sabbaths past, he has held but one service in consequence. Brother Peebles is an excellent pastor, and therefore will not long be without a society suited to his strength."

The' Baltimore Sun noticed the resignation thus magnanimously,

"We understand that the Rev. J. M. Peebles, pastor of the Universalist Church in this city, has handed his resignation to that society. Mr. Peebles has been forced to this step by declining health; and we are sure his society will regret the cause of this determination. During Mr. Peebles's short stay in this city, he has won for himself many warm friends; and the large and increasing attendance in his ministerial labors are sure evidences that his society fully apreciate his talents. He will rest from his labors for at least a year, hoping thereby to re-establish his health and usefulness."

Several leading clergyman, disliking the unwarranted suspicions breathed by The Trumpet, addressed the following letter to the editor:

"BROTHER WHITTEMORE,- Having made inquiry concerning the report referred to in your paper of last week concerning Rev. J. M. Peebles, we beg leave to say, that we consider said report not warranted by the circumstances, and founded upon unauthorized and exaggerated statements.

"E. H. CHAPIN.

G. T. FLANDERS.

A. ST. JOHN CHAMBRE.
A. C. THOMAS.

B. PETERS.

HENRY LYON.

EBEN FRANCIS.

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And others.

"New York, Oct. 30, 1856." Finding the report was founded upon unauthorized and exaggerated statements," the ministerial busybodies began to fear they had gone too far for the good of the denomination. There is a point of traffic with unrighteous wares when "forbearance ceases to be a virtue." But Mr. Peebles was not

alone in his pilgrimage from bondage to freedom. Of the Universalist ministers persecuted, slandered, or excommunicated for the heresy of Spiritualism about that time, may be mentioned, Revs. T. L. Harris, E. B. Averill, J. M. Spear, J. P. Averill, S. B. Brittan, T. J. Smith, L. P. Rand, J. B. Dods, Wm. Fishbough, Adin Ballou, George Severance, B. S. Hobbs, J. H. Harter, Rev. Mr. Cravens, A. C. Edmunds, A. J. Fishback, J. O. Barrett, Joseph Baker, J. C. Crawford, R. Connor, etc. Mr. Connor was 'cast out of the synagogue" for disbelief in the plenary inspiration of the Bible, the resurrection of the physical body of Christ, and other minor opinions.

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After occupying his pulpit two or three months succeeding his resignation, Mr. Peebles and wife left for Canton, N. Y., the "old homestead," where he soon received letters soliciting him to return and build up a new society in Baltimore. Others urged him to accept his previous charge, as letters from J. L. Camp, Geo. T. White, E. L. Ironmonger, Marston, Marden, etc., at our disposal, testify; but he declined every proffer of the kind, when his old society passed unanimously the following resolutions:

"BALTIMORE, Oct. 6, 1856.

"REV. J. M. PEEBLES. Dear Brother,-At a meeting of the Universalist Society of the city of Baltimore, convened in the church, Oct. 5, 1856, your resignation was received and the following action had thereon:

"Whereas, It has become necessary for our pastor, on account of his declining health, to offer his resignation to the society over which he has held pastoral relations during the past nine months, therefore, be it

"Resolved, That the resignation of Brother J. M. Peebles, as pastor of the Second Universalist Society of Baltimore, be received and accepted.

"Resolved, That we sincerely deplore the occasion which has led Brother Peebles thus early to dissolve the connection which has so happily existed between us as pastor and people.

"Resolved, That, wherever his lot may be cast, when other friends are around him, and when other scenes meet his eyes,

our prayers will ascend to the Giver of all good gifts' to restore him to health and usefulness, and to lengthen his days on the earth.

"Resolved, That in all his relations toward this society, as pastor, friend, and guardian of the sabbath school, he has ever evinced a devotedness and untiring zeal, which have conduced to rivet the bonds of affection between us and him more close and firm; and we will not omit to say, that the cause of Christ has prospered in his hands.

"Resolved, That a copy of this preamble and resolutions be signed by the officers, and transmitted to Bro. J. M. Peebles. "JAS. L. CAMP, Secretary. "RICHARD MARLEY, President Board of Trustees.”

Mr. Peebles never held a pastoral relation with any society or church that did not, at the dissolution, pass resolutions in his favor with unanimous indorsement.

