diumistic communications are tinged with the individuality of the medium. It is hard to draw the line where the conscious volition of the medium ends and the perfect control of the spirit begins. Public mediums are prompted to open doors to every kind of influence, from the occult realm-good, bad, and indifferent, and often their necessities furnish motives of trickery and fraud. Instances are common where refined and sensitive women have been taken possession of by spiritistic ruffians, using profane language and asking for tobacco and intoxicating liquors. Psychic mediumship should not only become a guarded avenue for open communications with the spirit world, but it should likewise be made an invariable means for the expansion and moral exaltation of the character of the sensitive. When it fails to do this, it is proof that occult powers have. been dabbled with ignorantly, or with unworthy motives. There is nothing more deplorable than an individual who has been despoiled of individuality and self-control through having submitted unwisely to irresponsible influences from the lower occult realms. Certainly no lasting benefit can accrue to any class which involves the sacrifice of the mediumistic instrument. A cult like Spiritualism, depending so largely upon mediumship for the warp and woof of its philosophy, should make a profound and exhaustive study of the laws of mediumship, inclusive of the whole psychic realm, and its advocates, from the least to the greatest, should religiously refrain from seeking or accepting communications whenever and wherever there is danger of invading the selfhood of the medium. The definition of "Spiritism" by T. L. Harris might well be seriously considered: "Spiritism is a great fact, a great fable; a great light, a great darkness; a great reality, a great imposture; a great kindness, a great cruelty; a great hope, a great disappointment. It is a nest of doves, and a cage of unclean birds; an ascending star, and a will-o'-the-wisp delusion; a quickening and a decay; a refreshing fount, and a pithole without water; wafts from ancient devachan, and vapors from dead. avichi. The circle of its operancy is the girdle that embraces all religions; there is nothing too good to say of it, with one form of truth, yet nothing too bad to say of it with another truth. The doors of it open into every man's house, and the spells of it touch on every man's formation; in it lie Shakespeare's art, and Michiavelli's cunning, the last results of natural science and the first germs of occult life. It baffles hitherto all inquiries, for it has a way that is no way, and a method that is past finding out; the nerves of every man are fitted to its sounding board, and, when conditions are opposite, it may play upon them as it will. When approached in the most candid spirit of investigation, it may hide like a polyp in the black cloud of its magnetisms; yet, sometimes to gratify the vainest curiosity, may cause exhibitions that go beyond all present powers of material display. It will call from some battered implement of music touches like those of Paganini, and whirl the atmosphere of the room into a miniature sea of melody. It is the universal Proteus, who slips from form to form and then says mockingly to the wearied and baffled seekers, You have sought to know me, but my play for you is over; the mystery is beyond you; now rest and be satisfied that I am the Inscrutable!'" "Wisdom of the Adepts," page 350. About this time (1850-63) Mr. Peebles was passing through some strange mediumistic experiences. It was to him an untried field. Strange temptations were placed before him, and spirits of different degrees contended for upper seats in his organic temple. His way was clouded with doubts, and he became tempest-tossed like a lost mariner at sea. The following letter to a friend betrays the secret of every spiritual soul,- the balancing pivot,- Mohammed's hairbridge stretched over the abyss on which Allah's children must walk to heaven: "DEC. 28, 1861. "It may be that my conscience is becoming exceedingly sensitive; for at times I feel impelled to rush along the track of my whole past earth-life, unsaying and undoing every thing said and done amiss. Forgiveness is out of the question. Restoration and reconciliation, crowned with wisdom, are the only saviors. The very things, that, in the depths of my soul, I hate, I am tempted to do; thus being a puzzle to myself. It is quite clear that we must die to the earthly before we can live to the spiritual. My aspirations, Heaven knows, are high enough; but they are never realized; and yet I complain of no one but myself; nor would I make others miserable on my account. The