LETTER IV.. _evidence Produced by the Discourse of the Spectre._

Evidence produced by the discourse of the Spectre.

Dear Sir:--I would now present to your consideration the conversation of the Spectre. But I shall first observe the objection urged against some part of it.

At the time when she appeared to several persons at two o’clock in the day, she said, she must come into the room, where the company were; but was prevented by earnest entreaty. This, they say was a falsehood.

At another time when she walked in company with forty people, she went with them only to one house, though she had informed them that she must go to two houses. She indeed went forward in order to visit the other house, but was again prevented by earnest entreaty. This was a fault like the other.

Observe a similar case in Gen. 19: 2, 3. “And he said, behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant’s house, and tarry all night and wash your feet; and ye shall rise up early and go on your ways: and they said, nay, but we will abide in the street all night. But he pressed upon them greatly, and they turned in unto him and entered into his house.”

Several credible persons say, “she promised nearly fifty people to convince them of her being such as she professed to be, if they would comply with a certain condition. They complied, and went off unconvinced.” But credible persons are sometimes mistaken, and so, perhaps, they were now: because other persons, as credible and as numerous, who stood nearer to and had better advantage of understanding the voice, declare that it was not the Spectre, but Mr. Blaisdel, who said that the company, by complying, would be convinced. But he was mistaken. They went off, in general, unconvinced at that time. The Spectre uttered but few words and withdrew. This was the night of August 9, 1799. In that company were the best of people, conducting in a sober manner; but others uttered such profanity and derision as rendered them unworthy to obtain conviction. On this account the Spirit afterwards declared that she could not manifest herself among them. Christ himself, in a certain place, could not do many mighty works because of their unbelief. It is early enough to treat any affair with derision when we have fully discovered what it is.

A scorner seeketh wisdom and findeth it not.

This company in general went off with the full persuasion that the whole affair was mere legerdemain, and that the few words of the Spectre, which they had heard, were only the words of Mrs. Butler herself. Though they had been expressly told by an unsuspected person, who held her by the hand when the words were uttered, that she did not speak--that the voice was at a distance from her. But they were moderns, and the witness was rejected; and, as it was plainly a different voice from that of Mrs. Butler, or any other that ever they had heard, necessity, the mother of invention, produced their hypothesis that Mrs. Butler had used some sounding instrument.

But several of the company still remained at the house. To them Mrs. Butler complained of the unjust reproach which encompassed her. “What have I done,” said she, “that I must suffer all this.” “Nothing, dear, you have done nothing,” answered a voice immediately in the vacant space of the room. Then about fourteen persons, by the direction of the Spectre, went into the cellar. As soon as they were there, the Spectre said to Mrs. Butler, “Go up and sit with others on the kitchen hearth, that this company may know that it is not you who speaks.” After she was gone up the ghost conversed with the company on several topics, suited to authenticate her mission.

She mentioned several incidents of her past life, known only to her husband, as he declared, and asked him if he remembered them. He said, yes: she asked him if he had told them. He answered, no: and of such a nature were those incidents as to render it utterly improbable that he ever should have mentioned them before. This was at the time when he attempted to handle the apparition.

It is objected against her, that she told who was in heaven and who was in hell.

She indeed mentioned the world of misery, as the eternal portion of the finally impenitent; but I find not the least evidence of her particularizing any person, or persons as being in that miserable state.

She indeed mentioned several deceased persons as being in a state of happiness: and who can prove the impropriety of this? though indeed it is not what we should have expected.

Once when she conversed with about fourteen persons, Mr. Blaisdel having heard that his father was sick, asked the Spectre whether she knew any thing or not, concerning him? “Your father,” she replied, “is in heaven, praising God with the angels.” He afterwards found that his father, two hundred miles distant, died seven days before this answer of the ghost. True, the news might come from thence in that interval. But his friends at York, where his father lived, utterly deny that they sent the news in the course of these days. Suppose however, the news did some way or other come: could any deceiver, improving the circumstance, know what questions Mr. Blaisdel would ask, so as to be sure they could all be answered? Or was Mr. Blaisdel himself in the plot? “No,” say our opponents, “his piety, his veracity, and his utter aversion to the purpose of it, forbid the suspicion.” It is therefore probable that the same creature, who appeared and disappeared so often in the view of the people, and could tell them where they should be and what they would say and do in future time, was the true author of this information.

At a certain time, when thirty people were convened to hear her conversation, the name of a certain woman, who was absent, happened to be introduced. “That woman,” said the ghost, “has enjoyed a revival lately.” Immediately one of the company went to her and asked what had lately been the state of her mind. She related it to him, and he told her that her information and that of the Spectre agreed. Upon this she came and saw the Spectre; heard her conversation for several hours, and expressed abundant satisfaction and delight.

At the time when fifty people heard her discourse, while more than forty saw her; to some of them, who had no more believed these extraordinary events than mankind now do in general, she mentioned several occurrences of her past life known to them and her, but not divulged, in order to satisfy them that she was the very person she professed to be. Almost all this company had been acquainted with her in her lifetime, and a considerable number of them very intimately. She desired that any of them would ask what questions they pleased, for the removal of any doubts respecting her, which might exist in their minds. Accordingly certain persons did propose several questions respecting a number of events in her past life not divulged, which were so minute and circumstantial as to render the hypothesis of their being all so exactly rehearsed, as now to become the medium of artifice, utterly absurd and irrational. To all these inquiries she gave complete, satisfactory answers.

But not to detain you, I will now only ask, How shall I judge of these facts? Shall I suppose that some artful girl personating that deceased woman, could present herself before forty people, well acquainted with that woman in her lifetime? Tell them by a voice inimitable not to be afraid--to stand as near as they pleased, and ask as many questions as they pleased, and all without fear of discovery? What subtle person would not be subtle enough to avoid such a perilous situation?

I remain yours.

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