A Book Written by the Spirits of the So-Called Dead

CHAPTER XXIV.. Extracts From Each of Two Funeral Discourses by Bishop Simpson

Extracts from each of two Funeral Discourses by Bishop Simpson and Rev. W. H. Thomas, D. D., with Conclusions of C. G. Helleberg 239

ERRATA.

Page 3, line 26, for most communications, read most of the communications. " 24, line 7, for Mrs. Stebbins, read Mr. Stebbins. " 29, line 18, for are, read is. " 30, line 27, for their, read his. " 30, line 28, for them, read him. " 34, line 8, for was, read were. " 35, line 1, for this is, read these are. " 46, line 2, for me and my wife, read my wife and I. " 49, line 7, for Edward, read Edwin. " 50, line 15, for Guthof, read Gustaf. " 51, line 26, for thy, read the. " 57, line 16, for were, read was. " 60, line 6, for me, read us. " 60, line 26, for a, read the. " 63, line 21, for our, read the. " 68, line 8, for miscreants, read misdeeds. " 69, line 4, for Daniel, read David. " 69, line 31, for laws, read love. " 71, line 24, for nearly, read nearly a third. " 76, line 30, for ever, read ever surging. " 77, line 9, for of more, read of the more. " 77, line 30, for rivulet, read violent. " 80, line 27, for of, read and. " 82, line 13, for formed, read former. " 83, last line read, and out of the ambient. " 84, line 17, for then, read there. " 86, line 1, for mighty, read weighty. " 88, line 20, omit again regained, and read required. " 90, line 14, for glory, read misery. " 91, next to last line for when, read where. " 94, line 16, for constitutional, read constituent. " 100, line 26, for beautiful, read beautifully. " 101, line 5, for originated, read originating. " 107, line 18, for you, read your. " 109, last line, for question, read questioned. " 111, line 18, for figures, read pigmies. " 115, line 10, for needs, read needs but. " 120, line 6, for or, read are. " 121, line 14, for early, read latter. " 133, line 22, for unbeliefs, read erroneous belief. " 136, line 11, for hearsay, read heresy. " 147, line 28, for he, read the. " 157, line 22, for with, read by. " 165, last line, for you thought, read your thoughts. " 167, line 14, for nationalism, read rationalism, etc. " 174, line 4, for almighty, read mighty. " 174, last line for to, read through. " 180, line 24, for arises, read arise. " 183, line 3, for pacified, read purified. " 184, line 27, for subsequent, read consequent. " 187, line 25, for trifling, read toiling. " 200, line 5, for actuate, read actuates. " 200, line 23, for adapting, read adopting. " 210, line 30, for J. & J. W. Gaff, read T. & J. W. Gaff. " 211, line 14, for mission, read vision. " 211, line 19, for literary, read literally. " 221, line next to bottom, for assimilation, read dissemination. " 231, line 2, for bonana, read banana. " 240, line 21, for of, read to.

SPIRIT COMMUNICATIONS.

CHAPTER I.. Introduction.

INTRODUCTION.

The communications in this little volume, purporting to come from disembodied spirits, came in the manner hereinafter stated, and all that I had to do with them was to faithfully and to the letter transcribe them from the slate on which they were written into blank memorandum books which I procured for the purpose. Before laying before the reader the modus operandi of their delivery, I deem it proper that I should give a brief outline of my own history, especially do I feel the importance of this since I am little known outside of the circle of my immediate acquaintances. It has always been my aim in life to live uprightly before God and man, and as to the success of this noble purpose, formed in early life, I may confidently refer to my neighbors, and many of the leading citizens of Cincinnati, Ohio, with whom I have enjoyed an intimate social and business acquaintance for nearly forty years. I do not know why I should have been made the recipient and custodian of the truly remarkable spirit communications contained in the following pages, except from a long lifetime of honest endeavor to do right I was deemed worthy, and from the additional consideration that the spirits interested in the work knew I would cordially co-operate with them in laying the matter presented before the world, and that, happily, I possessed the pecuniary means to do so.