At Canton the weeks and months dragged wearily. Mr. Peebles was slow in recovering from the extreme prostration incident to his labors in Baltimore. His cough seemed incipient consumption. The outlook seemed very discouraging. How depressing to ambition is an enfeebled body. In the midst of this despondency he resolved to quit the ministry forever. There were untried fields he would certainly find less harassing and more compensating. Minnesota was then rapidly settling up and offered fresh fields for business enterprise. Mr. Peebles had a cousin, Col. F. E. Peebles, banker and real estate dealer, in Winona, Minn. With his cousin he opened correspondence, and in a few weeks was on his way to the West. He was to enter upon a business career, for which he possessed the poorest possible qualifications, both by reason of natural fitness and training. This was indeed a pretty shift for a prophet! But he was not destined to travel far on that road.

On the way west Mr. Peebles stopped off in Cleveland to visit some old friends, whom he had known in Kelloggsville, N. Y. Among the subjects canvassed was Spiritualism, which had already appeared such an unmanageable element of church

discord. The subject had much attraction for Mr. Peebles, but as yet he was neither convicted or fully committed.

The Davenport boys were then performing in the city; and, fortunately, a séance was appointed in a hall that afternoon. Among the prominent lawyers, physicians, ministers, and other quizzing thinkers, sat Mr. Peebles, eyeing the machinery with silent suspicion. The ropes were securely tied upon the brothers, flour put into their hands, chalk marks around their feet, and the room darkened; when instantly the musical instruments moved swiftly round the room, played on by invisible hands. Dreamy suspicion changed to earnest curiosity. He was quite a philosopher now, thinking by what occult agency odylic, magnetic, earthly, or spiritual- that strange phenomenon was produced. A few, more churchal, trembled, fearful that the devil was playing his tricks upon them; but James felt safe on his shaky plank of bibliolatry. When the circle was in good order, by request of the mediums, the light, subdued and mellow, shone just enough to reveal those instruments passing and repassing over their heads, playing a tune; and there sat the Davenports, snugly tied in their chairs. King, the hero-spirit, then spoke audibly through a trumpet, startling them with the assurance that he would reveal himself to them in bodily shape.

Of course this involved what we have later come to realize as "materialization." Is not the whole domain of physical nature a materialization out of invisible states of matter? Matter is itself invisible to material vision. It is only when precipitated into concrete body that we are capable of apprehending matter. More than ninety per cent of the material in our forest trees is precipitated from the atmosphere through the action of the sun's rays. The idea of the rose or the tree must precede the material embodiment; then with proper conditions the process goes forward. Why may not the spiritual identity of a departed denizen of earth serve as a germ-point or battery to invest itself with substances which are suspended in the atmosphere and aura of a spiritual circle, and so clothe itself,-organ for organ, function for function, -sufficient for a veritable spirit manifestation?

Emma Hardinge, in her great work entitled "History of Modern American Spiritualism," thus presents the analytical testimony of the spirits upon this subject:

"In some long, but interesting, communications, written in the spirit-room, without human agency, it is said that spirits, in their communion with earth, manifest through two primitive elements; namely, first, an electro-magnetic element, of which the spiritual body is composed; next, a physical aura, which emanates from the medium, or can be collected from material substances, analogous, it is supposed, to the element of vitality' described in the preceding chapter. From the combination of these two,- namely, the emanations of the spirit and the medium,- a third, or composite, is formed, which is affected by the atmosphere and human emanations. From the preponderance of the electro-magnetic or spiritual element, the laws of cohesion and gravitation can be overcome; and, through this, spirits are enabled to dissolve and recompose substances with great rapidity, heave up and carry material bodies through the air, and cause them to float or sink, in proportion to the strength of the battery formed. It is this element which enables some spirits, highly charged with it, to come into contact with matter, and thus to use pencils, pens, etc., in writing, drawing, and playing on musical instruments. By aid of the physical or human aura,— animal magnetism, they cause concussions, raps, shaking of furniture, and heavy ponderable bodies; by this, also, they produce spirit-light, gathering it up so as to form an envelope of matter around their own hands, condense sound so as to be heard, singing, and speaking, and strike upon the heavier instruments. The composite element is used more or less in all modes.""

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Mr. Peebles was "struck with conviction," but still trying to "climb up the old way." Scales were before his vision, and spirits were a wonder in a wonder-making world. He had at first doubted whether those instruments would fly around their heads without hands touching them: then the spirits permitted him to see them moving, as if themselves