 " The great fact is admitted by all, indepen- 
 dent of these theories of growth, that there 
 has been what may be conveniently called 
 Creative Epochs in this world's history, which 
 are distinctly marked as divisions of time, 
 though the precise beginings or endings have 
 eluded the search of the best of our sciences. 
 There was a time we know, as do you, when 
 your earth, now so beautifully clothed with 
 vegetation, was bare of all growing things. 
 So there was a time when that vegetation 
 began to creep over this earth's surface. 
 There was a time when animal life could 
 not exist by breathing this atmosphere, there- 
 fore there must have been a time when 
 animal life had a beginning. There was a 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 69 
 
 time, too, when man was not and when he 
 began to people the earth. All of earth is 
 not eternal, because it is not immortal; not 
 being immortal it must have had a begining, 
 and that, too, by a law older than itself. 
 These epochs have come gradually, not only 
 in reference to the whole earth's great de- 
 velopment, but this is not all. Each epoch 
 has in itself been the subject of a gradual 
 introduction and growth, and a gradual 
 decay and disappearance as it has given way 
 to its succeeding epoch. 
 
 "Kemember that each epoch is but the 
 foundation for or on which the epoch suc- 
 ceeding it has been built up. Each epoch 
 has sprung into being not complete and 
 finished, but from germinal beginnings that 
 have found their life and sustenance in the 
 ashes of the past — each successive epoch 
 furnishing in its ashes material for a higher 
 growth in the scale of being. These epochs 
 have succeeded in regular series, and the 
 last so-called act of creation was the coming 
 of Man. 
 
70 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 " Far back in the East we discern glimmer- 
 ings of light upon the question ; when and 
 how the human race began its career on the 
 earth. But they are merest glimmerings, 
 and convey to you nor us no more than the 
 beautiful, simple, record of the Bible that 
 God created man in his own image and called 
 him Adam. But mark through what vicisi- 
 tudes of life — what changes and varieties of 
 condition. "What growth and refinement, 
 physical and spiritual, this race has been 
 brought to its present fine development can 
 not be stated in any brief compendium. 
 
 " That this world, however, is progressing 
 as heretofore to some mighty yet higher con- 
 dition, and that the beings that are ultimately 
 to inhabit it will rank higher in the scale of 
 being than its present inhabitants, is incon- 
 trovertibly inferred by all analogy, and is 
 received by all Christians at least — if not by 
 all civilized people — as an event which awaits 
 only the sure fulfillment of prophecy. No 
 wise human being will dare to say that even 
 in his life time there may not be developments 
 promising things yet to be which were never 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 71 
 
 dreamed of before his day. You know not 
 where to look for the coming great change. 
 But we know, through the Christian dispen- 
 sation, what the signs shall be when the great 
 change approaches. That it will be gradual 
 we infer from analogy. That it will come 
 silently, without proclamation, like a thief in 
 the night, we know, and you believe, from 
 revelation. 
 
 "It is but a few years since the American 
 nation was surprised and amused with the 
 tidings of what were first called the Rochester 
 knockings. By most persons the story was 
 entirely disbelieved and deemed totally un- 
 worthy a second thought, much less of serious 
 consideration. But mark, from that little 
 beginning what a strange progress and start- 
 ling development the thing called spiritualism 
 has made. Subject to ridicule the most 
 sarcastic that could be invented; to instiga- 
 tions and tests as various as there are vari- 
 eties of conceits in the human brain; ex- 
 plained over and over again by as many 
 different theories as men had time to examine 
 — theories frequently militating against each 
 
72 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 other, so that the defender of the cause can 
 often find his best arguments in the mouths 
 of those who think to condemn it — the most 
 educated class of the people all arrayed 
 in stern opposition; the church thundering 
 its anathemas against it, with a bitterness, 
 too, which, had it been sustained by public 
 opinion, would have brought the early vota- 
 ries of spiritualism to the fiery stake. 
 
 "Little understood, — often misunderstood 
 and condemned, — used and abused in every 
 way — still the glaring fact remains, that no 
 cause, moral or religious, civil or intellectual, 
 physical or spiritual, ever made such progress 
 in securing the more or less enlightened faith 
 of men than this same cause of spiritualism. 
 
 Its active opponents seem to have given up 
 the fruitless attempt to stop it, and to have 
 sunk back from their labors, seeking conso- 
 lation in the thought that if it contained not 
 truth it could not prevail. They have left it 
 where indeed they have found it, in God's 
 hands, to manage according to his own wis- 
 dom and high behest. As to the result, as 
 far as our observation goes, the community is 
 
POWERS OF THE AIE. 73 
 
 divided Into two large classes, namely — those 
 who believe in spiritualism in the broad 
 acceptation of the term, and those who do 
 not believe in it, but think there must or may- 
 be something in it. The number of those 
 who utterly reject all its facts and phenomena 
 as trickery are too small to be named as a 
 class. 
 
 "In order that you may become a mighty 
 instrumentality in the hands of our Heavenly 
 Father, we are permitted to point out the 
 re-cks on which thousands of poor mortal's 
 barques are wrecked through the abuse of spirit- 
 ualism — -through ignorance of its laws and a 
 lack of knowledge of its vast powers. 
 
 "My brother, pray heartily for God's great 
 blessing on your work and ours,— pray that 
 there may soon come more positive fruits of 
 our united labors ; and when you and we, in 
 the grand future, shall have to confess the 
 wonder-working of an all wise father who 
 rules these great events as he does all others 
 — yes, even the confession of your by-and-by 
 deep experience that shall awaken your spirit 
 into new life, leading it to pray daily that it 
 
74 POWERS OF THE AIE, 
 
 may be so privileged of God as to do its 
 humble part in bringing his kingdom on the 
 earth, in seeing that his will is done here even 
 as it is done in heaven, 
 
 "Reverently "vve write what we do know 
 and what we have received from others who 
 can not lie. We would be humble even as a 
 little child seeking for truth with God's bless- 
 ing on our prayers and efforts. My brother,, 
 let me say to yon that a large proportion of 
 those who believe in the actuality of the phe- 
 nomena have no confidence in it 'because 
 they see neither in the mediums nor in much 
 of the phenomena any special characteristics 
 that mark the high or the holy, for alas, they 
 partake of all degrees, from the highest of 
 heaven's blessed truths to the lowest of hell's 
 horrors/ 
 
 "The wrong term has been used — it should 
 have been spiritism, or demonism in the orig- 
 inal sense of that term, because if the good 
 spirits can come to bless why could not the 
 bad ones come also? If the low could come, 
 why not the high and the pure, seeing that 
 the same law governs both worlds? God 
 
POWERS OF TAE AIR. 75 
 
 works by general laws and special providence. 
 " The thinking world finds itself continually 
 perplexed, sometimes beyond endurance, by 
 the absurdities, the contradictions, the follies, 
 and even the wickedness, that breaks in upon 
 them under the guise of spiritualism. Alas, 
 poor humanity, weary and worn with its 
 laborious search after truth — often ready to 
 sink in the turmoil of doubts that surround 
 them. They welcome any explanation, in- 
 complete though they know it be, as sufficient 
 to afford them a retreat wherein they may 
 have some rest. They do not intend to deny 
 the fact of the manifestations. They know 
 that they can not be denied and so give their 
 willing consent to the scientific theory of 
 vdilic force. The world was satisfied for a 
 time (being weary) to rest within its shelter. 
 It sufficed to give them a moment's respite 
 only to renew the inquiry with increased 
 earnestness, determined by God's aid, to find 
 the truth which they knew only awaited 
 those who strove humbly after it. ' Knock 
 and it shall be opened unto you, seek and ye 
 shall find' were blessed words of encourage- 
 
na 
 
 7b POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 ment which gave them new strength. They 
 seek the truth only for the truth's sake. They 
 trusted that God would guide them through 
 all their deviations from the right path. 
 This is the state of the truly pious world on 
 your earth to-day — yes, of millions. They 
 are praying to God that if there is any good 
 in these manifestations that they may learn 
 to know it in their own experience. They 
 ask to know in their own consciousness the 
 external and internal cause of the presence of 
 the spirit world about them, and glory be to 
 God, at last the answer begins to come. 
 
 "Thousands are becoming conscious of 
 some power communicating mighty and mys- 
 terious influences. Each day is advancing 
 the truth. Thousands scattered up and down 
 the highways of life feel a power mysteriously 
 aiding their search after truth and saving 
 them from errors committed by those who 
 have not known the wonder workings of a 
 true appeal to the Great Father of all spirits. 
 Yes, and think you not that a new organiza- 
 tion and church government is not necessary; 
 think you not that new ministers of a mighty 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 77 
 
 and glorious revelation is not demanded by 
 this power? 
 
 "In this, as in all other subjects that may 
 interest the human mind, too much or too 
 sudden knowledge topples the reason and 
 opens the way for folly to enter m. God in 
 his mercy has sent the world this message — 
 1 Ye shall have the truth as fast as ye can 
 bear it, for if it should come as fast as it 
 could be given it would craze every brain. 
 
 " We have thus shown you of the world's 
 progress through certain stages of develop- 
 ment in spiritualism. By this you will see 
 that while such forms of mediumship have 
 their use for the purpose of introducing 
 spiritualism to the world's notice, they are 
 far from the highest forms. The highest 
 form of mediumship is that in which the in- 
 dividuality of the medium is most developed 
 and the most active, so that the medium self 
 being a spirit in the body may draw directly 
 from the great spiritual fountain of God's 
 infinite mercy, truth and power. In other 
 words, the highest mediumship is what has 
 hitherto been vaguely known as inspiration, 
 
78 POWERS OP THE AIR. 
 
 and the desire and capacity for it depends 
 upon holiness of heart in the individual ; but 
 each one must work out his own position in 
 very truth, but not without aid. The power 
 of prayer is mighty. The Great Father of 
 spirits will send us such influences as we 
 truly need and ask for. l Ask and ye shall 
 receive/ yes even the desired presence of the 
 blessed spirit of Jesus. 
 
 " True spiritualism (not spmt-ism) teaches 
 us that truth is handed down by gradation 
 from the great central fountain of God's eter- 
 nal wisdom and love through the various con- 
 ditions of spirit life which rise from one to 
 another in the many mansions, each nearer to 
 the source of direct inspiration — the all-wise 
 Father, even the Almighty. 
 
 "I would have you know that a mighty 
 struggle for dominion between the powers of 
 darkness and the powers who love the good 
 is now going on, and that it is yet to sweep 
 over the entire globe, for the wisdom of God 
 is even more mighty than the folly of evil. 
 
 "It is also an important consideration that 
 your attention will be directed to the more 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 79 
 
 spiritual development of spiritualism which 
 now begins to be gradually unfolded. It 
 must be seen that an equal development of 
 head and heart are necessary to make the 
 perfect man. We believe the heart mustjirti 
 be cultivated^ must receive ike divine annointing 
 or the head cannot receive true wisdom. 
 Except the heart be right, the head will be 
 full of errors, that lead the spirit to its ruin. 
 
 " This Is no new proposition ; the philoso- 
 phy of it is simply this : True heart develop- 
 ment only brings that peace of mind which 
 fits it for the higher intellectual conceptions, 
 fits it for the reception of the highest truth. 
 The nations who boast of the highest cultiva- 
 tion have ignored it altogether and set up 
 Intellectual idols. 
 
 " Wonderful has been the intellectual, and 
 as a consequence the material progress of the 
 nations, and particularly during the past 
 century. But is it not true that spiritual 
 culture and development have been retroga- 
 ding? Witness the sad results, see the utter 
 selfishment of the trading classes. With a, 
 few noble exceptions every man of them is 
 
80 POWERS OF THE AIR> 
 
 striving -with his whole soul to find out not 
 how he can help his neighbor, hut how 
 advance before him or overreach him. Alas 
 for such Christianity. "We verily believe that 
 the founder of their religion would hardly 
 recognize in them the faintest lineaments of 
 of discipleship* 
 
 " The feeling that true spiritualism should 
 have something to do with the understanding 
 of the heart or the moral feelings, and the 
 fact that the present manifestations of it so 
 far has exhibited very little, if any, is one 
 cause of its greatest opposition. 
 
 u In conclusion, let me say to you again, my 
 brother, be humble — humble as a child before 
 God. Be ready when the time shall have 
 arrived to commence the good work— rejoice,, 
 for you will find the yoke easy and the burden 
 light. 
 
 "Be assured that to seek spiritual knowl- 
 edge for trifling curiosity is to expose your- 
 self to- the penalty of sacrilege. By the fixed 
 law of heaven you will first get what you 
 seek after. Beware lest yox* bring to* us too 
 careles a heart or a head too vain of its under- 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 81 
 
 standing. Do not suppose that yon can turn 
 away and neglect these things for any motive 
 with impunity ; your likes and dislikes can 
 not change the orderings of God's providence. 
 Make yourselves what you know yon ought 
 to he, and you will learn to thank God for the 
 sweet angel influence that shall guide and 
 guard you through every hour of your life. 
 If God's holy angels can and do come, why 
 may not the blessed spirit of Jesus come too? 
 Has he not come already; is he not in the 
 midst even now and we know him not?'* 
 
CHAPTER VIIjT, 
 
 Now, kind reader, suppose you had received 
 such a communication just upon the close of 
 the previous wonderful announcements? — a 
 communication containing, at least to me 
 much of knowledge, interspersed with cogent 
 reasonings and pious persuasions, cautions 
 and exhortations. I say what would you 
 have thought of it? How would you have 
 acted or how sustained yourself? Would not 
 your reason have been overpowered by the 
 accumulation of evidences after evidences 
 that all these wonderful aperations must be 
 of God? How could a man suppose that 
 beings ever existed who could practice such 
 deceptions upon a man who had but one pur- 
 pose, and that purpose to do the will of God? 
 
 Let us recapitulate a little. First. Here 
 is the experience of a minister, for years, 
 whose every sermon was either in its senti- 
 ments or in its very words so distinctly im- 
 pressed upon his mind, that it amounted to 
 
 82 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 83 
 
 actual inspiration. Then, not like my broth- 
 er who through years was brought into this 
 condition, I was suddenly brought into the 
 same or a much higher condition of inspira- 
 tion, apparently by the same power. I say 
 higher, because my mind became so sensitive 
 that not only the very words of the spirit in- 
 telligences were heard, but also the intona- 
 tiions of their voice, as well as style and 
 manner of expression was clearly perceived. 
 Then, added to this, the wonderful call of 
 what purported to be Jesus himself, and this 
 very wonderful call indorsed by one who 
 styled himself the Almighty — w T ho declares 
 that he intended to make me the great apos- 
 tle even the very Christ of a new dispensa- 
 tion — and then to cap the climax of the strange 
 and the marvelous, this very intelligence, 
 who gives his name as the Almighty God, to 
 further gain my confidence, gives to me what 
 might be called a detailed summary of the or- 
 igin and formation of the myriad worlds be- 
 longing to our universe, and of all the infi- 
 nitely refined worlds which belong to the 
 universes of the different heavens, besides 
 
84 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 many other wonderful matters pertaining to 
 the final condition of the wicked and the 
 righteous; and finally in the last snbject pre- 
 sented it announces the fact that angels and 
 spirits of just men do not place the same es- 
 timation upon theological data as the chil- 
 dren of men in the form do. It announces 
 the order of God's procedure in the produc- 
 tion of this world, and that all the various or- 
 ders of plants and animals sprang from ger- 
 minal beginnings, and from this is inferred the 
 order of introduction of a now higher and 
 more glorious dispensation of the Christian 
 religion ! 
 
 Reference is made to the " Rochester 
 Knockings," and from that, as a germinal be- 
 gining, has sprung the whole entire system of 
 spiritual manifestations and spiritual philos- 
 ophy, that spiritualism had its glaring de- 
 fects, being addressed to the senses and intel- 
 lect and not to the moral nature of man. 
 But that this very feature was intentional on 
 the part of God, as the head and heart con- 
 dition of the world would entirely preclude 
 
POWERS OF THE AIK. 85 
 
 any other kind of introduction, that God had 
 sent the world his message: " Ye shall have 
 the truth as fast as ye can bear it, for if it 
 should come as fast as it could be given it 
 would craze every brain. " Then it closes 
 with a very solemn exhortation, with many 
 cautions and instructions as to how we should 
 begin the work. The yoke of God's service 
 is promised to be made very light, and the 
 very gratifying intelligence announced that 
 
 angels and the blessed spirit of Jesus was 
 present. 
 
 Now, kind reader, in view of all these an- 
 nouncements, declarations, and instructions, 
 think you that your judgment would not 
 have arrived at the same conclusion which 
 my own arrived at, to-wit: that it must be of 
 God, and therefore a grand, magnificent real- 
 ity ? It will be noticed that in this last com- 
 munication, through my friend and to be my 
 fellow-laborer, all my doubts respecting the 
 present morally defective aspect of spirit- 
 ualism, were solved as by a magic wand, for 
 that defective aspect is declared to be the di- 
 
86 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 vine arrangement, in order to save the world 
 from be^ng crazed by the sudden introduction 
 of such glorious light. 
 
 But, I must here notice my conceptions of 
 what would be necessary in order to insure 
 the complete success of a new and more glo- 
 rious dispensation. 
 
 First, it seemed necessary, that a perfect 
 system of theology should be announced, and 
 rendered so clear and obvious that all the 
 glaring defects in the various systems of faith, 
 received in the different branches of the Chris- 
 tian Church might be made to appear, which 
 would lead to their speedy removal. 
 
 Second^ that the truth revealed should be 
 accompanied by greater and more vigorous 
 displays of the divine power. Inasmuch as 
 revelation, so far as it has been given, has been 
 given progressively, that is, each succeeding 
 step in the process being in advance of the 
 preceeding one, we may expect that each 
 of the succeeding series of revelations would 
 be given by advancing the incoming one to a 
 point far above the preceding. 
 
 For instance, as the Mosaic dispensation ot 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 87 
 
 the church was a great advance upon the pa- 
 triarchal which preceded it, and as the Chris- 
 tian dispensation was in every way more 
 glorious than the Mosaic, so, in view of 
 these facts, we might reasonable expect that 
 a new dispensation of the church would in 
 every respect far transcend the Christian ; and 
 this advance in a new dispensation I had fix- 
 ed in my* own mind to consist in separating 
 the truth from every vestige of error, or in 
 other words, to give a perfect standard of 
 truth by which all creeds, and all systems of 
 theology, might be tested. Then, added to 
 this, I conceived that a much greater degree 
 of Holy Spirit power was necessary, in order 
 that the present Christian church might be 
 baptized into a vastly higher degree of spirit- 
 ual life and activity; in other words, that the 
 incoming new and more glorious dispensa- 
 tion then must be placed upon the revela- 
 tor's white horsefthe emblem of purity and 
 strength, with the bow of truth in its hand, 
 riding forth conquering and to conquer, which 
 undoubtedly signifies great success. With 
 these ideas of what was necessary in a new 
 
88 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 and more glorious dispensation, I asked tor 
 a perfect system of theology, and a better 
 method of organizing the moral element, so 
 as to result in a transcendently higher un- 
 folding of moral power, and this was in sub- 
 stance the answer : 
 
 [CHAPTER 
 
 vin 
 
 A perfect system of theology has ever been 
 the great desire of the poor, toiling millions 
 of struggling humanity! They have looked 
 to schools, to governments, to nations, to 
 physics, yea, even to the sun, the moon, and 
 the stars. But they have denied to mortals 
 that which they sought, " a perfect system 
 of divine truth, because they turned away 
 from the angel guides within that urged and 
 entreated man to worship God as the angels 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 89 
 
 worship him, by realizing in his presence the 
 joy which arises from a perfect obedience to 
 alt "the laws under which they were created." 
 Angels do not pretend to comprehend God's 
 name, or his infinite power, but reverent- 
 ly bow before his throne to await the pleas- 
 ure of his will, for to obey God in all things 
 is to realize the highest fruition of which our 
 moral and spirtual natures are susceptible. 
 The Jews, as a nation, were guided by spirit- 
 ual intelligences, as Paul says: "The law was 
 ordained by angels in the hands of a media- 
 tor, and that mediator was Moses." After 
 Moses other leaders were raised up who man- 
 aged to keep them measurably united as a 
 nation, until the more glorious dispensation 
 of Christ, when they were dispersed,- having 
 answered the end for which they were kept 
 together. 
 
 The great mistakes of the Christian world 
 has consisted, in part, in not separating that 
 which exclusively belonged to the patriarchs 
 and Jews from that which is strictly Chris- 
 tian. When Jesus Christ, the beloved JNaz- 
 arene, came, he set forth a system of truth 
 
90 TOWERS OF THB AtSt. 
 
 eminently spiritual, which stood out in bold 
 contrast with the grossly idolatrous systems 
 of the pagan world, and the partially mate- 
 rial system of the Jews. In order that his 
 pure spiritualism might be propagated, he 
 chose his disc5ples with great care, and in- 
 structed them in all that pertained especially 
 to his system of truth in contradistinction to 
 all others. 
 
 He bestowed upon them first spiritual 
 powers, and instructed them how they might 
 be cultivated. Did you possess the full rec- 
 ord of his instructions, you would find that 
 he directed them as to their modes of life, diet, 
 moral and intellectual culture, every thing in 
 fact that could favor the fullest developement 
 of their several spiritual and physical powers. 
 
 His mission was to enjoin a pure, natural 
 worship of God, even a worship in spirit and 
 in truth — to tear down the old material 
 shrines, bloody sacrificial forms, and to show 
 that the truest devotion is that which is paid 
 in daily practice which embodies Deity in the 
 life of man, and makes every thought a se- 
 cret power, a secret prayer, and every desire 
 
WWERS t)F THE Aim 91 
 
 an -aspiration. Suck, dear brethren, should 
 be your interpretations of your Savior's 
 teachings, and the church, and the world will 
 never be benefited until it is done, and all the 
 followers of the Master have the moral cour- 
 age to maintain this interpretation in their 
 life and itmer being. 
 
 Does not the holy record show that these 
 spiritual doctrines were clearly understood 
 by his disciples ? If this be doubted, it is 
 only necessary to refer to Christ's expressions 
 when about to leave them. Said he, in a way 
 peculiar to himself: "I am going to my 
 Father's house, where I will prepare a place 
 for you." This he said naturally, and it is 
 folly to suppose that they did not so under- 
 stand him. Then he assured them that they 
 should not be left without a comforter, even 
 the spirit of truth. This expression simply 
 implies that the doctrines he had inculcated 
 were inspired by the spirit of truth, which 
 represents the Deity ; for he says, distinctly 
 and emphatically, that the spirit of truth in- 
 spired his every word. Yes, our brother Jq- 
 sus fully and entirely embodied the spirit of 
 
92 POWERS OF THE ATE, 
 
 truth, even the Holy Ghost, which should 
 convince the world of sln T of righteousness 
 and of judgment, 
 
 The spiritual manifestious that accompanied 
 his mission are worthy your closest observa- 
 tion,- for upon them depends the whole power 
 and beauty of his religion. * Jesus taught a 
 doctrine higher and holier than that of Moses ? 
 for without superceding the Commandments 
 of the latter, he added to them a more impor- 
 tant and comprehensive rule of morals, The 
 Law of Love. From the lower classes in the 
 community around him he chose his most in- 
 timate companions. To them he spoke in pure 
 and [simple language^ unparaholic, "without 
 trope or metaphor. To them he confided the 
 meaning of his inspiration; explained the 
 principles of his religion, To them he de- 
 fined the nature of his spiritual gifts, and 
 promised them that still greater miracles 
 should they do than he had done. 
 
 A thorough and impartial examination of 
 the gospel histories can only lead you to the 
 conclusion that Jesus Christ was the first to 
 announce (that which constituted the cen- 
 
TOWERS OF THE AIR. 93 
 
 tral and paramount doctrine of his system) 
 that the ^purrftcation of the individual soul 
 feao be effected only by repentance^ which is 
 •godly sorrow for $ii% and by living a life of 
 self denial and of individual effort for the 
 .good of others. This., and nothing else, .can 
 accomplish man's salvation. This rule in 
 the least departed from reduces churches, 
 households, individuals, in just the exact ratio 
 of their departure from it. Earnestness was 
 Jesus; special attribute and the secret of his 
 wonderful power to influence Gthers. So 
 alone can it give you success in all spiritual 
 matters, which you are to prosecute in the 
 *ear'th. He was -sincere in all Ms convictions, 
 and hence his power of stamping them upon 
 the hearts and eonseiences of others. He 
 was true to nature^ and therefore true to 
 nature's G-od. Hence his power to control 
 her hidden forces in the <jure of diseases and 
 other miraculous manifestations. Jesus, in 
 the example he presented tQ the world, de- 
 signed in the fullest degree to display the 
 possibilities of your actual human nature* 
 Said he, addressing his disciples, greater 
 
94 POWEKS OT THE AIB, 
 
 works than these shall ye do. Therefore-, if 
 must be clear that it was the aim* of Christ 
 in all his teachings to establish a purely 
 spiritual religion for- all men- — one not above 
 their comprehensions or ability to do, but 
 one in which al are endowed' with the power 
 ta appreciate and fully understand. 
 
 I have said 4 that the spiritual manifesta- 
 tions that accompanied the naission of Jessie 
 are worthy of your dostsi observation* Take 
 away from the Ifew Testaments all reference 
 to spiritual manifestations and aaigel ministry^ 
 aff teachings eoseeroing the soul and its- 
 relation, such as are contained in the act 
 of the transfiguration— the appearance of 
 the angels m the sepralcher-- ef Jesus- him- 
 self after the resurrection * the release off' 
 Paul and Silas and the like, and there wil{ 
 be lefc no-real^ £o«n«itetieo fo^ any religion* 
 whatever. There wovild be left mothing but 
 the blind theories smAyugne conceptions of in- 
 dividual mmdk Most emphatically the New 
 Testament is a revealment of spirit inter- 
 course or the laws and: facts- of spirit mani- 
 festations^ and it is this fact which e&uae& 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 95 
 
 it to be the accepted religion of the world. 
 If the spiritual element were extracted, 
 it would be but a dead tree, a solemn mock- 
 ery of words without any special meaning. 
 Jesus was the king who was to come to 
 Zion — the inspired prophet, sent of God, and 
 you are to sit at his feet and learn of him. 
 The fact that Jesus held intercourse with 
 spirit beings was fully believed by his dis- 
 ciples, and accepted as an established fact, 
 and the disciples were accustomed to impart 
 instruction as to the means of receiving 
 spiritual enlightenment. Says Paul, walk not 
 after the flesh, but after the spirit, for to be 
 spiritually minded is life and joy and peace. 
 And they also give warning against false in- 
 spiration, by false prophets, in this language: 
 Try the spirits and if they shall confess Jesus, 
 they are true, but if they confess not Jesus 
 they are not of God. Even the apostle to 
 the gentiles, while he engrafted on the new 
 faith much that was absolute and even severe 
 in the Hebrew Law, still retains the essence 
 of spiritual religion, as when in his first epistle 
 to the Corinthians, he gives a distinguished 
 
96 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 catalogue of spiritual gifts. Said lie brethren 
 I would not have you ignorant, &c., &c. 
 
 j\ T ow if these spiritual manifestations had 
 been unknown to his co-temporaries, obvi- 
 ously Paul would not have thus so plainly 
 described them, nor would he have put it on 
 record that one star differeth from another 
 star in glory. So men are variously endowed 
 in these respects, and each man should be 
 content with whatever. gift his God had en- 
 dowed him with. 
 
 These passages should show you what were 
 the practices and beliefs of the primitive 
 Christians, and they describe in very many 
 respects, what is now called spiritual mani- 
 festations. While the great essential truths 
 taught by brother Jesus remain, the doc- 
 trines erected upon them are widely different 
 from the early and simple faith of the primi- 
 tive Christians. So when the apostles had 
 passed away, and the active, living, spiritual 
 vitality of the church had disappeared, all 
 spiritual manifestations went with them, and 
 have not appeared again, until within a few 
 years. The Roman Church still claims to be 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 97 
 
 the only repository of spiritual gifts, but 
 her frauds and fabrications have been too 
 gross and palpable to enable her to sustain 
 the character, and to-day, among the pure 
 and humblest disciples of Christ, of any and 
 all denominations, not one of these gifts are 
 to be found. But notwithstanding these 
 outward manifestations are absent, stilL 
 Christianity has traversed many parts of the~ 
 earth, and planted its banner on far distant 
 shores, and where really known has shed a 
 hallowed radiance upon every walk of life. 
 Still it possesses not a tithe of the vital 
 earnestness which characterized its founders. 
 This is because Christians regard doctrine, 
 
 rather than practice, and follow abstract 
 teachings rather than the living; example of 
 their great and noble founder. Because 
 Christ is adored as an external, instead of a 
 spiritual Savior. Because men prefer to bow 
 before the cross, the emblem of vicarious 
 suffering rather than take it up, sacrificing 
 selfish ease and becoming a living, spiritual 
 force in the earth. But blessed be God, vital- 
 ity is not all departed. Surely the omnipo- 
 
98 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 tent spirit of truth livetk still. It survives 
 all persecutions and even the chilling ordeal 
 of neglect. In unlooked for forms and modes 
 it comes, age after age, to unfold and record 
 its constant lessons. 
 
 My brother, the great spiritual light of the 
 present day, imperfect as it is impure, as are 
 many of its advocates and teachers; polluted 
 as it is by impostors, both in and out of the 
 form, who drag down its sacred truths to the 
 dust, and would render it subservient to every 
 base desire ; I say notwithstanding all these 
 obstructions, it is to triumph and become a 
 great and mighty river, of divine power, to 
 beautify and fertilize the remotest parts of 
 God's moral vinyard, and like a new star of 
 Bethlehem, will guide the wanderers in dark- 
 ness, and lead them to bow down at the 
 shrine of truth. All men will learn to know 
 that between the world of mankind and the 
 realm of spirits, there is really no barrier- 
 that all around you, in the haunts of solitude, 
 in the retirements of your homes, in the 
 crowded arena of active life, invisible beings 
 watch over you, guarding your every foot- 
 
TO WEHS OF THE AIR. 99 
 
 steps, mingling their influence in every 
 thought and every action. 
 
 The soul is endowed with many latent 
 faculties. These are brought forth in many 
 ways through the agency of invisible direc- 
 tors. Among these are the spiritual gifts, 
 spoken of in the New Testament ; the gift 
 of healing- of prophesy, of inspiration of 
 tongues, and all other endowments spoken 
 of in the Bible. 
 
 In conclusion, let me enjoin upon you to 
 mark well the /act, that the foundation of 
 spiritualism and spiritual truth, is as old as 
 eternity; that it has been especially embodied 
 in the life and character of the divine Jesus, 
 and expressed In the Christian religion, and 
 also in spirit influence nmio 'being so awfully 
 and so grandly manifested, through you and 
 through other mediums whom God has 
 created for this purpose. 
 
 ¥e have thus endeavored to give you a 
 faint outline of a perfect system of theology. 
 Be prayerful and patient; spiritual influences 
 are around you preparing you for a vast field 
 that will open before you soon, We shall 
 
100 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 never leave you for a moment, or cease our 
 exertions in your behalf. "We trust on your 
 part, that you will not faint by the way, or 
 suffer your spirits to falter, or your efforts to 
 relax in the great and holy cause. 
 
 CHAPTER rX. 
 
 Thus, kind reader, you have gone through 
 another, in some respects remarkable produc- 
 tion from an invisible intelligence of an in- 
 visible world. Your attention has no doubt 
 been called to the great leading fact of the 
 composition — -I allude to the fact of the full 
 indorsement of Jesus Christ, and his pre- 
 eminent system of self-denying love. That 
 his embodied divinitv is to be the sole divin- 
 ity of all coming time; that his foundation of 
 theological truth* being laid in the very nature 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 101 
 
 and constitution of the human soul, must 
 remain through the ages to come, as the true, 
 altogether righteous foundation of all who 
 would build thereon ; that his divinity being 
 indorsed by God himself, can not. be set aside 
 or overturned; that other foundations can 
 no man lay than is laid, even the foundation 
 of Jesus Christ the righteous. 
 
 As I have before said, 1 had concluded 
 within my own mind, that in the introduc- 
 tion of a new system, Jesus Christ must b& 
 indorsed. I could not see how he could be 
 set aside and his teachings set at naught. I 
 had often heard spiritualists speak lightly of 
 Christ, his teachings, and the Bible as an 
 obsolete, worn out production of the past, 
 and, like an old almanac, to be laid aside for 
 something more new and altogether more 
 wonderful. I had heard them s;o so far in 
 opposition to Christ and his system of truth, 
 that thev could declare that all his miracles 
 were an imposition, produced by understand- 
 ing the laws by which mesmeric and psicho- 
 lqgical effects are produced upon other minds ; 
 
102 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 that when he declared to his disciples that he 
 arose with his material body and was verit- 
 ably flesh and bones and therefore could eat 
 ordinary food, and did so eat, that he deceived 
 them — he only having his spirit body so 
 clothed with vapor and other material sub- 
 stances as being attracted around him would 
 reflect the ordinary lamp and solar light, 
 thus making his spirit body visible and the 
 eating of food a pure deception practiced 
 upon his disciples simply by mesmeric in- 
 fluences. 
 
 To all these declarations of spiritualists I 
 had but one reply: Christ and his teachings 
 must be received as the true inspiration of 
 God or altogether rejected, as only proceed- 
 ing from a base deceiver, who only received 
 at the hands of the Jews, when crucified, his 
 just deserts. To utterly reject him, I had 
 conceived would be to blot the sun from the 
 spiritual heavens; but to receive him as a true 
 man, and make his teachings our ideal of rec- 
 titude, would be to place the spiritual sun 
 where it ought to be placed in the spiritual 
 horizon to give light to all. 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 103 
 
 I hiad thought that if one law governed all 
 communications from the spirit world, that 
 inspiration might proceed from an evil spirit 
 as well as from one that was holy, and if so, 
 then some test must be discovered to distin- 
 guish that inspiration which might proceed 
 from evil spirits and that which might pro- 
 ceed from those holy and reliable. This test 
 I found given by the apostle John, and in 
 these words : " Beloved, believe not every 
 spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of 
 God, for every spirit that confesseth not Je- 
 sus Christ is not of God." 
 
 To apply this test to this communication 
 would certainly result in receiving it, for 
 though it indorsed modern spiritualism, it 
 breathed the very spirit of the cross and most 
 persistent loyalty to Jesus Christ. I was 
 therefore compelled to indorse it as proceed- 
 ing from God. But, though this communi- 
 cation appeared to breathe the true spirit of 
 love to Jesus, yet the fact that it indorses, to 
 some extent, the doctrine of modern spirit- 
 ualism seemed to my mind a very great in- 
 congruity, for so-called modern spiritualism 
 
104 POWERS OF THE AIR, 
 
 rests its claims to being received upon the 
 declarations of so-called spirit friends and rel- 
 atives ; and if so, then, how could friends and 
 relatives deceased but recently be expected to 
 be able to solve the great questions of Chris- 
 tian theology ? Gould it be supposed that 
 the simple transition from one state or con- 
 dition of being to another would put the sub- 
 ject in possession of all knowledge? Of this 
 I had many doubts — doubts arising from the 
 very nature and constitution of the human 
 soul, and from the positive declarations of 
 scripture to the contrary. 
 
 The teachings of all known science upon 
 the. subject of the mind's growth and clevel- 
 opement, so far as I had read, was to this 
 import: The mind is like a seed which be- 
 gins first with the germ, then the blade, and 
 finally the ear fully perfected. So the mind 
 begins to unfold, first by impressions made 
 upon the senses; then, as impressions in- 
 crease and ripen into knowledge, the blade of 
 the mind appears ; and so when knowledge 
 is classified and generalized the reason fully 
 appears. But the mind principle being im- 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 105 
 
 mortal, it must ever continue to unfold, so 
 there can be no time when it will be put in 
 possession of all knowledge — death being but 
 a laying off of the old garments of mortality 
 and the putting on of the new and spiritual 
 garments of immortality. I was, therefore, 
 very naturally led to conclude that the hu- 
 man mind, after leaving the clay tenement, 
 began and progressed in knowledge, wis- 
 dom, and activity just as it began its career 
 in this state of existence. Then to consult 
 them upon the great and all-important mat- 
 ters of the soul's salvation seemed to me to 
 exhibit a lack of even a low degree of wis- 
 dom. The scriptures, also, as I had inter- 
 preted them, clearly taught the same gradual 
 unfoldment of the human mind, for by them 
 we are taught that the souls of the righteous 
 at death pass into a place called, by Jesus, 
 paradise — a kind of preparatory or interme- 
 diate state where they are further educated 
 in the school of Christ, by being led to living 
 fountains of knowledge; and finally, after the 
 judgment ordeal shall have been passed, t*hey 
 will be awarded a place in that " house of 
 
 8 
 
106 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 many mansions," each taking bis position ac- 
 cording to the advancement he had previous- 
 ly made — not in holiness and moral purity ? 
 for we must know that nothing in the least 
 impure or unclean can enter there at all — but 
 in knowledge and wisdom, and moral and in- 
 tellectual power. 
 
 But to return to the subject under discus- 
 sion, viz : The objections to receiving the 
 communications of spirits as the truths of 
 God. I had said that I could not see the pro- 
 priety of receiving them unless they full}'' in- 
 dorsed Jesus Christ and his self-sacrificing 
 love system, whether they purported to come 
 from departed saints or angels. 
 
 So far as I had been made acquainted with 
 the spirit world, through the different medi- 
 ums, they bore no marks of any exalted wis- 
 dom, but on the contrary they seemed to pro- 
 ceed from beings in every respect like the 
 great mass of wicked, ungodly men in the 
 earth life, who hold all sorts of opinions upon 
 every subject embraced within the range of 
 human thought. 
 
 As the scriptures throw some light upon 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 107 
 
 the subject of where the wicked dead remain 
 until the judgment, I will therefore present 
 some of the evidences which are therein pre- 
 sented : Jesus said of Judas, that he went to 
 "his place." If "his place" meant paradise 
 then he would have used the same language that 
 he usee! in reference to the thief on the cross : 
 " This day shalt thou be with me in paradise." 
 So he must have meant by the word " place" 
 some other abode than paradise where him- 
 self and the penitent thief departed to on that 
 day. In another place, Jesus, in speaking of 
 the rich man, said, "thai he died, and in hell; he 
 lifted up his eyes, being in torments." Dr. 
 Barns remarks on this passage that the word 
 hell literally means an obscure place where 
 the wicked dead are gathered after leaving 
 the body. The new translation of Dr. Ken- 
 drick renders the word hell in this place the 
 "under world." These two passages clearly 
 speak of a "place " where the wicked dead 
 have a conscious state of existence. 
 