I was born at Grafriset, near Fahlun, in the kingdom of Sweden, March 1, 1811, and have now passed my seventy-first year. At the age of sixteen I entered the Swedish army, and at nineteen became a student at Upsala University, where I remained for two years. After rendering military service for five years, and passing a successful examination, I was permitted to enter the civil service of my country. In the capacity of land surveyor I served for over ten years, when a desire to personally witness the workings of republican institutions induced me to make an application to travel in foreign countries, which permission I obtained for the period of two years. In 1844 I left my native land for the United States, and in 1845 located at Cincinnati, Ohio, and soon thereafter engaged in the art of daguerreotyping, and afterwards photographing, and in the following year married Miss Annie E. Franks, daughter of Frederick Franks, a leading and influential citizen of the city, who is still remembered as the proprietor of Cincinnati's early famous museum. In religion I was raised a Lutheran, but at the time (1879) of embracing spiritualism and for thirty years preceding I was a devout and earnest Swedenborgian. I commenced the investigation of spiritual phenomena in 1879, and soon became convinced of the sublime truths of the spiritual philosophy.

As in the following pages the exalted spirit of Madam Fredrika Ehrenborg imparts, among other things, marvelous information in regard to the Planet Mars, of our solar system, it is deemed fitting that somewhat of her history should be made known in this connection:

She was born March 15, 1794, in the Province of Wermland, in the kingdom of Sweden, and at the age of seventeen married a highly esteemed nobleman, Casper Isac Michael Ehrenborg. He left the body in 1823, and was at the time Chief Justice of Sweden. Madam Ehrenborg was an enthusiastic Swedenborgian, and she passed to the higher life in the Swedish city of Linköping on the 20th of May, 1873. Her life in many respects was an eventful one, and largely devoted to literary pursuits. She translated writings on religious subjects from several languages into Swedish, and wrote books and pamphlets in the interest of Swedenborgianism, and visited England, Switzerland, Denmark, Germany and France in search of materials for her works. It was not my good fortune to have met this eminent lady during her mortal life, but I happily enjoyed a truly instructive and pleasant correspondence with her during the last three years of her life in the form.

I commenced my investigations in September, 1881, with the celebrated medium Mrs. Lizzie S. Green, through whose mediumship most of the communications to follow were written. For ten months I had never less than two sittings a week, and the largest portion of that time four per week, and have had ample opportunities to study her true character. As the result I am justified by the truth in proclaiming to the world my thorough conviction of her honesty, purity and simplicity of character. Her education, as I have been informed, was sadly neglected in youth, and she has had few opportunities to improve in later years. She married the Hon. Edward H. Green, of Aurora, Indiana, before her eighteenth year, and has devoted her succeeding years until recently to the domestic duties of life and to the raising of a family, of whom only one, a daughter, survives. Her husband served with ability a numerous and intelligent constituency in the Indiana legislature of 1866-7, and served recently and to general acceptance two terms of two years each as Mayor of Aurora, Indiana, his native city.

The communications of spirits contained in this volume were written by the spirits with their own materialized hands, and the process was generally as follows: A small stand of the ordinary kind in construction, covered by a table cloth, was used, the medium placing with one hand under the covering of the stand a slate on which was placed a small piece of pencil. The other hand of the medium was continually exposed to full view, as was also her entire form. Both double and single slates were used. We heard the writing as it progressed, and when the slate was filled it would be indicated by distinct taps on the slate and the dropping of the pencil. The slate would be then taken out, and as the chosen scribe I would faithfully transcribe the written matter into the book aforementioned, and the slate would then be cleaned and returned under the stand, and in this manner all the matter hereinafter set forth was produced. I have reported it verbatim et literatim, without changing it in the slightest degree, neither adding nor taking therefrom a single word. Each sitting would occupy from one to two hours, and in broad daylight. I have taken occasion to preface some of these communications with a few lines, by way of explanation and to secure clearness of understanding in relation to them.

Continue reading A Book Written by the Spirits of the So-Called Dead free in the Wunder reader →