CHAPTER XII.

PRETENDED ANIMATION OF A DIVINING IMAGE.

"Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth."-EXODUS xx: 4.

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THE devotees of demons in this country, if we except a few Chinese, succeeded in dispensing with the use of images in their devotions and communion with their divinities for several years. But as the want of such an important and time-honored appendage to this anti-christian intercourse was deeply realized, and as ordinary patterns, such as are exhibited in the "Missionary Rooms" in Boston and New York, were unsuited to this "progressive age," in 1854, the spirits and their votaries applied their combined skill to supply the lamentable defect. The Spiritual brotherhood of Boston and vicinity, headed by John M. Spear, the Boston seer, at the instigation and under the direction of the spirits, constructed a complicated divining image in the shape of a man, at an expense of about two thousand dollars, and set it up-not on

"the plains of Dura"--but on High Rock, Lynn, Mass.

The constructors of the image claimed that it was to be the embodiment of principles and forces in nature, which had never been understood till divulged by the spirits, and that it was to be semihuman! Mr. Hewett, of Boston, in giving its history in the New Era of June 21, 1854, says :

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The Electric Motor is an exact correspondence of the human body, at least, in so far as involuntary motion is concerned."

The strange mechanism of this image obviously originated not only in a desire on the part of the demons to gain notoriety and influence, but in a purpose to palm off on the world as an "Electrical Motor," a machine to be propelled, like Mr. Koons' "electrical table," by themselves, to represent it to be an artificial wonder, but the result of natural laws, and a complete counterpart to the "miraculous conception" of the Redeemer; in order to throw contempt on the Biblical account of his origin and destroy the belief that he was the Son of God!

Mr. Davis, the seer, says of the image, "There has been an attempt to infuse human vitality into the mineral substances, on the religious theory of the 'miraculous conception,' for which, however, the spirits have divulged what is considered a natural explanation."

Concerning this most scandalous "attempt" re

specting the birth of a soul to this idol, the New

Era says:

"There has been such an attempt on the part of the spirits, and that it has been successful, we have abundant evidence, in both the principle involved, and in the results which have since followed. Strange as it may seem, neither of the two distinct periods of motion arrived, till after a regular and ordinary arrangement of certain peculiar, mediumistic persons, in certain specific relations to the mechanism of human vitality or living aura had taken place.

by spiritual

“It was announced to Mrs. intelligences, several months since, that she should become a mother in some new sense-that she should be the Mary of a New Dispensation.

Previously to this, Mrs.

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had for some time experienced certain sensations analogous to those attendant upon gestation. Subsequently these indications gradually increased, until they at length became very marked and inexplicable, and presented some very singular characteristics. length a request came, through the instrumentality of J. M. Spear, that on a certain day she should visit the tower at High Rock. None in the fleshherself least of all—had any conception of the object of that visit. When there, however-suitable preparations having been carefully made by superior direction, though their purpose was incomprehensible-she began to experience the peculiar and

agonizing sensations of parturition-differing somewhat from the ordinary experience, inasmuch as the throes were internal and of the spirit, rather than of the physical nature; but nevertheless quite as uncontrollable and not less severe than those pertaining to the latter. This extraordinary physiological phenomenon continued for the space of about two hours. Its purpose and results were wholly incomprehensible to all but herself; but her own perceptions, clear and distinct, that in these, agonizing throes, the most interior and refined elements of her spiritual being were imparted to, and absorbed by the appropriate portions of the mechanism—its minerals having been made peculiarly receptive by previous chemical processes.

“***** The result of this phenomenon was that indications of life or pulsation, became apparent. in the mechanism-first, to her own keenly sensitive touch, and soon after to the eyes of all beholders. These pulsations continued to increase, under a process which she was impelled to continue for some weeks, precisely analogous to that of nursing-for which preparation had previously been made in her own organism, while she was in utter ignorance of any such design-until at times a very marked and surprising motion resulted.

have, as yet, any definite conception as to what this 'new-born child-the so-called 'Electrical Motor'

-is to be. However 'enthusiastic' or 'extravagant' may be the expectations of others, we do not know that we yet at all comprehend the ultimate designs of the intelligences engaged in it."-New Era, June 28, 1854.

So it appears that when the machinery of this complicated idol had been completed, it was found to be minus a soul-that Mrs. Somebody had spiritually conceived by the spirit of some dead man and had actually borne a soul to the image and that she had been nursing the soul, or the image, we are not informed which, and that this offspring was likely to live and grow!

The most unbounded hopes were cherished and the most extravagant language was employed concerning this blasphemously styled “Physical Saviour !"

Says Mr. Hewett: "The deep satisfaction which we enjoy, that the world is by and by to be blessed beyond conception, by this physical Saviour, through whose instrumentality, a permanent material basis shall be laid for true spiritual salvation, is beyond all price."

Says Mr. Capron: "Quite a number of persons, of great intelligence, candor, and unimpeachable character, fully believed in this second edition of the miraculous conception and birth, and the most unbounded enthusiasm was manifested by many. It was denominated the 'New Motive Power, Physical Saviour, Heaven's Last Best Gift to Man, New