 Now can we ascertain where that "place 
 is ?" Paul throws some additional light upon 
 the subject. He says, "the saints in this life 
 
108 LOWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 wrestle not with flesh and blood alone (that 
 is, with the wicked in the body,) but with 
 spirit wickedness in high places/ 5 As Dr. 
 Kendrick renders it : " We wrestle against 
 the spiritual powers of evil in the heavenly 
 places or in the air." Paul renders it thus in 
 the second chapter ot the same book ; " The 
 prince of the powers of the air ; the spirit 
 that is now working in the sons of disobedi- 
 ence." By these two passages we have the 
 exact location for wicked spirits and devils — ■ 
 the air of our earth. I believe commentators 
 agree that the word spirits refers to disem- 
 bodied men, and that devils refer to fallen an- 
 gels. Hence the expressions, "seducing spir- 
 its, and doctrines of devils, possessed with an 
 evil spirit, with unclean spirits, with a spirit 
 of divination," &c. All these expressions in- 
 dicate a difference between the spirits of fall- 
 en angels and those of fallen men. Paul 
 states that he was caught up into para- 
 dise, or the third heaven. The first heaven, 
 as the Jews understood the arrangements 
 of the heavens, was where the fowls of 
 air fly; bej^ond this, to the extent of the 
 
POWERS OP THE AIR. 109 
 
 earth's atmosphere, the second; and where 
 the sun, moon, and stars were, or the space 
 beyond the earth's atmosphere, the third 
 heaven. 
 
 Now these teachings of the scripture, in 
 connection with many others, indicate very 
 distinctly that the "place " to which Judas 
 was sent to remain until the judgment, was 
 where all wicked spirits are; with the prince 
 of the power of the air, or in the air, which 
 surrounds this earth. This being the case as 
 I understand the teachings of scripture, 
 I could very readily account for these spir- 
 it rappings, and manifestations, as coming 
 from the departed wicked, or those who are 
 not in scripture called saints. Now if a rev- 
 elation were to be made from such beings, I 
 think it would be characterized by every pos- 
 sible expression of opposite opinion on 
 every subject they were conversant with in 
 the earth life. They would carry with them 
 their moral tastes, their likes and dislikes 
 their habits of mind and their earthly 
 knowledge. "We might reasonably suppose, 
 then, from the nature and constitution of the 
 
110 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 human mind, that if a revelation were made 
 from them it would be characterized just as 
 these spirit manifestations are characterized, 
 by a revelation of contradictory opinions upon 
 every subject that had occupied the mind of 
 wicked men in the earth life. 
 
 Thus I accounted for all the contradictory 
 statements, and opposition to Christ and his 
 doctrines made by spirits through mediums. 
 But then again, I arrived at what seemed to 
 me a reasonable conclusion, that if the medi- 
 ums were pure beings themselves, and they 
 could be controlled by holy spirits, or by 
 Christ himself, they would declare the same 
 doctrines that Christ taught, only more fully 
 stated and unfolded; and that also through 
 them, might be displayed the same mirac- 
 ulous manifestations that were displayed in 
 Christ's day, only in greater powers. 
 
 I had also formed the opinion that the 
 reasons that the same spirit of earnest piety 
 and humble submission to God pervaded 
 and characterized the entire writings of the 
 Bible, was owing to the fact that the writers 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR 111 
 
 of the different boots, wrote as they were 
 moved to write, or speak by the Holy Spirit, 
 and being holy, of course there would neces- 
 sarily be an agreement in doctrine, in fact, 
 and in moral tone. Daniel says he was in- 
 spired by the angel Gabriel. John, the reve- 
 lator, says he was inspired by one of the old 
 prophets, yet he is called an angel; and they 
 were told to write in a book, what was given 
 them to reeord. So I conceived that all that 
 was necessary, for a true inspiration, was to 
 be controlled by a holy Spirit, one who loved 
 God and the Savior Jesus Christ; and the 
 communication could not be otherwise than 
 truthful, whether given to me by one or a 
 hundred of the Holy Ones, for all holy beings 
 must utter only, and ever the truth. They 
 can not disagree, they cannot lie; if they 
 should falsify they would cease to be holy. 
 
 Now this last communication, as well as 
 the first, purported to come from a spirit who 
 loved Jesus, rather than from Jesus himself; 
 yet, nevertheless, I could but receive it for it 
 seemed to breathe forth the spirit of love to 
 Jesus, and also to God as his Father. I could 
 
112 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 not, for a moment, suppose that an intelli- 
 gence that could manifest so ardent a lave for 
 Jesus and his doctrine, could deceive — not 
 even in the least. Besides the spirit, who- 
 ever it might be, seemed to understand the 
 precise cause of the deficiencies of churches 
 and their memberships. 
 
 He points out, in the first place, the great 
 mistakes of the Christian world, which con- 
 sists in confounding that which belonged to 
 the Patriarchal and Jewish dispensations, 
 with that which properly belongs to the pure 
 spirituality of the Christian dispensation. 
 This we all know has given rise to divisions, 
 and great differences of doctrine and forms of 
 church government. Then, after pointing out 
 clearly and briefly the mission of the Lord 
 Jesus Christ, he states in what true devotion 
 consists, in these words : " The truest devo- 
 tion is that which is paid in daily practice, 
 which embodies Deity in the life of man, and 
 makes every thought a secret power and a 
 secret prayer, and every desire an aspiration." 
 
 This appears to me to be the embodied 
 essence of true religion. Then he calk 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 113 
 
 special attention to the spiritual manifest- 
 ations that accompanied Christ's mission, and 
 says upon them depend the power and the 
 moral beauty of his system of religion. He 
 says, also, that Jesus Christ was the first to 
 announce that which constitutes the central, 
 paramount doctrine of his system ; that the 
 purification of the individual soul can be 
 effected only by repentance for all sins, and 
 by making individual efforts and self-sacrifices 
 for the good of others. This, and nothing 
 else, can accomplish man's purification. 
 
 He states that the design of the spotless 
 example of Christ was to display the highest 
 possibilities of our actual human nature. It 
 is also distinctly stated that the New Testa- 
 ment is arevealment of spiritual intercourse, 
 or the laws and facts of spiritual manifesta- 
 tions, and that this is a fact which causes it 
 to be the accepted religion of the world. He 
 also speaks of true and false inspirations, and 
 the test that should be applied to distinguish 
 between them. Christianity, he says, has 
 shed a hallowed radiance on ev^ry walk of 
 life, still it possesses not the power of vital 
 
114 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 earnestness. This is so, because Christians 
 regard doctrines rather than practice, and 
 follow abstract teachings rather than the living 
 example of Christ, because Christ is considered 
 as an external instead of a spiritual Savior ; 
 because men prefer to bow before the cross, 
 the emblem of vicarious sufferings, rather 
 than take it up and sacrifice selfish ease, and 
 become a living, spiritual force in the earth. 
 Xow, kind reader, you will notice, in 
 reviewing these remarkable statements, that 
 the answer to my first question was fully 
 met, viz: "the setting forth of a perfect sys- 
 tem of theolosnv' The errors which the 
 
 0«/' 
 
 Christian world has fallen into seemed to me 
 to be met in the statement that the command- 
 ment given under the patriarchal and Mosaic 
 system, should not be confounded with the 
 Christian system of truth, and the carrying 
 out of Christ's laws of love contains the per- 
 fect divinity, the perfect system of truth. As 
 Paul says, "Love is the fulfilling of the law; 
 love worketh no ill to his neighbor." But 
 my second question, with regard to the holy 
 spirit power, was not fully answered, at least 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 115 
 
 to my satisfaction. I considered that a sys- 
 tem of truth, even though perfect, was not 
 all that the world needed — but a moral power, 
 a quickening, moral force, to cause men to 
 feel and act at once under its all-searching 
 scrutiny. Let the steam engine, with its 
 simple combination of levers, wheels, and 
 axles, represent the system of truth; then 
 the fire, which generates the steam, sets all in 
 motion, and gives force and power to all its 
 parts, represents the moral force necessary to 
 make the truth quick and powerful — even to 
 the discernment of the thoughts and secret 
 motives of the soul, forcing conviction and 
 reformation on all whom it may reach. The 
 Savior said to his disciples, " Tarry ye at 
 Jerusalem until ye are endowed with power 
 from on high." Here it is distinctly an- 
 nounced that beside the system of truth which 
 he had taught them there was requisite to 
 their success a power from on high — a Holy 
 Ghost power. This power they were to wait 
 for and receive before entering upon their 
 mission of preaching the gospel system of 
 truth to every creature. 
 
116 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 Now, under a new dispensation, I con- 
 sidered that we might reasonably expect a 
 greater power than accompanied the gospel 
 at its advent, a moral power as much greater 
 than that which ushered in or accompanied 
 the gospel of Christ, as the gospel of Christ 
 was superior in moral power to the Jewish or 
 Mosaic, or the Mosaic superior to the 
 Patriarchal dispensation. So I felt that dis- 
 tinct information on the all important ques- 
 tion of moral power was of the most vital 
 interest. To control and marshal moral forces 
 around a system of truth, I conceived to be 
 even of greater importance than to have a 
 perfect system of truth, just as it is more im- 
 portant to regard the power^that wields the 
 sword, than to regard a flaw in the sword 
 itself. 
 
 In the light of these considerations, I asked 
 for direct or positive instruction on this, to 
 my mind, the greatest and most important of 
 all subjects connected with a new dispensation 
 of grace to man. This was given me in these 
 words from Christ himself, or one who per- 
 sonated him. 
 
CHAPTER Xf, 
 
 " The great mission to which you have been 
 appointed does require that you should be 
 in possession of a power sufficient to put in 
 operation all the force necessary to convert 
 the world to God — in other words, to 'subdue 
 all things to himself.' The power which 
 you desire is it not manifest, in part, in the 
 fact of your ability to write upon every sub- 
 ject within the range of human thought with- 
 out a moment's reflection? A power which 
 you confess most potent and wonderful ? Be- 
 sides, already you possess the power of mak- 
 ing others feel the truth; it is all contained 
 within your own organization. You are now 
 filled w T ith the Holy Ghost — a divine power 
 most potent, and all-sufficient to make any 
 system of truth answer its ends. 
 
 " When you ask for a greater moral power 
 than accompanied the gospel at its commence- 
 ment, you ask what you do not need, for the 
 amount of moral power needed is that amount 
 
 117 
 
118 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 necessary to accomplish, the end, to-wit: the 
 conversion of the world to God, 
 
 "Now if any man of pure nature, with the 
 gifts of inspiration, and filled with the Holy 
 Spirit, is not a sufficient moral power among 
 men, then he ought to retire as did Elijah 
 to the Cave of Horeb. 
 
 "You in the earth life do hut faintly under- 
 stand the immense moral power a devoted, 
 pure, and good man is capable of exercising, 
 especially when filled with the Holy Ghost 
 sent down from God, (the Holy Ghost is 
 identical with a Holy Spirit.) I say you 
 can not, in your present position, fully under- 
 stand the moral power a man in the form, 
 filled with the Holy Spirit, can exert over the 
 hearts and conscience of his fellow men. 
 
 "You now possess the true power of the 
 Holy Ghost, and a hundred men like your 
 self, filled as you are with the holy spirit, 
 would be a formidable force which no num- 
 ber could gainsay, or stand in opposition to # 
 Moral forces are gathered by being brought 
 in contact with other moral forces) one pray- 
 ing man is a moral force, because his desires 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR- 119 
 
 go out into the thought atmosphere, and 
 affect the minds and hearts of those who are 
 prayed for. So then the moral power of a 
 hundred holy men, with earnest purposes 
 praying to God for blessings on the sinner, is 
 increased not a hundred fold, but a hundred 
 times one hundred fold, which makes the 
 moral force absolutly irresistible. 
 
 "Is it not written, 'that one shall chase a 
 thousand, and two put ten thousand to flight?' 
 A revival power, as it is termed, is a real 
 power; it is commenced by one or two unit- 
 ing to pray. By so uniting a moral impetus 
 is given. By increasing the number, greater 
 power is manifested, and so on the principle 
 is of universal application. If the whole of 
 Christendom were united in earnest, persever- 
 ing prayer for a special object, (such as the 
 conversion of the world to God,) it would be 
 done speedily. Look at the revival of 1857, 
 when almost every Christian heart was an 
 altar of prayer. What was the result. Thou- 
 sands were converted to God, and made to 
 rejoice in hope of the glory of God. In the 
 day of the apostles, the same moral power 
 
120 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 was manifested. The divine power realized 
 and felt on the day of Pentecost was accumu- 
 lated by a ten day's prayer-meeting. When 
 that earnest assembly came together, with 
 hearts all aglow, and each filled with the 
 Holy Spirit, they were a completely organized 
 moral force — a moral battery from which was 
 discharged a moral power, equal to the 
 causing of thousands to cry out, saying, 'Men 
 and brethren what must we do to be saved? 
 And when told to repent and believe in the 
 Lord Jesus Christ, as their Savior, they cried 
 aloud ' We do believe, ' and immediately they, 
 too, were filled with the Holy Ghost. 
 
 "It is the law of the universe, that every 
 human being in the form has a guardian 
 spirit, or what ought to be a guardian spirit, 
 but as often, when not holy, a destructive 
 spirit. But all are surrounded by invisible 
 beings, either good or bad, pure or impure, 
 conscious or unconscious — it makes not the 
 least difference, they are present. So you 
 will understand distinctly that a revival power 
 is only the power to cast out Devils, on a large 
 scale. One good man may have the power 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR, 121 
 
 to command an evil spirit to depart, and may 
 by his presence, keep that spirit away; but 
 remove the person from the presence of the 
 good man, and he falls back to the same 
 crimes that he formerly committed under the 
 promptings of the evil spirit. You ask for 
 definite information. You shall have it. 
 
 " The evil spirits are all around you. Their 
 abiding place until the judgment, is the air, 
 or atmosphere of the earth ; and they work 
 in the children of disobedience by impressing, 
 or infusing into their minds, thoughts and 
 desires which are wicked, and selfish, and 
 also by inflaming their passions, thus leading 
 them often to commit the most attrocious 
 deeds. Holy Spirits are in paradise, which is 
 above, and beyond the atmosphere of the 
 earth. In order when they visit the earth, 
 to give them power in any degree over the 
 hearts and consciences of men, and to enable 
 them to aid in fitting souls for heaven, it is 
 necessary that there should be earnest prayer, 
 real agonizing prayer, or the part of those in 
 the form. The Kingdom of Heaven suffereth 
 violence, and the violent, or the realy earnest, 
 
122 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 take it by force that is, by forcing the evil 
 spirits to leave, and giving the ministering 
 spirits power to aid in man's redemption. 
 
 " The injunction of one of the apostles, is 
 ' to walk not after the flesh but after the 
 spirits/ (which should have been after the 
 Holy Spirit from God or of God.) When 
 the man who has been brought, by the mighty 
 power of God and the aid of ministering 
 spirits, to yield submission in all things, then 
 he realizes peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost, 
 but when he relapses to wallow in the mire 
 of sin, the ministering spirits are forced to 
 leave him. This the Apostle calls quenching 
 the spirit, whereby ye are sealed unto the 
 day of redemption, or unto the day w T hen ye 
 shall depart from this life, as at that time, 
 such individuals pass up through the region 
 of evil spirits, which is the air, to the para- 
 dise of God beyond, there to realize that in- 
 expressible joy, which is full of glory, and 
 full of real earnest desire to visit the earth 
 life, (when conditions are right) to aid in 
 ministering to poor penitent sinners, who 
 may be calling for aid against some of the 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 128 
 
 demons, who may be dragging them down to 
 the pit of woe. 
 
 " There is in this world a continual conflict, 
 as you are aware, between the powers of 
 darkness so-called, and the powers of light; 
 between the regenerate and the unregenerate ; 
 and this conflict will continue till the end of 
 time. You have asked, often asked, why the 
 w r orld has progressed so slow in godliness — 
 why my gospel has exerted so little power, 
 I answer, it is because you do not understand 
 the immense resisting power of evil spirits. 
 They are mighty, and it requires on the part 
 of the good, and the pure, a constant effort 
 to reach and help the poor captive children 
 of men. It is only when a great revival 
 movement takes place that any great num- 
 ber of ministering spirits can approach, the 
 earth life to exert their power in ministering 
 to the wants of needy, captive sinners. There- 
 fore, I am the more anxious that you shouM 
 understand the lav/ of revival poicer. If all 
 the disciples would follow closely the direc- 
 tions here given, a vast influence for good 
 might be exerted; an influence that would 
 
124 POWERS OF THE AIK. 
 
 shake the kingdom of darkness, and soon 
 bring it to an end. 
 
 " The slow progress made by my gospel in 
 the world, since my ascension may be inferred 
 from what has been said above — especially 
 in the heathen world. There the powers of 
 evil have complete sway, and it is not until 
 many have been converted, and have passed 
 away, that any great good can be accomplish- 
 ed. Every soul converted and received up 
 into glory increases the power for good, be- 
 cause they return and in a measure form a 
 wall of protection around their friends in the 
 form, and though invisible to the evil spirits, 
 yet they are nevertheless often present to 
 soothe, cheer, and comfort by gentle impres- 
 sion. 
 
 " My beloved servant, Judson, spent many 
 years in heathen lands before a single con- 
 vert was rescued and brought to God. After 
 which, another and another were added, until 
 a little army of praying souls were gathered, 
 and every praying soul is a living moral 
 force. So their moral influence increased. 
 And when others of the converts had left the 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 125 
 
 church militant, for the church triumphant, 
 the moral force was still farther augmented. 
 As I said before, the kingdom of heaven was 
 like a little leaven hid in three measures of 
 meal, till the whole was leavened; each particle 
 as it becomes leavened helping in turn to 
 leaven that which lies adjoining it, and so on 
 until all is leavened. 
 
 " You seem to be in doubt about your Gall- 
 ing; you need not be for a moment. Shove 
 off' your little barque into the broad ocean of 
 God's infinite love, and you will find aid and 
 comfort. The true secret of success in any 
 enterprise is to be fired with zeal. You need 
 not fear to commence. You now understand 
 the law of control in reference to moral 
 forces, which may be brought to bear on the 
 children of men. 
 
 " In conclusion, I will say that I design, 
 first, to call in the Jews ; then afterward the 
 gentiles. So you will fir&t proceed to New 
 York. There you will be aided by H. "W". 
 Beech er and others, and then proceed to 
 Palestine, where I will meet you and give 
 you success." 
 
126 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 While meditating on these things that "still 
 small voice " eame to me again saying, '-lam 
 the Lord your God, and have a work for you 
 to perform. I must call in my people, the 
 Jews, preparatory to that great event which 
 is soon to transpire, and I have arranged for 
 you to go to 'New York, and there meet H. 
 "W. Beecher, who will greatly aid you in your 
 work of assembling, my ancient people at 
 Jerusalem, preparatory to their being con- 
 verted, and made meet for the kingdom of 
 heaven. You will leave your home unknown 
 to your family, and proceed to a place that I 
 will direct vou to." 
 
CHAPTER XII 
 
 Upon receipt of this intelligence I said in 
 my heart as did Paul, " I will confer not with 
 flesh and blood," and immediately obeyed the 
 heavenly vision or voice. So taking my best 
 apparel, I passed to a buiididg in the rear of 
 the main dwelling, where, after arranging for 
 the journey, I proceeded to the place designa- 
 ted by the heavenly voice. On the way the 
 voice continued to comfort me and gave me 
 every assurance of protection. Passing down 
 through the .lower part of the city to the 
 river, I was directed to go to a certain tree 
 on the opposite side, which I reached by 
 crossing the railroad bridge. There I was 
 commanded to take off my shoes, which 
 being done I was sealed with seven seals. 
 Though they were not visible, I was assured 
 that they would all appear in the fullness of 
 time. 
 
 Having been sealed, I was then commanded 
 to take the cars and proceed on my journey, 
 
 127 
 
128 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 which I did, arriving at the town of . I 
 
 was directed to stop at the principal hotel, 
 and there remain until further instructions. 
 
 At the hotel I called for a room and a 
 good fire, and being seated, I fell into this 
 train of reflection : Here am I, a weak mortal, 
 called of God to leave home and friends and 
 all that I hold most dear, to perform a great 
 work. How can I sacrifice my home, my 
 little ones, and all I hold so dear ? But my 
 mind soon settled the question in this way : 
 God, my father, has called me; such an 
 amount of evidence has been presented that 
 no sane mind could possibly set aside, and if 
 God calls, who of all the children of men can 
 refuse ? If God be for me, who can be against 
 me. I shall prosper, though all the world 
 may be arrayed in opposition. 
 
 I could not possibly persuade myself that any 
 being, mortal or immortal, could be so vile as 
 to impose upon me through and by means of 
 the religious instincts of my being. I had 
 somewhere read that it was possible for the 
 devil to transform himself into an angel of 
 light, and in that capacity deceive the child- 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 129 
 
 renofmen. But though he might do that, 
 still I could not persuade myself to believe 
 that the prince of evil would assume to be 
 God, and also be able to understand the pith 
 and essence of the gospel, and could express 
 love and attachment to our Savior, Jesus 
 Christ. I thought, too, that I had complied 
 with the injunction of the apostle John to 
 prove the spirits by the test of their fellow- 
 ship for Jesus Christ. They seemed to me to 
 have given full evidence of fellowship with 
 the Redeemer and his kingdom. But what 
 seemed to me of more weight than all else 
 beside, was the mysterious voice whispering 
 to my inmost soul, saying, "I am the 
 Almighty, I am your Heavenly Father, and 
 the Father of all living; I have called you, 
 and you must obey." 
 
 While thus reviewing the past, and the 
 evidences on w T hich my hopes were resting, 
 the unearthly and most mysterious voice 
 came to me again, saying, "I am the Lord, 
 your maker, therefore take your shoes from 
 off your feet, for the place on which thou 
 standest is holy ground." I obeyed, and 
 
130 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 with profound and reverential awe I prepared 
 myself to attend minutely to whatever should 
 be commanded. 
 
 The voice continued, "I am the Judge of 
 all the earth; I, the Lord, have called you, to 
 warn all men to flee from the wrath which is 
 to come. The judgment day is approaching, 
 when all men, small and great, shall stand 
 before my throne. Therefore be dilligent, be 
 faithful, and do as I command you, and great 
 shall be your reward. You have left those 
 you loved, many of whom are in the bonds of 
 iniquity. 2s"ow, therefore, fix your mind, upon 
 those whose conversion vou so much desire, 
 and while you pray I will seal conviction 
 upon their hearts, and they shall be converted 
 for your sake, even while you are speaking." 
 
 With emotions, deep and overwhelming, I 
 fixed my mind upon one for whom I had felt 
 unusual religious interest. I prayed until 
 sobs and tears choked my utterance, when 
 that still, small, solemn, whisper came to me 
 with distinctness again, saying, "Your prayer 
 is answered, your friend is converted, and is 
 now rejoicing with joy unspeakable and full 
 of glory." 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 131 
 
 " My child/' said the solemn voice again, 
 "fix your mind upon another, and I will 
 bless again even for your sake." I com- 
 menced then again with the same childlike 
 simplicity of prayer as before, fixing my mind 
 distinctly on the person I desired converted, 
 and after a few moment's of earnest pleading, 
 I heard again the voice saying, "Child, thy 
 prayer is heard and thy friend is now happy 
 in my love." 
 
 Thus I continued for many hours, my heart 
 becoming more and more interested in the 
 work and swelling with the love of God, as I 
 continued to fix my mind on one after another 
 of those whose soul's salvation was near and 
 dear to me. At length the solemn voice said, 
 "Have you no other relations and friends on 
 whom you can fix your mind in prayer?" 1 
 replied by saying, "I can think of no more." 
 "Then," said the voice, "fix your mind upon 
 any ungodly man you choose, and I will hear 
 and bless him for your sake." 
 
 "With tearful eyes I then renewed my pray- 
 er, fixing my mind upon one and then an- 
 other of those whom I knew to be the worst 
 
132 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 in wickedness. At the end of each petition 
 the answer came: " Your petition is heard, 
 and he, for whom you supplicated is among 
 the redeemed." * This continued perhaps an 
 hour longer, when growing weary from ex- 
 haustion and fatigue, I retired and slept as 
 sweetly as a child upon the bosom of its 
 mother. 
 
 As the soft light of morn stole into my 
 window, I heard again the still, small voice, 
 saying, " arise my child, and hear the good 
 news. Those for whom you prayed are happy 
 in my love, are rejoicing in hope, and have 
 heard of your mission, and are coming to re- 
 joice with you, and bid you God speed." 
 
 Having arranged my toilet, and kindled 
 the fire, I ordered breakfast to be served in 
 my room. When seated at the table, and 
 about to commence my repast, the voice said 
 in the kindest and sweetest manner : " You 
 need feel no embarrassment in my presence; 
 have I not always been present with you, do 
 I not know your every thought, your every 
 word, and your every deed? Ask the bless- 
 ing on your repast in your usual way, just as 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 133 
 
 if I were not personally present, for though I 
 am not present everywhere in person, yet I 
 am present everywhere in my omnipotent 
 power and wisdom." 
 
 The repast being over, the voice of the Al- 
 mighty, as I believed, said, " This day will be 
 a day to this place such as they never experi- 
 enced before. God is in this place, and they 
 know it not. I will now whisper to every 
 man's mind, as I whispered to you in the still 
 small voice, saying, < prepare to meet thy God 
 in judgment/ and hearing this they will assem- 
 ble in the different churches for prayer ; at the 
 same time the converted ones for whom you 
 prayed during the night will have arrived in 
 the place, and will join in the general rejoic- 
 ing, and weeping, and crying for mercy, and 
 thus the wave of salvation, so astonishingly 
 begun in this place, shall roll over the whole 
 earth, because that day is approaching, that 
 great and terrible day, when all men shall re- 
 ceive according to the deeds done in the body. 
 In the mean time you may go up and call on 
 
 Mr. A , who is my servant, and a godly 
 
 man. You will find him at his church pre- 
 
134 POWERS OP THE AIR. 
 
 paratory to the great assembling of the peo- 
 ple." 
 
 I was so moved by this good news, and the 
 promise of salvation to such multitudes of 
 perishing souls, that tears flowed freely from 
 my eyes. In this condition of mind I passed 
 down the main entrance of the hotel to the 
 street. Looking around I saw no unusual stir, 
 but thinking that God w r orked silently with 
 every heart, I passed on with the certain ex- 
 pectation that I should find the minister at 
 the church designated, and many assembled 
 for worship. 
 
 On arriving at the church I found, to my 
 astonishment, the doors closed, and not a 
 single person in or about the building. I 
 soon found the minister at his residence, and 
 to my still greater astonishment he informed 
 me that there was to be no meeting there 
 that day. I returned to the hotel, expecting 
 that by this time those for whom I prayed 
 and whom I believed were rejoicing in a con- 
 scious hope of sins forgiven, had arrived. But 
 in that, again, was sorely disappointed. 
 
 Passing up to my room, I inquired of the 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 135 
 
 Lord, why this strange failure. To which 
 the voice replied in the same distinct, and 
 well defined whisper : " The failure is caused 
 by the mischievions conduct of wicked spirits, 
 who have, of late, been whispering in the 
 ears of the people, which has confused them, 
 and they do not recognize in my whisper the 
 still voice of the Almighty." 
 
 "But," said I, " what will become of thy 
 great name ? " 
 
 The voice replied by saying, " I will take 
 all remembrance of this failure from their 
 minds; and they shall know that I am the 
 .Lord ; that with me there is no variableness, 
 or shadow of turning. But you, my child, 
 will proceed on your mission of calling in the 
 Jews, the same as though this seeming fail- 
 u ro had not occurred." 
 
 "But," said I, in reply, "Father, I have 
 not the wherewith to convey me to New 
 York." 
 
 " Yes, my child, but I have provided against 
 all contingencies of that kind, by impressing 
 a wealthy man in the city of New York to 
 telegraph the bank in this place to furnish 
 
136 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 you all necessary funds. Be therefore not 
 faithless but believe. " 
 
 This calmed my mind, reassured my confi- 
 dence, and I immediately left for the bank. 
 Stepping up to the counter, I inquired if a 
 certain man, calling him by name, now living 
 in New York, had telegraphed to this bank 
 to place an amount of money to my credit. 
 The banker assured me that no telegram had 
 been received. 
 
 Again I inquired the cause of the failure. 
 The same mysterious voice replied by saying, 
 "The cause of this failure is the same that 
 produced the others; but," continued the 
 voice, " I am the Almighty. I have power to 
 kill and make alive, jand those who have 
 interfered with my purposes I will judge; 
 therefore rest in hope, and all shall be made 
 right." 
 
 I yet had confidence in my senses. I was 
 certain that I had heard the voice, and I 
 could not force myself to believe that any 
 creature above or beneath could be found who 
 would dare to personify or assume to be the 
 Almighty himself. I also thought back over 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 137 
 
 the Communications I had received. I re- 
 minded myself of the deep toned piety which 
 pervaded theaa, and of the kind assurances 
 given me; and summing it all up, I felt 
 doubly impressed that I could not be deceived. 
 
 While thus meditating, the voice uttered 
 these words, " Return to your home, and all 
 will be well." Obedient to the command, I 
 immediately set out for the place of my 
 former residence. 
 
 My sudden disappearance from home had 
 caused no small stir among the friends and 
 relatives, but my presence soon reassured 
 them. How little, thought I, do they under- 
 stand the real cause of my absence. 
 
 The reader might suppose that the would- 
 be divine intelligences who had followed me 
 so long and had so grossly deceived me 
 would, upon having been discovered to be but 
 devils clothed as angels of light, have left me 
 never to appear again. I>ut it was not the 
 case. So far as ability to impress my mind 
 with their thought was concerned, I found 
 that they possessed even more power, and 
 that it was every day increasing. 
 10 
 
138 POWERS OF THE AIR, 
 
 As soon as it was really apparent that I 
 had been deceived, I sunk into the very grave 
 of disappointment. My hopes, which had 
 been raised up to the seventh heaven, were 
 dashed down to the lowest pit of hell. My 
 invisible deceivers for several days continued 
 to flatter me at times that all was well — that 
 God was as really in the darkness of this dis- 
 appointment as in the light of the brightest 
 hopes of former days. 
 
 Said one of them to me, in an assuring 
 manner, " God has permitted all this for the 
 trial of your faith — to test your steadfastness 
 under adverse winds as well as under favor- 
 ing gales. Tou ought to remember that 
 Jesus, your brother, before he entered upon 
 his glorious mission, was led up of the spirit 
 into the wilderness, to be tempted by the 
 devil. In other words, he was turned over 
 to the rulers of evil that his mediumistic 
 powers might be developed — that is, his mind 
 rendered more susceptible and impressible, so 
 that angels and the highest order of intelli- 
 gent spirits might approach and communicate 
 With him." 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 139 
 
 This, they assured me, would be the case 
 with myself; that as soon as I had been 
 sufficiently tried and proved to be true under 
 the most adverse circumstances, then I would 
 be allowed t& be brought in contact with the 
 holy spirits again. They also assured me 
 that though they were wicked, still they were 
 engaged in the very holy work of developing 
 my mediumistic powers; that they were ap- 
 pointed to that work from the fact that their 
 magnetism was stronger than that of the holy 
 spirits; that they could do as much in one 
 day toward the development of my medium- 
 istic powers as a holy spirit could do in many 
 months. They further assured me that holy 
 spirits superintended the whole work. They 
 reminded me that often in the earth life men, 
 in rearing the loftiest and most sublime arti- 
 tectural structures, find it convenient and 
 profitable to employ men of the very lowest 
 order of mind to do the excavation for the 
 foundation, and also in preparing and laying 
 that foundation. So in my own case I had 
 been turned over to them, only that a foun- 
 dation might be laid upon which to rear the 
 
140 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 loftiest superstructure of mediumistic power, 
 "Have faith," they said, "and all will be 
 well." 
 
 Thus at times my hopes were raised to the 
 highest pinnacle, only to be again dashed to 
 the earth. 
 
 CHAPTER Xllfl 
 
 About this time I commenced to feel a pain 
 in my temples, at times extending down to 
 my cheek bones. This would continue for 
 hours and then cease, then after the lapse of 
 a few hours it would again begin. Some- 
 times the pain was almost equal to that caused 
 by the extraction of a tooth, then at other 
 times it would be quite moderate. I inquired 
 what could be the cause of these pains, 
 whether they proceeded from neuralgia or 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. • 141 
 
 some other nervous disease. They replied by 
 saying that I would find out by-and-by, only 
 have faith as a grain of mustard seed. But 
 this reply did not satisfy me; I repeatedly 
 importuned them to inform me. 
 
 I had a vague impression that they were 
 developing my powers as a seeing medium. 
 After a time they frankly informed me that 
 I would make a splendid seeing medium, and 
 to reward me for all my suffering I should 
 see all my deceased relatives at once and con- 
 verse with them face to face. This I thought 
 would be an exceedingly nice affair. I there- 
 fore concluded to patiently bear the pain, 
 severe as it was at times, besides I had no 
 power to stop their proceedings, and there- 
 fore I the more readily allowed them to pro- 
 ceed. But at times the pain was so severe 
 that I shrunk from it, and tried repeatedly 
 to prevent their operations. This I attempt- 
 ed to do by putting my head under a pillow, 
 knowing that feathers were a non-conductor 
 of electricity. This not succeeding, I tried 
 the experiment of placing a large deep glass 
 dish upon my head, but all to no purpose. The 
 
142 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 work went on, and as I could not prevent 
 their operations, I resigned myself to their 
 tender mercies. I found, however, that ex- 
 postulation succeeded better than trying to 
 place physical impediments in their way, and 
 occasionally at my earnest request they would 
 desist, and give me a season of perfect quiet. 
 
 At times I felt anxious to know who these 
 spirit friends, as they still called themselves, 
 could be. I therefore requested that each 
 should give me a short biographical sketch of 
 the life they lived in this world, and also the 
 one they were now inhabiting. With this 
 request they seemed perfectly willing to 
 comply. I therefore procured some paper 
 and they dictated the following as a part of 
 their history: 
 
 "I made my exit from the body and came 
 to this world some twelve years ago. Was, 
 before I left the world, a member of an 
 orthodox church, and greatly beloved by all 
 the membership, and especially by the class 
 of fine lads I then taught in the Sabbath- 
 school. Elder W , ray pastor, said, in 
 
 regard to my standing in the church and 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 143 
 
 community, that I was one of those rare 
 young men that anybody could approach and 
 not feel the sting of harshness; that he loved 
 me as a brother, and would give all that he 
 possessed to know me as his own natural 
 brother. 
 
 "After arriving in this world and finding 
 that I had missed heaven and was doomed to 
 remain with all the wicked of earth life, being 
 reserved under spiritual darkness unto the 
 judgment, I therefore resolved to play the 
 devil generally. So I commenced roaming 
 around among the dens of infamy to which 
 we have access as well in this world as in the 
 earth life. These dens of infamy and vice I 
 often entered, and though at first there was 
 much to shock my modesty and moral feel- 
 ings, yet I found it true here as in the earth 
 life that vice is a monster of such hideous 
 mien that to be dreaded it must be seen, but 
 seen too oft familiar with her face, is first 
 pited, then endured, then embraced. 
 
 "In these places of wicked resort I met 
 many of those with whom I was acquainted 
 in my earth life. These I found were in the 
 
144 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 same condition with myself — had missed 
 heaven, and as all was lost they, as well as 
 myself, concluded to do up a large amount of 
 the devil's work in as short a period of time 
 as possible. 
 
 " Finding you in a condition to impress 
 with considerable ease, we commenced the 
 work of leading you to believe that all the 
 modern spirit communications were of God 
 and all superintended by angels, and would 
 in the end bless the whole earth by its 
 wonderful manifestations. Thus you were 
 prepared to consider that whatever emanated 
 from that source should be interpreted in 
 some way as working together for the great 
 and ultimate good of all. 
 
 "Your mind was gradually prepared by 
 mesmeric influences to receive more perfectly 
 our impressions. "We continued this course 
 of treatment until we had gained such crontol 
 over you as to slightly influence your hand 
 to move involuntarily. In the course of time 
 we were enabled to insinuate into your mind 
 a full idea, and so on until we became master, 
 to some extent, of your whole being. We 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 145 
 
 then made arrangements with a number of 
 what we call wise spirits (though you would 
 not call them wise, because not good,) to write 
 the first communications which were received 
 at the commencement of your course as a 
 spirit medium. They contain the very essence 
 of the gospel of Christ. But from this learn 
 that the devil can preach the gospel, and 
 eloquently too, when he has an end in view. 
 This we found succeeded so well in gaining 
 your confidence that we concluded to go 
 farther. Of one thing we were in doubt, 
 which was that you were a Christian at all; 
 we therefore determined to prove you. We 
 were also in doubt whether there was any 
 true piety in the world. We had doubts of 
 this from the fact that in our own case Ave 
 thought that we possessed true piety. We 
 prayed, but more from a sense of duty than 
 otherwise. We attended church, but more 
 from habit than from a desire to glorify God 
 in the salvation of sinners. We taught a 
 class in Sabbath -school, but it was more 
 because asked to do so by the superintendent 
 than from a desire to do the children good. 
 
146 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 I was polite and affable, because it gained for 
 me the esteem of all with whom I associated. 
 I kept out of bad company, not because I 
 disliked it, but because I feared the conse- 
 quences; — loss of reputation, loss of the 
 esteem of others, and I had no higher motive 
 in doing the things which I did do than the 
 motive ot gain in some way. God's glory, 
 the good of the race, the final salvation of a 
 soul, never enteren my mind. I found that 
 all my hopes of salvation were therefore cut 
 short, and as if to spite the Almighty for not 
 sending me an effectual call, such as would 
 render mv salvation certain, we have done in 
 
 %J 7 
 
 part what we have done to you. 
 
 " We commenced, as you are well aware, 
 by making you think that God had called 
 you to become the second Christ. 
 
 We had our fun in seeing you really and 
 sincerely pray for sinners. We were delight- 
 ed, very greatly delighted, to witness your 
 extreme gratification at the conversion of 
 your friends, and neighbors. We now know 
 that those were genuine, hearty tears. We 
 know that any man who will stay awake, and 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 147 
 
 pray with tears streaming clown his cheeks, 
 nearly a whole night, for the salvation of 
 friends and relatives, is certainly of the true, 
 genuine material, of which all Christians 
 should be made. 
 
 " Then we were pleased b} r your evincing 
 so much faith in God. Your faith has as 
 far exceeded faithful Abraham's, as his faith 
 exceeded that of Peter. Because first, you 
 left a home of the highest type of excellence, 
 with wife, beautiful and happy children, and 
 an endeared circle of friends. You left, too? 
 without money, and without scrip, at the 
 bidding of one whom you had reason to be- 
 lieve was the Lord, your maker. 
 