world shall only see my smiles, only — "I am weary, I am weary, I am longing for my home, Looking through life's wildering mazes "But sometimes there cometh visions, Of the home for which I am longing, "True, there are some flowers blooming along my pilgrim pathway; but they grow fresh in Nature's garden, and jut out from the mountain sides, rather than from the masses of souls I meet. On hearts that deepest feel and deepest love. "Perfect thro' suffering," mounting thus above The sense of wrong, the soul is steadfast made.'" The experiences, the temptations, the heart struggles incident to this period made our brother considerate and sympathetic toward all who have to walk in their Garden of Gethsemane, and drink of the bitter cups of experience. During this period Mr. Peebles was very easily controlled. In psychological, half-dreaming consciousness, he often traveled miles and found himself in strange localities, whither he had no intention of going. Thus led to libraries, he took down books, and turned to passages utterly foreign to any plan of his own, the purpose of which he afterward discovered. Unconscious of the fact at first, he was known to give excellent spirit-tests, as in the instance of a funeral discourse. Whilst picturing the glories of the future life, over the lifeless remains of Dr. A. S. Hayward's wife's mother, in Boston, he seemed to hear the spirit-voices; for he repeated, word for word, the dying testimony of the departed. This mediumistic sensitiveness, quickening every latent force of character, giving preponderance to his organic spirituality, awoke an overanxiety to gain a moral victory in angellife, incidentally inducing a wish, thousands of times expressed, to die, and ascend to the heavens; as if a closer contact with spirits, the very causes of his battles to develop him, would be a safer retreat! One road to wisdom is the knowledge of our weaknesses. When in Oswego, engaged to lecture, guest of J. L. Pool, a lady friend, simply relating the current news, said to him: "Well, Brother Peebles, we used to think you were a good man when pastor of our Universalist society here; but we hear terrible stories about you in the West." "What's up now?" asked Mr. Peebles. "They say you have got to be a drunkard, a beastly drunkard, wallowing in the streets of Battle Creek." Astonished and morally indignant, Mr. Peebles exclaimed, "It is a lie, a malicious, vindictive lie! I belong to the Good Templars of Battle Creek, and am Chaplain of the Lodge. This is a lying, wicked, slanderous world. I am sick of it. I wish I were in the spirit-world, away from all this social corruption!" When these two brothers were alone, Aaron Nite approached, entranced Dr. Dunn, and said, "Well, Friend Peebles, we have been listening to your description of the slandering, wicked, backbiting world in which you live; and, while hearing, we thought of our own, so beautiful, orderly, loving, and happy." "I know that," answered Mr. Peebles; "I understand all that; hence my desire to die and be with you in your spirithome." 66 Ah, Friend Peebles! we don't like to pluck green fruit in our country. You never saw an apple want to fall from the bough in July, when it is sour, green, bitter, unfit for use; but, seemingly wiser than you, wants to hang on till long in October or November,- till it gets ripe, full, luscious, matured, when there comes an opportune breeze, and it drops off, born into individuality, a natural and beautiful separation. So we want you to hang to the bough of life on earth till your work is done, and you are fully ripe for the spirit-world; then we shall call for you, and meet you at the entering in." After this lesson our brother was not in such a hurry to die; but to live as long as he could, battle bravely, face all Islanders and falsehood with heroic fortitude, and remember green fruit." 66 While lecturing in Indiana, the question incidentally suggested itself whether Christ really did walk upon the water. The spirits declared that such a thing was possible, but that certain things were essential: the medium must fast several days and avoid hard labor. The conditions being faithfully complied with, one evening, the light burning, Mr. Peebles and others had the satisfaction of seeing the medium carried up by spirits perfectly afloat between the bed and ceiling. This was several times repeated. "Powers there are That touch each other to the quick, in modes Which the gross world no sense hath to perceive, No soul to dream of." On another occasion Mr. Peebles inquired of the spirits if the story of the three Hebrew children (Daniel III) passing through the fiery furnace unharmed, was true. Perasee, versed ΙΟ |