Its Origin by W. A. Colcord

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Sep 4, 1901

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 27, No. 36.

Its Origin

By W. A. Colcord

MODERN SPIRITISM.—No. 1.

Its Origin.

FIFTY-THREE years ago, modern Spiritism, as such, became public through the Fox family, at Hydesville, near Rochester, N. Y. The attention of the family had been attracted by what assumed the form of raps. Chairs were also sometimes moved about at night, as well as the dining-room table. The annoyances increased so much as seriously to disturb the repose of the family. They sought for a respite from the disturbances, which seemed to center chiefly around the two young daughters, Kate and Margaret. The girls’ beds were finally removed into the sleeping-room of the parents, and the children enjoined not to talk of noises. But scarcely had the family retired till the girls cried out, “Here they are again.” The mother chided them, and lay down, whereupon the noises became louder and more startling. The children, thoroughly aroused, sat up in bed.

The night being windy, the father examined the window to see if that was what was making the noise. Kate remarked that as often as her father shook the window-sash, the noise seemed to reply. Emboldened by familiarity with the disturbances, she snapped her finger, and called out, “Do as I do.” The knocking immediately responded. Then she tried, by silently bringing together her thumb and forefinger, to see if she could obtain a response. Yes! It could see as well as hear!

This at once aroused the mother’s attention. “Count ten,” she said, addressing the noise. Ten strokes were distinctly given. “How old is my daughter Margaret?” Twelve strokes. “And Kate?” Nine. “What can all this mean?” thought Mrs. Fox. She continued, “How many children have I?” Seven strokes. “Ah,” she thought, “it can blunder sometimes.” “Try again,” she said. Still the number of raps was seven. Of a sudden a thought crossed her mind. “Are all alive?” she asked. Silence for an answer. “How many are living?” Six strokes. “How many are dead?” A single stroke. She had lost a child.

A neighbor lady was called in to help solve the mystery if possible. She came in laughing, but the answers to her inquiries were no less prompt and pertinent, and upon her attention being called to the recent loss of a loved one, she burst into tears.

Thus on the night of March 31, 1848, the first intelligent communication from “the spirit world” came through the mysterious “knockings.” This was the beginning of modern Spiritism.

The Fox family sought to get free from their connection with these mysterious and inexplicable manifestations, but each morning they would find four coffins drawn with artistic skill upon the door of the dining-room of their home, all of different sizes, approximating the ages and sizes of the members of the family residing at home, and they were informed that unless they made this great mystery known to the world, they would all speedily die and enter the spirit world. Accordingly, Corinthian Hall was hired in Rochester, New York, and several public exhibitions of the “knockings” were given. After subjecting the girls to the closest scrutiny and the severest tests by a large and influential committee of citizens, these manifestations were declared to be the result of some power and intelligence altogether outside the girls themselves.

Its Manifestations.

After these demonstrations, Spiritism spread with astounding rapidity all over the civilized world. Like an electric wave, it seemed to encircle the globe. Thousands in all lands were soon investigating this strange and fascinating wonder of modern times. In every city and hamlet almost throughout all Christendom; men, women, and children were prying into this occultism, holding their private sittings, forming their circles, having their knockings, table-tippings, and other spiritual manifestations, and obtaining answers to their questions by means of these mysterious “rappings.”

However modern Spiritism may be viewed, it comes to us as a wonder-working power. While it may be freely admitted that there has been much fraud, trickery, and deception connected with it, still, on the other hand, there have been many well-attested wonders performed by it, which no one has been able to reproduce by mere sleight-of-hand, or to explain upon any natural hypothesis or scientific basis.

Among the well-known phenomena of Spiritism, aside from the usual rappings and table-tippings, may be mentioned the following: Various articles have been transported from place to place, without human hands, by the agency of so-called spirits only; beautiful music has been produced independently of human agency, with and without the aid of visible instruments; many well-attested cases of healing have been presented; persons have been carried through the air by the spirits in the presence of many witnesses; tables have been suspended in the air with several persons on them; purported spirits of deceased persons have presented themselves in bodily form and talked with audible voice.

Mr. Zollner, the famous German philosopher, after careful investigation of the phenomena of Spiritism, attests that he has seen knots tied in the middle of cords by an invisible agency, while both ends were made securely fast so that they could not be tampered with; messages written between doubly and trebly sealed slates; coins passed through a table; straps of leather knotted under his own hand; the impression of two feet made on sooted paper pasted inside two sealed slates; and a table wholly disappear, and later fall from the top of the room to the floor where he was sitting. These wonders quite eclipse the feats of the most dexterous performers of sleight-of-hand or legerdemain. Says Professor W. F. Barrett, of the Royal College of Dublin, “Beneath a repellant mass of imposture and delusion there remain ‘certain inexplicable and startling facts which science can neither explain ‘away nor deny.’”

Facts and incidents in life have been revealed by spiritistic mediums under trance, which indicate an intimate acquaintance with the most private life and histories of individuals. The manifestations and revelations of Spiritism show that there is not only a supernatural power behind them, but that there is an invisible and superhuman intelligence connected with them also. Mr. Minot J. Savage, a noted Unitarian minister of Boston, who has most carefully examined the claims and manifestations of Spiritism, says: “I am in possession of ‘a respectable body of facts that I do not know how to explain, except ‘on the theory that I am dealing with some invisible intelligence. I ‘hold that as the only tenable theory I am acquainted with.”

The fact that such intelligent men as these, together with Mr. W. T. Stead, editor of the Review of Reviews, and many others we might mention, have, upon careful examination, been compelled to admit that the manifestations of Spiritism are the result of unseen forces and invisible intelligences, goes far to establish the fact that Spiritism is not all trickery or mere sleight-of-hand performances. There is a real something to it which defies human ingenuity and unaided reason to explain.

What is the source of this power and intelligence, and what are the nature, influence, and tendency of the teachings of modern Spiritism, will form the subjects of our next two articles.

W. A. COLCORD.