 " Second, you prayed for those who were 
 your bitter enemies, and in the simplicity of 
 your faith believed them converted. 
 
 " Third, You adhered to God, after he had 
 deceived you, and given the evidence of 
 moral weakness. " 
 
 "What to think of this communication, was 
 
 more than I could determine. That it was 
 
 true in reference to the circumstances referred 
 
 o in regard to myself, I felt absolutely cer- 
 
148 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 tain, but whether the reasons assigned for 
 treating me thus were true, it was impossible 
 for me, under the circumstances, to determine. 
 The story on the face of it seemed very natural. 
 If it were all true, I could but say that God, 
 my Heavenly Father, had tried my integrity, 
 as he, of old, tried and proved that of his 
 servant Job, only instead of three adversaries, 
 there appeared to be legions of them. 
 
 Having obtained an answer as I thought 
 to my first question, I continued to venture 
 and ask another. I then said, "Can you in- 
 form me whether there are real devils and a 
 Hell, and if so where are they located? To 
 which I obtained the following answer : 
 
 " We say, in answer to the first question, 
 that we have not seen any devils since we 
 arrived in this world from your earth. That 
 there may be devils unseen by us is very 
 likely/and for this reason : We are invisible 
 to you and yet you have evidence that we 
 exist. So by the same method of reasoning 
 there may be devils and we not see them. It 
 would seem, judging from the way we have 
 treated you, that we have been posessed of 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 149 
 
 a legion of them. If they have the power to 
 impress us and speak to us as we do to you, 
 we have no knowledge of their having done 
 it. Still they may have the power of infus- 
 ing their subtilty into our minds without 
 actually speaking to us — just as we can infuse 
 our thoughts of evil into your mind without 
 uttering them in distinct words. You are 
 well aware that before vou became so im- 
 pressible as to allow us to speak to you that 
 you realized ideas coming into your mind 
 even when uncalled for. So we often realize 
 the same thing, but whether they come from 
 devils or not we can no more tell than you 
 can tell that we are or are not devils. 
 
 " You ask us if there is a hell, and if so, 
 where it is located. We say that there is a 
 hell more awful than the human mind in the 
 form can conceive of; a hell not of fire, 
 though inconceivably worse than fire to us ; 
 a hell that receives all the moral filth of the 
 earth life; a hell more terrible than fire, be- 
 cause fire can not burn spirit in the least or 
 cause to a spirit the least possibly amount of 
 suffering. The suffering that we, and all 
 
150 POWERS OF THE AIR, 
 
 others who abuse their privileges, are in is 
 greater than we can bear. We pray for death 
 as you have heard us often — not temporal 
 death, but eternal extinction of being. The 
 greatest boon we crave, is actual annihilation. 
 The parable of the rich man and Lazarus is 
 not anything like a clear and vivid representa- 
 tion of the reality. That there is an impassa- 
 ble gulf between us and heaven is absolutly 
 certain — a gulf so wide and deep that none 
 ever passed it. I am told that heaven is 
 somewhere out side the earth's atmosphere 
 and beyond the orbit of the moon. If so, 
 then you understand where the gulf is that I 
 allude to. We are confined to the earth's 
 atmosphere by a law as fixed as the thorne 
 of the Eternal — a law as operative as the 
 law gravity upon your bodies in the earth life. 
 " You will know, then, that the air, the 
 earth's atmosphere, is the abode of the wicked, 
 and is the only hell we know of. There may 
 be as many hells as there are worlds in the 
 Universe for ought we know. This hell, with 
 its myriads of inhabitants, may be the abode 
 of the wicked only until the great day, judg- 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 151 
 
 merit — then its locality may be removed and 
 the conditions of it changed. But so long as 
 there is to be found a man on earth whose 
 heart is fully set in him to do evil there will 
 remain this hell to receive him. The scrip- 
 tures give as clear a representation of hell as 
 it is possible for human language to convey 
 to the human mind. The only false view 
 tha»t it apparently gives is the representations 
 that the sufferings of hell result from being- 
 cast into a lake of fire and brimstone, which 
 is not the case, at least not immediately after 
 death. That this world will perish by fire is 
 not only the assurance of Holy Writ, but the 
 legitimate deduction of reason, and our 
 earnest desire is that we may perish with it. 
 "It may seem strange to you that the 
 Almighty should have created a hell, — but 
 it is not at all strange to us. The inhabit- 
 ants of. hell are the legitimate fruits of wicked 
 and corrupt earth life. A man must reap 
 the rewards of his own hands by a law as un- 
 changable as the Almighty. Every man must 
 be judged according to the deeds done in the 
 body, which we now know by experience 
 
152 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 means that man is and must be essentially in 
 the spirit life what he was in the earth life. 
 Man, by nature, is a demon, and grace alone 
 makes him a saint. Therefore, unless a man 
 realizes that change which is from death unto 
 life whilst he yet remains upon the earth 
 there is and can be no realization of it here, 
 among the wicked which surround the earth, 
 who constitute the inhabitant and powers 
 of the air. 
 
 " The laws of eternal life are laid down in 
 the gospel by the Lord Jesus Christ. He de- 
 clares that the man who believes on me (that 
 is on Christ) hath everlasting or eternal life 
 and he will raise him up, (that is, his body), 
 at the last day. This we now know means 
 that he will give them eternal life, because 
 they believe or because they have realized as 
 in your case that inward evidence of it, which 
 alone the Holy Spirit gives. No man can 
 really believe without evidence, therefore no 
 man can believe in Jesus Christ but he to 
 whom the Father reveals him ; I mean in his 
 moral excellence. Therefore, all men who 
 do not attain to eternal life through his son, 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 153 
 
 Jesus Christ, will and of course must perish. 
 
 "That this earth is to be dissolved and 
 burned up may be inferred from the fact that 
 stars have already been knownto go out, and 
 reasoning from analogy this earth is as likely to 
 dissolve with fervent heat whenever the breath 
 of the Almighty is blown upon it, as the stars 
 and planets already seem to perish. The 
 great mistake of the bible reader consist in 
 their literalizing in reference to the future of 
 both the conditions of the righteous and the 
 wicked. Whereas, figures of speech were 
 used to represent as near as possible spiritual 
 conditions, every one must in a measure 
 understand the difficulty of describing spirit- 
 ual states and conditions by comparing them 
 to states and conditions on the earth. The 
 expression, banished from the presence of 
 God and the glory of his power' is very ex- 
 pressive if you in the earth life, could in the 
 least degree understand what is meant by it. 
 
 " The human mind, from its very constitu- 
 tion, must localize and literalize. Jesus taught 
 that the Kingdom of Heaven is within you 
 and depends upon the disposition and tem- 
 11 
 
154 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 pers of the soul. This is pre-eminently so. 
 The intense sufferings in this world consist in 
 giving vent to unrestrained tempers, to ex- 
 hibitions of pride, and the most intense selfish- 
 ness. We understand now, as we never could 
 know in the earth life, that Heaven as well 
 as Hell is a place — though conditions of mind 
 and heart are ver}^ much, yet not all. A 
 man whose heart is right in the sight of God 
 enjoys peace within, but as your experience 
 will testify it is not always so without you 
 are surrounded by those who could drag all 
 heaven down into the mire and filth of hell 
 to gratify their desires, whims, and caprices, 
 Neither you, nor any one in the earth life, 
 can have any thing like an adequate concep- 
 tion of a condition of society where every 
 abomination and wickness is practiced ; where 
 supreme selfishness is the universal rule ot 
 action ; wdiere all are influenced by one motive 
 and that motive is self, and self only. 
 
 "Your own experience can fully testify to 
 this fact, that the inhabitants of this world 
 can actually delight in ih^ torture of any one 
 or any thing without showing the least mer- 
 cv or forbearance. 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 155 
 
 " There is such a thing here as in the earth 
 life of fun wearing out. In your case we not 
 only wore out the fun, but your system be- 
 came so innured to electrical discharges that 
 we lost the power to control or influence you. 
 The nerves of your system became, by con- 
 tinued discharges of electricity upon them, 
 like copper wires capable of conducting off 
 the largest discharges of electricity, with but 
 little effect to your physical system. Thus 
 you may know that the lion of evil is chained." 
 
CHAPTER X*TI. 
 
 This communication astonished me more 
 than the other. Because, first, though the 
 communicator did not acknowledge that he 
 was a devil, yet he seems to reason from an- 
 alogy that there are such beings who infuse a 
 deadly venom into their minds. This ac- 
 count agrees with the scripture account of 
 devils and demons, and is as true as human 
 language can express it. 
 
 My opinion of devils and demons was 
 made up from reading the scriptures. I think 
 they teach that fallen angels are the only ac- 
 tual devils, and that the term demon is the 
 word which ought to be used-when speaking 
 of wicked persons who *have left the earth 
 life. 
 
 My mind became very much interested to 
 know whether these beings around me were 
 actually devils or demons. I, therefore, re- 
 solved to notice particularly their every word. 
 As I could distinctly hear them talk to one 
 
 156 
 
POWEKS OF THE AIR. 157 
 
 another, they seemed to have thrown off all 
 disguise, and very properly, I think, conclud- 
 ed that they must reveal sooner or later their 
 true characters. The spirit's description of 
 hell, I think, may be said to be graphic 
 enough to have been written by one who had 
 realized the whole length and breadth, highth 
 and depth of that dread abode. The location 
 of hell did not accord with my ideas at all. 
 I had supposed that it was located in the re- 
 gions of space beyond the outskirts of crea- 
 tion, in what might be' called chaos, and that 
 the few wicked spirits that surrounded earth 
 had made their escape from there, and of 
 course were moving around in the air and 
 doing all the mischief they could find to do. 
 The prince of the power of the air working 
 in the children of disobedience, I did not un- 
 derstand as entering into and taking full 
 possession and control of their bodies and 
 minds, but infusing into their minds, by im- 
 pression, their evil designs. That they did 
 even take possession of some in our Savior's 
 day, and control them just as a mesmerized 
 person is controlled by the mesmerizer, I have 
 
158 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 not the least doubt; but I had formed the 
 opinion that when Christ, by his gospel and 
 spiritual presence, had taken possession of 
 the whole earth, that then the demons and 
 devils would all be driven into outer darkness, 
 and there remain forever, and that this con- 
 stituted the prison house of God's universe. 
 
 The reader will, of course, understand that 
 any opinion advanced by the intelligence who 
 dictated this communication is simply his 
 opinions, and not entitled to any credit only 
 so far as they agree with and throw light up- 
 on the bible. From expressions dropped in 
 the two last communications I think we may 
 conclude that lost souls in hell have no 
 means of knowing their future destiny, only 
 as the bible reveals it. That they desire and 
 pray for annihilation, I know is true, but that 
 they [have any means of ascertaining their 
 final end, except from the bible, is also true. 
 That there is every variety of opinions held 
 
 among these legions of the wicked one upon 
 
 i 
 
 the subject of their present and future des- 
 tiny I am fully persuaded from more than 
 four years' experience with them. But the 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 159 
 
 fact of obtaining eternal life through believ- 
 ing in Jesus Christ ; that no man can believe 
 without evidence is virtually true. From the 
 deductions of reason, and the declarations of 
 scripture, I positively know from experience 
 that there is a revelation of Jesus Christ in 
 the soul. I know that once Jesus Christ 
 was to me as a root out of dry ground, with- 
 out moral beauty or moral excellence. But 
 now I know that he is the highest conception 
 of what I desire to be. I can truly say, that 
 as " The heart panteth after the living water- 
 brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, 
 God." 
 
 This spirit seems now to understand the 
 way of life through Jesus Christ. Whether he 
 obtained it by torturing me to the very verge 
 of the grave, I know not. He says it was 
 done for that purpose, in the first communi- 
 cation. But my own opinion is that he was 
 one who laid this plan, deceived and tortured 
 me for his own amusement, for the mere grat- 
 ification it afforded him. 
 
 Repeatedly I charged them with being 
 devils, because they could take pure delight 
 
160 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 in causing the most extreme sufferings to one 
 who had never injured them in the least. To 
 this they replied by saying they were devils, 
 but did not like to be called devils. I could 
 not persuade myself that they had ever been 
 in the earth life, for the reason that we have 
 nothing with us that corresponds to the de- 
 gree of wickedness which they exhibited. A 
 savage of the wilderness will torture an en- 
 emy, but was never known to torture one 
 who was friendly or had not in the least in- 
 jured him. It is almost impossible for the 
 human mind to concieve of the extreme 
 wickedness which would lead one being to 
 torture another without having given in some 
 way offense. 
 
 I reasoned that if these beings had ever 
 been in the earth life, they had upon reaching 
 that world grown suddenly more wicked. As 
 a means of increasing my mental torture, 
 some of them claimed to be my relatives; 
 others that they had been my friends and 
 neighbors, but had failed in reaching heaven, 
 and now, because they could, and as if to 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 161 
 
 spite the Almighty, they had determined to 
 torture me to the extreme of their ability. 
 
 I was certain that if these wicked spirits 
 could talk to me and dictate their desires, 
 opinions and wishes, that holy spirits could 
 also do the same. I felt hopeful, therefore, 
 that in time they would come and cause these 
 wicked spirits to leave me. Besides, I had 
 made special supplication to God, to the end 
 that he would deliver me from these wicked 
 spirits, and give me peace and quiet, as in 
 former days. This prayer I certainly expect- 
 ed God would answer, and therefore looked for 
 peace. But, dear reader, no peace came. No 
 sooner did my weary head strike the pillow 
 than the electric shocks commenced and con- 
 tinued for a time, and then ceased entirely. 
 All was silent, not a whisper was heard. "With 
 this I was pleased, I began to lift up my 
 heart to God in prayer; with a grateful sense 
 of his goodness that my prayer was answer- 
 ed, and my soul relieved from its demoniacal 
 surroundings. O, thought I, what a comfort 
 to be alone; to have my own thoughts, to be 
 free from sharp, unfriendly criticisms at every 
 
162 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 turn the mind might take. Oh, I exultantly 
 said, how sweet and delightful it is to be 
 alone again. 
 
 But the lull, the sweet calm, was only the 
 precursor of the more terrible storm. Soon 
 I began to discern about the room flashes of 
 light; then I caught sight of cloudy forms 
 moving to and fro; then I discovered that 
 some objects in the room which were distin- 
 guishable by moonlight, wore a hazy glow of 
 light whilst other objects looked as they usually 
 did. Then, sudden as the lightnings flash the 
 whole room appeared lit up, and arranged in 
 rows around the room a thousand human 
 skulls, tier above tier. If they were attached 
 to skeleton bodies the bodies did not appear, 
 as the front rank began so low down that I 
 could not see them distinctlv. After continu- 
 ing a few moments, well, thought I, (the 
 shock of the moment had subsided,) that cer- 
 tainly is a strange sight — is it real or illu- 
 sory. 
 
 T then gazed around the room to assume 
 myself that I was not asleep, nor dreaming. 
 I looked at the different objects in the room 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 163 
 
 and all remained as they were. I then knew 
 that it was a veal, positive, actual sight. 
 
 What, thought I, do wicked spirits assume 
 the form of skeletons in the other world? 
 It can not be. At that moment another flash, 
 and the whole room presented the same ap- 
 pearance again. Oh, horrible sight ! a thou- 
 sand skeleton forms, gazing from hollow eyes. 
 Silence reigned! I looked, gazed, and then 
 said to myself, this is real, and as I seemed 
 to pronounce the word, it was all dashed out, 
 and the room remained as before. 
 
 I then began to muse upon the probable 
 form or shape that wicked spirits assume af- 
 ter making their exit from the body. I had 
 received the impression from some source 
 that wicked spirits, when emerging from the 
 body, assume the human form, only that they 
 were a more or less horrible aspect as they 
 were more or less wicked. 
 
 In this manner I was musing when another 
 flash of light revealed a vast, terrific, massive, 
 Hack looking form, with fierce flashing eyes, 
 and a monster mouth. It stood as it were 
 looking right down into my very soul, I 
 
164 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 turned as if to get a better view, to assure 
 myself that it was real, when the familiar* 
 whispering voice, said, "His Majesty, the 
 Devil." This monster object stared at me for 
 several minutes, smacking his lips and show- 
 ing his teeth, then disappeared as suddenly as 
 the visions of skeletons. 
 
 I wondered how such horrible objects could 
 be produced. That they were real, my rea- 
 son decided could not be; if they were 
 phantom images, I said, by what power are 
 they produced? That they were produced 
 by spirits, with a design to alarm and startle 
 me I was fully confident, but how such real, 
 life-like pictures could be created so instantly, 
 was to me a deep mystery. At first sight, 1 
 was a little startled, but as soon as I thought 
 a moment I felt calm. I reasoned thus : God 
 is the author of all things; if he has created 
 creatures he can control them, and if he sees 
 proper to take me out of the world by their 
 instrumentality I was willing to go. I felt a 
 sweet assurance that he loved me, and if it 
 was his will that I should be destroyed by 
 these wicked, invisible spirits, then I should 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR 165 
 
 submit as calmly as by any other means which 
 might seem to him proper. 
 
 Thus a few moments passed on and again 
 the flash, and a huge blacksmith appeared, 
 with brawny arms and hammer uplifted, 
 forming a perfectly life-like picture. It re- 
 mained for a few moments, and while view- 
 ing his huge proportions the voice came in 
 distinct and measured tones, "Vulcan, the 
 Blacksmith," and then he disappeared. 
 
 Thus one scene after another came to view 
 in the usual order of panoramic processions. 
 First, a ludicrous scene with strange, comic, 
 figures, more grotesque and absurd than is 
 possible for the human mind to conceive of; 
 then a change would bring to view a motley 
 crowd — some black, some white, some sober, 
 and some grinning. Thus the views passed 
 on for hours, sometimes reptiles the most 
 loathsome and of the strangest form and 
 colors altogether different from any thing de- 
 scribed in natural history. At one time a 
 huge boar, with monstrous tusks, came dash- 
 ing right up almost into my face, and there 
 stopped looking me fiercely in the eye. I 
 
166 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 reached to drive it away but I found it re- 
 mained. I looked at the window and then 
 at other objects in the room, and then at the 
 picture. I found it so real, positive, and life- 
 like that I shrunk back from waging a war- 
 fare with such a terrible creature. A lion, 
 then a tiger, then other animals came dashing 
 in turn almost into my face, fierce as ten 
 furies. 
 
 So thev continued until I became exceed- 
 ingly weary, and begged of them to cepse 
 their operations, but all to no purpose. Oc- 
 casionally I could hear them say "soon we 
 will close. These are the animals and creatures 
 found in spirit land. We want you to see 
 them." Thus after many hours they retired 
 and all w T as quiet. I then obtained a little 
 rest. 
 
 Thus, dear reader, you have a very faint 
 and imperfect description of a spirit panoram- 
 ma. That you may be assured that this is 
 no fiction of the brain, I would say that it 
 has continued with short intervals until the 
 present time (a period of over four years.) 
 These scenes have presented a great variety 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 167 
 
 of changes — sometimes they produced the 
 inner court of some gorgeous temple ; then 
 trellis work hung with the most luxuriant 
 vintage; then perhaps it would change to an 
 exhibition of the finest lace tapestries, the 
 most costly robes and wearing apparel, also 
 the finest stucco, medalion, and fresco work 
 which appeared in bold relief upon the walls. 
 These latter were produced generally in the 
 morning in full daylight. 
 
 I sought to know how they were created 
 and this was the answer they returned : 
 
CHAPTER 5*T. 
 
 "These mind-pictures are produced psy- 
 chologically. The image is not produced in 
 the room but in the mind — produced there 
 by the will of the operator. We at first 
 designed to frighten and terrify the subject, 
 but finding that his nerves were made of 
 sterner material, we changed our tactics to 
 that of something more pleasing. We de- 
 signed at first to introduce his relatives as 
 among the psychological characters, but find- 
 ing that he was aware how they were created 
 — being not real but mental pictures — we 
 therefore partially dropped the work of psy- 
 chological manifestations and commenced the 
 work of what is called general developments. 
 This is accomplished by passing currents of 
 electricity along the leading and sometimes 
 the minor nerves. These nerves are to the 
 body what the wires are to the electric 
 battery. The principal object of this so-called 
 development is to give the nerves capacity to 
 
 168 
 
foweks of the air. 169 
 
 conduct electricity without apparent shock to 
 the physical system. As in your case, devel- 
 opment is often attended with great pain. 
 It is often performed, too, by those who very 
 imperfectly understand the work, and then 
 again by those who are rough and have little 
 regard for the suffering of the subject. Dur- 
 ing the development of this subject we have 
 inflicted much physical suffering, but not 
 more than is often experienced by persons 
 during a course of severe illness. 
 
 " We have no claims upon him for the 
 patience he has manifested. That he has the 
 grace of patience to a marvelous degree is 
 shown in the fact that his life came very near 
 being taken several times while making some 
 of the experiments, especially when we pro- 
 duced the characters of one of the heavenly 
 host in full dress. We might say, in partial 
 justification of the course pursued, that we 
 expected at first to have rendered the subject 
 a splendid trance medium, but failing, we 
 became reckless of everything like decency or 
 justice, and abused him without stint or 
 mercy just because we could. I would say 
 
 12 
 
170 POWERS OF THE Att. 
 
 further that unless the whole trickerv of 
 spirit seeing is exposed the world will be 
 Wretched indeed. The whole matter of spirit 
 seeing in the modern times is an imposition 
 upon the credulity of the public. The visions 
 of A. J. Davis, as well as those of Emanuel 
 Swedenberg, are bare-faced deceptions, so 
 bare and transparent a falsehood that the 
 world ought to see through the cheat at a 
 glance. This subject, as well as many others, 
 has suffered vastly more than many do in the 
 soul's separation from the body. He has suf- 
 fered mentally sufficient to have caused in 
 many insanity, but without the least apparent 
 derangement of the mental faculties. We 
 attribute his patience and mental stability to 
 simple trust in God. We know of hundreds 
 of cases where persons have been driven hope- 
 lessly insane both in America and Europe by 
 mesmerization of spirits, many of whom are 
 as ignorant of its laws as the nursing child. 
 Hot always wilfully doing the mischief but 
 nevertheless doing it. This, with many other 
 abuses, has rendered the subject of spiritualism 
 most odious in the minds of all who are not 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 171 
 
 deceived and carried away by its glittering 
 fascinations." 
 
 Thus, reader, you have the confession ot 
 what I believe to have been one of the spirits 
 who deceived me. Whether these pictures 
 were, as he says, mental pictures I know not. 
 but to me at first they were as real as life 
 itself. After a short time had elapsed, I had 
 a conviction that they were not real, but mere 
 mesmeric impressions, or something of that 
 kind. I repeatedly entreated them, by every 
 possible argument that I could use, to desist 
 from making their impressions upon my 
 mind, and from causing in different parts of 
 my body such sharp, electric pains, but to no 
 purpose. 
 
 Sometimes I would use this language: 
 " Will you tell me why you persist in giving 
 me so much pain?" This would be about 
 the answer: "We give you pain because we 
 can't develop your powers without it." Then 
 I would say, "Why develop them at all?" 
 The answer would be, " Because we desire to 
 make some experiments in psychology." 
 Then in reply I would say, "But what bene- 
 
172 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 fit will that be to you or to me, or to the 
 world?" Then about this answer would be 
 returned : "We wish the w r orld to know that 
 we exist, and that this subject is psychologi- 
 cal." Then in reply I would say, "Is that a 
 sufficient reason for inflicting on me so much 
 pain? The fact that you can move my hand 
 mechanically, and can dictate your ideas or 
 thoughts to my mind is sufficient evidence of 
 your existence." Then the reply would be 
 given, "Very true, there seems to you but 
 little use in psychological pictures, but to me 
 it seems of considerable importance." 
 
 "First, it is the means which is resorted to 
 all over the world to induce people to believe 
 that they see spirit forms, when in fact they 
 see only the mental pictures which the spirits 
 are disposed to give them. Therefore, by this 
 you will understand the fallacy of seeing 
 spirits. Also, the imposition of clairvoyant 
 seeing. You know by experience that spirit- 
 seeing is an imposition — a mere trick, played 
 off by impressing the subject with the scene 
 which the spirit wishes him to have a view 
 of, and then informing him that it is an actual 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR 173 
 
 sight of the place or person presented to view. 
 For example : a sick room in London is, so to 
 speak, photographed in the mind of the sub- 
 ject, who is then informed that he actually 
 sees the person and surroundings in London, 
 Or to make the matter still plainer, you re- 
 member that the Congress of the United 
 States was seen by you in full assembly, and 
 different characters engaged in earnest de- 
 bate. You surely now know that this was 
 only a photographic picture upon the mind. 
 No man can see the actual essence of a spirit 
 any more than he can see God. You are 
 aware that your optic nerves are many times 
 more sensitive now than formerly, and still 
 with all this increased sensitiveness, you have 
 not been able to see even the semblance of a 
 spirit. You have seen cloudy appearances, 
 but they were only the mist and vapor in the 
 air attracted to the spirit, and thus giving it 
 a hazy, misty appearance. At other times 
 you have seen actual forms clothed in white, 
 both in an out of church. Those were only 
 appearances produced in the same way. The 
 medallion and stucco work, though apparently 
 
174 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 fixed upon the ceiling of your room, is of the 
 same character. You have suffered to be 
 sure, but still, even if you have suffered great- 
 ly, it is, perhaps, a Utile consolation for you to 
 know that many others have suffered as well 
 as yourself. There is now known to be in 
 different parts of Europe and America many 
 scores of psycological subjects, but none so 
 good as yourself. But is it necessary that 
 one should suffer so intensely to simply make 
 an exposure? If even one person had been 
 made good or rendered morally better by it 
 there would at least then be the semblance 
 of a reason for the suffering, but that to my 
 knowledge is not the case. 
 
 "But you forget that the world is running 
 mad after the beast. [Rev. xin : ii.] It has 
 come suddenly upon the world, and they won- 
 der with very great amazement and your 
 timely warning, and very full experience, will 
 save a vast number from the awful gulf into 
 which they may be ready to plunge. Besides 
 it has afforded us a vast amount of fun. Your 
 case has been a very peculiar one. You were 
 first led into a belief that spiritualism was but 
 
POWERS OF THET AIR. 175 
 
 the harbinger of the millennial glory, by the 
 few first communications- They were cer- 
 tainly very grand, and were given with the 
 express design of leading you to believe they 
 were from Jesus Christ, and God himself. 
 You ought to have suspected this. All hooks 
 are baited with a very gilded bait. But your 
 honest heart could not but trust that all are 
 genuine lovers of Jesus Christ, who are ready 
 to say, 'Lord, Lord!' Now you know by ex- 
 perience that all is not gold that glitters. Be- 
 sides, you also have a greater degree of pa- 
 tience than you had before — even patience 
 under severe and long continued suffering. 
 The abuses that you have so patiently borne 
 were undeserved, unprovoked, and there- 
 fore there can be no excuse framed as a palli- 
 ation of tlxe offense." 
 
CHAPTER XVT 
 
 The reader will notice that the writer of 
 this eommmrieation alludes to my seeing forms 
 of angelic shape while sitting in church. I 
 will say m reference to the matter, that I have 
 been troubled very much with these psycho- 
 logical images, as they call them. During the 
 time of prayers, while my eyes are usually 
 covered to exclude exterior objects, the psy- 
 chological light begins to appear, and to in- 
 crease until it often exceeds in brightness 
 the light of the sun. In the center of this lu- 
 minous disk or circle a human form appears 
 of exquisite mold, resembling statuary covered 
 with thin silk gauze, To prevent this I re- 
 sorted to the expedient of keeping my eyes 
 open during the exercise of prayer. But at 
 times the spectrum or vision would appear 
 even when my eyes were wide open. Some- 
 times these images have assumed lewd and 
 disgusting attitudes, very greatly distracting- 
 my mind from worship. The pain that ac- 
 
 176 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 177 
 
 companied these demonstrations was often 
 very severe. The feeling was like a finger 
 placed upon either side of the head and press- 
 ed with violence. This pain would sometimes 
 change instantly from my temples to my 
 cheek bones, then to the back of my head, 
 then to the top of my head. This was con- 
 tinued until quite a preceptible soreness was 
 felt in those regions. Sometimes an interval of 
 two or three days elapsed between the pain- 
 ful operations. All my persuasions to desist 
 were treated with harsh rebuffs, and as if to 
 demonstrate the fact of their total depravity, 
 they often endeavored to excite in my mind 
 fears with regard to the safety of my life. Be- 
 sides attempting to excite groundless fears, 
 they seemed to tax their ingenuity to invent 
 sharp, severe and cutting remarks. But that 
 which proved the source of the greatest an- 
 noyance was their incessant talking, either to 
 myselt or to one another. 
 
 At one time I propounded to them this 
 question: " Are you within or above me ?" 
 The answer returned was this: "We are 
 sometimes absorbed into your being ; at other 
 
178 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 times we are above and around you as 
 best suits our purpose. Not more than two 
 of us have ever been en rapport with you at 
 the same instant. We mean by rapport — ab- 
 sorbed into your person just as water may be 
 absorbed by a sponge." 
 
 This astonished me. It seemed at times to 
 be true, as their thoughts seemed to flow into 
 my mind as one drop of water flows into and 
 mingles with another. 
 
 The reader may be anxious to know the 
 subjects upon which they talked, and what 
 replies were made. The following is a ver- 
 batim conversation: 
 
 Question. — "Are you not in the truest 
 sense demons ? You seem to have no love 
 towards Jesus Christ, and seem only deter- 
 mined to gratify self even at the expense of 
 intense suffering to others.' 9 
 
 Answer. — " You ask us whether we are 
 not demons, and assign as a reason that we 
 have no love for Jesus Christ, or any other 
 good being. In this you seem to forget that 
 in the earth life you have very many who had 
 no love for any thing good, and are bent on 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 179 
 
 gratifying self and only self, even at the ex- 
 pense of others. Surely, you can not expect 
 this world where we are to have any thing 
 better than proceeds from your own/'' 
 
 Question. — "But we have no such charac- 
 ters in the earth life, either among barbarous 
 or savage nations, characters who inflict pain 
 simply to see the victim writhe in agony V 
 
 Answer. — "Neither have we. You sup- 
 pose that because we caused you such intense 
 suffering that we had no motive but to see 
 you writhe with pain. We had a motive, 
 though we had no moral right. Our motive 
 was fun, and fun indeed we had; and to us 
 glorious fun, and much of it." 
 
 Question.— " To say that you took intense 
 pleasure in my sufferings, and had no other 
 motive but the delight it afforded, you virtu- 
 ally confess the charge. Such a disposition 
 of itself constitutes any being a devil. 
 
 Answer. — "But you forget that children 
 often pull the wings and legs from the bodies 
 of flies to see them writhe in agony, and 
 therefore you would say we were using very 
 
180 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 harsh language, to say the least, to call them 
 devils because they may do so." 
 
 Question. — "Very true, there are those 
 who inflict pain upon animals needlessly, and 
 even take delight in seeing them writhe in 
 agony. But we say that that is evidence of 
 great cruelty. But an instance can not be 
 cited where a parent ever so tortured a child 
 or a friend, or even an unoffending stranger?" 
 
 Answer. — " Yes, there are many cases on 
 record of parents so vile that they have even 
 burned their children by slow fires, and many 
 instances of persons who have tortured their 
 friends, though I can not think of any at 
 present. But that is no test by which to de- 
 termine a devil, because devils are spoken of 
 as believing in God, and trembling in view of 
 God's power, therefore you ought to have 
 asked whether we believe in God, and 
 whether, also, we tremble in view of his 
 power." 
 
 Question. — "I think it will be admitted by 
 all that the very last degree of depravity con- 
 sists in a person's realizing delight, fun, or 
 merriment in the torturing agonies of those 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 181 
 
 who could but feel good will toward them. 
 This is, and can only be, the test of a devilish 
 nature. As to devils believing in God, I think 
 they do so, because they as spirits are capa- 
 ble of comprehending better than men the 
 immense power of God ?" 
 
 Answer. — "As to the last test of a devil 
 you have instanced, it only proves the race 
 more corrupt than it appears to be. It can 
 be demonstrated that all who leave the 
 earth life in a wicked condition must come 
 up into the atmosphere which surrounds the 
 earth. Therefore to prove that we are just 
 such characters as you have charged us with 
 being, is only to prove the earth life more 
 wicked than it is." 
 
 " It does not prove that the earth life is 
 more wicked than it really is, but it proves 
 that disembodied spirits may grow more and 
 more depraved after leaving the earth life, or 
 it may prove the existence of the original 
 fallen angels. ?? 
 
 "Yes, you are right, it does prove that dis- 
 embodied spirits actually grow morally worse 
 and worse, and it is because thev have no 
 
182 POWERS OF THE AiK. 
 
 good surrounding them. Evil, and only evil 
 is the component element of this world. 
 Wicked men in the earth life may seem com- 
 paratively good, but it is only because they 
 are under restraint. There is not only no 
 restraint here, but there is every thing to ex- 
 cite and provoke depravity, therefore they 
 must necessarily grow worse and worse, be- 
 cause all the latent evil is excited and brought 
 into activity." 
 
 Question. — " But have not spirits the priv- 
 ilege of entering the church and hearing ser- 
 mons, and have they not the privilege of re- 
 maining in the families of the pious and god- 
 ly of earth?" 
 
 Answer. — "Very true, they have, and do 
 so, and often criticise the sermon as you have 
 heard us do, and w r e often come into pious 
 families, and have the benefit of the heaven- 
 ly atmosphere which surrounds them. But 
 what does that avail when there is no pro- 
 tection ? There may at the same time be hun- 
 dreds of disembodied spirits, chattering and 
 mocking you in the most hideous manner. 
 The spirits in the air would no more suffer a 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 183 
 
 fellow spirit to be pious and good than a herd 
 of lions would allow a lamb in their midst. 
 Besides they have no disposition to be good, 
 have no affinity for good. This atmosphere 
 of yours is the abode of all the accumulated 
 wicked since the world began. Therefore, if 
 you must know it, this place is as bad as 
 wickedness can make it. There are no good 
 people in this place. They immediately as- 
 cend, we think, to a higher region/' 
 
 Question. — " But why do you not go up 
 there also?" 
 
 Answer. — "For this reason, we could not 
 go up so far into the thin ether if we would, 
 and we would not if we could, because of 
 our moral antipathy to every thing that is 
 good. You can but little realize how bitter 
 is our antipathy to every thing good. You 
 may say, then, why do we come around you 
 when we admit you to be as good as any one 
 can be in the earth life? Simply because you 
 afford us some delight — you mitigate the te- 
 dious monotony of our life by your questions 
 and arguments. We don't love you because 
 of your goodness, but because you afford us 
 
184 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 delight. Your magnetism is softer than ours, 
 and we delight to remain in it just as you like 
 to remain in the sun in a cold day/ 5 
 
 Question. — "But why not go up, and re- 
 main in the soft and pleasant magnetism of 
 the good above?" 
 
 Answer. — "Because, as I said, we can not if 
 we would, for there is a geat gulf fixed be- 
 tween this place and heaven and no one can 
 pass over it no more than you can pass to us 
 in the body as you are? 
 
 Question. — "Will not age, in time, make you 
 invisible to those wicked spirits who have 
 just emerged from the body? 
 
 Answer. — "I think not, because here are per- 
 sons said to be a thousand years old, and they 
 look just the same, only more intellectual, than 
 those just coming from the earth life, just as 
 a man looks more intellectual at forty than 
 at twenty ? 
 
 Question. — "Have you any definite idea 
 as to what will finally be the end of the 
 wicked? 
 
 Answer. — " We have none. We only know 
 what the scripture says about us, that we shall 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 185 
 
 be burned up, that is destroyed. We believe 
 its meaning to be having no conscious exist- 
 ance. Why we were made or what purpose 
 we subserve is more than we can tell. There 
 are a thousand theories among us which have 
 come from earth life. But the jargon of ideas 
 is worse than confusion confounded, as you 
 very well know from experience. My own 
 opinion is that they will all be destroyed at 
 the end of the world. But w T hen that will 
 take place we know not. 
 
 Question. — "But are not the doctrines 
 taught generally by spiritualists denomiated 
 in the scripture the doctrines of devils or de- 
 mons ? 
 
 Answer. — " Yes, they are, in very deed, the 
 doctrine of devils or demons, because they 
 generally reject the teaching of Jesus Christ 
 and his apostles and followers. A. J. Davis 
 was inspired to my certain knowledge by the 
 prince of demons, or in other words the most 
 intellectual demon belonging to the powers 
 of the air. His Harmonial Phylosophy was 
 all written under inspiration of demoniac in- 
 fluence. There is no Jesus Christ nor any doc- 
 
 13 
 
186 POWERS OP THE AIR. 
 
 trines taught by Jesus in his works — they are 
 Christless or Anti-christ. The great central 
 doctrine of the gospel, as you well know and 
 as I learned in the earth life, is vicarious 
 suffering or the suffering of the innocent for 
 the guilty. It is seen in eveiy plane and 
 phase of earth life; the innocent bearing 
 burdens for the guilty ; the mother toils and 
 wears herself out for her ungrateful children, 
 who perhaps return only cursing for blessing 
 and unrequited toil. Thus Jesus Christ has 
 toiled, suffered, and given himself for the race, 
 and for A.J. Davis, himself an ungrateful 
 child, who turns and rends him by classifying 
 him in his congress of spirits with some of the 
 violent of the earth because the spirits giving 
 it had so dictated it to him. There is not the 
 smallest particle of the pure, self-sacrificing 
 principle, called sacrificing self for the good 
 of others, or in other words, the vicarious 
 suffering principle, in all his works. They 
 are purely the doctrines of devils or demons, 
 and came from the pit of ignorance and vil- 
 lany. Spiritualism was conceived in sin and 
 brought forth in iniquity. You may think 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 187 
 
 strange in my saying so, but when I see the 
 deceit, trickery and imposition palmed off 
 upon the world as pure gospel truth it is enough 
 to make all hell tremble. Some of us, if we 
 have missed heaven, have not lost all interest 
 in the success of the gospel, and for the fol- 
 lowing reasons: First, because every one 
 saved and taken to heaven makes the number 
 in hell less, and the fewer we have in hell the 
 less of evil we have to bear with. Second, 
 we have friends and relatives in the earth life 
 and we feel interested to have them saved, 
 even if we are not saved ourselves. Third, if 
 we are wicked we should not be so wicked 
 as to desire all others to be wicked. 
 
 "I was perfectly satisfied in witnessing your 
 trials that there is a higher life in you, called 
 in scripture or by the Savior, Jesus, the divine 
 life or the eternal life, begotten by God himself 
 in the soul. Therefore 1 can perceive that 
 you have higher motives than spiritualists 
 generally have. The inquiry by you was 
 continually made to this effect : How is spirit- 
 ualism to be used to promote the gospel or to 
 develope the higher life, or the God principle 
 
188 POWEES OF THE AIR. 
 
 in the soul ? You were all the time looking 
 for an advance of moral power in the gospel 
 itself. The gospel had a certain degree of 
 moral power when it made its commencement 
 in the world. So you were expecting to find 
 in the second gospel (and very properly too) 
 a still higher degree of moral power. If 
 spiritualism is to manifest that power in a 
 higher degree, we know as yet that it has not 
 manifested it at all. It is a dead carcass — a 
 carcass that will be a stench to the good of 
 the whole earth. Yes, bad as I am, I can 
 see that its influence is evil, only evil, and that 
 continually. " 
 
 Thus, dear reader, ends a communication 
 in some respects more peculiar than any which 
 has preceeded it. It seems to be character- 
 ized by a degree of candor very remarkable 
 for a soul that had missed heaven. Indeed, 
 the author seems to posses a surprising know- 
 ledge of the pure spirituality of the gospel. 
 Whether the one who dictated it to me ob- 
 tained this spiritual insight into the gospel 
 from being connected with those who had 
 caused me so much suffering and deep soul 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 189 
 
 experience of evil, I can not determine. All 
 that I can know respecting the matter is the 
 author's confession in these words: " I was 
 perfectly satisfied by witnessing your trials 
 that there was a higher life in you than in 
 some others, called in the sacred scriptures 
 the divine life, or eternal life begotten by God 
 himself in the soul. " 
 
 CHAPTER XVlJ 
 
 The reader may be interested to hear my 
 views respecting the divine or heavenly life 
 in the soul. The views I shall advance will 
 be characterized probably by being obtained 
 more from my own deep soul-experience of 
 the higher life, and the laws regulating it, 
 than from any modern theology. Ever from 
 my youth I was deeply penetrated with the 
 
190 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 fact that the gospel is the only hope of the 
 world; that all the real, positive, good in the 
 world is from the gospel, and that to crush 
 it would be to destroy the only life-boat 
 which has reached us from heavens bright 
 shore. It must be evident to every rational 
 mind that no man can or ought to believe in 
 Jesus Christ, or in fact in any thing, without 
 evidence. 
 
 The evidences which the gospel brings to 
 us of its divine origin, and to compel belief 
 in its system of truths, are the same kind as 
 induces belief in any scientific fact, only the 
 experiences are not derived from the natural 
 senses but from the soul's consciousness. 
 Man has moral sensibilities as well as those 
 which are intellectual and physical; hence, 
 soul experiences are as reliable as those ex- 
 periences derived from the natural senses, 
 and I think more so from the fact that the 
 evidences of things derived through the five 
 natural senses are liable to fail us, but soul 
 experiences, derived through the agency of 
 the moral sense or the moral sensibilities, 
 can not fail us, for they are derived from God 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 191 
 
 himself, who can not deceive. When it is 
 declared that no man can call Jesus Christ 
 Lord, or his Lord, but by the Holy Ghost, it 
 is meant that the soul of man can not per- 
 ceive the moral beauty, the exceeding loveli- 
 ness of his character, but by the Holy Ghost. 
 He alone can reveal him; that is, the moral ex- 
 cellency of Jesus in the soul which consti- 
 tutes the Christian's hope of glory. Or when 
 it is said that he that believeth on the son, 
 hath ever lasting life, it undoubtedly conveys 
 this idea : Jesus Christ is the brightness of 
 the Father's glory — the express image of his 
 person. Then to believe in Jesus Christ is 
 to perceive or realize the fact of his divine 
 excellence. This can only be effected by re- 
 alizing the power of God, active in the soul, 
 awakening it to consciousness, awakening its 
 moral sensibilities and perceptions. So that 
 before this revelation of God in the soul it 
 may justly be said in the language of the 
 prophet that Christ is to that soul as a root out 
 of dry ground ; but after he is quickened by 
 the realization of God in the soul, Jesus is 
 to him the one altogether lovely, the chief 
 
192 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 among ten thousand, or, in other words, he 
 believes in Jesus, and this belief results from 
 the evidences furnished by his moral con- 
 sciousness, not from physical evidences de- 
 rived through the senses but from soul ex- 
 periences. To make this still plainer, it is 
 recorded that Jesus upon a time, when ad- 
 dressing Peter, made this remark: "Peter, 
 who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?" 
 Peter replied to his master in this language. 
 " Some say that thou art Elias, others say 
 that thou art Jeremiah or one of the pro^ 
 phets. " Jesus said unto him, " whom say 
 ye that I am?" Peter answered and said 
 "thou art the Christ, the son of the living 
 God." Jesus answered "blessed art thou, 
 Peter, for flesh and blood hath not revealed 
 this unto thee, but my Father who is in 
 heaven. " In other words, Peter had not ob- 
 tained evidence of this fact through his phys- 
 ical senses but through his soul's conscious- 
 ness, which was of God. Hence he could 
 declare that Jesus was the Christ by evidences 
 of a higher grade than could possibly be de- 
 rived through the physical senses. 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 193 
 
 Man can not believe himself a sinner unless 
 he has the evidences of it (by sinner I mean 
 one who is conscious of sin and accountability 
 to God.) The spirit of God alone can so 
 enlighten and quicken the understanding, 
 that the sinner perceives the spirituality of 
 the divine law, perceives that the moral qual- 
 ity of every action is in the motive; hence 
 the motive of the act controls the moral 
 quality of the action. If a sinner is brought 
 to a just appreciation of the fact that he is a 
 sinner he must have the evidence of it by the 
 power of that Holy Spirit, which is of God. 
 Believing that he is a sinner implies a belief 
 also in God as a moral governor. No man 
 can feel a sense of guilt without he has evi- 
 dence of it; his consciousness gives him the 
 evidence that God exists and holds him ac- 
 countable, and as the Holy Spirit can alone 
 take off the things of God and show them 
 unto him, therefore no man can have a 
 just appreciation of God as a moral gov- 
 ernor, and of himself as a sinner, without the 
 evidence of it. And no power in heaven or 
 earth can furnish the evidence to the soul of 
 
194 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 the sinner but the Holy Spirit. As no man 
 can repent, truly repent, without this con- 
 sciousness, therefore repentance is of God, 
 through and by the agency agony of the Holy 
 Spirit. 
 
 As Jesus says, when he, the spirit of truth 
 is come, he will convince the world of sin, of 
 righteousness, or what is right, and of judg- 
 ment, that is of accountability to God as a 
 moral governor. So then repentance, or the 
 cleansing of the sanctuary of the soul, is the 
 first and necessary step to the introduction 
 of Jesus Christ into the soul as the hope of 
 glory. Jesus Christ possesses in himself 
 every divine perfection, being the brightness 
 of the Father's glory and the embodiment 
 of the spirit of truth. But the penitent sinner 
 can not believe this fact until he has the evi- 
 dence of it. This evidence he enjoys when 
 the Holy Spirit opens his spiritual eye§, and 
 reveals Jesus Christ to the soul, the one al- 
 together lovely. Then he can say that Jesus 
 is to him the all in all; and to be swallowed 
 up in Jesus is to possess in himself every 
 divine perfection. Thus it is verified that 
 
POWERS OE THE AIR. 195 
 
 no man can call Jesus Christ, Lord, but by 
 the power of the Holy Spirit. Therefore 
 that no man can believe in Jesus Christ as 
 his personal Savior without the evidence of 
 it is clear, and as the Holy Spirit can alone 
 furnish the evidence that enables him to be- 
 lieve, it must be perceptible to all that man's 
 salvation depends entirely upon the proffered 
 aid of the Holy Spirit. 
 
 This being the case, it must be a matter of 
 the very highest moment -to know the con- 
 ditions upon which this proffered aid can be 
 obtained. Jesus Christ, the Savior, has set- 
 tled the matter in these words, " God, my 
 Father, will give the Holy Spirit to him who 
 asks for it." It is not given as the Greeks 
 and many other nations believed as a kind of 
 divine eflatus, which could be realized only 
 by exalted minds — by poets and men of 
 wisdom and eloquence, for Jesus declares 
 that the Holy Spirit is given to every one 
 that asketh. The conditions of his reception, 
 therefore, are the inward desire for his pres- 
 ence and the act of asking. Then the fact 
 of a higher, holier, even an endless life, 
 
196 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 depends upon complying with the conditions 
 of that life, which are, first, the reception of 
 the Holy Spirit ; Second, a discovery of God 
 as amoral governor; Third, the conscious- 
 ness of moral impurity, arising from the fact 
 that the motives and actions of the sinner 
 have been wrong, neither the one nor the 
 other having any reference to pleasing God 
 as his moral governor; Fourth, the appre- 
 hension of Jesus Christ, as the embodiment 
 and exempler of divine truth. Thus the 
 sinner realizes in himself a lively faith in 
 Jesus, which is the germ and motive power 
 of an endless life. 
 
 Some have not apprehended the justice of 
 God in his plan of salvation through Jesus 
 Christ. But when we consider that Adam 
 and Eve, the first pair, coming perfect from 
 the hand of Omnipotence, possessed a perfect 
 moral and intellectual constitution, and there- 
 fore were capable of rendering a perfect obe- 
 dience under a perfect moral law; seeing 
 then, that they had this perfect intellect, or 
 perfect understanding to perceive their varied 
 moral relations, and also a perfect conscience 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 197 
 
 that enabled them to feel their moral obliga- 
 tions, therefore God could justly require of 
 them a perfect obedience, and failing to ren- 
 der this, he would be justifiable in condemn- 
 ing them. The first parents, having violated 
 the law, an impaired intellect followed, there- 
 fore their offspring also must have come into 
 the world with an impaired or depraved in- 
 tellectual and moral constitution. And as an 
 imperfect being could not render perfect obe- 
 dience to a perfect moral law, therefore the 
 divine mind conceived and introduced the 
 plan of making man's salvation not contin- 
 gent upon his obedience, but rather upon 
 using the means of recovery from the effects 
 of the fall, or from the effects of Adam's 
 transgressions, as it is said, " we are not un- 
 der law but under grace." 
 
 This makes salvation, or recovery from the 
 effects of the fall, to depend upon two consid- 
 erations : First, a knowledge of the means to 
 be used. Second, the ability to comply with 
 the requirements of the conditions. 
 
 Man's nature being impaired or depraved, 
 which depravity unfits him from clearly ap- 
 
198 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 prehendiug his moral relations, and from feel- 
 ing as lie should his moral obligations, there- 
 fore justice requires that man in his depraved 
 condition should be aided by just so much of 
 divine power as equals his depravity. This 
 is supplied in the gospel plan of salvation 
 through Jesus Christ. That plan contem- 
 plates the restoration of the race by enabling 
 each one of them to render a perfect obedi- 
 ance to the law under which the race was 
 originally created. And this is to be effected 
 by bringing each individual member of the 
 race under the power of the gospel. 
 
 This power, as we have already said, con- 
 sists in the giving of so much of the Holy 
 Spirit to each subject of grace as will enable 
 him when it is received, first, to overcome the 
 repugnance of his nature to humbling himself 
 before God; Second, to ask God for the Holy 
 Spirit; Third, the discovery to him, that the 
 moral quality of every act lies not in the out- 
 ward letter, but in the motive, and as a con- 
 sequent to the discovery of God as the moral 
 governor and of all sin as committed against 
 him. Fourth, to the apprehension of Jesus 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 199 
 
 Christ as the one altogether lovely and moral- 
 ly excellent; as the perfect exampler of divine 
 truth, and as the meritorious cause of all the 
 blessings received under the gospel. 
 
 This being the divine plan of salvation by 
 grace it must follow that the sinner's condem- 
 nation consists in letting himself remain in 
 that condition of death or separation from 
 spiritual life in which he is found b}^ nature, 
 and from which he actually refuse to be re- 
 covered, by willfully resisting the proffered 
 aid of the Holy Spirit. This subjects him to 
 an aggravated condemnation in the sight of 
 God. 
 
 As Jesus said, there is a sin unto death, a 
 sin which hath never forgiveness, neither in 
 this world nor that which is to come. Peter 
 addresses men in this language : " Ye stiffed 
 necked and uncircumsized in heart and ears, 
 ye do resist the Holy Ghost, as your fathers 
 did so do j*e." Paul expresses the same con- 
 demnation in this language : " If a man sin 
 willfully (that is, if a man willfully and 
 knowingly resists the influence which would 
 lead him to a realization of the divine life) 
 
200 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 there remaineth no more sacrifice for sin," or 
 no other way of salvation. In other words, 
 if a man, after a full knowledge of the only 
 way of salvation, shall willfully and deliber- 
 ately reject it there can be no other hope left 
 for him. 
 
 It may be asked, how we may know that 
 the Holy Spirit is given to us ; or in other words 
 what are the evidences of the presence of the 
 Holy Spirit in the soul? First, it quickens the 
 moral perceptions, giving a clear understanding 
 of the souVs relation to the divine law, and as a 
 consequence, a consciousness of naoral impu- 
 rity. Second, it gives tenderness and suscep- 
 tibility to the conscience and the moral feel- 
 ings, so that the man is warned of the least 
 approach of moral evil, and filled with dread 
 of its consequences. Third, when not resisted 
 in its operations it goes on to elevate the 
 affections above earthly things, by causing 
 the heavenly things to appear real and posi- 
 tive, thus giving to the soul an utter loath- 
 ing of all moral impurities. Hence, the man 
 who enjoys the presence of the Holy Spirit 
 realizes that the kingdom of heaven "is not 
 
LOWERS OJ THE AIR. 201 
 
 meat and drink/' but righteousness and peace 
 and joy in the Holy Ghost; or, in other words, 
 the soul realizes that right doing invariably 
 gives peace of mind, and as it is made con- 
 scious of rising to higher degrees of moral 
 purity, putting on a higher and nobler style 
 of manhood, the peace of mind which follows 
 this conscious realization, hightens into joy 
 unspeakable and full of glory. In the light 
 of what has been said, it may be seen 
 that the leading, central doctrine ad- 
 vanced by spiritualists, to-wit : That of the 
 endless progression of all men to a state of 
 holiness and moral purity, either in this world 
 or the world to come, is false and totally at 
 variance with reason and revelation. 
 
 First. Because we find, from the confessions 
 and the grossly wicked conduct of these de- 
 parted spirits, that death produces no change 
 in the moral character of the man, but on the 
 contrary whatever may have been his im- 
 moral habits, previous to physical death, they 
 are essentially the same after that event takes 
 place. So that the scripture is virtually ful- 
 filled which says, "He that is filthy, let him 
 
 14 
 
202 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 be filthy still; and he that is unrighteous let 
 be unrighteous still." 
 
 Second. There can be no Godly sorrow for 
 sin where there is no gospel ; no holy spirit, 
 where every member of the society has his 
 heart fully set in him to do evil. 
 
 Third. Because these wicked beings are at 
 the present time in the air, or the earth's at- 
 mosphere, and are not in a hell of fire. Still 
 they know not but that after the judgment it 
 shall be said to them, "Depart, ye cursed, into 
 everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his 
 angels." By their own declarations they have 
 no more knowledge of the future than wicked 
 men in the form, and the knowledge which 
 they possess amounts to nothing, absolutely 
 nothing, unless it be derived from the Bible, 
 and that they profess to disbelieve. Hence the 
 future to wicked men, whether in the body 
 or out of it, is a positive blank. 
 
 The most probable conclusion that we can 
 arrive at respecting the present state or place 
 of the wicked dead, is this : It is the place of 
 spiritual darkness spoken of by Peter and 
 Jude, under which the wicked are reserved 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 203 
 
 unto the judgment of the great day; and the 
 place to which Judas, the betrayer of Christ, 
 was consigned after his untimely departure 
 from the world. 
 
 Fourth. From more than four years' con- 
 verse with these wicked beings, and from 
 hearing them talk to one another upon every 
 subject that pertains to their present abode 
 and social condition, I have, with much de- 
 liberation, arrived at these conclusions, viz : 
 In the world of departed, wicked spirits (al- 
 luded to above), there is to be found essen- 
 tially every variety of character to be found 
 among wicked men in the earthly life. They 
 virtually possess every element of character, 
 except holiness, belonging to a human being. 
 They are accustomed to the use of slang and 
 cant phrazes of every grade and degree, from 
 the obscene, debauch, and pest-house vulgar- 
 ities, up to those eminently refined in phraze- 
 ology. But every expression emanating from 
 their minds, and every imagination of their 
 hearts is evil, only evil, and that continually. 
 Many came to me professing great love to 
 God, and very sanctimonious in their mode 
 
204 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 of expression, with words smoother than oil, 
 yet a few pertinent questions enabled me to 
 unmask them— revealing their gross hypoc- 
 risy and deceit, after which they would pass 
 away w^ith the remark, " You are getting too 
 sharp" Some came professing to belong to 
 the third or fourth heaven, and as a matter 
 of course, pretended to be very pure and 
 very happy, but these also w^ere discovered 
 afterwards to be gross deceivers, by acknowl- 
 edging that they were engaged in torturing 
 and deceiving me. They could not have be* 
 longed even to the teghest grade of mind in 
 hell. 
 
 Heaven is freedom from sin, and freedom 
 from sin implies perfect obedience. Perfect 
 obedience implies divine order and harmony, 
 and only where divine order and harmony 
 reigns can there be said to be heaven. There 
 can not be degrees of heaven, any more 
 then there can be degrees of justice, 
 or degrees of truth. Justice is justice, 
 and truth is truth, and there can not be de- 
 grees of justice nor degrees of truth. So 
 there can not be degrees of heaven. The idea 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 205 
 
 of heaven precludes the idea of degrees. All 
 sin is a viol ation of law, and where law is 
 violated there can be no heaven. If one sin 
 were tolerated in heaven, then heaven would 
 cease to be heaven. Perfect Hiss corisists in 
 the exercise of all the faculties of the soul upon 
 their proper objects in a proper degree. There- 
 fore, if the faculties of the soul had insufficient 
 exercise, or if they had not proper objects 
 upon which the faculties should be exercised, 
 or if they were exercised in an improper de- 
 gree, then it must be evident that heavenly 
 life would be but a transcript of the earthly 
 life. 
 
 Here on earth is confusion, but in heaven 
 perfect order reigns, and perfect order implies 
 perfect purity. There may be different de- 
 grees of wisdom manifested in heavenly life, 
 but there can not be degrees of moral purity. 
 There are other considerations that might be 
 brought forward to prove that the spiritual- 
 ists' idea of degrees of heaven is absurd in the 
 highest degree. It may be urged as an ob- 
 jection to the idea of heaven which we have 
 advanced, that most Christians leave this 
 
206 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 world in an imperfect moral condition, and 
 therefore they must enter heaven in the same 
 moral condition in which they left earth. 
 But this can not be, and for the following 
 reasons : The Christian has the desire for 
 moral purity, and earnestly strives after it, 
 but in the earthly life he can not attain it, be- 
 cause his surroundings are so impure. The 
 fountain of water issuing from the crystalized 
 rock is pure at its source, and becomes con- 
 taminated only from flowing over impurities 
 in the channel. So the Christian, having an 
 innate desire for purity, but being prevented 
 from its attainment by worldly surroundings, 
 must, necessarily, when freed from his im- 
 pure surroundings, be absolutely pure ; and 
 if morally pure, then a fit subject of heaven. 
 Many worldly persons desire to be happy, 
 but that is a matter very different from a de- 
 sire to be morally pure. The true Christian 
 has the leaven of righteousness within him ; 
 he hungers and thirsts after it, and this ele- 
 ment of his renewed nature constitutes the 
 essential difference between the righteous and 
 the wicked. All Christians have not this de- 
 
POWERS OF THE AIE. 207 
 
 sire for moral purity in the same degree ; but 
 all have it to some extent, or they would not 
 be the chosen of God. He that hath this 
 hope within him, purifieth himself, even as 
 God is pure. Then the doctrines of spiritual- 
 ists at the present day are false, and without 
 foundation in reason, or the revelation of 
 Jesus Christ, and should not for a moment 
 be entertained by Christians. 
 
 Besides the doctrine of the endless progres- 
 sion of all men, to a state of holiness and 
 moral purity, there is another doctrine equal- 
 ly pernicious to the welfare of the world. It 
 is asserted that sin is but the soul's experience 
 of that which is unfit and improper. This is, 
 to all intents and purposes, false. It is false 
 because not in accordance with the facts of 
 nature, and in the record made by Jesus 
 Christ. Jesus said sin is the violation of law. 
 Law is the divine order or arrangement in 
 nature, both in respect to the physical as well 
 as the moral world ; and all violation of law 
 results in injury to the person so violating, 
 whether of a physical or a moral nature, as 
 the case may be. So the idea of indulging in 
 
208 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 sin to experience its unfitness in our bodies 
 or minds, and by so doing learn to avoid it, 
 is as absurd as the idea of taking a little 
 deadly poison to ascertain its effect upon our 
 physical system, 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 All must have observed the power of habit 
 in controlling the activities of the mind and 
 body. When I speak of habit, I mean that 
 tendency of our nature by which any given 
 act, physical, mental, or moral, often repeated,, 
 is rendered easier to be performed. Then 
 the repetition of a sinful act enables the per- 
 former to do it easier and with greater pleas- 
 ure to himself, therefore the tendency of sin 
 or violating of law is to bind its subjects with 
 fetters of brass. Paul says, "His servants ye 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 209 
 
 are, whom ye obey, whether of sin unto 
 death ; or righteousness unto life." The evi- 
 dent meaning of which is, that sin often re- 
 peated makes the man who performs the act 
 a servant, or slave of sin ; while the man who 
 does righteousness becomes by this same law, 
 or tendency of our nature, confirmed in right- 
 doing. So it must be evident, both from na- 
 ture, and from revelation, that indulgence in 
 sin can never reform the man who practices 
 it. 
 
 We have all inherited depraved natures- 
 impure, unholy, and opposite to that which 
 is good, This is not always manifested at 
 once, but lies latent in man's nature, and as 
 occasion may come to arouse it, stir it up 
 and draw it forth, it appears in all its power. 
 Thus it was with Hazial the Assyrian, w^ho 
 said to Elisha the prophet, " What, is thy 
 servant a dog, that he should do this thing ? " 
 when it afterwards appeared that he was 
 guilty of doing the very deeds that his nature 
 then revolted at. So then all men are natu- 
 rally averse to holiness, from a tendency in- 
 herited in their very being, and this can be 
 
210 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 overcome only hy the power of God. This 
 natural repugnance is not the result of educa- 
 tion, for it so happens that ministers sons 
 and daughters are overcome by it, and run 
 into sin as naturally as others who may have 
 been raised under circumstances the very op- 
 posite. Then it must be evident that the 
 whole doctrine of indulging in sin, to give the 
 soul an experience of its effects that it may 
 gain a repugnance to it, is false and untrue 
 to nature. This is so common and evident 
 that it needs no further proof to make it 
 manifest. It is the order of nature for men 
 to follow that which they love, and if re- 
 strained for a time they will return to it, as 
 the dog to his vomit, and the swine to his 
 wallowing in the mire. The definition of a 
 saint is one who would do no evil even if 
 left unrestrained. So the the truest defini- 
 tion of a sinner is one who will do wrong 
 whenever not restrained by the laws and usages 
 of society. 
 
 An allusion was made, in the preceding 
 communication, to the effect that these beings 
 above and around me were acquainted with 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 211 
 
 my thoughts. Reader, this may seem strange 
 to you, but not at all strange to me. I have 
 noticed, through several years of careful 
 watching, that those invisible intelligences, 
 which the Bible calls demons or devils, are 
 not only acquainted with my thoughts, but 
 with my every feeling* and emotion. When 
 in rapport with me, as they call it, they 
 actually seem to be a part of my being. Their 
 thoughts appear to flow into my mind, many 
 times .easier than can the thoughts of men 
 in the form reach my mind through the medi- 
 um of language. My every thought is as 
 transparent to them as to myself; and this 
 very fact is one source of very great annoy- 
 ance to me. Most persons, I think, let their 
 thoughts run pretty much as they please. 
 But since I have been brought into this 
 strangly impressible condition, I am obliged 
 to be as careful of my thoughts as ordi- 
 nary persons would be of their words while 
 in the company of others. No person can 
 have any idea of what the luxury of being 
 alone is until they are deprived of it. I am 
 now in no sense ever alone. My thoughts to 
 
112 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 them are perfectly evident, and lead them 
 to indulge in the sharpest critcisms. Whether 
 they were always so, I can not tell; or 
 whether the thoughts of other people are 
 known to these beings of the air is yet, to 
 me, unknown. But the fact that they know 
 my every thought, I know to be true. This, 
 to me, has been a fiery ordeal — an ordeal 
 that has tried to the utmost my very sensitive 
 nature. For example, if I should choose to 
 indulge in thoughts of censure or repoof to- 
 wards any person, some one of the ever pres- 
 ent intelligences would say; " Be careful — re- 
 member your own frailties. " And another 
 then would remark: "No, talk to him sharp- 
 ly ; he deserves a severe rebuke. " My mind 
 would then perhaps pass on to some other 
 thought, leaving them to finish the discussion. 
 Frequently as the tenor of my thoughts did 
 not appear to please them, I would remark 
 by saying, " well, if my thoughts do not please 
 you, perhaps you can suggest some better 
 topics of thought. " To this they replied, 
 "Just now we are not getting up topics of 
 thought. You will excuse us if we follow 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 218 
 
 your train of thought, only allow us to criti- 
 cise and make such remarks as we please." 
 Then they would perhaps continue by saying, 
 "You are a Christian, and of course your 
 thoughts are, or ought to be good. " To this 
 I would reply, " Yes, they ought to be good, 
 and much better than they are, but I most 
 earnestly desire that you would be silent wit- 
 nesses of my thoughts, rather than unmerci- 
 ful critics." To this they replied again, 
 " We are great critics, for the reason that we 
 are always at it. " So in this, and many other 
 ways, I have tested the fact that these in- 
 visible critics are perfectly acquainted with 
 my every thought. Nothing can be hid, not 
 even the slightest shade of a thought. They 
 seem to be always present, always gazing 
 right down into my inmost soul. Their con- 
 tinued presence would at times become an 
 intolerable burden. Often I would request 
 them to leave me, if it were only for a few 
 moments ; but alas, even that w r as denied to 
 me. As a cat watches her prey with a most 
 vigilant eye, so these strange beings would 
 apparently watch my every motion and 
 
214 POWERS OF THE AIR, 
 
 thought. But as I have said I became con- 
 vinced in many different ways, that they 
 were perfectly acquainted with my thoughts, 
 so if acquainted with my thoughts , why are 
 they not acquainted with the thoughts of 
 others, and if that be a fact that they are as 
 perfectly acquainted with the thoughts of 
 others as my own, then what an immense 
 power they are capable of exerting over the 
 world of mind ! This gives additional proof 
 that they are the legions of the prince of the 
 pow r er of the air working in the hearts of 
 the children of disobedience. Many inci- 
 dents of my early childhood have they re- 
 peatedly taken from my mind, and then have 
 made the attempt to bring them in as proof 
 that they w^ere my old acquaintances or re- 
 lations. But a few questions or a few in- 
 quiries soon satisfied me that they were not 
 the persons they represented themselves to be. 
 It must appear evident to all that with such 
 abilities they are capable of practicing almost 
 any amount of deception, especially upon 
 mediums, and upon those who inquire of them 
 with reference to the condition of their 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 215 
 
 friends or relations in the spirit world. For 
 instance, a person calls upon a writing or im- 
 pressible medium, to ascertain with regard 
 to a deceased friend or relative, or with ref- 
 ference to the same person being yet in the 
 form, but absent. Knowing, as they do, the 
 thoughts and conjectures of the person call- 
 ing, they are capable of making up from the 
 thoughts of their own minds a very plausible 
 story. Besides, I think, they can pass with 
 great rapidity from place to place, and must 
 necessarily become as well acquainted with 
 the affairs of every individual of a nation, as 
 any ordinary person can become acquainted 
 with the affairs of a single neighborhood, and 
 perhaps more so. 
 
 I mention this that persons may under- 
 stand and know to what extent these beings 
 can impose upon those in the form, if so dis- 
 posed. I will call the reader's attention to 
 the reply to my question in reference to the 
 teachings of spiritualists, as being in fact 
 what are called in the Scripture the doctrines 
 of devils. The first dash in the reply is in 
 these words : 
 
216 POWERS OF THE AI*L 
 
 "They are in very deed the doctrines of 
 devils, or demons, because they generally re- 
 ject the teachings of Jesus Christ and his 
 apostles, and follow the teachings of A. J. 
 Davis, who was inspired, to my certain 
 knowledge, by the prince of the demons / 
 or in other words, the most intellectual dem- 
 on belonging to the powers of the air." The 
 spirit goes on to state, that the whole of 
 Davis' Harmonial Philosophy was written 
 under demoniac influence, and says in these 
 very significant words, "There is no Jasus 
 Christ, nor any doctrines taught by Jesus 
 Christ in his works ; they are Christless or 
 antichrist. 5 ' 
 
 Of A. J. Davis and his works I know but 
 ver little, especially his Harmonial Philoso- 
 phy. But what I know of his teachings, I 
 have heard from Trance Lectures, and the fol- 
 lowers ot his system, whom I have met in the 
 daily walks of lite. I would say in reference 
 to them, that they invariably reject the Bible 
 as the word of God, and Jesus Christ and his 
 whole system of gospel religion. They will 
 hardlv admit that Jesus Christ was even a 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 217 
 
 good man, because they say that he must 
 have been conversant with spirits of consider- 
 able wisdom, and if so he must have deceived 
 the people ; intentionally deceived them, es- 
 pecially with reference to the progression of 
 all men to a state of final holiness, either in 
 this world or that to come, for he positively 
 taught the endless perdition of the wicked in 
 the world to come. His deceptions are the 
 more evident, they say, because after his 
 death he had opportunity to prove, by actual 
 observation in the spirit world, the positive 
 falsehood he had uttered or been impressed 
 to utter by wicked spirits in his earth life. 
 But instead of recanting what he had said, he 
 actually inspired Paul, John, and others to 
 utter the very same doctrines in their wri- 
 tings. 
 
 I once heard a trance speaker, a lady, utter 
 these words, "Jesus Christ taught many 
 truths, but his system of religion called 
 Christianity will be overthrown, utterly over- 
 thrown, especially the doctrine taught by 
 him of the endless punishment of the wicked 
 and the doctrine of vicarious suffering ; the 
 
 15 
 
218 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 doctrine of the Holy Spirit's power and influ- 
 ence ; the doctrine of the fall and depravity 
 of all men, and the doctrine of satanic influ- 
 ence/' 
 
 These doctrines, and some others, I have 
 found particularly repugnant to spiritualists. 
 Said I to a leading spiritualist : 
 
 "If A. Jackson Davis asserts one doctrine 
 as positively true, and Jesus Christ asserts as 
 positively to the contrary, how shall we de- 
 cide who is right or who is wrong ?" Said 
 he, 
 
 "Believe that which is the most reason- 
 able." 
 
 "But," said I, "reason has nothing to do 
 with it. Reason is confined altogether to the 
 domain of facts. It arrives at just conclu- 
 sions, by collecting all the facts bearing on 
 the case, and in no other way. Xow suppose 
 one witness to assert that the wicked are pun- 
 ished by being banished from the presence of 
 God, and the glory of His power forever ; 
 and the other witness, equally as creditable, 
 asserts that they are not punished at all, but 
 immediately go to a place where they enjoy 
 
LOWERS OF THE AIR, 219 
 
 as much of Q-od as their natures are suscept- 
 ible of enjoying, then how can reason decide, 
 the testimony being equally balanced ?" 
 
 "Well,' 5 said he, " it would be hard to de- 
 cide if they were both equally creditable wit* 
 nesses." 
 
 "But," said I, "if one witness should posi- 
 tively assert that he was taught of God, who 
 could not err, and as a proof of the fact, 
 should calm instantly a violent tempest ; raise 
 the dead ; restore perfectly a withered hand, 
 and do many other wonderful works ; and the 
 other witness should assert that he was 
 taught by the spirits who came from the earth 
 life, and should make no pretensions to work- 
 ing miracles as proof of his divine mission, 
 how then would the case stand ? " 
 But he was silent. 
 
 Another assertion in the communication 
 struck me very forcibly. It was in these 
 words : 
 
 " We feel interested, in more ways than 
 one, in the success of the gospel. First, be- 
 cause that every one saved and taken to 
 Heaven makes the number in this dread 
 
220 FDWERS OF THE AIK, 
 
 abode less. Second, we have friends and re- 
 latives in the earth life, and feel interested to 
 have them saved, even if we ourselves are lost. 
 Third, we are not so wicked as to desire all 
 others to be wicked. n 
 
 This language is in spirit precisely the lan- 
 guage of the rich man in hell, of whom the 
 Savior speaks. I can not but think the writer 
 to be sincere, that he speaks the convictions 
 of a mind fully convinced in reference to hell. 
 I have often heard them say, (after torturing 
 me for several hours by epithets, insinuations $ 
 sarcasms, and the foulest and most obscene 
 expressions), that they .(that is themselves) 
 were too mean to live, that they were not fit 
 to live, that they ought to be blotted out. I 
 think, as far as I could judge from the conver- 
 sation of those around me and their conduct 
 towards me, that a part of the sufferings of 
 hell consists in an ever restless desire to do 
 something, and that something that they 
 want to do is that which will sink them 
 lower and lower in their own estimation, and 
 lower and lower in the scale of moral being. 
 
 Another idea brought to view in this com- 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR 221 
 
 munication is in these words: "I was per- 
 fectly satisfied in witnessing your trials that 
 there was a higher life in you, called by Jesus 
 Christ, the divine life or the eternal life. 
 And as a consequence of this I perceive that 
 you are actuated by higher motives than are 
 many of the so-called spiritualists. Your 
 inquiry, " says he, "was continually to this 
 effect : Sow can spiritualism be used to pro- 
 mote the gospel or to develop the higher life, 
 or the God principle in the soul ? You were 
 looking for an advance of moral power in the 
 gospel itself. You say that the gospel of 
 Christ had a certain amount of moral power 
 at its commencement. So spiritualism, if it 
 is to be the second gospel, must have a still 
 greater moral power," It is then asserted in 
 these words, " We know that spiritualism 
 has not as yet manifested any moral power at 
 all. It is a dead carcass, a carcass that will 
 be a stench in the nostrils of all the good of 
 the earth. Yes, bad as I am, I can see that 
 its influence is evil, only evil, and that con- 
 tinually." Now this expresses in full the 
 real burden of my soul. I was sure that I 
 
222 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 realized higher life in God than any spiritual- 
 ist with whom I had been conversant. And 
 I think I say the truth, when I say that no 
 spiritualist, as such, leads a life of earnest 
 prayer before God. Some of them, perhaps,, 
 were men of seeret prayer previous to their 
 becoming spiritualists and have continued the 
 practice. But the thought I design to im- 
 press is that spiritualism of itself never led a 
 man to realize the higher or eternal life in 
 God, and as a natural consequence of that life 
 be led to call upon God in secret prayer. On 
 the contrary, it leads men away from the 
 higher life, by destroying the idea of sin as 
 being committed against God as a righteous 
 moral governor; by asserting that God is a 
 principle, an all prevading principle, but not 
 a personal, intelligent being; by asserting that 
 sin is the soul's experience of that which is 
 unfit and improper, v^ndt as soon as the unfit- 
 ness is asertained the person so experiencing 
 will forsake it. 
 
 It must be evident that this assertion is not 
 true. Every man in his natural condition is 
 antagonistic to that which is holy. He avoids 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 223 
 
 recognizing God as having any authority 
 over him, much less that sin is committed 
 against him. Such refuse to entertain God 
 in their thoughts — that is, a God to whom 
 they must render a strict account. Also the 
 natural course and tendency of sin, as ex- 
 hibited in the life and in the daily act, is to 
 bind its victim more firmly as each sinful act 
 is repeated. Also upon the recurrence of each 
 sinful act it becomes still easier to be per- 
 formed. For instance, who does not know 
 that the indulgence of anger increases its 
 power over the one who yields to it, or the 
 indulgence of profanity increases the power 
 of that worst of all habits, over its victim. 
 Take the case of lying. Every child knows 
 that telling untruths gains power by repe- 
 tition until the habit is confirmed in its fullest 
 force ; the man, (unless renewed by divine 
 grace) goes down to his grave a confirmed 
 liar, and men say of him, the " ruling passion 
 is strong in death," or "that which is bred in 
 the bone stays long in the flesh. " 
 
 It is useless for me to attempt to prove 
 farther that spiritualism has never manifested 
 
224 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 moral power to lead any man to realize the 
 eternal life of God in the soul. On the con- 
 trary, the man indulging in sinful habits finds 
 that the indulgence gives him less and less 
 power, and less inclination to reform. The 
 cause of this is depravity; physical, intellect- 
 ual and moral depravity. The man's whole 
 nature is impaired, and this he inherits. The 
 lust that burned in the nature of the father 
 is felt in the fullest force in the son. The 
 ungovernable temper that is seen and felt in 
 the parent is shown in the child, in the youth, 
 and in mature life. The propensity of lying 
 in the parent is witnessed in the child, and 
 often provokes the familiar saying: "A chip 
 out of the same tree." Moral infirmities are 
 transmitted from parent to child, as well as 
 those which are physical. As a dead carcass 
 has no power to arrest its decomposition, so 
 man has no power to arrest the ruling force 
 of sin after having indulged in it, or after 
 having become the servant of sin. For this 
 reason there is an actual necessity for grace, 
 for the application of a moral power above 
 and beyond him, and that power is known 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 225 
 
 as the Holy Spirit power. Spiritualism re- 
 cognizes no such divine power; it is indeed a 
 dead carcass. It finds man a slave to sinful 
 habits, and leaves him as powerless as it found 
 him. 
 
 I will notice another point which I consider 
 germinal of the first importance, as it helps 
 to more fully understand the way of eternal 
 or higher life, which is of God. The point 
 I wish to notice is expressed in these words : 
 " No man can feel a sense of guilt without he 
 feels or realizes that God is the great moral 
 governor , who holds him accountable for every 
 thought, word and deed/' There are but 
 three sources of suffering in the world, viz: 
 Physical suffering, which is occasioned by the 
 violation of physical laws; mental suffering, 
 which is occasioned by losses and disappoint- 
 ments of every kind; and moral suffering, 
 which results from the lashings of a guilty 
 conscience. The first kind of suffering can 
 be mitigated by obeying, as far as possible, 
 the laws of physical health. The second can 
 be alleviated only by enacting such laws and 
 regulations in society as will secure as far as 
 
226 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 possible against losses; but moral suffering 
 or guilt can be relieved only by complying 
 with the will of the moral governor. That is, 
 the offender must, to restore peace of mind, 
 either bear the penalty of the law, or comply 
 with the condition of pardon and forgiveness. 
 
 Men of all ages have resorted to three 
 methods to relieve themselves from a sense of 
 guilt, or remorse of conscience. The first 
 class resort to the method of annihilating 
 God; that is, they bring up in array be- 
 fore their minds all the facts that can be 
 collected to prove the non-existence of the 
 creator or moral governor, and shut out from 
 their minds all other conclusions. Thus by a 
 mighty struggle to stultify their reasoning 
 faculties, and close their minds to the facts of 
 nature, they perhaps obtain at times peace 
 and quietness of mind or a release from the 
 goadings of conscience. They are called 
 Atheists. 
 
 The second class resort to the method of 
 annihilating man. They collect facts and at- 
 tempt to prove as dieth the beast so dieth 
 man. Like the Saducees of old, they declare 
 
LOWERS OF THE AIR. 227 
 
 against the existence of either angel or spirit. 
 By so doing they relieve themselves from all 
 sense of accountability, and thereby obtain 
 peace of mind and a quiet conscience. 
 
 The third class acknowledge the moral 
 governor, and the accountability of man, and 
 endeavor to ascertain the conditions of par- 
 don or forgiveness, and by complying with 
 these conditions obtain a lasting and perman- 
 ent peace, permanent, because founded on the 
 facts of nature. This class are called Chris- 
 tians. S"ot all Christians obtain a permanent 
 peace, because they do not, like Paul, labor 
 to have a conscience void of offense toward 
 God and man. But those who do walk not 
 after the flesh to fulfill the lusts of the flesh, 
 but after the spirit, have not only peace but 
 joy unspeakable, and full of glory. This re- 
 sults from the conscious love of God, which 
 flows into the soul as the evidence that he ap- 
 probates their conduct. 
 
 Spiritualists annihilate God by declaring 
 that he is a principle, a law which pervades 
 all nature, and like the attraction of cohesion 
 or gravity, has no moral feelings. He neither 
 
228 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 approbates or disapprobates, in fact they re- 
 ject altogether the idea of God as a personal 
 being, an Infinite Father, filled with love and 
 compassion. To realize God as an infinite, 
 loving Father is eternal life itself, ft fairly 
 makes my soul thrill with joy unspeakable to 
 realize it. O, the hight, the depth, and the 
 breadth of the love of God, in Christ Jesus, 
 our Lord. 
 
 One principal object that I have in view in 
 writing out and giving my experience to the 
 world, is this : Experience is knowledge, and 
 knowledge, positive knowledge, is of priceless 
 value. To give the reader all of the facts of 
 my experience with the powers ' ot the air 
 would be literally impossible. To give all 
 that they said in my hearing, and all that 
 they did to my person would fill a very large 
 volume, and present you such a picture of 
 the moral condition of the wicked dead as 
 would make all nature shudder at the thought. 
 For as one of the inhabitants of that place 
 said to me more than once : " There is a place 
 where all the sewers of God's moral creation 
 terminate. A place more awful than the 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 229 
 
 mind of man has conceived of. It is not a 
 place of perpetual fire, of lurid burning, for 
 that has no tortures to spirits — they can 
 exist in the fire as in summer day — but it is 
 a place from which all that is pure and good 
 is banished. Your world has a commingling 
 of good and bad ; but ours has no good at 
 all." 
 
 CHAPTER XVIIL 
 
 I will now present the reader with another 
 communication rin answer to the following 
 question : 
 
 " Why was the Holy Spirit manifested in 
 greater power under the Mosaic dispensation 
 than under that of the Patriarchal, and why 
 greater under the Christian than under that 
 of Moses ?" 
 
230 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 " We answer, that the race of man is pro- 
 gressing not only to a higher degree of phys- 
 ical sensitiveness, but also to a higher degree 
 of moral and intellectual sensitiveness. This 
 being the case, it must be evident that the 
 more sensitive the nature the more decided 
 and positive will be the manifestation of the 
 divine influences. That man is a progressive 
 being, and that his whole nature is becoming 
 more and more sensitive, can be made evident 
 from the fact that ail nature is putting on 
 higher and nobler forms of beauty. Every 
 kind of shrub or fruit tree, and all kinds of 
 animal life put on a higher degree of beauty 
 or a larger and nobler form as the soils of the 
 earth become more refined, and the nourish- 
 ments of animal and vegetable life become 
 purer or are furnished in greater abundance. 
 
 "The history of man itself furnishes abun- 
 dant evidence of the position which we wish 
 to establish. Go back in the history of the 
 world to the period when history first begins 
 its record. Does it not speak of man as a 
 gross physical being, wholly under the influ- 
 ence of his passions? Does it not speak of 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 231 
 
 there being giants in those days, men of re- 
 nown, mighty men — not intellectually mighty, 
 but men of immense physical strength ? 
 Does it not declare that the earth was filled 
 with violence ? (Meaning undoubtedly that 
 these men were wholly absorbed in the, to 
 them, all-important work of destroying their 
 fellow men because they had the phys- 
 ical power to do it.) Afterwards we read of 
 men who were famous on the page of history 
 for their intellectual powers, men who spent 
 their whole time in either hearing or telling 
 something new. These men became famous 
 for their wisdom, eloquence, research, and 
 erudition. They founded seats of learning and 
 made them famous, the world over, for the 
 ripeness and proficiency of the scholars which 
 graduated from them. They laid the foun- 
 dations for classic lore, and to such an extent 
 did they carry their researches into every 
 branch of human learning that their works 
 have been the standards of classic elegance 
 throughout all subsequent time. The intel- 
 lectual giants of the world flourished from 
 before Christ, five hundred vears, to about 
 the same time subsequent to his advent. 
 
232 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 "About this time, Jesus and his apostles 
 introduced the moral element, which had been 
 seen only as a mere germinal principle dur- 
 ing the Patriarchal and Mosaic ages, but un- 
 der their fostering care became a mighty tree 
 whose leaves were for the healing of all na- 
 tions. The present moral aspects of the 
 world are but the beginnings of that grand 
 and glorious age which will prove to be the 
 crowning glory of the world. Hence, the 
 history of the race shows that man has pro- 
 gressed, first in the direction of the physical, 
 then the intellectual, and finally the moral. 
 All this has been brought about by the ope- 
 rations of nature, by refining the soils, by fur- 
 nishing a purer and better aliment for the 
 nourishment of both plants and animals. 
 
 "You will discover from the inferences 
 which may be drawn from what has been 
 shown to be the truth in reference to the pro- 
 gressive development of the race, the reasons 
 why the Holy Spirit was manifested in greater 
 power under the Christian dispensation, than 
 under the Mosaic, and also, in greater power 
 under the dispensation of Moses than under 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 233 
 
 the dispensation of the patriarchs. You must 
 discover that the culture of the physical, in- 
 tellectual, and moral natures of man only 
 renders him the more sensitive, and hence the 
 more sensitive the nature the more easily in- 
 fluenced by the pure and holy beings who 
 have, during all ages, helped to the extent of 
 their ability, to educate and improve the race. 
 " Now it must be evident that the call of 
 Abraham — the sojourn in Egypt and finally 
 their call to take their place among the na- 
 tions of the earth, is only a part of that 
 grand plan which will eventuate in the entire 
 redemption of the race. The Jews were 
 hedged about or fenced in as a nation so as 
 much as possible to keep them aloof and sep- 
 arate from all other peoples. Fasting or in- 
 tervals of abstinence from all food was care- 
 fully enjoined. The kind and quality of food 
 was carefully prescribed. The beasts were 
 separated into clean and unclean, and partic- 
 ular directions given to use for food only 
 those animals denominated clean. Polygamy 
 was proscribed and the marriage relation 
 carefully guarded. Many kinds of washings 
 
 16 
 
234 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 and ablutions were imposed, and the intervals 
 of time during which they were to labor and 
 rest carefully pointed out. All this showed 
 that the physical development of that nation 
 was as carefully attended to as was that of 
 their moral or intellectual natures. 
 
 " Notice the results of this careful attention 
 to the laws of their physical well being, 
 Hardly a year had elapsed, from the time of 
 their exit from Egypt, before we read that 
 over seventy of the common people possessed 
 the gift of prophesy. So elated was Moses 
 at this manifestation of the divine favor, 
 that he cried out in the exuberant extacy of 
 his soul, "Would to God that all the Lord's 
 people were prophets, and that the Lord 
 would put his spirit upon them., How much 
 the abstinence from all animal food and the 
 fact of their feeding on the doubly refined 
 food called manna had to do with this pro- 
 phesying, I leave you to judge. The truth 
 is, it had much to do with it. If you knew 
 how difiicult it is for us, coarse and posative 
 as we are, to so come in rapport with your 
 physical nature that we can control, even 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 235 
 
 your mind as at this moment, you could 
 then in some measure comprehend how diffi- 
 cult it must have been for those refined and 
 holy spirits from the Lord to have controlled 
 the seventy, even under the most favorable 
 circumstances. If me are obliged at times to 
 double and thribble our power a hundred fold 
 by combinations upon you, what a mighty 
 host must have been employed to control 
 those seventy! These expressions in your 
 Bible, 'Come with the clouds of heaven/ 
 4 Behold he cometh with clouds, ? ' The Son 
 of Man shall come with all his holy angels, ' 
 clearly indicate what immense numbers of the 
 exceedingly refined, and pure beings of heaven 
 it takes to produce conditions necessary to 
 control even the best and holiest of men. 
 The law in the case is simply this : The more 
 refined in every way the man, the less spirit 
 power it takes to control him ; but the more 
 coarse and positive the nature, the greater 
 must be the amount of spirit power employed. 
 "You will discover the answer to your 
 question, 'Why was the Holy Spirit power 
 manifested in a greater degree in the day's 
 
236 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 of Christ, than in the day's of Moses, who 
 lived nearly two thousand year's before that 
 time ? ' to be this : The nation, as a nation, 
 had, by the special physical, intellectual, and 
 moral discipline through which for centuries 
 it had passed been prepared for this greater 
 display of the divine power, and because, Jesus, 
 understood the laws of spirit control better 
 than any and all others who had preceded 
 him, he well knew that oneness of purpose 
 on the part of those receiving the divine gift, 
 and also, the oneness of their desires and their 
 physical and moral purity, were all very essen- 
 tial conditions, in order to there being dis- 
 played any great amount of the divine power. 
 Your revival preachers who have met with 
 any very great success, have carefully en- 
 joined the conditions which Jesus prescribed. " 
 Question.—" How did you come in posses- 
 sion of all this knowledge respecting the laws 
 of divine manifestation, and how is it possible 
 for you to understand how the divine spirit 
 manifests himself, and still be in opposition 
 to that spirit, and all else that is good?" 
 Answer. — " I am in possession of this 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR 237 
 
 knowledge just as you come in possession of 
 knowledge, by observation of the laws of 
 nature ; by converse with other minds, and 
 from my knowledge of the nature, design 
 of and intention of scripture rvelations. You 
 may think, because our natures are not in 
 sympathy with good, that therefore we are 
 ignorant of the laws of divine good. But 
 it is not so. The very fact that I have missed 
 reaching heaven, has stimulated my own 
 mind to look into the reasons of my great 
 blunder. " 
 
 Question. — " But do you not feel very sad 
 over the fact of your lost condition ?" 
 
 Answer. — " I did at one time, but I am now 
 perfectly reckless. I have no concern about 
 the future. " 
 
 Question. — " Are you one of those who 
 laid the plan of deceiving me, and have given 
 to me so much pain ?" 
 
 Answer. — " You forget that you are pass- 
 ing through a strange course of treatment ; 
 which may seem to you to be cruel, and it is 
 so when you consider that it is for the amuse- 
 ment of wicked beings around you ; but when 
 
238 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 you consider it in another light it is differ- 
 ent. You should remember that God may 
 have a purpose in permitting all this cruel 
 treatment. He can make all things work for 
 good. " 
 
 Question. — a ButG-od permits very many 
 abuses in this world, which he expects the 
 sufferers to find out the cause of and arrest?" 
 
 Answer. — " Very true, you have long been 
 afflicted, and will be much longer ; but as 
 you have not found out the cause, or applied 
 the remedy, therefore either you or God is 
 to blame for it." 
 
 Question. — "This outrageous abuse can 
 originate from no good source, God has or- 
 dained that each of his creatures shall be 
 entitled to his own person, to his own distinct 
 individuality, and the extreme cruelty that 
 has been received can not be of God." 
 
 Answer. — " You say this ' outrageous 
 abuse, 5 as if all did not know that abuse of 
 any kind is i outrageous. ' God has ordained 
 that all shall enjoy certain rights, but they 
 are not always respected?" 
 
 Question. — " True, and that is the reason 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 239 
 
 that God has no special design in permitting 
 this abuse, though he may overrule it, to ac- 
 complish some great good. You intimate 
 that God has a purpose in subjecting one of 
 his creatures to the unmitigated and confessed 
 abuse of others?" 
 
 Answer. — " Very true, it is abuse of the 
 very worst type, but God permits it, or it 
 would not be so, but not that he is pleased 
 with it. You must remember that many 
 abuses are allowed but not sanctioned. " 
 
 Question.— " Then why do you continue 
 the cruel treatment, if you think God does 
 not sanction it ?" 
 
 Answer— ." Because we have nothing better j 
 to do. We delight in tormenting any one, fy 
 especially those whom God loves as we think 
 he does you." 
 
 Question. — " Then you indulge in pure 
 malice without provocation ?" 
 
 Answer.—" Very true, we are pure malice 
 itself." 
 
 Question. — " But that is attributed only 
 to the devil." 
 
 Answer.— -"Very true it is attributed to 
 
240 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 the devil, and all who are like him. We are 
 like the devil of your scriptures, and are so 
 because God made us so. We are for a pur- 
 pose or God would not have brought us into 
 being." 
 
 Question. — " But you made yourselves what 
 you are, did you not ?" 
 
 Answer. — " ]^o, we were born into the 
 earth life, without our knowledge or consent; 
 placed under laws which w r e but imperfectly 
 understood, — which we could not keep, and 
 are then condemned for their violation." 
 
 Question. — "But did you not enjoy the 
 means of obtaining eternal life through the 
 gospel of Jesus Christ?" 
 
 Answer. — " Very true we did, but failed 
 to avail ourselves of the means." 
 
 Question. — *" Then you remain vile because 
 you failed to avail youself of the means of 
 recovering from that vileness?" 
 
 Answer. — -" Very true, it is by neglecting 
 to act that we are in this condition, but were 
 we not born with the inclination ?" 
 
 " A man may be born with a physical or 
 moral infirmity and may greatly aggravate 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 241 
 
 that infirmity, or may use the means of re- 
 covering from it. " 
 
 "Very true, we have greatly aggravated 
 our moral infirmities, and of course God is 
 not chargeable with that. " 
 
 " While an infant you were comparatively 
 a. pure living force ; but instead of improving 
 your nature, imperfect though it may have 
 been, you spent a life time in injuring it." 
 
 " Very true we did, but the conditions 
 of society helped very much to make us 
 bad." 
 
 " Not necessarily so." 
 
 " No, not necessarily, because man could, in 
 a measure, banish himself from society." 
 
 " But do you never expect to be better?" 
 
 "Never. We are the debris of God's 
 moral creation, cast off as far as we know only 
 to be destroyed." 
 
 " Would you not, like all other beings, feel 
 happier in doing justly, loving mercy, and 
 walking humbly before God?" 
 
 "No; not at the expense of doing right. 
 If we were to do right, we should be forced 
 to leave you." 
 
242 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 "But no creature can be as happy in doing 
 wrong as in doing right, and certainly you 
 desire to be happy ?" 
 
 " Yes, I do; but I can be happy in doing 
 wrong/' 
 
 "Do you not believe there is a God?" 
 
 " Yes, we believe in God, and in Jesus 
 Christ, just as we did in the earth life, but 
 we can not love him as you do. We believe 
 that he is willing we should do wrong or he 
 would prevent us from doing it." 
 
 " But he has positively expressed his will, 
 both in the book of nature and of grace, 
 that his creatures of every grade and class 
 should obey the laws under which they are 
 created." 
 
 "Very true, but we are depraved, were 
 born so, I think, and can no more keep the 
 moral laws, as you call them, than can the 
 hyena of the forest." 
 
 " Are you always actuated by feelings of 
 anger, malice, revenge, hatred and other ma- 
 levolent feelings ?" 
 
 " By no means. We never show anger un- 
 less provoked, as you know by experience." 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 243 
 
 "Then if you can keep from being angry 
 for a short time why not for a longer time?" 
 
 " Simply because we are not provoked. If 
 we were never provoked by any one, I doubt 
 whether we should ever be angry ; and so if 
 we had no opportunity of doing wrong, of in- 
 juring others, we should never be guilty of 
 any wickedness at all." 
 
 " But you say that you believe in God. If 
 so you can pray to him where you are for 
 grace and strength to do his will, just as in 
 the earth life." 
 
 " By no means. We are surrounded by 
 unmixed evil, for us to pray here would be 
 the same as for you to pray in the midst of 
 ravenous beasts, or more properly in an up- 
 roarious, low-flung theater. Even if we had, 
 and could feel the spirit of prayer, and should 
 lift up a single petition to the throne of God's 
 grace for help we should be instantly sur- 
 rounded by a legion of chattering fiends who 
 would torment the life out of us if it were 
 possible." 
 
 " You say that you are surrounded by un- 
 mixed evil. As you inhabitants of the air 
 
214 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 surround us, are we not surrounded by un- 
 mixed evil?" 
 
 "Not at all; your natures are but in a de- 
 gree sensitive to our influence. Besides you 
 are told in your scriptures that you are kept 
 by the mighty power of God. That to me 
 indicates a special providence." 
 
 " But why are you not willing that /should 
 pray, and why do you interrupt my prayers 
 by strange psychological images?" 
 
 " That does not come from any act of my 
 own. It is produced by others more wicked 
 than myself, who have a perfect hatred of 
 prayer. I have sometimes indulged a little 
 that way, but not often. I generally love to 
 hear you pray, not because I join in, or have 
 even a desire to do so, but because you seem 
 to realize so much of what I should think 
 would constitute the bliss of heaven, viz : 
 The love of God shed abroad in the heart." 
 
 " What do you suppose is the reason that 
 I enjoy a higher degree of the divine presence 
 now than formerly?" 
 
 " I think because your nature is vastly 
 more sensitive, and that angels or something 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 245 
 
 divine surrounds you, though we can see 
 nothing/' 
 
 "But do you not hate pious people, and is 
 that not the reason why I have been so illy 
 treated by you ?" 
 
 "I do not hate good people, as such, but 
 we all have a perfect hatred of pious people, 
 because piety indicates to us that God has 
 special favorites or pets, and as Joseph's 
 brethren hated him because of his father's 
 partiality, so we hate them on account, as we 
 think, of God's partiality." 
 
 " If pious people have used the means of 
 grace, and by so doing have been elevated to 
 a high and holy place in the scale of being, 
 ought they to be hated for it ?" 
 
 "Not at all. We don't hate them for 
 what they may have done, but we hate them 
 because we believe God loves them, and has 
 shown them special favors and denied them 
 to us." 
 
 " But did he not make you the same offers 
 of grace while in the earth life that he made 
 to others?" 
 
 " Yes, the same. I well remember that I en- 
 
246 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 joyed many offers of salvation through Jesus 
 Christ, but rejected them all ; yes, deliberate- 
 ly rejected them. I remember times when I 
 must have been favored with the striving of 
 the spirit, but went to places of amusement 
 and wore my impressions off, and as a conse- 
 quence I am here in what the Bible calls 
 chains of darkness." 
 
 "But have you no hope that God will yet 
 have mercy upon you ?" 
 
 u We have no assurance that would amount 
 to a hope, for hope is made up of desire and ex- 
 pectation; we desire to possess a better nature, 
 but have no expectation of obtaining it. We 
 try to believe the theories so prevalent here 
 that in the course of time we may have our 
 natures changed, but they are so transparent- 
 ly false that I can not believe a word of 
 them, for I very well know what the Bible 
 says about the final end of the wicked." 
 
 "But could you not enjoy heaven with 
 your present nature, if permitted to go there?" 
 
 " No; heaven to me, with the nature I now 
 have, would be a double hell. I sometimes 
 think it a mercy in God that he lets me re- 
 
* POWERS OF THE AIR. 247 
 
 main where I am, but a mercy T don't thank 
 him for. I hate God because he made me with 
 a nature to hate that which is good, and pure, 
 and cleave to that which is evil. I often 
 wonder w x hat I was made for." 
 
 " Bat you did not hate the pious and the 
 godly in the earth life?" 
 
 " Yes, I had the same antipathy to them 
 then that I have now, only then appear- 
 ed the germ, but now appears the full grown 
 stalk, laden ed with the fully ripe seed of 
 hatred." 
 
 " But do not the pious dead surround those 
 who are still in the body as guardians from 
 the influences of evil?" 
 
 " They are never seen by us if they do. 
 We see nothing around the pious, any more 
 than around the wicked. But we are often 
 around them ourselves, infusing into their 
 minds some infidel or atheistic thought to see 
 how they will receive it. We take delight in 
 disturbing and irritating them 7 just as we do 
 you." 
 
 " But do you not often cause them to fall 
 away, and relapse into wickedness, and by so 
 doing increase the number of the lost ?" 
 
248 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 " We think not. The really pious seem to 
 have an understanding that the impressions 
 of evil are from the wicked one, and so in- 
 stantly reject them. We have no desire to in- 
 crease the number in the world of suffering 
 and wretchedness." 
 
 "But do you not think the angels minister 
 to the pious in the earth life?" 
 
 "Perhaps they do, but we can not see them 
 any more than you can. They are as perfect- 
 ly invisible to us as they are to you. That 
 they might reveal themselves is possible, but 
 we never saw one." 
 
 " How do the inhabitants of your world 
 mostly spend their time?" 
 
 " We spend the time mostly since the dis- 
 covery of the mediumistic communications 
 in developing mediums ; in making psycho- 
 logical experiments with them, and in com- 
 municating through them." 
 
 "Do you not think that good spirits devel- 
 op e mediums, and communicate through 
 them as well as yourselves ?" 
 
 " I think not, and for this reason : The 
 mediums are all developed by the leading go- 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 249 
 
 ahead spirits. Their magnetism being sharp- 
 er, stronger and more positive, it is therefore 
 accomplished by them in a shorter period of 
 time. That they communicate through them, 
 I think is not the case, and for these reasons : 
 First, the saints, as we call the pious (but in 
 derision), are too refined, we think, to make 
 anything but a slight impression on even the 
 most susceptible in the form. Second, even 
 our power is so limited that there are but very 
 few mediums who can be impressed singly 
 and alone ; it often requires scores and hund- 
 reds to create such conditions as will enable 
 the operator to impress the medium. Third, 
 there are but few pious mediums in the world 
 that we known of, and it is not at all likely 
 that holy beings, even by combination, could 
 control them to write or speak. Fourth, 
 there are no mediums to my knowledge who 
 have any of the soft, agreeable magnetism 
 about them which we think comes from the 
 Holy Spirits but yourself, and you certainly 
 know that no good spirits have ever controlled 
 you, therefore we think we are warranted in 
 the conclusion that no pious dead, nor the 
 
 17 
 
250 POWERS OF THE AIR, 
 
 spirits of just men made perfect, nor angels 
 have any thing to do with controlling medi- 
 ums at the present day." 
 
 "But how is it, then, that many of them 
 receive messages purporting to come from the 
 apostles and other eminently good men, 
 messages that seem to breathe the very temper 
 and spirit of Christ himseli V 9 
 
 "Because, in this world, which, as I have 
 said before, embraces the atmosphere of the 
 earth, there are very many eminent ministers 
 of the gospel, though selfish, wicked men, who 
 in the earth life were notedfor their piety and 
 learning, and for their eloquence, too. Be- 
 sides, there are men of the most exalted tal- 
 ents, intellectually, that the world ever saw, 
 existing here in this place, and they often 
 communicate through the various mediums, 
 possessing all the talents they had in the 
 earth life, not in the least impaired. They 
 are capable of preaching as angels of light, 
 and would deceive, if it were possible, the 
 very elect. Hence, you received those first 
 communications from persons of that class/' 
 
 " How is it that these wicked spirits can de- 
 
POWERS OF THE AIK„ 251 
 
 pict, with such vivid, life-like representations 
 the ineffable glories of the heavenly world ?" 
 
 u How did they do it in the earth life? 
 They evidently did it by the aid of the most 
 wonderful of all faculties, the imagination. 
 In the same way they build up theories of 
 phylosophy. There has been, to my certain 
 knowledge, as many as a score of different 
 thoeries respecting the origin of the world, 
 and the human race, communicated through 
 mediums to the earth life," 
 
 -" Are all nations of the earth alike impress- 
 ible, and consequently alike exposed to the 
 deadly and corrupting influences of spirits in 
 the air?" 
 
 " No, the nations the most susceptible to 
 our influence are the Anglo Saxon, the Celtic 
 and the Goths and Visgoths of the North of 
 Europe, and some of the other mixed races. 
 The heather], as you call them, are as corrupt 
 as they can be. The Chinese, for instance, 
 are almost on the verge of self-destruction. 
 Unless the gospel reaches them they must 
 perish as a nation altogether. Spirits and 
 devils could not make them any worse than 
 they are. " 
 
252 POWERS OF THE AI2L 
 
 " How long has this impressibility existed^ 
 and what are the consequences resulting 
 from the extreme sensitiveness of these 
 races. J? 
 
 " The susceptibility to impressions from 
 this world has been gradually advancing as 
 the means of comfortable living and educa- 
 tional facilities have increased. The conse- 
 quences to the earth life are in one respect 
 very sad, but in another very hopeful and 
 cheering. First, the sad and evil effects are 
 that we, the powers of darkness, have been 
 enabled to infuse into the German mind their 
 system of rationalism and transcendental phi- 
 losophy. Fine spun it is, and very plausible, 
 but totally at variance with the spirit and 
 temper of the gospel. Second, the hopeful 
 and cheerful aspect consists in what we 
 think will in time usher in the millenial dawn, 
 which is evident from the fact that the world 
 of earth life is progressing to a condition of 
 sensitiveness that will eventually enable the 
 angelic beings to communicate with the earth 
 life even as we do now, the consequences of 
 which will be untold good to the world. But 
 
rOWEES OF THE AIR. 253 
 
 that time is in the future, and you can com- 
 pute the years that will intervene between 
 the present and that time, perhaps as well as 
 ourselves. We think, though, that it is not 
 many centuries distant, but we reason only 
 from analogy. The last century has x witness- 
 ed great progress in the intellectual sensitive- 
 ness of the race. We think the conditions 
 that enabled holy men of old to write or 
 speak as they were moved by the Holy Spirit 
 was a forced condition for special purposes, 
 and not a general and natural condition. 
 But your scriptures indicate what the signs 
 of the times even now shadow "torth that the 
 period is not far distant when they shall all 
 be taught of God; that is, through the instru- 
 mentalities appointed by him." 
 
 "But the present revelations from your 
 world would not result in so much evil to 
 this world, provided the sources whence they 
 come were rightly understood." 
 
 "Most certainly they would not. The 
 writing and speaking of the modern medi- 
 ums appears so supernatural and marvel- 
 ous ? that many are ready to attribute the 
 
254 POWERS OF THE AIB. 
 
 strange phenomna all to the power of Gk)d ? 
 and strangely believe that all that may ema- 
 nate from spirits must be the all of truth. 
 Many, in the simplicity of their faith, surren- 
 der reason, conscience, and virtue itself. The 
 world will become wiser by and by, especially 
 when they learn to know that these spirit 
 manifestations are clearly prophesied of by 
 the apostle Paul in? these remarkable words : 
 " And then shall that wicked be revealed, 
 whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit 
 of his mouth, and shall destroy with the 
 brightness of his coming : Even Mm whose 
 coming is after the working of Satan with all 
 power and signs and lying wonders, and with 
 all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them 
 that perish; because they received not the 
 love of the tr'uth, that they might be saved. 
 And for this cause God shall send them 
 strong delusion, that they should believe a 
 lie : That they might be damned who believ- 
 ed not the truth, but had pleasure ia un- 
 righteousness." This passage sets forth the 
 signs of these times so clearly that all the 
 righteous or pious can clearly understand* 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 255 
 
 Besides, there is much of good and truth in 
 many of the communications. This fact will 
 be a source of the greatest deception, as it 
 was to you ; but as you intimate it your world 
 could rightly understand the source from 
 whence all the lying wonders emanate the 
 injury would not be so great. As it is, the 
 elect, the chosen of God, they shall under- 
 stand. It is not possible that they should be 
 deceived because they are taught of God and 
 are the temples of the Holy Spirit, which 
 spirit will lead them into all truth." 
 
 " How does it happen that many are de- 
 ceived in reference to their relatives commu- 
 nicating messages to them through the medi- 
 ums?" 
 
 " It occurs just as it occurred to you. 
 There are thousands of wicked spirits who 
 are as familiar with your every act as you 
 are familiar with the acts and thoughts of 
 your own household. And they are capable 
 of any amount of deception, having the 
 power to control and shape the destiny of 
 many little events in the earth life." 
 
 " Do not many wicked persons, upon their 
 
256 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 arrival in your world, for a time think they 
 are in heaven V 3 
 
 " Perhaps they may, for a short time, but 
 they soon learn that they are not in heaven, 
 and from this fact : The spirits who have 
 preceded them, and who are of like character 
 with themselves, gather around them and by 
 their profane words and lying speeches soon 
 convince them where they are. Many of 
 them rejoice for a time because they are not 
 in a flame of fire, but they soon realize that 
 they are in an element which gives them 
 more suffering than fire could the body. 
 Because there is an element which pervades 
 the air, call it magnatism if you choose, so 
 volatile and all-pervading that every thought 
 which proceeds from a wicked mind is borne 
 upon this element and comes in contact with 
 other minds, rendering it impossible to escape 
 the moral malaria which infests every part of 
 the air. There is no possible method of 
 avoiding these influences. Like a number of 
 persons submerged in a filthy pool, all 
 necessarily become alike filthy. " 
 
 " Can you assign any reason why so few 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 257 
 
 are saved when the gospel is at every door ?" 
 " The reason may be attributed to the fact 
 that so many at the present time are impress- 
 ible. The numberless theories of phyloso- 
 phy which are entertained in this world are 
 infused into the minds of the earth life. This 
 leads many to be dissatisfied with the plain 
 doctrines of the gospel. The world is run- 
 ning mad after wealth. Vast multitudes 
 sell their souls for a mess of potage. How 
 true are the words of your master, Jesus, 
 ' How hardly shall they who are rich enter 
 into the kingdom of heaven. ' Not but that 
 men may enjoy religion, pure and undefiled, 
 and at the same time possess wealth. But the 
 possession of wealth so stimulates every 
 latent evil in the nature of men that it thus 
 becomes a stumbling block over which they 
 plunge into the dark world of woe. We 
 positively know whereof we speak. " * * 
 
CHAPTER SIX- 
 
 I subjoin here another conversation with 
 one of the invisibles that surrounded me : 
 
 " You have, as a man, a very faint idea of 
 God, as the maker and controller of the uni- 
 verse." 
 
 "I should think that man in the earth 
 life generally possessed as fair an opportunity 
 of understanding the nature and attributes of 
 God, as any invisible creature upon or above 
 the earth?" 
 
 " By no means. You are in the shell of the 
 
 earthly form, and what can a man in the 
 
 form know of the creation of the universe? 
 
 He has not fully opened his eyes upon God's 
 
 works." 
 
 "Do we not know and understand as well, 
 
 or better than spirits, in and above the earth, 
 the nature, power, wisdom and glory of God ? 
 Do we not understand correctly God's crea- 
 tive power, by which he made the world ?" 
 
 "You understand the nature and attributes 
 of God better than some spirits, because you 
 
 258 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 259 
 
 are more intelligent than some spirits, but 
 there are some spirits within the earth's at- 
 mosphere, who know theoretically more than 
 men in the earth life." 
 
 " You have admitted that all spirits within 
 the region of the earth's atmosphere to be 
 wicked, and by a law they are confined to 
 that region, and can not therefore, learn by 
 observation more than those in the earth 
 life. The revelations in nature and the Bible, 
 give the most exalted ideas of God, and we 
 certainly have greater facilities for reading 
 them both than have spirits." 
 
 "Very true, men in the form have the same 
 objects to behold that we have, but we see 
 with other eyes than they. Disembodied 
 spirits look upon the spiritual uses of every 
 thing, that is, they see the spirit essence 
 which is the abstract quality of all substances. 
 They see the uses of things as those in the 
 earthly life can not see them ; besides they are 
 above and around, and have the power of lo- 
 comotion, as none in the earthly form have, 
 which enables them to observe critically, all 
 parts of the earth. They also have all the 
 
260 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 accumulated knowledge of the past at their 
 command — the wisdom of centuries. We 
 have with us, in the air, as you call it, all. the 
 wise men of the past, who have not attained 
 to eternal life through the gospel, therefore, 
 we must know more than you. It is true, 
 we generally reject the revelations of the 
 Bible, because those revelations cut us off 
 from all hope of future, endless life, and we 
 instinctively reject them as a drowning man 
 would reject the last hope of salvation, and 
 that beyond his reach. We think the Bible 
 contains many wonderful revelations which 
 we know to be true ; some, we think, we know 
 to be false. For instance, the Bible says, 
 God created evil ; this is true. It says, also, 
 that man is prone to evil as the spark to fly up- 
 wards; this is true. But when it condemns 
 men to eternal suffering for being what God 
 made them, we believe that to be false." 
 
 " We answer, that our most learned men 
 must certainly possess better opportunities of 
 searching for hidden truths contained in the 
 book of nature, than the wicked inhabitants 
 of the air, for the reason that they can ope- 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 261 
 
 rate upon crude matter In their investiga- 
 tions, but spirits of the air possess no such 
 power. You can communicate to the earthly 
 life by impression, and through writing me- 
 diums of the present day. But in this way 
 you have not exhibited any superior knowl- 
 edge, especially in the direction of the various 
 sciences you have revealed comparatively 
 nothing but what was before known. If 
 spirits know more, surely it would be shown in 
 their revelations. A man is known by the 
 wisdom that proceeds from him. If you were 
 truly wise, you would be good, and being 
 good would lead you to impart that superior 
 wisdom, which you say that you possess. 
 God creates evils, such as tornadoes, earth- 
 quakes, and the like, but never created sin, 
 for sin to be sin, must be the voluntary act of 
 a free agent. But how do you know that 
 God creates evils but from the Bible, which 
 you believe to be untrue ? That man is prone 
 to evil is evident from observation, therefore 
 you can speak definitely in regard to that 
 subject* You admit that Jesus Christ was 
 inspired by a wisdom infinitely above that 
 
262 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 yet revealed by the wicked intelligences of 
 the air. Why not then receive him and his 
 wisdom ? " 
 
 "Very true, we have shown no great 
 amount of wisdom in the direction of science, 
 but we have revealed the fact that spirits in- 
 habit the air of your earth, which, before 
 spirits manifested themselves through medi- 
 ums of modern days, remained a matter of 
 very vague import. And then we have re- 
 vealed the fact that the air contains the moral 
 filth of the earth, and that all the morally 
 pure ascend through the air to that world of 
 light which we get glimpses of, but can not 
 reach. We have revealed, also, that the Bible 
 was written by man, inspired by Holy Spirits, 
 rather than by wicked spirits, as at the pres- 
 ent day. We admit that we are wicked, as 
 are all in this department of God's creation, 
 but still we think we know more than those 
 in the earthly life. The reason of our being 
 wicked, principally arises from the fact that we 
 must receive all the moral filth of the earth, 
 and by the time we get any portion of it re- 
 duced to order, there comes from earth mul- 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 263 
 
 titudes more, and so on. You must not sup- 
 pose the Devil's kingdom to be all disorder, 
 foi if it were so he would have no power over 
 the earth life. Some who arrive in this world 
 from the earth are anxious for the suc- 
 cess of the gospel; this we soon erad- 
 icate from their minds. By their education 
 in the earth life, they believe in its power to 
 reform. They have also observed that those 
 who came under its influence were rendered 
 morally purer than by any other system of 
 religion in the earth. They have also ob- 
 served that all in the earth life who do not 
 embrace the gospel (or rather whom the gos- 
 pel does not embrace), never attain to the 
 heavenly life. This earth -bias, as we call it, 
 or predilection in favor of the gospel, must be 
 entirely eradicated before they can be in- 
 duced to embrace our phylosophies. The 
 cause of your being so roughly handled was 
 to ascertain if it were posssible for one of the 
 elect to be deceived. Of this we are now 
 satisfied. The elect of God are those who 
 have experienced the implantation of that 
 eternal life principle which is of God, and 
 
264 POWERS OF THE AIR* 
 
 therefore we conclude they can not be de- 
 ceived. The spirits who experimented at 
 your expense were not all alike wicked. 
 Some possessed earthly attachments, and 
 therefore felt like showing some little mercy, 
 but all were fully determined, if possible, to 
 ascertain whether there was a higher life 
 principle in the so-called children of God 
 than in those who are not recognized as such. 
 This we have proved to our satisfaction. 
 Therefore, to obtain control of you was the 
 first and most important point to be gained. 
 We assumed to be the Almighty, not because 
 we had lost all ideas of him, but that we 
 might prove what we have indicated above. 
 We assumed to be Jesus Christ, not because 
 we have no idea of pure disinterested benev- 
 olence, but to carry out our plans. We led you 
 from step to step until we made your God, as 
 you believed to eommit sin, and this you ex- 
 cused in him. Then we led vou to believe 
 that he had committed violence upon you, 
 for this you freely forgave him, because, as 
 you said, you loved him. Then we led you 
 to believe that he was grossly profligate and 
 
POWERS OF THE AIIU 265 
 
 wicked. Then you uttered these remarkable 
 words : ' If God has done wrong he should 
 repent, and ask forgiveness, that all others see- 
 ing his example, maybe led to do likewise.' 
 The Infinite God must have given you those 
 words to shame us, if it were possible, for the 
 unprovoked abuse we had heaped upon you. 
 In order to farther test the fact that you were 
 the child of God, and to farther impose upon 
 your credulity ^ we said to you that God had 
 been deposed from his throne, and that you 
 could occupy it by our consent. This you 
 would agree to do only because the good of the 
 universe demanded it, and still you seemed 
 to feel as kindly toward God as if he were 
 your ruler. It has greatly surprised us that 
 you have so steadily refused to acknowledge 
 any relationship to any of the spirits around 
 you, and for this reason, you could not believe 
 your relations could be so wicked as to im- 
 pose upon you, especially in such a shameful 
 and unprovoked manner. This seemed to us 
 the more remarkabfe because we continually 
 infused into your mind the distinct impression 
 that it was them and no others. But as it 
 18 
 
266 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 was against all reason, as you said, that all 
 your relations should be wicked, and more 
 wicked than in the earth life, you positively 
 refused to admit the fact, and declared finally 
 that that course was at an end. We admire 
 you for this, because it showed a higher prin- 
 ciple of action than is ordinarily to be found 
 in the earth life. When pressed continually 
 with the sssertion that your relatives had 
 been indirectly the cause of all your troubles,, 
 you declared, " Well, if it is so, I freely and 
 cheerfully forgive them, for if they are so mor- 
 ally weak as to injure one who has ever loved 
 and cherished their memory, they are to be 
 pitied rather than censured." You have 
 demonstrated beyond all possibility of a 
 doubt that you have a higher principle of 
 something that is certainly divine, and not of 
 earth, therefore we respect you, though we 
 can never love you. We respect you in the 
 same sense that the boy respects his hero in 
 the tale he delights in. We shall make no 
 more experiments with you, not because we 
 could not control you, but because we have 
 too much respect for you. We see that the 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 267 
 
 world is running wild and rampant into the 
 very ditch which has engulphed us. There- 
 fore we have been provoked to reveal to you 
 the fact that all the revelations through me- 
 diums to the effect that all men are progress- 
 ing to a state of holiness and happiness is 
 false, totally and absolutely false. We have 
 as good an opportunity to know the facts con- 
 nected with all the modern revelations as any 
 spirits can know in this world, and we cer- 
 tainly know that they are not of God, but 
 from spirits some of them guilty of greater 
 abuses, if it were possible to inflict any greater, 
 than we have inflicted upon you. And as 
 you have persisted in the determination to 
 expose the whole of the so-called revelations 
 of spirits, we are determined to aid you; not 
 because we fear God or regard nipn, but be- 
 cause you have commanded our admiration, 
 and have demonstrated that there is a pure 
 and undefiled religion m the world, though 
 much counterfeited. In conclusion, we have 
 no hesitation in saying that you are the 
 purest minded man in the world, not from 
 assertion, but from actual demonstration, for 
 
268 POWERS OF THE AIS, 
 
 these experiments have not been confined to 
 a few weeks, but have been contined through 
 many months. You are entitled, we think, 
 to be called a saint, from the definition we 
 gave you, viz: 'A saint is one that would not 
 do a wrong even if permitted/ We have also 
 noticed that your prayers are directed to God 
 your Father, and there seems to exist be- 
 tween you and him an intimate relation, a 
 filial feeling, and we have doubts whether 
 another could be found in the world, who 
 possesses it in so eminent a degree." 
 
CHAPTER XX|. 
 
 "You ask us how we know that mod- 
 ern spiritual demonstrations are not of God?" 
 We answer that we know it from the follow- 
 ing reasons : These spirit demonstrations are 
 to my knowledge made by spirits who hate 
 God, and have no fellowship with that which 
 is good. You may know that they are all 
 from this w r orld by the fact that they univer- 
 sally reject the Bible as the w^ord of God, de- 
 nouncing it as a fable, and unworth of belief. 
 This is characteristic of all who have been 
 any considerable length of time in this world. 
 All the good and pure love the Bible, and 
 have always loved it since the world began. 
 This ought to be conclusive evidence, at least 
 to ail the good and the pure, that the com- 
 munications of modern spiritualism are not 
 of God. We think these manifestations were 
 designed simply to demonstrate the existence 
 of the spirit world called in your Bible 
 hades. 
 
 269 
 
270 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 " You in the form have but little idea of 
 the immense power for evil that this world 
 exerts over the inhabitants of earth. Tt was 
 also designed to prove the Bible true, not 
 only in respect to its declarations with regard 
 to heaven, but also in reference to hell. The 
 revelations of the Bible were made, we be- 
 lieve, by angels and spirits appointed for that 
 purpose directly by God, while the modern 
 revelations are virtually from hell. This is 
 true from the fact that all the revelations yet 
 made by spirit manifestations have not so 
 much gospel truth in them as has yet result- 
 ed in the regeneration of one soul in the 
 sense that Jesus Christ taught regeneration. 
 The revelations of these spirits are just what 
 you might expect from beings who have not 
 the love of God in them. They are charac- 
 terized by any number of theories with re- 
 gard to the origin of the world, and with re- 
 gard also to the origin of the human race. 
 They are philosophies brought here from your 
 world, and consequently there are as many 
 theories of world origin as have ever existed 
 in the earth life from whence they sprung. 
 
POWERS OP THE AIR. 271 
 
 The heathen are all here in this world, and of 
 course they have all the crude theories 
 which they derived from their false ideas 
 of religion. Consequently there carw* be 
 nothing reliable revealed from this world, ex- 
 cept the fact that all are wicked — not fools, 
 for we retain all the wisdom we acquired in 
 the earth life — but really wicked in heart, 
 and deprived of that love of holiness which 
 I now know springs only from a nature re- 
 newed by the power of God. 
 
 " From statements made in the Bible, and 
 from indications in nature, some of us are of 
 the opinion that spirits in this world are final- 
 ly to perish, or as we think, to die a spiritual 
 death as you die a physical death. For it is 
 said in the scriptures : ' The soul that sinneth 
 it shall die.' Others of us are of the opinion 
 that we shall be burned up in the great day, 
 when the elements being set on fire, shall dis- 
 solve the earth and all things that pertain to 
 it. The atmosphere which constitutes our 
 abode of course must perish with it; and hence 
 we must perish for want of a place to exist. 
 
 "We are not in despair, because we have 
 
272 POWERS OF THE AIR, 
 
 much to gratify our senses, to engage our at- 
 tention, and if we did not love evil and de- 
 light in it we could be made happy. We are 
 not, as some of you suppose, roasting in lire ; 
 our punishment consists in being morally filthy, 
 combined with all the misery which arises 
 from a community made up of wicked, de- 
 signing, and wholly selfish persons." 
 
 Question. — " The Bible speaks of the prince 
 of the power of the air, or in the air ; what 
 may we understand by this?" 
 
 Spirit. — "You will understand that the 
 Prince' is the name of the ruling spirit of 
 evil. There are many spirits in the air, who 
 are rulers, just as Indian chiefs rule the tribes 
 to. which they belong. "You have but little 
 idea of the condition of society in this world, 
 "We have all that is vile and polluted of 
 earth." 
 
 Question. — "Is your society divided off 
 into nations and communities, with the man- 
 ners, customs, and habits, peculiar to them- 
 selves?" 
 
 Answer. — "Yes, each nation retains essen- 
 tially its national peculiarities. Their moral 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 273 
 
 habits and soul degradation remain the same. 
 They ascend into the air a very transcript of 
 earth. They are turned into hell, because 
 that in the earth life they are already in a 
 degree of hell. Sin produces suffering, and 
 suffering in full measure is hell." 
 
 Question. — "Are there any mediums, 
 known as such, in heathen countries?" 
 
 Answer. — " T$o$ to my knowledge, — they 
 are not impressible; if they were, dreadful 
 would be the wrongs inflicted upon them. 
 You know something of the suffering which 
 results from impressibility, even in this coun- 
 try, where society is a thousand times better 
 than in that of the heathen." 
 
 Question. — " Why are they not impressi- 
 ble?" 
 
 Answer. — "I can not tell you. I suppose 
 it is owing to the fact of their thick skulls 
 and want of nervous sensibility ?" 
 
 Question. — " Are not the wicked who leave 
 our state of society more vicious and out- 
 rageously injurious than the wicked who 
 reach yon from the heathen world." 
 
 Answer. — " Generally they are, and it is, I 
 
274 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 think, because of the law which runs thus, 
 ' He that being often reproved hardeneth his 
 neck?" 
 
 Question. — "Are there no good angels 
 about the earth, and have they no power to 
 correct the evil, the awful abuses of these 
 wicked spirits ?" 
 
 Answer, — " None at all that we know of. 
 There may be thousands, but we can not see 
 them. I think thev have very little power 
 to restrain the evil, even if they were present. 
 But that they will have more power at some 
 future period, power to impress and influence 
 minds in the Form, is evident from the fact 
 that the whole race is becoming; more and 
 more susceptible to impressions?"' 
 
 Question. — " What do we understand by 
 the Savior's expression, 'And there shall be 
 weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth?' 
 
 Answer. — " There is that which corresponds 
 to it. There is no shedding of tears, but as 
 an expression of overwhelming grief, it is 
 true, prositively true. As soon as a soul 
 realizes the fact of its being lost, fully and 
 irrevocably lost to all good, to holiness and 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 275 
 
 heaven, then such expressions of grief as 
 proceed from the poor victim of sin is enough 
 to make all hell shudder, if they were good. 
 But as they are not, the wailing is only 
 echoed back in derision upon the heads of 
 the poor, grief-stricken victims and with 
 fiendish contempt. " 
 
 " Is not the declaration of scripture literaly 
 true, which speaks of Jesus being tempted of 
 the devil?" 
 
 "It is true, I think, in the same sense that 
 you were tempted by the devil, or by devils. 
 We think he was impressible like your self, 
 and consequently exposed, as you are, to the 
 power of the air. Some with us are of the 
 opinion that he was led into the wilderness for 
 purpose of developing his mediumistic powers. 
 But this can not be true, for he, like Samuel 
 the prophet, must have been very impressi- 
 ble from his youth, at least, before he was 
 twelve years of age, as he then reasoned with 
 the Doctors in the temple, and astonished them 
 with his wisdom. Therefore we infer that 
 he must have been impressible, and if so he 
 was taught of God or taught by those ap- 
 
276 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 pointed by him; and being impressible he 
 must have been exposed at times to the powers 
 of evil/ 5 
 
 " Does your world possess any correct ideas 
 of God and his attributes? 7 ' 
 
 " We have the same ideas of God that we 
 possessed in the earth lite, that is those of 
 us who received a Christian education — 
 nothing more and nothing less. The heathen 
 have the ideas that they obtained while upon 
 the earth. We think one reason that the 
 gospel has made so little progress among 
 them arises from the tenacity with which 
 they hold on to their earth education. Be- 
 lieving it right, they surround those who 
 are in danger of being converted to Christi- 
 anity with all all the obstacles and difficulties 
 that their united wisdom can invent. " 
 
CHAPTER XXll 
 
 6t To what extent 'have the powers of the 
 air dominion and rule over the children of 
 men?" 
 
 " To reveal all the sources of power, which 
 belongs to the rulers of darkness, so-called, 
 would take a folio volume. But I will state 
 a few of them: 
 
 First. The powers of evil have the means 
 of creating electric currents around the most 
 positive man upon the earth, and by so doing 
 enable some one of our number to make a 
 distinct impression upon his- mind. This has 
 often been carried to the extent of controlling 
 some to commit acts of violence upon their 
 fellowmen. 
 
 " Second. The powers of evil have the 
 means at their command of concentrating 
 currents of electricity along the telegraph 
 wires so as to obtain the intelligence which 
 is transmitted. 
 
 " Third. They also have the power to rule 
 
 2T7 
 
278 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 with a rod of iron the poor victim of in- 
 temperance. This is clone by coming in rap- 
 port with him, which implies spirit connection 
 and while thus in rapport draw the electric 
 influence of the ardent spirits into their own 
 persons. This creates the same sensation 
 in the spirit he realized in the earth life only, 
 not with the same injury. This coming in 
 rapport with the drunkard, in the manner 
 above described, is very injurious to his mind 
 — weakens the will power and renders him 
 still more the victim of the bottle and of 
 other vices. 
 
 " Fourth. They have power to use light 
 substances, such as vapor, particles of dust, 
 and the like, and by attracting these around 
 them they are enabled at times to. manifest 
 themselves in human form. Thus they have 
 frequently appeared to you and to others. 
 But this form is no more the real spirit than 
 the clothing is the real man. This power is 
 often used to deceive the poor victims of 
 mediumistic clairvoyance. They are the 
 more deceived because they see the appari- 
 tion with the naked eye, and suppose they 
 therefore see a spirit. 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR 279 
 
 "Fifth. They have the power to produce 
 life-like images in the mind of impressible 
 mediums. This is oten understood by them 
 to be an actual sight of a real object. This 
 leads to a great variety of delusions, and to 
 such an extent are some imposed upon that 
 they are carried away with the idea that they 
 are prophets, and by these visions attempt to 
 foretel future events. Those who are called 
 leaders of spiritualism, and who know the 
 fallacy of these impressions, allow the decep- 
 tions to go on and are therefore participators 
 in the swindle. This stamps them with infamy. 
 
 " Sixth. They have the power of using 
 the human body, with all its organs and 
 faculties. This is done in the case of trance 
 speakers and personating mediums. They 
 enter the body by means of electrical and 
 galvanic influences, and having entered they 
 use the vocal organs just as they did those of 
 their own bodies whilst in the earth life. 
 Once in possession ot the body,4he spirit of 
 the rightful occupant is stultified and com- 
 pressed to less than half its original dimen- 
 sions. This often injures the spirit thus 
 
280 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 treated to a very great extent, weakens its 
 powers of reasoning, of memorizing, and of 
 abstraction. 
 
 " Seventh. They have the power of col- 
 lecting electricity and discharging it against 
 a board, table or any other hard substance 
 that is sonorous, producing concussions equal 
 to the ticking of a watch or clock., 
 
 " Eighth. They also possess power to move 
 ponderous objects, such as tables, chairs, &c. 
 This is generally accomplished by the agency 
 of scores and hundreds of the invisible 
 workers, not always in the house, but hund- 
 reds of feet in the air above. 
 
 " 2Tinth. They possess the power of injur- 
 ing those in the form by shocks of electricity 
 concentrated upon them from the clouds. 
 This has otten been done, too, in a clear sky, 
 and without any concussion or noise. The 
 persons thus killed are supposed to have died 
 by apoplexy or by an internal rupture. 
 
 " Tenth. They have the power of opening 
 doors by raising latches, drawing bolts, and 
 removing any other small obstacles or ob- 
 structions. This is effected by means of 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR, 281 
 
 electric currents concentrated upon the object 
 to be moved. 
 
 "Eleventh. They possess the power of con- 
 trolling some men while in the act of writings 
 so as often to change or alter the form of a 
 letter or figure, by so doing ruining them in 
 their business. This takes place often in 
 drawing up instruments of writing which 
 convey the right of property from one man 
 to another. " 
 
 "Will you give me the reason why all 
 mediums are not abused by the spirits who 
 surround them ?" 
 
 " The first, and to me the most obvious 
 reason, is the fact that many mediums are too 
 positive, that is, they have too much power 
 over their own bodies. If the strong man 
 keeps the house how can another enter and 
 take possession ? Another reason lies in the 
 fact that the medium is in moral fellowship 
 with the controlling spirit. In that case 
 there can be no quarrel between them, but a 
 perfect agreement. Any two individuals, 
 however low or abandoned, can walk together, 
 provided they occupy the same plane or 
 
 19 
 
282 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 moral level. In your case we found no 
 moral sympathy. We found you on a plane 
 so vastlv above us that we could not feel the 
 
 ml 
 
 least fellowship for you. We endeavored at 
 first to lead you to embrace our philosophies, 
 but finding that that they would not go 
 down — your mind being too firmly fixed in 
 what might be called the divine philosophy 
 of your religion — we therefore were obliged 
 to abandon ail ideas of converting you to our 
 purposes. You would not walk our way 
 and we could not walk your way, therefore 
 we fell out and abused you without stint or 
 mercy." 
 
 " Another reason why all mediums are not 
 abused arises from the fact that the control- 
 ling spirit may have lately deceased, in which 
 case their earth life sympathies lead them to 
 be kind and very careful of the medium's 
 comfort, and well-being. The most aban- 
 doned and wicked men at heart may have 
 been so far under restraints which the usages 
 of society impose that their real character is 
 not apparent, either to themselves or others. 
 So after death these society-imposed restraints 
 
LOWERS OF THE AIR* 288 
 
 continue often for a considerable length of 
 time — in which case should they become the 
 controlling spirit over any medium^ they 
 would not treat them in accordance with 
 their interior nature but according to the 
 society-imposed nature ; hence you will un- 
 derstand more fully what is meant by earth 
 life sjnupathies." 
 
 " Another reason why mediums are not 
 always abused is because that many spirits 
 ontertain the idea that their philosophies will 
 make a mighty movement in the world. We 
 mean by a mighty movement, a grand com- 
 motion, a great excitement. Many in this 
 world, like many in the earth life, have their 
 pet theories, and they will compass heaven 
 and earth to make their philosophies success* 
 ful as a system of belief. When this is the 
 case with a controlling spirit, and the medium 
 is more than willing to surrender himself to 
 carry out his plans, then there will be no 
 abuse, but on the contrary great care is taken 
 of him and every attention paid to his com- 
 fort." 
 
 " Have you no special system of philosophy 
 
284 POWERS OF THE A1K, 
 
 which engrosses your attention and heart 
 sympathies ?" 
 
 " We have none especially. We came to 
 this world deeply imbued with a sympathy 
 for the gospel system of truth, and we have 
 not yet had occasion to change our minds or 
 our moral predilections. You must think 
 strange that we do not fall in with your plans 
 of evangelizing the world. The reason lies 
 in the fact that every thing, whether in the 
 vegetable or animal world, unfolds according 
 to its interior nature. For instance, the rose 
 plant will, if it unfold at all, unfold so as to 
 produce a rose; the thistle, with any amount 
 of culture, will never unfold so as to produce 
 a- filly blossom, nor will the liily ever so un- 
 fold as to produce the thistle bloom. So you 
 will understand from this exposition of the 
 divine constitution in the nature of things, 
 the reason that we can never have any moral 
 sympathy with j^on. Our natures have un- 
 folded according to their interior constitution, 
 which makes us just what we are. We are 
 as true to the unfoldments of our nature, as 
 the thistle is to its nature, or you to your 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. * 285 
 
 nature. Therefore do not blame us for being 
 what we are. 
 
 " Your nature, and the natures of all true 
 Christians, must unfold according to their 
 Inner life principle. One of your teachers 
 has said, ' He that has this hope within him 
 purifies himself even as God is pure.' ISTow, 
 my reason teaches me that to become holy 
 the man must fall in love with holiness. So- 
 ciety may impose upon man restraints, but 
 w T hen left perfectly to themselves they will 
 act .according to their ruling loves, their 
 nature or their interior being. Hence, the 
 world over the various Christian churches 
 divide off* into two general classes — the one 
 embrace those who have the interior self 
 purifying love principle and are therefore 
 pious from principle, the other class might 
 be called formalists— -they adopt a form 
 because society imposes it, not that they are 
 really attached to one form more than an- 
 other, only so there is no element of real 
 piety within its inelosure. Their religion 
 stricty defined is simply opposition to true 
 religion—they are not in moral sympathy 
 
286 ' POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 with the cross of Christ. You may think 
 strange that I should know all this and yet 
 possess a nature opposed to God, and having 
 no moral sympathy with his children, hut it 
 will not he strange at all when you learn to 
 Tcnom that what I have told you respecting 
 the unfoldments of nature is the truth, anil 
 nothing- but the truth, a truth which a man 
 is not long in learning when he gets to this 
 world. There are thousands in vour world 
 who have just as clear moral perceptions as I 
 have shown you that I possess, who can point- 
 out clearly the difference between a true and 
 false religion, but still have no moral sympathy 
 with the true. Jesus, your Savior, gives as 
 good a reason for this condition of mind 
 and heart as I can think of, in these words: 
 <Ye will not come unto me that ye mi^rht 
 have life/ 
 
 Thus kind reader, ends another commuica- 
 tion as remarkable as any which has preceed- 
 ed it. I will simply remark that this- docu- 
 ment reveals more clearly than any which 
 has preceded it, the real intention and de- 
 signs the powers of darkness had in deceiving 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 287 
 
 me. This was received since I began to 
 write out the history of my sufferings and 
 trials. Therefore it will be proper for me to 
 say that it alludes to events of which I have 
 not as yet spoken — events which I had in- 
 tended to have covered with the mantle of 
 oblivion. But as they are alluded to in this 
 communication, I can not well avoid an ex- 
 planation of the matter. 
 
 The part alluded to is in these words : " We 
 led you from step to step, until we made 
 your God, as you verily believed, to commit 
 sin. This you excused in him. Then we led 
 you to belive that he had committed violence 
 upon you; this you cheerfully forgave in 
 Him, and then you uttered these (to us) re- 
 markable words: "If God has done me 
 wrong, he should repent and ask forgivness, 
 that all others seeing his example might be 
 led to do likewise/'' 
 
 That I was at first led to believe that the 
 voice, which announced itself as the Al- 
 mighty was really and truly what it pur- 
 ported to be, I have already stated, and also 
 the circumstances which conspired to bring 
 
288 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 it about. I will now say that at one time I 
 was led to believe that God had not only de- 
 ceived me, but was even wicked, and the direct 
 cause of all my suffering. In reference to 
 my stating that if God had sinned against me, 
 he should ask my forgivness, I remember 
 distinctly that I said it. I know, too, that I 
 was as rational as at this moment. I was 
 only deceived in the source of my informa- 
 tion. It may seem to the reader that I need 
 not have been deceived if I had resorted to 
 all proper means of correcting my judgment. 
 I have already stated some of the measures 
 to which I resorted, that 1 might arrive at the 
 facts in the case, but I will briefly recapitu- 
 late them: First, I carefully weighed the sub- 
 stance of the communications to see whether 
 they confessed Jesus Christ, and they did con- 
 fess him, fully., Second, the voice announced 
 itself as the Almighty. I had no means of 
 obtaining any facts to the contrary, therefore, 
 as I owed every thing to my creator, I felt 
 the most solemn obligations to do his will. 
 Third, this voice corresponded in description 
 to the voice which spoke to Elijah in the 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 289 
 
 cave of Mt. Horeb, viz : " A still, small voice/' 
 It seemed not addressed to my ear, but, as I 
 have said before, to my mind. Besides, the 
 voice itself announced that in like manner it 
 spoke to prophets and patriarchs of old. All 
 this was done in the most solemn and awful 
 manner. Think, reader, how you would have 
 met these trying circumstances, and then pro- 
 nounce your judgment aceordingl\\ 
 
 I will call the reader's attention to these 
 words of the spirit: " We impressed you con- 
 tinually that we were your relatives, and had 
 been indirectly the cause of your sufferings." 
 The power which these invisible beings of the 
 air have to impress the minds of those in the 
 form, must be immense. They have power 
 not only to impress words and ideas, but their 
 own feelings. My experience of this has been 
 the cause of much of the suffering which I 
 was compelled to endure. Some times, for 
 hours, I would be impressed with a feeling of 
 irritability or anger, without the slightest 
 cause. This strange impression would usual- 
 ly be preceded by these words: "I am mad 
 at you." At other times an undefined im- 
 
290 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 pression would overshadow me, compelling 
 the belief that a deceased brother or sister 
 was near and around me, and causing the 
 severe developing pains they were inflicting 
 upon me. This feeling or impression I could 
 not shake off or remove. It would last at 
 times for days, unless I could prevail upon 
 them to remove the impression. This they could 
 do in an instant, and again cause it as quickly 
 to return. They could also imitate the man- 
 ner of speech peculiar to my relatives, and 
 acquaintances, and so exactly did they give 
 the particular intonation and inflections of 
 voice, that I would have been compelled to 
 believe the imitation to be real had they not 
 personified the voices of some whom I knew to 
 be living. Upon one occasion that occurs 
 particularly to my mind the voice, style 
 of address, intonation, &c, were so ex- 
 actly personified, that for the moment I felt 
 positive that the gentleman and lady repre- 
 sented had deceased, and that their disem- 
 bodied spirits were before me. But when I 
 knew by the evidences of my physical senses 
 that it was not the case, I was then convinced 
 
LOWERS OF THE AIR. 291 
 
 that they were presenting assumed characters. 
 I could but be astonished that so exact a per- 
 sonation could be given, and especially of 
 persons still living in the form. 
 
 This personation of character at times was 
 carried to great lengths. The persons or 
 characters introduced, were generally distin- 
 guished men of former years ; men who had 
 made their mark in the world of letters, the- 
 ology, metaphysics, &c. These characters 
 were usually introduced in groups of two, 
 three, or four, each one expressing his opin- 
 ions as the conversation turned upon this or 
 that part of the subject under discussion. 
 These personations often continued twenty 
 or thirty minutes. At times, I consented to 
 take part in the debate myself, asking ques- 
 tions, giving answers, and expressing my 
 opinions. When Dr. Chalmers, Dr. Brown, 
 or Dr. Abercromby were introduced, the con- 
 versation was made to turn upon theological 
 or metaphysical subjects, such as the origin 
 of sin, human accountability, the sovereignty 
 of God; or again, upon the conscience, the 
 reasoning faculties, or the varieties and phases 
 
292 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 of human intellect. If political men were in- 
 troduced, the conversation turned upon the 
 condition of the country, the war, slavery, &c. 
 After a time, characters were introduced who, 
 I felt sure, were still living when this took 
 place. I remarked with surprise, saying that 
 such and such persons were still in the earth 
 life. "Very true/' said they, "but we have 
 the power of bringing you in rapport or elec- 
 trical connection with them, which answers 
 the same purpose as if they were present/' 
 This I felt sure was most glaringly false, and 
 that all the characters were assumed for the 
 occasion, 
 
 Thus by degrees I became acquainted with 
 their habits of deception. For a time, they 
 attempted to make me believe that repentance 
 and Godly sorrow for sin, were as common 
 in their world as in our own. This they did 
 by bringing characters to me, who seemed to 
 realize a burden. The character, introduced 
 would begin in the most penitent manner to 
 speak of their burden of sin, of their deep 
 sense of guilt, of unworthiness before God, 
 and of earnest desire to receive Gocts pardon- 
 
POWERS or THE AIR. 293 
 
 ing favor. Then in the most beseeching man- 
 ner, the character would request me to en- 
 treat God in their behalf. This penitent de- 
 meanor would continue some times for days, 
 then as if suddenly experiencing pardon or 
 conscious forgivness from God, they would 
 exclaim, "Glory, Glory to the Highest.' 7 
 Then the character in a few moments would 
 say, " I am going to leave you ; God has called 
 me up higher," Then with a shout of glory, 
 again, the character would depart, shouting 
 faintly, and still more faintly, until the sound 
 seemed to die away in the distance and cea.se 
 altogether. For a time, all would be quiet. 
 Then another character would be introduced, 
 inquiring for the person who had been mourn- 
 ing, and when informed that they had profes- 
 sed conversion and had gone up, as they said, 
 higher, the new character would say, " Well, 
 I have been expecting this for some time. I 
 was quite certain we should loose her. She 
 has seemed of late to wear a sad and serious 
 countenance. She had but little to say, and 
 never joined in our revelrv. I was sure God 
 was preparing her to be taken out of this 
 
2M POWERS OF THE Altt, 
 
 place." Thus would the second character 
 continue to talk about the first character for 
 hours. Then all of a sudden the first charac* 
 ter would return apparently in great glee. 
 Both then would join in a general run on me 
 for being so easily deceived, assuring me that 
 I ought to have known that there could be 
 no repentance in the world of lost spirits. 
 
 Thus from day to day they would demon* 
 strate to my mind (not intentionally I think) 
 that they were beings totally lost to all that 
 is good, capable of blasphemies of the most 
 horrid character, of deceptions in every possi- 
 ble form, Paul, in the 2d of Romans, 
 draws a very graphic picture of their char- 
 acters in these words : " Thev are filled with 
 all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, 
 murder, deceit, haters of God, dispitiful inven- 
 tions of evil things, without natural affection, 
 implacable, unmerciful. ' " 
 
 My more than four years' experience of in- 
 tercourse with these invisible being3 has 
 firmly fixed me in the following convictions : 
 
 First. They are intelligent creatures, re- 
 taining in the disembodied state all the vigor 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 295 
 
 of mind that they possessed in the earth life. 
 
 Second. That they are, as I have stated 
 above, filled with all unrighteousness and 
 malicious wickedness. 
 
 Third. That most of them at least once 
 occupied a human body. This I infer from 
 the many cant expressions and phrases that 
 I have heard them utter. Their positive de- 
 claration to the effect that they had once oc- 
 cupied the human form amounted to nothing 
 towards convicing me of the fact, but their 
 seeming familiarity with earth life, their many 
 apparently accidental allusions to it, and their 
 great variety of earth life phrases, I think 
 gives some weight to the conclusion. 
 
 Fourth. That they are possessed of know- 
 ledge, bearing upon every subject within the 
 ran ore of human tlionerht. 
 
 Fifth, That they have the ability to im- 
 press their thoughts upon the minds of those 
 who are in the earth life, and consequently 
 may properly be called princes of the power 
 of the air, who work in the children of dis- 
 obedience. 
 
 Sixth. That they have the ability to sur- 
 
296 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 round some in the form with electrical in- 
 fluences sufficient to produce psychological 
 impressions, or mental pictures ot every form, 
 color, and devices known or imagined by 
 man. Also that thev are able to collect 
 
 m 
 
 particles of dust, vapor, and other substances 
 sufficient to make every form or shape in 
 the heavens above, or in the earth beneath. 
 And also have the ability to give the object 
 presented any shade of color they may will 
 to give it. 
 
 Seventh. That they have the power, not 
 only of impressing, or infusing the thought 
 or idea into the minds of men, but they have 
 the power to impress some with the word ? 
 and even the articulate sounds of the voice. 
 How this is done I am not prepared to say, 
 but that it is a fact my more than four years' 
 experience has tested under a great variety 
 of circumstances. I am also convinced that 
 they can produce impressions of their feel- 
 ings upon some, as I have many times ex- 
 perienced to my great discomfort. 
 
 Eighth. They have the ability to inflict 
 upon some in the form exceedingly sharp, 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 297 
 
 electrical pains in any part of the body, and 
 of continuing them for any length of time. 
 These pains may be increased to the extent 
 of starting the perspiration from every pore 
 of the body. 
 
 Ninth, That these beings have no means 
 of knowing what their final end will be ex- 
 cept from the Bible, and they hate that book 
 as all wicked men do, because it unequiv- 
 ocally condemns them. 
 
 Tenth. That all the theories of the origin 
 of the earth, of the origin of man, and of the 
 endless progression of all men to a state of 
 holiness which have emanated from these be- 
 ings, has no more authority than any theory 
 emanating from earth life. 
 
 Eleventh. That by these manifestations 
 from the other world, God designs to teach 
 man that his word is true. That there is a 
 hell, not of fire, but a hell more awful than is 
 possible for the human mind to conceive — a 
 hell resulting from the confining within cer- 
 tain limits, all the wicked from earth life and 
 these limits being the earth's atmosphere, ver- 
 ifies the truth of God's word. " That the 
 
298 LOWERS 01 TEE AIR. 
 
 wicked shall shall be turned into Hell, and 
 all the nations that forget God." 
 
 Twelfth. That salvation results from the 
 operation of the Holy Spirit upon the nature 
 of man, giving it a holy tendency, the results 
 of which creates in man a desire for moral 
 purity or a hungering and thirsting after 
 righteousness. That the eternal life princi- 
 ple, or the love of holiness in the heart, is an 
 active principle, and like leaven hid in the meal 
 will work and permeate until all is leavened. 
 That when the righteous die, they ascend 
 to heaven, which is a place beyond the earth's 
 atmosphere. 
 
 Thirteenth. That the revelations of these 
 powers of the air have never recommended 
 the gospel plan of saving men from sin, but 
 have in every instance discarded it in the bit- 
 terest terms. They also reject the Bible, and 
 substitute for it the endless and contradictory 
 philosophies which they have given to the 
 world through mediums. Though many com- 
 munications from these beings are characteriz- 
 ed by much that is good, and by professions of 
 love and respect for Jesus Christ, yet they are 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 299 
 
 only the gilded bait to introduce their phi- 
 losophies, or as Paul characterized them : 
 " doctrines of devils and demons." 
 
 Fourteenth. I am fully convinced that the be- 
 ings who have been surrounding me are more 
 wicked than any person I have any knowl- 
 edge of in the earth life. More wicked be- 
 cause they commenced and have continued 
 ■upon me at intervals for more than four years, 
 a species of mental and physical torture with- 
 out parallel in the history of the world. 
 When wearied, worn and exhausted by con- 
 tinued suffering, still they manifested no sym- 
 pathy whatever. In addition to the physical 
 pains inflicted, as they said, to develope my 
 mediumistic powers, they used every cutting, 
 sarcastic epithet that mind could conceive of 
 to irritate, tease and abuse me. By day it 
 was every thing by turns, at night, visions, 
 specters, ghosts and demons. 
 
 Fifteenth. I think there is evidence that 
 wicked spirits have greater power over the 
 earth life than those denominated holy spirits, 
 or the spirits of just men made perfect. Their 
 magnetism, or the electrical influence which 
 
300 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 they are capable of exerting over the mindg 
 and bodies of men, is, so to speak, rougher 
 and harsher than the magnetism of the good 
 and pure who come to us from heaven. And 
 I think we may infer from this fact the rea- 
 son that all the communications from the 
 spirits of the present day are from a 
 a class of beings denominated wicked spirits 
 or demons. The people of those nations who 
 rank as the most refined and sensitive are 
 those among whom these wicked spirits have 
 manifested their power. This may, in pro- 
 cess of time, be extended to all the inhabi- 
 tants of the world. We may infer, also, that 
 in the far off future, there will arrive a period 
 when the present enlightened nations will 
 have arrived at that degree of sensitiveness 
 that holy spirits as well as angels will be able 
 to influence the earth life just as these wicked 
 spirits do at the present time; that this will 
 truly be the millenial dawn, and the earth life 
 w 7 ill then experience the fulfillment of the 
 prophecy: "that they all shall be taught of 
 God,*' or by pure and holy beings, who are 
 appointed for that purpose by the will of God. 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR 301 
 
 This period will be known as the millenial 
 Sabbath of the earth. 
 
 Sixteenth. From long continued inter- 
 course with these beings, I think I am war- 
 ranted in the conclusion that they possess all 
 the intellectual faculties in the same degree of 
 activity as possessed by any in the earth life. 
 All that they seem to lack in regard to the 
 element of human character is reverence for 
 G-od, personal holiness, kindness and love. 
 They possess the power of detecting the mor- 
 al qualities in actions in a very eminent de- 
 gree, but possessing it, still they lack person- 
 ally every moral quality. As an evidence of 
 their mental accumen and capacities of rea- 
 soning, I subjoin the following expression of 
 opinion on a question which I propounded to 
 one of these invisibles, and a criticism of that 
 opinion by a fellow spirit I think of about 
 the same intellectual power. 
 
CHAPTER XXIII, 
 
 " Are evil spirits capable of exerting a 
 greater power over those in the form than 
 those who may be termed good and holy 
 spirits, or the ' spirits of just men made per- 
 fect?" 
 
 " I answer, yes, and no. Evil is ever power- 
 ful, only less powerful than truth. The 
 truth is powerful and must prevail. It ever 
 has, and it ever must. But we can never 
 know the all of anything. To know the all 
 of truth, is to know the all of God. Power 
 can not come from two sources. Therefore 
 the mighty power of Gocl, w r ill and must pre- 
 vail ; and by that almighty power, all things 
 shall work together for good, even your 
 good." 
 
 Then follows the criticism. "The spirit 
 who wrote the answer to the above question 
 certainly intended to deceive, or give an eva- 
 sive answer. It begins by asserting that it 
 is both true and false ; that evil spirits have 
 
 302 
 
POWERS OF THE AIE. 303 
 
 greater power over those in the form than 
 those that are holy, or morally pure. The 
 spirit that gave that answer must know that 
 evil spirits have vastly more power over gross 
 matter, or over the minds and bodies of those 
 in»the form, than those who are termed holy. 
 He r e they are always used in developing the 
 mediumistie powers of those known as medi- 
 ums of the present day. It is also plain to 
 be seen that the explanation in reference to 
 the relative powers of good and evil spirits, 
 over those in the form, is very evasive. It is 
 deceptive and subtle in its reasonings, because 
 it says that all power is of God — the evil 
 power is a part of the all power, — therefore 
 it is of God. The fallacy of the declaration 
 lies in the second part of the proposition, that 
 evil power is a part of the all power. It is 
 net so, either directly or indirectly, because 
 evil power is a perversion of legitimate 
 power and God is not the author of perverted 
 power, therefore he is not the author of evil. 
 But it may be said that God permits all per- 
 verted power, which is equivalent to ordain- 
 ing it. This declaration can not be true, and 
 
304 POWERS OF THE AIK. 
 
 for the following reasons : God permits evil 
 that he may learn his creatures lessons, which 
 they will not learn by direct command. He 
 says rejoice when ye are tempted, or tried, for 
 the trial of your faith is of more value to you 
 than gold or silver. To assert that evil actipns 
 are of God is to make God the author of 
 sin. God makes creatues holy and they 
 voluntarily make themselves unholy. It must 
 be evident that God never ordained the 
 action of a rational, accountable creature^ 
 because he has first ordained his freedom, 
 and to ordain the act of a free agent would 
 be to unordain his freedom, which is equiv- 
 alent to God acting against himself. There- 
 fore to assert that God is the author of all 
 power, including the power exerted by evil 
 doers, is false and can not be sustained. But 
 the direct answer to the question, ' Have evil 
 spirits a greater power over those in the flesh, 
 to control the minds and bodies of men, than 
 those called good spirits ? ' This question 
 admits of two answers. Evil spirits can 
 exert considerable power over those in the 
 flesh, but it is limited and for the reason 
 
BOVVERS OF THE AIR, 305 
 
 that wicked spirits have no power to control 
 the minds of men only by impression. If 
 men reject the impression, they can do no 
 harm. But in reference to the power of evil 
 spirits over the bodies of men, I would say 
 that evil spirits have power over the bodies- 
 of men, so far as mesmerizing, or psychologis- 
 ing then is concerned. This is done in pre- 
 cisely the same way that it is done in the 
 form. Therefore possession of devils is true 
 when ever the bo called devil or evil spirit has 
 gained over his subject mesmeric control. 
 This was more common, I think, in the days 
 of Jesus Christ than it is at the present time,, 
 from the fact that men are now physically 
 more sensitive and mentally more positive; 
 while evil spirits are more negative, which 
 separates and gives to evil spirits less controL 
 " With regard to the influence of good, or 
 holy spirits, over the earth life, we judge 
 from the fact that they are never here, we 
 think, to exert much influence except during 
 the continuance of what in the earth is 
 called a revival of religion. Then they give 
 evidence of their presence, and are enabled 
 
306 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 to exert considerable power over those in the 
 form, not physically, but mentally, that is, by 
 impression. That they ever develop mediums 
 we know is not the case, for all mediums are 
 developed only by those who are called in the 
 earth life rough, positive, determined minds 
 of the dare-devil stamp. That the time may 
 come in the far off future, when angels so- 
 called and spirits of just men made perfect, 
 may be able to exert a direct and positive in- 
 fluence over the minds and bodies of men, 
 I have not the least doubt. It must be evi- 
 dent that the human race, is fast approach- 
 ing to that degree of sensitiveness, or im- 
 pressibility that will admit of it. How long 
 a time will elapse before that period shall 
 have arrived, we are unable to determin. 
 Your scriptures, I think, indicate the time as 
 being between one or two hundred years' dis- 
 tant/' 
 
 As another evidence of the intellectual 
 capacity of these powers of the air, I subjoin 
 an answer to the following question, " As 
 nothing was created in vain, what purpose 
 do you think the wicked subserve in the 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 307 
 
 endless chain of sentient existences, beginning 
 with the worm that crawls, and ending with 
 the exalted seraph before the throne ? " 
 
 " That is a question difficult to answer. 
 We know of no use that they can subserve, 
 except it be the refinement of matter. It 
 must be apparent that the earth at one period 
 of its preparation for the abode and temp- 
 orary residence of man was without vegeta- 
 tion, so there must have been a time when 
 vegitation began to creep over the earth. 
 There was also a time, when no sentient being 
 existed upon the earth; so there must have 
 been a time when sentient existence began 
 to manifest itself in the myriad forms of rep- 
 tiles, insects, birds and beasts. The thought 
 must have occurred to every reflecting mind, 
 and the question propounded either to self 
 or others, why has the creator brought these 
 myriad forms of matter into existence ? If 
 this inquiry can be rationally solved, it may 
 prove the key to unlock the hidden mysteries 
 which surrounds the question you have pro- 
 pounded. We say then, without hesitation, 
 that they were created for the purpose of re- 
 
308 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 fining matter. The air, electricity, water and 
 fire, were engaged in the same work ages 
 before the existence, of vegetation, and were 
 as essential to the production of every form 
 of vegetation as that vegetation is essential 
 to the production and sustenance of sentient 
 or animal existence. If the elements had not 
 continued the great work of preparing soils 
 upon the earth, then vegetation would never 
 have been produced; if vegetation had never 
 existed upon the earth, animal life could 
 never have been sustained • and if animal life 
 in all its myriad forms had not still farther 
 refined matter it must be evident that man, 
 the ultimate and crowning glory of earth, 
 could not have been sustained. As your 
 Bible informs us that the angel reapers are 
 not to harvest and gather into the garner of 
 heaven all of the human race, therefore I 
 think we may infer that the tares even if 
 burned will subserve the great end of refining 1 
 matter. Spirits subsist and exist upon the 
 refined essence of matter which pervades the 
 atmosphere, just as the finny tribes exist in 
 water, and live not upon the water but upon the 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 309 
 
 mr, and finer elements existing in the water. 
 So we> though existing in the air, live or sub- 
 sist by virtue of the finer and more etherial 
 elements which are held by that atmosphere. 
 I think the& we are warranted in the infer- 
 ence (reasoning from analogy) that angels 
 and redeemed spirits exist, as we are inform- 
 ed, in the fine, sx^ft, silvery sea which streaches 
 out in every direction from the earth's atmos- 
 phere into the limitless ocean of happy being 
 beyond. I Bay I think we are warranted in 
 the conclusion that they exist, and subsist by 
 virtue of the infinitly refined matter which is 
 thrown tiff from this, and all other worlds 
 into this soft ethereal expanse, and if there 
 should prove to be a supercelestial heaven as 
 we have heard of, made up of the still farther 
 refined particles of matter thrown off from 
 the myriad universes of worlds, which stretch 
 oft' into spaee farther than thought of man 
 has ever reached, even as far we might sup- 
 pose as . the utmost limit of the creator's 
 thought— I say then if there should prove to 
 be a supercelestial heaven, a heaven of heavens, 
 made up of infinitessimal particles thrown oft* 
 
310 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 from the lower universes of worlds, there we 
 might suppose is situated that beautiful city, 
 the new Jerusalem, where they have no need 
 of the sun nor of the moon to shine in it, for 
 the glory of God did lighten it and the Lamb 
 is the light thereof and the nations of them 
 which are saved shall walk in the light. 
 
 " Thus you have my idea of the end and 
 
 purpose that all the wicked and unsaved of 
 
 earth subserve. You might think the 
 
 knowledge w T e have of heaven and its glories, 
 
 and the fact that w r e are lost to all that is 
 
 good and pure and holy would be the source 
 
 of our greatest misery, but it is not so to me 
 
 at the present time. When first I emerged 
 
 from the body into this strange abode, this 
 
 receptacle of the moral filth of earth life, I 
 
 was overwhelmed first with grief, then with 
 
 rage, then I sunk down in despair. I cursed 
 
 my existence, the day of my birth, and then my 
 
 maker. Oh! thought I, to spend an eternity 
 
 with fiends, w T ith demons, and spirits damned. 
 
 This caused in me grief, overwhelming grief. 
 
 I looked up and around me, the same 
 
 heavens w r ere indeed above my head, the 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 311 
 
 same earth beneath my feet, but all else how 
 changed ! Instead of the heavenly glory into 
 which I had flattered myself I should emerge, 
 I was surrounded by the same brick walls, 
 the same old shabby out-houses, the same 
 front yard, trees, and garden, and orchard. 
 Instead of being surrounded by angel bands 
 whom Iliad expected as an escort to convey 
 my spirit to the home of the blessed, I was 
 surrounded by horrid looking beings in 
 human form ; some of them I recognized as 
 being persons whom I hrd know in the earth 
 life, but greatly altered in appearance. Some of 
 them came near me, and laughed and jeered, 
 and mocked with fiendish cruelty. Others 
 provokingly said you have arrived in hell at 
 last ; but cheer up, you are not in a hell of 
 fire and brimstone. Others said if it is not 
 fire and brimstone it is an element just as 
 hard to endure. I attended my own funeral, 
 heard the singing and the prayers, and the 
 sermon just as in the earth life. I could dis- 
 cover no difference, save that I could hear 
 more distinctly, and could apprehend more 
 readily the ideas of the speaker. My mind 
 
312 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 seemed more keenly alive to all my surround- 
 ings. But alas, I was not good. The same 
 impurities of mind, the same feelings of 
 anger, malice, and hatred which had ruled 
 me in the earth life, I found to be a com- 
 ponent part of my being. In fact, I was 
 essentially the same in every thing, save a 
 corporeal body. I found that my locomotion 
 was the same in every respect, only I seemed 
 to glide along rather than move bj^ walking 
 or running. I very soon found that I could 
 move or glide through the air much faster 
 than I could pass over the ground in the 
 earth life by running. I found that I could 
 visit every place in the earth life towards 
 which my inclination led me. I was several 
 times to church, but discovered that I possesed 
 the same antipathy to gospel truth which 
 caused me to shun it in the earth life. In fact 
 I found myself the very counterpart of what 
 I was in my earth life, having the same anti- 
 pathy to that which is good, pure, and of 
 God. The carnal or unrenewed nature, I 
 found to be as perfectly represented in my 
 new life, as in the earth life. I felt a restless 
 
POWERS OF THE AIK. 313 
 
 uneasy desire to do something, and that 
 something that I wished to do was in oppo- 
 sition to the laws of my moral well-being. 
 I was invited to attend the theater, and did 
 so. There I found elements suited to my 
 moral being. Here was to be found spirits 
 who in the earth life were managers and 
 prime actors, amidst the theater going ele- 
 ment of earth life. I saw them surround 
 their favorite actors, imparting a kind of 
 inspirational ectasy, which enabled the actor 
 to even astonish himself, and draw from the 
 crowded galleries deafening applause. I saw 
 them walk the stage and perform in unison 
 with the actors of earth life, the same old 
 dramas in which they took so much delight, 
 when clothed with corporality, so that the 
 spirit actors often outnumbered the earth 
 life actors, and the spirit audience many 
 times outnumbering the audience w T hich still 
 remained in the flesh. All these seemed to 
 me at first very strange, but I soon became 
 used to them, and they lost their charm. I 
 then attended operas, dances, concerts, cir- 
 cuses, and every place where amusement and 
 21 . 
 
314 POWERS OF THE Alii. 
 
 excitement were the order of the day. In 
 these I experienced a measure of delight, but 
 was far from being happy, because I was 
 not holy, 
 
 " I learned enough of earth life, especially 
 of earthly Christian' life, to know that ex- 
 citement was not the element which entered 
 into and formed the basis of true happiness* 
 The highest exercise of my judgment gives 
 me the clearest convictions that without holi- 
 ness or moral purity there could not be re- 
 alized true felicity and soul rest. I felt that 
 I was cut off from God, and like a wandering 
 star, there remained for me only the black- 
 ness of chaotica darkness forever. I felt that 
 I was an outcast from all that was pure, holy 
 and of good report, and then the overwhelm- 
 ing thought that I must sink lower and 
 lower into the maelstrom of moral pollution, 
 even a bottomless pit. I felt conscious that 
 an irresistible current was drawing me 
 nearer to that awful gulf into which the 
 wicked eventually plunge, even the gulf of 
 total and absolute alienation from all that is 
 good and pure, loving and lovely. I felt that 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 315 
 
 I was becoming a perfect moral wreck ; for I 
 was being beaten upon by the wave, of moral 
 pollution, without the least element of power 
 to resist their force. 
 
 "The atmosphere of the earth I found to 
 be the utmost limit of my range of locomo- 
 tion ; what existed above or bej^ond that 
 boundary I could have but the faintest con- 
 ception. Thus I found that I was a prisoner 
 sold under sin, and so far as I knew, to be 
 kept under these chains of spiritual darkness, 
 unto the judgment of the great day, when I 
 would be banished still farther from the pres- 
 ence of God and the glory of his power. If 
 the recollection of the past could have been 
 blotted out, and all remembrances of slighted 
 opportunities of becoming good and conse- 
 quently of becoming happy, could have been 
 erased from the memory, I felt that I should 
 then be comparatively happy. But memory, 
 perfect memory, became the source of my 
 greatest torment," 
 
CHAPTER XITH. 
 
 "As I was saying that I visited every place 
 where the votaries of pleasure and excite- 
 ment were assembled, not even missing the 
 haunts of the strange women or the haunts 
 of the other more degrading vices, but found 
 after a time that they all failed to interest or 
 contribute toward that excitement which my 
 nature constantly craved, I then commenced 
 to travel. I visited, in company with others, 
 every place of note recorded in history or 
 mentioned by travelers, I noticed the man- 
 ners, habits, and customs of the various races 
 of the earth life. I contrasted their moral, 
 intellectual, and physical condition with those 
 of my own race. This only rolled back upon 
 my mind the reflection that only those na- 
 tions blessed by the presence of the gospel 
 had any vestage of real happiness and soul 
 liberty. How true the scripture seemed to 
 me, viz: 'The wicked shall be turned into 
 hell, and all the nations that forget God/ and 
 
 316 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 317 
 
 the more so because I found that among the 
 heathen nations as well as among those de- 
 nominated Christians, that the death change 
 resulted in no moral change ; but that as in 
 my own case they were all turned into hell, 
 because that in the earth life they were in a 
 measure of hell ; and consequently must as 
 certainly come to this world of woe and 
 wretchedness, as that their hearts are alien- 
 ated from all good. Justice or no justice, 
 they all come into the same dreadful con- 
 dition of moral being that those do who 
 slighted the gospel, with but this exception, 
 they seem to be more contented with their 
 lot. Having never known any higher life, 
 their minds are not filled with poignant recol- 
 lections, as in my own ease of grace, and 
 offers of mercy abused, i found that the 
 greatest proportion of the heathen believed in 
 and craved most earnestly as their highest 
 and ultimate good, annihilation. Whether 
 thev will ever attain their hearts' desire i 
 know not. But the expression, 'The soul 
 that sinneth it shall die,' would seem to indi- 
 cate this as a fact, were it not that death in 
 
318 POWERS OF THE AIR, 
 
 your scriptures is used generally in the sense 
 of separation from all good, rather than total 
 extinction of being. Hence my mind, not 
 theirs, is harrowed up with the certainty that 
 myself with all the wicked beings shall exist 
 for subordinate purposes in God's universe; 
 perhaps for the refinement of matter alone, 
 and perhaps for other purposes. 
 
 "It is written, 'some vessels are made to 
 honor, and some to dishonor. ' The potter 
 hath power over the clay, to use it as seemeth 
 him good. I found also that the children of 
 heathen nations, as well as the children of all 
 Christian nations, are not found with us in 
 the earth's atmosphere. They all, as we sup- 
 pose, pass away, as do all true Christians, 
 from the earth life, to the paradise of God 
 above, and beyond the abode of the wicked, 
 which, as I have said before, I found to be 
 limited to the earth's atmosphere. 
 
 " After ranging around over the earth until 
 my curiosity was completely satisfied, I 
 returned to my native land, to try over again 
 to extract some new delight, if possible, from 
 the old round of sensual gratifications. But 
 
POWERS OP THE AIR. 319 
 
 I went out, as the scriptures say of the man 
 out of whom went the unclean spirits, ' seek- 
 ing rest in dry places, but finding none. ? I 
 began then to feel in full measure the utter 
 wretchedness of my condition as a lost sin- 
 ner. Here I was with every attribute of a 
 human being but holiness or moral purity. 
 I felt that God was even good to allow me to 
 remain where I am. If he had taken me to 
 heaven, with the nature I now have, I felt 
 that heaven itself would be the severest part 
 of hell. 
 
 "At length, in my rage for something new, 
 I went to a revival meeting, thinking that 
 something would turn up in the progress of 
 events there to create an excitement. I 
 seemed to crave excitement, as a fevered pa- 
 tient craves the cooling draught. I was not 
 long a witness of these scenes, until I found 
 that 1 could infuse into the minds of those 
 engaged in the holy work, blasphemous 
 thoughts, infidel notions, obscene imaginings, 
 and the like. In this I found myself, with 
 many others, taking real delight. "We found 
 that we could not only impress some with un- 
 
320 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 hallowed thoughts, but could even excite their 
 passions, inflaming them with lust and un- 
 lawful desire. Beside these methods of in- 
 fluencing the minds and passions of men, we 
 learned that by forming a circle, made up of 
 scores of evil spirits, around some of the 
 most impressible, we could influence them to 
 say many absurd things ; and this proved to 
 us a source of great delight. Sometimes we 
 would brin^ our combined influences to bear 
 upon some ungodly and impenitent man, stir- 
 ring him to get up an opposition to the work 
 of grace going on, and leading him to act as 
 if he was possessed by the devil himself, as 
 he was, in truth, by many of them. Thus 
 our evil work reminded me of that often- 
 quoted text, 'the powers of the air working, 
 not only in the children of disobedience, but 
 in many of those called saints ; so that it was 
 literally true, that the saints of God wrestled 
 or contended not only with flesh and blood 
 (that is their own corrupt natures), but with 
 spiritual wickedness in high places. 
 
 "I often felt that it was too bad to thus 
 torment those who were trying to do right, 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 321 
 
 but others did it, and so I continued to do it, 
 until I found it afforded me great delight. 
 Thus I became conscious that I had sunk to 
 the lowest depths of moral degradation. I 
 even lost all sympathy for my pious relatives 
 in the flesh: and found that I could torment 
 them, and disturb their sacred moments as 
 readily as those who were strangers to me in 
 the earth life. About this time, some spirits 
 made the discovery of a process of concentrat- 
 ing electricity, and discharging it against 
 some sonorous substances, such as a board, 
 table, or stand, thus enabling us to convey 
 by the number of raps intelligence to those 
 in the earth life % This operation awakened 
 in us much delight, because by it we were en- 
 abled to astonish those in the form, and 
 practice all kinds of deception and imposi- 
 tions. The knowledge of this process of con- 
 trolling electricity spread rapidly all over the 
 spirit world, until the most illiterate or vilest 
 of spirits understood it as well as the most in- 
 telligent. This discovery was soon succeeded 
 by others of a more startling nature, such as 
 controlling the hand to write without the use 
 
322 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 of the medium's mind; controlling the vocal 
 organs of others to speak and utter senti- 
 ments entirely in opposition to those held by 
 them ; and last of all, controlling the minds 
 those in the form, so as to produce mental 
 pictures or images of any person, place or 
 thing which might suggest itself to the spirit 
 operating. This last, and most masterly pow- 
 er, we have used to make multitudes believe 
 that they could see at a distance without the 
 use of their natural vision, but which as you 
 well understand now by experience, is only 
 produced by creating the picture of the per- 
 son, place or thing in the mind of the subject, 
 so that he is able to describe the object as 
 perfectly as he could by the use of his natu- 
 ral eyes. This has given us almost the power 
 to work miracles, and led many intelligent 
 persons in the earth life to believe that it was 
 all from God, through the agency and minis- 
 trations of angels, and spirits of just men 
 made perfect; and this belief was the more 
 confirmed in the minds of many because we 
 could write, or speak out through mediums, 
 many pure and exalted ideas; ideas that you 
 
POWERS OF THE AIK. 323 
 
 now know came from the vilest of the 
 vile, even from ministers of the gospel, cor- 
 rupt men, who in the earth life, sold their 
 souls, like Esau, for a mess of potage. These 
 we employed to gild the bait so that even 
 many worthy Christians have been beguiled 
 and ensnared by these deceptions into a be- 
 lief that these spiritual manifestations w^ere 
 all of God, when indeed they proceeded only 
 from the powers of darkness. 
 
 "Thus matters stood when we discovered 
 that you possessed mediumistic powers of a 
 high order. We therefore resolved to put 
 your piety to the severest tests of which we 
 were capable. We had much doubt of their 
 being a pure and undefiled religion in the 
 world at all. We commenced upon you, at 
 first b}^ partially mesmerizing you, and con- 
 tinued to repeat this until we gained over you 
 almost entire control. Of the deceptions we 
 practiced upon you, it is not necessary for us 
 to mention. It is sufficient for me to say 
 that we all became satisfied of your piety, 
 and all of us agree that there is a pure and 
 undefiled religion in the world, and that 
 
324 POWERS OF THE AIR, 
 
 there can be no going to heaven without It. 
 I have been around you more or less for over 
 four years, and can testify that you have not 
 discovered the least evidence of moral purity 
 about me or any who have been associated 
 with me. I would say, in conclusion, that I 
 have written out this narrative of adventures 
 in the spirit world, not from any desire to 
 give warning to the wicked, but that you may 
 know that my history, with a few variations, 
 Is the history of every wicked person, who 
 dies without the eternal life principle implant- 
 ed in them by God himself, thus making 
 them especially his own children, by a deep 
 inward nature averse to evil, and in love 
 with purity and godliness. 7 ' 
 
 That the reader mav be fortified at every 
 point, and never be drawn into the belief that 
 any communication from the spirit world can 
 in any sense be from God (though it may 
 breathe the very spirit of heaven itself, and 
 be characterized by lofty sentiment, and the 
 most elegant phraseology, and classic purity of 
 style), let him remember that if such are given 
 through yourself as a medium, or through 
 
LOWERS OF THE AIK. 825 
 
 any other medium, it will only be but the pre- 
 lude or introduction to something monstrous 
 and absurd. All my experiences of these be- 
 ings who surround us in the air, sum up in 
 this distinct conclusion; that they delight in 
 evil as their chief good, and especially that 
 branch of evil called deception. If any one 
 thing pleases them more than any other, it i& 
 to make those in the earth life believe the 
 most monstrous and absurd theories about 
 spirit existence, their habits, manners and 
 customs ; the origin of the human race, and 
 numberless other theories with reference to 
 the birth, parentage and authority of Jesus f 
 our Savior, and our relation to the gospel. 
 I would exhort the reader, as did the apostle 
 Paul, in these words: "Though we, or an 
 angel from heaven preach any other gospel 
 unto you, let him be accursed." 
 
 The most subtle method which these powers 
 of the air use to induce belief in their mon- 
 strous absurdities, consists in making friendly 
 allusions to Jesus Christ and his gospel, and 
 in speaking very highly of some of its doc- 
 trines, and perhaps give a grand dissertation 
 
326 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 upon one of them, and in the mean time 
 weave into the frame work of this disserta- 
 tion, a subtle philosophy which would under- 
 mine the consistency of the whole, and render 
 it perfectly absurd. A characteristic of this 
 style of deception is to be found in the com- 
 munication which I subjoin. It was given to 
 me before I became acquainted especially 
 with the method of deception, and of course 
 I gave it at the time some credence. It is 
 on the atonement of Christ, and begins as 
 follows : 
 
44 Our ideas of the atonement are far below 
 the angels, and their ideas of it are very far 
 below the ideas which God entertains of it. 
 If you would know what we think of the 
 atonement, first know then that the human 
 race is a mighty harp — touch but one string 
 suddenly, and all the others vibrate in unison; 
 also it must appear to you that the finer the 
 chord the nicer it responds to that touch. 
 
 "When Jesus groaned on calvary the 
 pain of his body and soul was shared in by 
 every creature beneath God's infinite heaven, 
 and his agony thrill still goes on sweeping 
 through the countless worlds, and will con- 
 tinue its onward course until mankind shall 
 go their way and sin no more. 'So human 
 body is in health so long as a single atom of 
 disease lurks beneath the granule of a bone, 
 or between the cells of the most unimportant 
 nerve of the viscera. Neither can society be 
 calm, or the race happy either in time or 
 
 327 
 
828 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 eternity, so long as one unholy man or wo- 
 man lives to mar the harmony, or become a 
 discordant note in the great sympathia. For 
 this reason the dwellers of the spirit land are 
 impelled to action in behalf of those on earth 
 by the first and greatest law of the universe 
 — self-preservation. For in making man 
 abjure his errors and turn toward the right, 
 there is laid the foundation whereon to build 
 the great temple of purity, perfection and 
 bliss. 
 
 " The discovery of the great principle of 
 unity; the acquisition of the positive knowl- 
 edge, that every sensation, painful or pleasant, 
 experienced by any even the most destitute, 
 low, and degraded of the species, is shared 
 ih by all the rest, and from finding that the 
 most sensitive, and finest nerved persons are 
 also the most unhappy, we are led to infer 
 the existance of a great vicarious law whose 
 elements are sympathy, compensation, and 
 distribution. True, some soaay and even do 
 pass through the whole of this life and ap- 
 parently escape the suffering, but not for- 
 ever. God says substantially, ; bear ye one 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR> 329 
 
 another's burden and so fulfill the law of 
 Christ,' and borne they must be. Sensitives 
 bear the greatest proportion of earth misery, 
 and their fate at first sight seems to be a hard 
 one — a life full of groans, tears and sorrows. 
 Yet the law of compensation is operative 
 through all stages, phases, and planes of 
 being, be they mortal or immortal. 
 
 1 He who the weariest paths has trod, 
 Shall nearest stand to the throne of God." 
 
 " There are seasons when men and women 
 of a certain temperament, and without any 
 apparent cause, are plunged at once into 
 overwhelming misery and woe ; so overpower- 
 ing as to be but faintly imagined by those of 
 a different mould of organization. Is that 
 often paled cheek, delusion? those days of 
 alaiost bloody sweat a phantom? "Will the 
 physician's hypothesis of a deceased liver 
 lungs, or heart, account for it? I think not; 
 there is a deeper cause, a higher power in 
 operation. It comes from suffering man; 
 not a member of our lace, can be overwhelmed 
 with suffering without these sensitive ones 
 feeling it. The wave of pain goes out, 
 
 22 
 
830 POWERS OF IHE AIK. 
 
 and as the needle is attracted toward the 
 pole, so it is attracted towards those whose 
 position on the plane of the great sympathetic 
 nerve of the universe fits to receive it. Some 
 one else receives it in turn, but in a less 
 intense degree, until at last a faint and tinny 
 wave reaches the throne of God. 
 
 " 6 Eloi, Eloi, Lama, Sabacthana, ' groaned 
 the dying Savior, and the throes of his agony 
 went pealing through the universe, until the 
 universal heart, even the majestic Prince and 
 heavenly seraphim, quailed with agony. So 
 still, as of old, there is operating the same 
 great vicarious law. When the suffering soul 
 turns meeklv to God, relief comes: but not 
 an instant before. This great law that relief 
 is realized by the soul only in meek submis- 
 sion to the will of God, was known in very 
 ancient times, even as far back as the days of 
 Enoch and Abel. Do you see yon sorely 
 tempted man borne down by sorrow's wave ? 
 Help him from his gulf of woe, remind him 
 that his deep distress has an answering cry. 
 Whenever a sinful soul cries, ' Oh ! my God' 
 the answer comes, < child here am I, ' and in 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 331 
 
 every, ' Oh ! my Father, ' there slumbers deep, 
 i Here, my child. ' 
 
 "I do not say that all sensitives are the 
 mystic sympathants of those who suffer, for 
 such is not the case; much suffering comes to 
 them from other sources. But that a great 
 deal of mental agony does come from the 
 source alluded to is known to be true, not 
 only through the ranks of angel bands, but 
 by many on the earth. Much of the suffer- 
 ing extant in the world to-day, can be traced 
 to the extraordinary sensitiveness now char- 
 acterizing such vast numbers of people, of 
 which there are two kinds viz : The natural 
 and the hot house. The former results from 
 refinement, education, and right views enter- 
 tained towards God, towards man, and to- 
 wards the physical universe. The latter owes 
 its origin to a general overworking of the 
 brain and total neglect of the muscular sys- 
 tem, also to improper diet ; heedlessness in 
 clothing, as to color, texture, and amount ; 
 disregard of heat, light, and personal magnetic 
 influences. By reason of this treatment, of 
 the physical and intellectual natures, the funds 
 
332 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 in the bank of life are exausted, at the very 
 time when they ought to be the most plenti- 
 ful. 
 
 " Among the subjects of attention at the 
 present day, and really by far the most ex- 
 citing is modern spiritualism. This subject, 
 by reason of its intense and all absording re- 
 velations and wonders, attracts human atten- 
 tion to the exclusion of all others, causing 
 people to exchange common sense, for phylo- 
 sophies, not so useful ; often inducing a sort 
 of intellectual fever by lifting people above 
 the earth life realities, and placing their heads 
 in the clouds while their feet are upon the 
 ground, thus causing men to be forgetful of 
 their bodies, by keeping the spirit continually 
 before the mind. When man cuts loose from 
 God, Christ and the Bible, and launches into 
 the Dead Sea of any ism, the result is sure 
 to be destruction and soul ruin. Remember 
 that spiritualism without God, Christ, and 
 his word will unlit you both to live, and to 
 die. There are thousands of people who 
 should flee from spiritualism as from a deadly 
 contagion, because it will disease them men- 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 333 
 
 ally. "Wrongs of the pestilent sort, such as 
 universalism, pantheism, atheism and other 
 importations from the pit, are spawned upon 
 the world from this source. 
 
 "Men forget that there is a place where all 
 the sewers of God's moral creation meet, and 
 that place is no other than the air of your 
 earth. The princes of the powers of evil in 
 the air have many ways of imposing upon 
 the earth life, and know that but for the 
 power of God exerted in keeping his saints 
 through faith unto eternal salvation, all in 
 the earth life would fall of its own weight 
 into moral chaos. But know thou that in 
 the fulness of time this false spiritualism shall 
 be succeeded by the good and true; and 
 instead of being possessed and abused by 
 harpies from the world of darkness, as is the 
 case at the present time, people will be en- 
 lightened, cheered and saved from ruin instead 
 of being plunged therein. The same great 
 and blessed law that now permits the wicked 
 spirits to approach earth life, will eventually 
 extended to the noble and true, the religious 
 and pure spirits from the excellent glory 
 
334 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 where God sanctifies all hearts to come to 
 man's aid in his arduous trials; for the time 
 must come as foretold by the prophets, when 
 all men shall be taught of God, or bv those 
 appointed of God and there shall be none to 
 hurt in all God's holy mountain. 
 
 " But to return to the subject of the atone- 
 ment. We say man's highest conception of 
 vicarious suffering can not reach, in the 
 faintest degree, God's conception of that 
 work. But know thou that there is a sense 
 in which the pure and matchless spirit of 
 Jesus ' tasted death for every man ; ' for upon 
 him was laid the iniquity of a world, and by 
 his stripes many are healed. That finite 
 mind may grasp a higher conception of the 
 atonement or the vicarious suffering princi- 
 ple is impossible. I announced to you the 
 fact that the law of the higher, ministering 
 to and making sacrifices for the lower, 
 pervades all orders of being, from the throne 
 of the Almighty, to the infant child, nurished 
 upon the mother's breast. The law of vica- 
 rious suffering becomes a necessary part of the 
 divine constitution under whicli all intelli- 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 885 
 
 gences are created, because the strong only 
 can minister to the weak— the wise only can 
 minister to the unwise. Hence all gradations 
 of intelligent beings are thus arranged, and it 
 constitutes the grand order, divine. But in 
 the gradations of beings below man this order 
 is reversed, and the lower minister to the 
 higher. For example, the earth with its air, 
 its water, and its soils, ministers to vegeta- 
 tion ; vegetation in turn ministers to the ani- 
 mal, and the animal in many and various 
 ways ministers to the wants ot man, and man 
 ministers to the child. Here you will notice 
 that as soon as the gradation reaches man the 
 order is reversed, and the higher ministers 
 to the lower. The toil and care of the pa- 
 rent ministers to the child. So the same 
 great law reaches and ministers on its way 
 through all the gradations * of that infinite 
 ocean of being extending from the topless 
 throne of the Almighty creator to the in- 
 habitants of the earth life. Thus seraphim, 
 ministers to cherubim, cherubim to arch 
 angels — arch angels to angels — angels to 
 just men made perfect, and they with angels 
 
336 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 in turn minister to those who shall be heirs 
 of glory in the earth life. Thus you discover 
 that the law is a necessity from the very 
 nature and constitution of all intelligent 
 beings. Hence Jesus your Savior said, ' I 
 care not to be ministered unto, but to minister. ' 
 Hence his example of the innocent suffering 
 for the guilty is the highest possible expres- 
 sion of the vicarious suffering principle known 
 to your world. He subjected himself to that 
 condition because the necessities of a world 
 demanded it, And though he was the bright- 
 ness of the Father's glory and the express 
 image of his person, yet he voluntarily took 
 upon himself the form of servant, became 
 obedient unto death, even death of the cross, 
 that he might bring many sons unto glory. 
 
 -•When that wave of suffering came from 
 the cross, it rolled on until every order of be- 
 ing was brought in sympathy with man. 
 Hence it is written, 'that angels rejoice over- 
 one sinner that repenteth.' The mission of 
 Jesus Christ to your world was also the gift 
 of God. The Almighty, the everlasting 
 Father, even the Infinite Oversold loved the 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 337 
 
 world, and so loved it that he gave the clear- 
 est and brightest gem from the courts of 
 heaven. This could not fail to interest all 
 the subordinate orders and grades of being in 
 the welfare of man. Thus the same law may 
 seem to be operative in degree even in the 
 earth life. 
 
 u When the king upon his throne feels 
 deeply interested in the elevatiou of some of 
 the poorest and meanest of his subjects, and 
 especially if to do this the royal family makes 
 sacrifices and self-denials, does it not the more 
 interest all from the throne downward? Thus, 
 perhaps, you have received a faint, glimmer- 
 ing conception of the operation of the laws 
 of the atonement — -the law of vicarious suf- 
 fering. 
 
 u The spotless throne of the Almighty has 
 been assailed, because he laid upon one who 
 was mighty to save the iniquity of a world, 
 and because he was made to taste death tor 
 every man. Conceited folly, They find no 
 fault of the law operative in the family rela- 
 tions. Often upon the energies of a father is 
 laid the iniquity and profligacy of an un- 
 
338 POWERS OF THE AIR, 
 
 grateful son; and always is laid upon the 
 mother suffering and toil that often un- 
 grateful children may be cared for. The 
 family is but a cluster of universes or micro- 
 cosms and therefore furnishes a very proper 
 illustration of the operation of this great law. 
 For the father to be interested, toiling night 
 and day, sacrificing ease and comfort for the 
 little weak ones, stimulates all the interme- 
 diate agencies from the father, through the 
 mother and older children down, so to feel as 
 father and mother feels, is to feel as deeply 
 interested as possible. But let father or 
 mother show neglect of that little one, and it 
 serves to brutalize the entire family. 
 
 "The cross of Christ is the central sun of 
 the universe, and when we consider that 
 "without him there was not anything made 
 that is made, — I say when we consider that 
 he was before all time, that is, before this 
 universe began, it makes the cross of Christ 
 stand out as the representative seal of that 
 which is the highest excellence of God's 
 throne — disinterested love. The great dis- 
 tinction between good and evil consists not in 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 339 
 
 the difference of intellects, but in the differ- 
 ence of the heart principles. The prince of 
 evil has a mighty intellect, but not one parti- 
 cle of disinterested, self- sacrificing love. While 
 the best representative expression of God's 
 character is love, the best expression of 
 Christ's character is vicarious suffering/' 
 
 CHAPTER XXV7 a 
 
 Thus, kind reader, closes another very 
 strange piece of composition from the spirit 
 world. 1 say strange, because it must seem 
 strange to every one that lofty and sublime 
 ideas can emanate from falsehood and decep- 
 tion. As I said at the commencement of 
 this chapter, the most subtle methods which 
 the powers of the air use to induce belief in 
 
340 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 their monstrous absurdities, consist in making 
 friendly allusions to Jesus Christ and his gos- 
 pel, and in speaking very highly of some of 
 its doctrines ; perhaps give a grand disserta- 
 tion upon one of them, and in the meantime 
 weave into the frame work of the argument 
 a species of philosophy which would under- 
 mine the consistency of the whole doctrine. 
 Hence you will notice that the first announc- 
 ment is as true as the throne of God itself. 
 That our ideas of the atonement pre far be- 
 low that of the angels, and the ideas of the 
 angels upon the subject far below the ideas 
 which God entertains of it. But when the 
 intelligence who dictated this article an- 
 nounces what he knows of atonement, he 
 says, first, know that the human race is one 
 mighty harp whose strings are attuned to such 
 divine harmony, that to touch any one 
 of them rudely, all the others vibrate ac- 
 cordingly. JS"ow the super-mundane intel- 
 ligence that announces such a statement to be 
 the truth of history in regard to our race, 
 must certainly be ignorant of the fact that 
 one Adam broke every string of that mighty 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 341 
 
 harp, and no other sound has been heard from 
 it but a mighty weeping and wailing since 
 the time it was so rudely unstrung. 
 
 Every man who is acquainted with human 
 nature at all, must know that not one string 
 of the mighty harp has vibrated in sympathy 
 with fallen human nature, and the woes of 
 man; but on the contrary, the only harp that 
 could be found in all God's universe so sym- 
 pathically strung as to vibrate in sympathy 
 with the woes of man was found in heaven, 
 and that mighty harp was Jesus Christ; and 
 every harp belonging to our race through all 
 time, that lias in any degree vibrated in 
 sympathy with the race, has been attuned by 
 heaven in accordance with the swelling har- 
 monies of the heavenly harp, Jesus. 
 
 Then, again, when the intelligence asserts 
 that the agonies of Christ's body and soul, 
 were shared in by every creature beneath 
 God's infinite heavens, he certainly forgot 
 those creatures who stood around the cross 
 and railed on him, and also the countless mil- 
 lions of fallen angels and wicked men, who 
 are doing all in their power to frustrate his 
 
342 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 designs of mercy toward the race. But then, 
 when it is asserted that Christ's agony-thrill 
 still goes on sweeping through the countless 
 worlds, I think candor would say that Ga- 
 briel, God's highest angel, would hardly be 
 expected to know how every world of count- 
 less beings was affected by the suffering o 
 Christ upon the cross. - And when this n 
 would seem more than angelic intelligence as 
 serts the fact of a great vicarious law, whose 
 elements are sympathy, compensation and 
 distribution, and that all dwellers in the spirit 
 land are impelled to action in behalf of those 
 on earth by the first and greatest law of the 
 universe, self-preservation, or to escape the 
 waves of pain which must necessarily reach 
 them from the sorrowing of earth. This po- 
 sition is then attempted to be proved by as- 
 serting without evidence, that every sensition, 
 painful or pleasant, experienced by any, even 
 the most destitute, low, and degraded of the 
 species, is shared in by all the rest of the race; 
 and also from finding that the most sensative 
 and finest nerved persons are always the most 
 unhappy, therefore we infer the elements of a 
 vicarious law. 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 343 
 
 That the finest nerved and most sensitive 
 persons are always the most unhappy, I think 
 is not the case ; it does not accord with my 
 experience in regard to them, for unless their 
 surrounding circumstances are very adverse 
 they are generally the most cheerful, hopeful 
 and happy persons in the world. It is true 
 we often say of them : " They have their ups 
 and downs," but I think, in candor, their ups 
 or ecstacies in life by far outnumber the 
 downs or sorrowing moments of their lives. 
 
 "With regard to the other position taken 
 that every sensation, painful or pleasant, ex- 
 perienced by any one of the human race is 
 shared in by all the rest, I have simply to say 
 that it does not accord with my experience of 
 human nature. The fact that I should suf- 
 fer untold pangs in consequence of a dreadful 
 massacre in Africa, Asia, or some cannibal 
 island, without any knowledge of the event, 
 is to me simply absurd. A quotation is made 
 from the scriptures to this effect, as an addi- 
 tional support to this philosophical theory, 
 viz : " Bear ye one another's burdens, and so 
 fulfill the law of Christ." This passage I 
 
34:4 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 have always understood to apply to those 
 with whom we associated, with whom we 
 come in contact in the relation of church fel- 
 lowship. Bearing burdens, or bearing with 
 moral infirmities of others, is a Christian duty. 
 biit I think can not apply in support of the 
 position assumed. 
 
 Another statement made to sustain the 
 position more in detail, is to this effect : 
 "There are seasons when men and women of 
 the most sensitive temperaments and with- 
 out the least apparent cause are plunged at 
 once into overwhelming misery and woe, so 
 overpowering as to be but faintly imagined 
 by those of a different mould of organization. 
 This comes from suffering humanity. Xot a 
 member of our race can be overwhelmed 
 without suffering, without these sensative 
 ones feeling it. The wave of pain goes out, 
 and as the magnetic needle is attracted to- 
 ward the pole of the earth, so these waves of 
 pain are drawn towards these sensitive ones, 
 even towards those whose position on the 
 plane of the great sympathetic nerve of the 
 universe fits to receive it. Some one else re- 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR, 345 
 
 eeives it in turn, but in a less intense degree, 
 until at last a faint and tiny wave reaches the 
 throne of God." 
 
 For the truth of this statement we appeal to 
 facts. That a certain class of persons are 
 often overwhelmed with seasons of melan- 
 choly, sadness, and sorrow, we know is a fact, 
 but what causes these feelings is the question 
 in point. I think as a general thing they can 
 be traced, first, to a diseased body. Sec- 
 ond, to adverse circumstances, believed to 
 exist though not existing in reality. Third, 
 to sensations of guilt arising from doing 
 wrong. 
 
 I think all wrong feeling can be traced to 
 one of these three sources. My experiences 
 of the world may be summed up in this state- 
 ment : All sad and sorrowing feelings in- 
 variably result from wrong doing in some 
 way, and that on the contrary, right doing 
 must invariably result in right feeling. This 
 doing right includes an exalted exercise 
 of faith in God's declaration by Paul, viz : 
 All things work together for good to those 
 
 V?. 
 
346 IOWERS OF THE AIK. 
 
 who love Him, then their souls must rest in 
 the quiet peace of full assurance. 
 
 We shall now notice the next statement in 
 the order, and that it is true everv mind must 
 at once admit. As I have said these spirit 
 
 communications are characterized bv most 
 
 t/ 
 
 exalted truths and contradictory statements 
 and untruths. This truthful declaration is in 
 these words: " When the suffering soul turns 
 meekly to God, relief comes, but not an in- 
 stant before. This great law that relief is 
 realized by the soul of man, only in meek 
 submission to his will was known in very 
 ancient times, even as far back as Enoch, and 
 righteous Abel. Yes, how very true, that 
 whenever a sinful soul cries, Oh! my God, 
 the answer comes, "child, here I am," and in 
 every "Oh! my Father," there slumbers deep, 
 " here my child." These sentiments are 
 redolent of the very airs and breath of heaven. 
 I can indorse them fully. Then follows an 
 account of the different kinds of sensitives 
 found in society. The statements upon this 
 branch of the subject will strike every one as 
 being true. After this, the author commenc- 
 
rOWERS OF THE AIR. 347 
 
 es an extraordinary denunciation of the 
 Atlieistic Spiritualism of the present day, 
 and promises at some future period of the 
 world's history a true spiritualism; and instead 
 of being possessed and abused by harpies 
 from the world of darkness, as is the case at 
 the present time, people will be enlightened, 
 cheered, and saved from ruin. The same 
 great law that now permits the w r icked spir- 
 its to approach the earth life, will eventually 
 be extended to the spirits from the excellent 
 glory. This, 1 suppose, means when the 
 earth life has progressed to that degree of 
 sensitiveness that it will be controlled by holy 
 and pure spirits. This is equivalent to con- 
 fessing that the author of this communication 
 is not of that number. The balance of the 
 communication I think I could indorse, with 
 some trifling exceptions. 
 
 The reader will bear with me if I present 
 another specimen of spirit composition. In 
 some respects it stands out as an unrivaled 
 piece of composition, and though its ortho- 
 doxy may not be indorsed by all, yet the 
 thoughts are manv of them new and sublime 
 
848 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 in the highest degree. The subject treated 
 ■upon, is the new birth spoken of by Jesus in 
 John iii. 
 
 CHAPTER XXVIf, 
 
 " The new birth, from one point, an angel 
 might comprehend what it has been and now 
 is, but not what it ultimately will be. The 
 renewed soul enjoys untold myriads of these 
 new births or spiritual awakenings, and only 
 God himself can know a soul as it was, as it 
 is, and as it will be, because God is the only 
 being whose mind can embrace all the past, 
 all the present, and all the future; therefore 
 he alone can know all the depths and breadths 
 of the so-called human soul, and especially 
 the new birth of that soul. For man to be 
 like his God, possessing omniscience, and to 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 349 
 
 be the work, the perfect work of such a be- 
 ing, yea, to render him worthy the viewless 
 Lord of infinite glory, he must be perfected. 
 The sun shines in the heaven of spirits, just 
 as the comparatively tiny and material one 
 shines in and illuminates the natural universe. 
 The spiritual does not glide Into the material, 
 but it Is from and above it, just in the same 
 sense that the meaning of a sentence is above 
 the sound denoted by the characters which 
 convey the meaning. You must learn to 
 know the sublime infinitude of God's uni- 
 verse, understand in some measure the sub- 
 lime processions of the universes of worlds, 
 as they sweep along the eternities of time. 
 You must receive light, life, and law from 
 thence, to be fitted in the least degree to com- 
 prehend the measureless infinitude of the hu- 
 man soul, and the effect of the new birth upon 
 that soul. Exhaustion prepares the mate- 
 rial universe for a new infilteration of God, 
 differing from the last, and so on forever, 
 each procession being an eternity or cycle. 
 Thus It will be seen by those who can grasp 
 the tremendous thought and not let reason 
 
350 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 totter, that this amazing system of substance 
 or matter, is after all a mere speck, a mote in 
 the sun's rajs, a mere grain on the awful 
 shores of the stupendous spiritual ocean, 
 Nor does all matter existing* in the limitless 
 universe bear any greater proportion to the 
 spiritual, than an orange does in bulk to the 
 Rocky Mountain chain. The material system 
 moves near the center, and the spiritual waves 
 flow out on all sides, into the grand but awfui 
 beyond. Human souls proceed from God, and 
 return to him, that they may be judged. The 
 new birth is the soul's first consciousness of 
 God as a righteous, moral governor, and of 
 God as a savior and deliverer from sin and 
 depravity. 
 
 " Let me show you the gradations of con- 
 dition from matter in its crudest form to the 
 throne of God. First in this order is matter, 
 rock, soil, vegetable and animal -matter. 
 Spirit, then, may be considered the essence or 
 soul of matter ; soul the essence or main prin- 
 ciple of spirit; monad the essence or life of 
 the soul; think the inner principle of monad, 
 and God the soul of think. These strange 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 851 
 
 expressions stand as symbols of mighty 
 truths. Monads are scintillations from God's 
 brain. They are forms of thought, and are 
 bubbles on the ever rising tide of his soul. 
 Hence the new birth, so to speak, is the call- 
 ing in of his spirit, a first step in the infinite 
 progress of the soul toward God its maker. 
 But the how none but himself knoweth. 
 
 "Let me try and show you again. Here is 
 a chain. Matter is the first link, spirit at- 
 mosphere the second, soul, that which consti- 
 tutes the basis of the human think principle, 
 the third. Well, the great Oversoul flows 
 through all these as man's spirit through his 
 body. Man is only partly conscious; he 
 knows absolutely nothing upon the other side 
 of himself. He is ignorant of what life is, 
 and of that august power which governs his 
 involuntary self. The Oversoul flows out in- 
 to the all — into the universal think — into the 
 soul of man, while pervading all — imminent 
 in all — is self-conscious at every point. Thus 
 you will perceive that the subject of the new 
 birth is most grand — is awfully sublime. 
 Well did the Master say, 'The wind bloweth 
 
352 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 where it listeth ; thou hearest the sound there- 
 of, but canst not tell whence it cometh or 
 whither it goeth ; so is every one born of the 
 spirit. ' God is not only good, but beyond it; 
 is not only the truth, but the all of it. He is 
 not only power, life, and think, but beyond 
 and above all these." 
 
 Thus closes another communication from 
 the spirit world. Of its merits, I need say 
 nothing. I leave the reader to exercise his 
 own judgment, and draw his own conclusions. 
 I will now close by answering such objections 
 as I suppose would naturally arise in the 
 mind of any man who has not given the sub- 
 ject of spirit manifestations a thorough ex- 
 amination. The first objection which we 
 might naturally suppose would arise, may be 
 stated about after this form: Is not the 
 whole subject of spirit manifestations a delu- 
 sion? Not that all the men connected with it 
 are hypocritical and intentional deceivers, but 
 are deluded ? That is, they place too great an 
 estimate upon certain sounds on a board or 
 table, or they see things by the aid of a high- 
 ly wrought imagination — thus being led 
 astray ? 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 358 
 
 That one or two might be thus led into the 
 mazes of error, is conceded ; but that hun- 
 dreds, yea, even hundreds of thousands of all 
 ages, capacities, and conditions, should fall 
 into the same illogical conclusions, is absurd 
 in the highest degree. That men should 
 hastily form conclusions, is very common in 
 all the every day walks of life, but that men 
 of the shrewdest capacities, and possessed of 
 very considerable scholarship, and even those 
 of the very highest intellectual and moral at- 
 tainments — that men of this stamp of mind 
 and culture should all he deceived, is to my 
 mind most absurd. If, then, they are not de- 
 ceived, but as Paul said, " do speak forth the 
 words of truth and soberness/' it becomes us 
 to listen to what they have to say. 
 
 That men in the flesh should be carried 
 away by self interest is very common, but 
 that all those who have stood up to bear tes- 
 timony in order to establish the tacts of spirit 
 manifestations, should be so deeply selfish is the 
 most unlikely thing possible. It is also true that 
 men might be swayed by prejudice, and allow 
 their judgments to be warped by preconceived 
 
354 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 opinions ; but that so many witnesses should 
 be thus swayed, warped or deflected from bear- 
 ing correct testimony, would be a matter truly 
 astonishing in human nature. 
 
 I therefore must decide that the man who 
 coulcl come to such a conclusion with the 
 premises above stated must be a fit subject 
 for the mad house, or the lunatic asylum. 
 That there are such men is very certain, 
 and that they will, without a moment's reflec- 
 tion cry out "humbug/ 3 is also certain ; and 
 that they will also remain outside of an assy- 
 lum is as equally certain, but that they have 
 any weight in directing or forming public 
 opinion, no one will for a moment admit. 
 They are warts upon the body politic ; they 
 are a fungus growth, and must, like all mush- 
 room productions, perish before the high noon 
 of public decision. 
 
 It may be proper to repeat here another 
 very trite objection — I allude to that which is 
 so common among ministers of the gospel, 
 to-wit: That spirits of the wicked and right- 
 eous dead are either in hell or heaven, and 
 therefore cannot be here about our earth. 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 355 
 
 To this we answer, that spirits of both char- 
 acters are in the bible represented as not only 
 being here about the earth, but also of in- 
 fluencing men in the flesh. Notice that reve- 
 lation commences [by the mention of two 
 classes of spirits, the one called cherubim, the 
 sons of God, the morning stars, as found in 
 this expression of Job: "Where wast thou 
 when I laid the foundations oi the earth; 
 when the morning stars sang together, and 
 all the sons of God shouted for joy?" The 
 other class is included under the head of old 
 serpent, which is the devil. In ow, if at the 
 beginning where revelation opens, the two 
 classes are mentioned, and this distinction is 
 kept up all the way down through the writ- 
 ings of the prophets, inspired poets, apostles, 
 evangelists and teachers, then it must be cer- 
 tain that the two classes of spirits exist about 
 this earth. 
 
 When it is said that angels are the spirits 
 alluded to, we answer that the spirits of just 
 men are spoken of as being interested in mat- 
 ters upon the earth ; that among these spirits 
 of just men are mentioned Moses and Elijah, 
 
356 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 who appeared and talked with Jesus upon 
 the Mount, and many of the saints who arose 
 at the resurrection of Christ, and appeared 
 unto many, besides John the revelator men- 
 tions the fact that one of the old prophets ap- 
 peared and spoke to him, and in the excite- 
 ment of the moment was about to fall down 
 and worship him, but he quickly said, "See 
 thou do it not; I am thy fellow-servant," un- 
 doubtedly conveying the idea that those old 
 saints serve in the cause of Christ as well after 
 death as before that event took place. 
 
 jL 
 
 And when it is said that devils are the only 
 class of spirits alluded to in the Bible, under 
 the head of wicked spirits, we answer, if that 
 is the fact why should they be classified and 
 spoken of as being different; by bearing dif- 
 ferent appellations, the expressions "famil- 
 iar spirits," "lying spirits," "seducing spirits," 
 "unclean spirits," and the like? If all these 
 expressions were one and the same class of 
 spirits, it is a very strong use of language. 
 But in the expression seducing spirits, and 
 doctrines of devils, the two classes are con- 
 trasted — it can not be that only one class of 
 beings is intended. 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 357 
 
 But the objector will say : It is not possi- 
 ble that the human mind can become so sen- 
 sitive as to be able to receive an idea from a 
 spirit without the use of the vocal organs. 
 
 Spirits speak to one another by thinking 
 the thought distinctly out, just as a man would 
 do if thinking to himself. There is an incon- 
 ceivably fine element in the air which carries 
 the thoughts of spirits just as the air carries 
 our thoughts — called the thought atmos- 
 phere. All men could speak to one another 
 without the use of the vocal organs, provided 
 their minds were sufficiently sensitive. How 
 often it is the case that sensitive persons in 
 earnest conversation perceive the thought be- 
 fore it is expressed by their opponent. How 
 common is the remark "I knew you were go- 
 ing to say that" — alluding to the fact that 
 they had already caught the v idea. 
 
 Females are more sensitive than men. You 
 will often find women so sensitive that they 
 experience pleasant or unpleasant sensations 
 whenever they are thrown into the society of 
 the good and pure, or into that of the wicked 
 or impure. A lady upon one occasion de- 
 
358 POWERS OF THE AI±L 
 
 dared to me that she could in a moment re- 
 alize a difference of character in different per- 
 sons whenever they by chance came into her 
 presence. It is no uncommon thing for peo- 
 ple to say "I formed a dislike to such and 
 such a one." Robbers and persons of the baser 
 sort have often been detected from this very 
 source. 
 
 There is an inconcievablv fine emanation 
 passing off, so to speak, from the soul and 
 body of every person, and this emination (call 
 it magnetism, if you choose), partakes of the 
 nature in a degree of the moral character of 
 the person it proceeds from, and whether you 
 realize it or not depends upon your degree of 
 sensitiveness. How common is it for hunters 
 to take advantage of poor animals, because 
 they must leave a small portion of their ema- 
 nations in their tracks ? Dogs, or many other 
 animals, are sensitive to perceive these iufin- 
 tissimal particles, and can, by means of it, pur- 
 sue at great speed. Think how little of this 
 emanating substance must be left in the track 
 of a man when his dog can easily follow it an 
 hour or more after he has passed! 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 359 
 
 From these facts we may learn that when 
 it is asserted that a spirit can speak to a man 
 in the flesh, or in other words can project his 
 thoughts into his mind, it depends only 
 upon the sensitiveness of that mind. Some 
 minds, like the weeping willow, are sensitive 
 to the slightest impressions, whilst others, 
 like the branches of the sturdj 7 oak, are 
 shaken only by the mighty winds. That men 
 have heard spirits speak to them is the posi- 
 tive declaration of scripture in very many in- 
 stances. Elijah heard it as a still small voice. 
 Paul heard distinctly the voice of the spirit of 
 Jesus, but the men who were with him heard 
 not the voice which spoke to him. From this 
 we may learn that no vocal sounds were made 
 when Jesus spake, else the men who accom- 
 panied Paul would have heard it. It must 
 therefore have been addressed to Paul's mind 
 as a still, small voice. 
 
 How often do we hear Christians, in relat- 
 ing their soul experiences of God's pardoning 
 mercy say, "A voice as audible as if spoken 
 to me by a person in the form spake to me, 
 saying thy sins which were many are all for- 
 
360 POWERS OF THE AIK. 
 
 given thee/' or "My peace I give unto thee," 
 and other similar expressions ? Is this all 
 imagination? Surely it can not be. In my 
 own case, I remember that at the time my 
 soul was seeking very earnestly to realize a 
 consciousness of God's forgiveness, that a 
 voice came to my inner being saying in these 
 emphatic words, "The way of salvation is 
 repentance toward God, and faith in the Lord 
 Jesus Christ." The effect of these words so 
 impressibly spoken was to make me exclaim 
 aloud, "There it is — the whole of it in a nut- 
 shell." A friend occupying the room with 
 me asked, "What is it?" to whom I made this 
 remark : "I wonder I never understood the 
 meaning of that scripture alluded to above, 
 before." 
 
 Instances might be multiplied innumerably 
 confirming the fact of persons hearing not 
 voices, but words spoken to the mind, which 
 made as deep an impression as if spoken by 
 a human voice, audibly. 
 
 "But," says a questioner, "Can you not 
 give us briefly, a few of the evidences which 
 have determined your mind to conclude that 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR. 361 
 
 spirit intelligences speak to you?" I would 
 say, first, that I have all the evidence that 
 any man could have of the existence of a 
 friend or stranger, who might stand outside 
 of his house in a dark night. I think these 
 evidences would be conclusive if, the stranger 
 or friend was able to answer every question 
 you might propound to him promptly, upon 
 a great variety of subjects, and if instead of 
 simply answering your questions, the person 
 in the dark should begin to ask you questions, 
 questions, too, of a very startling nature- 
 questions propounded with shrewdness, with 
 wisdom, or in jest, or mirth. But if in addi- 
 tion to giving intelligent answers to your 
 every question, and also propounding intelli- 
 gent questions to yourself, the person outside 
 in the dark should say to you, "You are a liar 
 and I can prove it," and then should go on 
 and give the particular proofs, or should say 
 that "you were a "political scalawag," and 
 should give the evidences of that also, and so 
 on, charging you with many delinquencies 
 and giving the proof when demanded, I say 
 when this should be done, you would begin 
 
 24 
 
362 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 to conclude, at least, that some body -was out- 
 side of your house, and a somebody who was 
 pretty well acquainted with your doings. 
 
 But supposing, being still in doubt, yoo 
 should resort to another method—and you 
 should begin to apply epithets to them, and 
 they should in turn berate you soundly, using 
 language most insulting. Or, supposing 
 you commence in a strain of flattery, and 
 they in turn should apply the soft sodder to 
 you with such, unmerciful thickness that you 
 are glad to beat a retreat. But in case a 
 doubt still lingered in your mind of the iden- 
 tity of the person outside, we might suppose 
 you to resort to this last test — I will raise 
 the window, and if he strikes me when I pro- 
 voke him, I will know then of a certainty of 
 his identity. 
 
 I will say then, in conclusion, that all the 
 tests mentioned have been resorted to, to de- 
 termine the spirit intelligences about me, and 
 particularly the ones mentioned last. I have 
 oftened applyed abusive epithets to them as 
 a kind of a last test of their identity, and 
 found at times, they would receive it as a 
 
POWERS OF THE AIR, 363 
 
 joke, using other epithets in return; but when 
 persisted in, they would turn upon me 
 sharply, saying, "Dry up that kind of talk or 
 we will teach you a lession which 3-011 will 
 not be slow in forgeting," and then would 
 commence a series of perhaps, a half dozen, 
 or a half score even, of electric shocks as severe 
 as that given b3 r an ordina^ electric battery. 
 This test I have tried so often and with such 
 unpleasant results, that I am disposed to treat 
 these spirit beings precisely as I clo those in 
 the body, with kindness and respect. Occas- 
 ionally the3 r shock me without provocation ? 
 and when asked the reason for so doing, re- 
 ceive as a repl} r — -"We only w^ant 3 T ou to know 
 that we are about.' 7 
 
 But in saying that you believe in spirit 
 manifestations 'do 3 7 ou not laj T 3-ourself liable 
 to be called a spiritualist? I think not. Spir- 
 itualists, so-called, in addition to their belief 
 in the physical and other demonstrations of 
 spirit intelligences, embody a sj^stem of phi- 
 losophy which goes in the world under 'the 
 name of Pantheism. This system discards 
 the personality of God, and ail divine revekv 
 
364 POWERS OF THE AIR. 
 
 tion from him, and announces that all men 
 have the germ of an endless, glorious life 
 within them, only to be fully realized it must 
 be cultivated. 
 
 Every reader of this volume must certainly 
 know that I deny all this pantheistic philos- 
 ophy, knowing full well the source from 
 whence it emanates. To say that a man is a 
 spiritualist because he believes in the fact 
 of spirit manifestations, would be as unwise 
 as to charge Jesus with being a pharisee, be- 
 cause with them he believed in the existence 
 of angels and spirits. 
 
 I would say that I have great charity for 
 spiritualists. I have reasons for thinking that 
 in general they are sincere, and desire to be 
 guided by facts and evidence, but placing too 
 much confidence in what the spirits say to 
 them they are led off into the wildest theories 
 and absurdities. I hope I am not of those 
 who are so unwise as to say they will not be- 
 lieve amidst abundant proofs, or of those who 
 believe without any, or without sufficient 
 proofs. 
 
 I think it is the highest act of wisdom to 
 
POWERS OP THE AIR. 365 
 
 disabuse our minds of all prejudice, to collect 
 facts carefully, to discriminate closely, and 
 then to decide candidly. That I may have 
 some prejudices, and even biases of mind, is al- 
 together probable, but that I have tried to 
 disabuse my mind of them I think the reader 
 will do me the justice to believe true. 
 
 If, upon farther investigation, I shall obtain 
 a sufficient number of facts to warrant me in 
 a change of my present views, rest assured 
 they will be changed, but not until then. But 
 I would say to every lover of truth that they 
 are bound by every principle of right and jus- 
 tice toward a fellow man to aid in the promo- 
 tion of correct opinions. If, therefore, they 
 will address me by letter, stating their views 
 and communicating any facts, I shall be hap- 
 py to receive their addresses and answer, or 
 if they desire to propound any questions they 
 shall be carefully considered, and an answer 
 returned. 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 It may have occurred to some of the readers of this 
 volume that corroborative facts would be of much force 
 in helping the mind to arrive at just conclusions in the 
 premises. 
 
 I would say. in reply to this probable suggestion of 
 some readers, that I am in possession of many facts con- 
 nected with the experience of several persons which bear 
 with much weight upon the important question before us. 
 My experience being of a character altogether strange 
 and bordering on the marvelous, I have therefore been 
 led to make especial inquiry into the experience of others 
 in order to asertain the fact of corroborative evidence* 
 
 The first case brought to my notice is that of a Mr. K., 
 at present a resident of this State, but formerly a resident 
 of one of the more eastern States. He stated to me that 
 he was formerly a member of the Methodist Church; 
 had experienced what is termed a passing from death unto 
 life, consequently enjoyed religion. He stated farther that 
 his mind became interested in the strange manifestations, 
 which prevailed to a considerable extent in the neighbor- 
 hood where he formerly lived, known as spirit manifesta- 
 tions. That in process of time he became a trance 
 speaker; that is, as he states, he felt a strange power come 
 over him, which at times controlled his vocal organism, 
 
 366 
 
APPENDIX. 367 
 
 find he was made to utter even in the meeting house 
 strange sentences and give 'expression to still stranger 
 thoughts while in the act of praying. This at first passed 
 off as eccentricity, but occurring again and again, it was 
 termed derangement. Finally, to cap the climax of the 
 marvelous and the strange, he, upon a certain occasion, 
 arose with all the dignity of an orator and delivered an 
 address upon the North Star! This, with his previous 
 eccentricities, confirmed many in the opinion that he was 
 Insane. 
 
 At length his mind became so impressible that the 
 spirits, he says, could speak to him even as a friend speaks 
 with a friend. Reposing some confidence in these, as he 
 thought, spirit friends, he was led to follow their advice, 
 but by so doing he was made to do as well as to say at 
 times many strange things. Finally, by frequent deception 
 practiced upon him, he lost all confidence in the integrity 
 of the spirits, and was led. to abandon their advice as of 
 no more weight than the advice given by a set of wicked, 
 designing men. Though years have elapsed since the 
 above circumstances occurred, yet the spirits exert over 
 him still a very surprising power. At times an Indian 
 spirit of great power desires to control him, and though 
 he uses many exertions to keep himself positive to his 
 influences, yet at times he gets partial control of his vocal 
 organs and as a result strange sounds are produced. 
 
 But what seems the most surprising—although he dis- 
 claims utterly the reposing of any confidence in what the 
 spirits might reveal to him as spirits — he yet receives and 
 subscribes to the so-called spiritual philosophy, which he 
 
368 APPENDIX. 
 
 must know all came from spirits. He expresses the opin- 
 ion that spiritualism in its moral aspects is very weak ; 
 that it needs to be baptized with the Holy Ghost power 
 to become a potent agency for good in the world. 
 
 Another case which has come under my notice, is that 
 of a lady, a Mrs. C, residing at this time in the State of 
 Indiana. She became a subject of abuse by the " so-called 
 spirit friends ' ; by first yielding to their influence in the 
 following manner: She was sitting at the table upon one 
 occasion in the act of writing, when she discovered her 
 hand to move involuntarily, which occasioned her much 
 surprise. After repeated tests she became conviced that 
 some foreign influence must have something to do with it. 
 "What convinced her more than any other one thing that 
 the power to move the hand without the volition of the 
 mind originated from spirits was the fact that the hand 
 did not move around without any regard to form, but was 
 guided to make the most elaborate pictures, so that she 
 became an adept at fine pencil drawing. This seemed to 
 her the more remarkable as she never had, previous to this 
 time, realized any inclination or ability to sketch fancy 
 pictures. This practice of sketching pictures with a pencil 
 was continued for a time with very considerable interest, 
 but at length she became wearied with the practice and 
 made the attempt to abandon it altogether. This she 
 found to be more difficult than she at first expected, for 
 her spirit friend, as she called herself, felt exceedingly 
 anxious to continue her course of rnediumistic drawing. 
 At a certain time each day there was heard certain plain ? 
 distinct wraps, indicating that her spirit friend was ready 
 
APPENDIX. 369 
 
 to commence operations, and whether the subject could 
 devote the time or not still the wraps were persisted in 
 until the subject yielded. This persistent course, as might 
 be supposed, became exceedingly annoying to the subject, 
 and after a time matters between them came to an open 
 rupture. The spirit became vexed and the subject also 
 became vexed and persisted in her refusal to sit for pur- 
 poses of drawing. Thus matters continued for many days 
 — neither of the two determined minds could be induced 
 to yield. One evening as the subject was sitting at her 
 usual avocations, surrounded by some of the members of 
 her own family and one or two of her neighbors, she was 
 forcibly seized and controlled to pick up a small missile 
 and throw it violently toward some one in the room — 
 looking in the mean time like a very demon. This unex- 
 pected move alarmed those present, who ran violently out 
 of the house and took refuge in the house of a neighbor, 
 the subject following at the top of her speed being as 
 much frightened as those whom she pursued. 
 
 This, the lady informed me, was her first experience in 
 mediumistic control, and she hoped it might be the last of 
 that kind of control. I saw her afterward upon several 
 occasions pass into what is called the trance state, and 
 speak in a most eloquent aud impressive manner. These 
 conditions continued for some time, when she became like 
 myself, so impressible that she could distinctly hear the 
 spirits as they spoke to herself and others. 
 
 But these spirit-friends, as she called them, like many in 
 this life, imposed upon themselves restraints until they had 
 measurably won the confidence of their subject. Then 
 
370 APPENDIX. 
 
 gradually they began practicing upon her the gravest 
 deceptions, until finally she lost all confidence in them. 
 ■She has hopes, as she remarked to rne, that good spirits 
 may get control, and then matters would proceed without 
 disturbing influences, but I have never learned that the 
 good spirits came ; on the contrary, upon an occasion 
 when a mediumistic friend was making her a visit, the 
 friend was controlled to sing what seemed to be an Indian 
 song : and this lady was controlled to dance for nearly an 
 hour. 
 
 Thus I might go on multiplying cases that have come 
 within the range of my own observation. I will barely 
 allude to two other cases, and pass to other considera- 
 tions. These cases all bear upon the point which I wish 
 to establish, that whenever spirits have gained control of 
 a subject they have invariably deceived and otherwise 
 abused them. 
 
 A Mr. D. and wife became what is called personating 
 mediums. The spirits took entire control of their persons, 
 and caused them to imitate the peculiarities of character 
 as seen manifested among the various nationalities. After 
 allowing the spirits to use their persons for the purpose 
 alluded to for a time, they found to their sorrow that they 
 had placed themselves under the power of '-strange 
 friends." The spirits began by taking liberties with their 
 persons, and finally ended in their not being able to sleep 
 in a bed, for their strange spirit-friends could, at their 
 pleasure, and did for a long time, pull them both out of 
 bed. This became such an aggravation that they finally, 
 to escape the annoyance, made their bed upon the floor. 
 
APPENDIX. 371 
 
 and continued to do so for more than six months. Finally, 
 by rendering themselves positive to the influence of their 
 too familiar spirits, and by not allowing them to gain in 
 any respect spirit control of their persons, they were re- 
 lieved in a great measure from the disturbing influences of 
 their tormentors. 
 
 A Mr. R. also became a personating medium, and such 
 entire control did they gain of his person, that they caused 
 him to run up a flight of stairs with almost the speed of 
 lightning, and then, for perhaps an hour, caused him to 
 make every possible gesticulation, personating a great 
 variety of characters. His brother remarked to me that 
 he felt no alarm for his brothers safety, though the spirits 
 seemed to handle him very roughly. What injuries to the 
 person of this young man may result from the spirit's 
 control has not as yet transpired; but my opinion is that 
 they will be similar to those experienced by the others I 
 have alluded to. 
 
 Since I have begun to write out my strange experience 
 of spirit control, I have been lead to read the experiences 
 of Emanuel Swedenborg, and I am convinced that all 
 his visions of heaven and hell were psychological images, 
 photographed into his mind by the spirit's operation. 
 Swedenborg gives it as his opinion that he was disem- 
 bodied — that is, his spirit was permitted to leave his body 
 and go out into the spirit world and see and talk with per- 
 sons who had deceased. In regard to this I am very posi- 
 tive that he was mistaken. His mind pictures correspond 
 exactly with my own, and when he thought he was cut of 
 the body he was only partially or wholly psychologised by 
 
372 APPENDIX. 
 
 a spirit who willed him to see a thing and he saw it. I 
 have been in the same condition hundreds of times, and I 
 know that my spirit never was put out of or detached 
 from my body. 
 
 I will give one or two examples taken from his Chris- 
 tian religion. On page 524, paragraph 794, he expresses 
 himself thus : 
 
 ''From the things seen for so many years I can relate 
 the following: There are lands in the spirit world as well 
 as in the natural world, and that there are also plains and 
 valleys, mountains and hills, and likewise fountains and 
 rivers. That there are gardens, groves, woods, cities, 
 palaces, houses, gold, silver, and precious stones; in a 
 word, that there are all things whatsoever that are in the 
 natural world; but those in heaven are immensely more 
 perfect." (The reader will notice here.) But he says the 
 difference is that all things that are seen in the spiritual 
 world are created in a moment by the Lord ; but that all 
 things in the natural world exist and grow from seed. ? ' 
 
 I ask the candid reader if it would not be more reason- 
 able to believe that what he saw as lands, trees, houses, 
 &c, in the spirit worlJ, were mind pictures rather than 
 real, veritable things, especially when he says they were 
 created in a moment by the Lord, who migbt be no one 
 else but the spirit who controlled him, and who palmed 
 himself off as the Lord, just as in my own case. 
 
 On page 202. paragraph 277, he says: "One day, in the 
 spirit, I rambled through various places in the spirit world 
 in order that I might observe the representation of heav- 
 enly things which in many places'are there exhibited. In 
 
APPENDIX, 378 
 
 a certain house where there were angels, I saw great 
 purses in which silver was stored, and because they were 
 open it was perceived as if every one might take out, yea 
 steal the silver their laid up. But near these purses sat 
 two youths who were guards. The place where these were 
 deposited appeared like a manger in a stable. In the next 
 room were some modest virgins, with a chaste wife, and 
 near that room stood two children. After these things 
 were seen I was instructed that by them was represented 
 the natural sense of the word in which there is a spiritual 
 sense. The great purses full of silver signified the knowl- 
 edge of truth in great abundance." 
 
 In this relation who can not see that Swedenborg's 
 spiritual world was all in his own mind, a mere mental 
 picture, just as the Congress of the United States was seen 
 by myself in full session ? I think every unbiased mind 
 will agree with me that they are identical. 
 
 On page 236, paragraph 325, the reader will find these 
 words: "Once at the dawn of day, when I awaked from 
 sleep I saw before my eyes, as it were, spirits in various 
 shapes; afterwards when it was fairly morning I saw fat- 
 uous lights in divers forms, some like sheets of paper full 
 of writing, which being folded together again and again 
 at length appeared like falling stars which in their desent 
 vanished in the air, some like open books, some of which 
 shone like little moons, some burnt like candles, &c. From 
 these appearances I conjectured that below these meteors 
 stood those who were disputing about imaginary things 
 which they esteemed of great moment. For in the spirit- 
 ual world such phenomena appear in the atmospheres from 
 
374 APPENDIX. 
 
 the reasonings of those standing below. Presently the 
 sight of my spirit was opened to me and I observed a num- 
 ber of spirits whose heads were encircled with leaves of 
 laurel, and who were clothed in gowns adorned with flow- 
 ers, which signified that they were spirits who in the nat- 
 ural world had been renowned for their fame and erudi- 
 tion, and because I was in the spirit I drew near and 
 mingled myself in their company." 
 
 The reader will notice that this vision was in the morn- 
 ing, even ;ifter full daylight, He says he saw spectres in 
 various shapes, and fatuos lights, &c. Similar appear- 
 ances, and also very different ones, I have seen nearly 
 every morning for years, even in broad daylight. I have 
 asked others if they saw them, and when told that they 
 did not I knew it was a mental picture. Sometimes my 
 room would be covered with heavy pannel work, at other 
 times with medallion work, then, again, some other morn- 
 ings the room would be highly ornamented with the most 
 elaborate stucco work brought out in bold relief, then, 
 again, other mornings it would be changed to fresco, and 
 raised laquer work, the latter was of a tan color, the fres- 
 co was variegated with the appearance of many colors. 
 
 I satisfied myself that all this resulted from being par- 
 italy mesmerized by spirits, and then by will-power on 
 their part photographed into my mind so as to appear like 
 actual, real objects. I could dispel the whole vision by 
 manipulating my face, and making a sudden effort of the 
 will. 
 
 I here make an extract from the " Banner of Light," a 
 Boston spiritualist paper, dated January 27, 1866. The 
 
APPENDIX. 375 
 
 question is asked a spirit, "How do you materialize your- 
 selves, or render yourselves visible?" The answer is in 
 these words: "You see we have got to hitch on and draw 
 out the machinery to materialize ourselves. It is done the 
 same way that some persons in India tell you they can 
 make a tree grow right up before your eyes. They do it 
 by the same thing; that is, by throwing their whole mag- 
 netism upon a certain spot, and through the very elements 
 of will up grows that tree before your eyes to any hight you 
 wish. That's materializing what's in the ground, it's the 
 condensing process." 
 
 Notice, the spirit says hero, "through the very elements 
 of will up grows the tree. 1 ' But it's only in the minds of 
 the person seeing the tree that it goes up — nothing more. 
 
 A writer in the " World's Crisis," uses this language : 
 "Let it be borne in mind that ail the spirits and spiritual- 
 ists, so far as we know, are unanimous in teaching that 
 the spirits operate just as a mesmerizer does. Having 
 found that a mesmerizer acts by the power of his will, we 
 are prepared to understand the wonders of spiritualism/ 
 He quotes from the Banner of Light, of April 9, 1864, 
 The question to the spirit is as follows : 
 
 Question. — "Is the flower as tangible to the disem- 
 bodied in spirit life as it is to us? T! 
 
 Answer.— Flowers in the spirit land take the form of 
 beautiful thoughts." 
 
 Question.—" Are there not real spirit flowers, such as 
 we are accustomed to seeing here," 
 
 Answer.— "Ko, there are not; Pardon us if we have 
 
376 APPENDIX, 
 
 swept away the pleasant illusion ; but some one must do 
 this sooner or later. " 
 
 I think every candid, unprejudiced mind wh oreads these 
 quotations, will come to the same conclusions which my own 
 mind has come to: that the spirit world, so beautifully de- 
 scribed by some spirits, is a mere fiction — a heavy draw 
 upon the imagination — especially that spirit world which 
 is within the limits of the earth's atmosphere. I think the 
 spirit who gives the answer to the question, "What end do 
 the wicked and unsaved of earth life subserve? " in giving 
 her first experience in the spirit land, comes the nearest to 
 the facts in the case. These are the words used : "When 
 first I emerged from the body into this strange abode, the 
 receptacle of the moral filth of earth, I was was first over- 
 whelmed with grief, then with rage, then I sank down in 
 despair; I cursed my existence, the day of my birth, and 
 then my maker. I looked up and around me, the same heav- 
 ens were indeed above my head, the same earth beneath 
 my feet, but all else how changed. Instead of the heaven- 
 ly glory into which I flattered myself I should emerge, I 
 was surrounded by the same brick walls, the same old shab- 
 by out-houses, the same front yard, trees, garden, and 
 orchard. Instead of being surrounded by angel bands 
 whom I had expected as an escort to heaven, I was sur- 
 rounded by beings horrid lookir g in human form." 
 
 P 
 
 iii & 1 4 
 

 
 a • 1 
 
 ; *o« : 
 
 • A V * 
 
 "fed 
 
 ( Q«r 
 
 .0 ^ 
 
 
 v»« .*& 
 
 •♦ 
 
 v. - • • » jt ■ 
 
 * *•* A<* <* '*<\ 
 
 
 
 ^ 0#> a^ <v> *^** j&* ^ ••.7| 
 
 
 .0*^ 
 
 
 I 
 
 s * ^^^^^ * « ^^ Deacidified using the Bookkeeper process. 
 
 ■^ "*»^^B^*° j& • ^k °V^ Neutralizing agent: Magnesium Oxide 
 
 ^ -^5{ISy* ^ ^ *♦ ^ Treatment Date: Nov. 2004 
 
 * 
 
 ,0^ 
 
 * ^1«W>** v.*^ <>* • ^ I reaimeni uaie. iNuv. tuu-r 
 
 •• *Hk o* & • l "* ^o * PreservationTechnologies 
 
 ttf*T» V. C S&jflZ&i?. ° A WORLD LEADER IN PAPER PRESERVATION 
 
 * -kV * 
 
 A WORLD LEADER IN PAPER PRESERVATION 
 
 1 1 1 Thomson Park Drive 
 Cranberry Township. PA 16066 
 -0 (724)779-2111 
 

 "^O 1 
 
 -r 
 
 .4% 
 
 
 
 
 >♦ 
 
 : W •• 
 
 
 
 
 
 <* *'...♦ 
 
 MAY 82 
 
 N. MANCHESTER, 
 INDIANA 46962