William D. Valentine Diary

-ing after [??] if persons to [??] the [theres?], and whether or not women or how many were concerned in the theft. We stood in astonishment. It confirmed some of our opinions, but denied others and revealed new persons; and there was nothing improbable in the [??] of the truth. Still we cannot [??] their [??] so. We must be silent.

I must now remark [??] one of the repeated facts is [??] as not there. No table signified by knocking as [??] whether or not I would return to Winston last evening, distant 13 miles. It repeatedly indicated I would not return to Winston last evenging. I did come. At the time it seemed probable I would not return,; for it knocked and raised [??] But I had a pleasant ride home. So [??] [??] in this particular and I [opinion?] wary. But the knocking what [??] it? If [??] things we knew the truth of it and rap truly. If [??] of the past why not of the future? It may be the spirits do not know of the future, though or it [??] to [??] . Many of us would be very happy to know our future [??] according to divine revelation the Holy Bible, it is not given to us to know. And on the occasion the spirit if such it be said or indicated that the Bible is truth revealed and that [??] for man's happiness and that infidelity is not for his happiness.

I was [unbound?] by the rapping that I was to [??] the place whereas I now live - that I should [??] in [??] - that I would never marry, have no child - that I would educate [??] after [??]

[??] not my [??] that I was to live here but three years ÷ that should live, at first it said or knocked repeatedly, but [??] years; some after words it was [??] I should live many years and this repeatedly. Whether it was in the [train?] and courteous of though of the [willing?] [??] by the table with hands on I know not. Indeed I was [voting?] of the whenever. It is the most unaccountable and puzzling thing I have ever met with yet.

In compliance with request it informed us who of certain persons now dead are at rest and who not at rest. Here we were serious indeed. In five it informed of the past and the future. Of the past of what we knew we know it was correct. Of the future of course we know not of its [correct??] [??] are [??] my returning to Winston last even-ing in which it was not correct, for I did return.

Is this spiritual or is it philosophy, naturally one [??] truthe we way [??] or certain: "there are more things in heaven and earth than are [dreamed?] of in our philosophy." Whatever it be I can not but think it is a natural agent, hitherto unknown as [??] Wayland says, and that these must be delusions in some way, that is, there is something unkown to us in a natural way that [??] us - that it way be because of our ignorance at present of the nature of the natural agent. If there be spiritual, supernatural, manifes tations, then the Holy Revelations of God, the Holy Bible, is [??]. At least it seems so. Believing the truth of the Bible, I must doubt

the truth of this spirituality - its past and future tellings. It is too wonderful, too [??] for we to [dilate?] [??] I have been truthful, plain, and mature of fact. This writing and eloquence are [??] [??] now. If I could see and believe it is some agency or law of [?] nature to be known and is evaporated in science, I could speculate. [??] gifted could be truly eloquent But this [??] and the [??], the wise and the foolish or ignorant are all on a par here. What is it? Say to ignorant; what is it? say the [??] I now see that is something in these rappings so mysterious as to force gravest [??]- [??}]. The Lord be with me and us. [??] Him I will adhere as I can [??] Him and the bible, that blessed and blessing book. I Say this in reference to the truth of the Bible [9th?] God's only [??] word, with regard to the future. I am as unmoved, [??} and undisturbed as I was before the experiment. [??]- -[??] whatever has it for me. I am first as safe now as I was before. i am in this hollow of the Lord of my God. We can only in a temporal ssense, [??] the future by the past as what has been may be again, in accord dance to the law of nature, and to the [??] of human nature which is the same every where and at all times, [ancient?] and modern. Strong minded, reasonable and well informed cannot believe persons they know of [??] truth in regard to the [aforesaid?] knockings until they [??] thesse [??]. [??] they are staggered. They know there is no misfortune. Still looking to the Bible as [??} truthe from God the Creaator and knowes of all things, they cannot but deny the supernatural in these things.

The 9th. The rappings, as they are frequently called I believe have caused much unhappiness and [??] [??] with some people, under the impression they are supernatural - that they are manifestation of spirits of deceased persons or something of that kind. It is well calculated to have this effect on weak minded persons, particularly the superstitious, those that believe in ghosts, "[??] seeing", and the like. Indeed these rappings are calculated to make a deep and solumn impression on the most [??] and wise of makind who [??]- [??] these. Many are aware to, do not want to believe the fact, yet are forced to believe against ththis will, when they try the experi-ment. So simple is it every body can try it. What influence it is to have and what is to be made of it and cause is yet fortune to unfold. We are [??] for a solution of this wonderful things. Is it possible that departed spirits are capable of communicating with the living?! So departed spirits know the future. Is it [??]- [??] with God that they should communicate the future to the living?! I cannot, I repeat, yet believe there is any thing supernatural in these "manifestations". They must be natural, but won derful in a manner and to a degree never before [??] of by man. The human body, the human thoughts and the will seem to have the wonderful natural agency of producing the effects [??] [??]. It is this [??] wonderderful agency in nature hitherto unknown. It may be allied to what is called [??] which is the controlling by an person of another by will, without the [??] knowing the cause

Winton, Sat 11th June 1853. Table movings, or Spirit-Knockings. I have experimented in these so called things on two occasions since the one noted and commented on in the last pages, mak-ing the third that I have had with the knockings. The first time I was struck with wonderful amusement and very serious consideration but came to the [??] decision it was natural, not super natural. The second time, a night or two after, I was [confirmed?] the [were in?] opinion that it was the hum an body and mind combined in operations that pro duced the mysterious responses or effects by some natural agency [worked?] and hitherto unknown. The third time, last night, I felt and feel still more [confirmed?] that the wood put in [??]- [??] with the human body and human will is [??] [??] and made to do effects seemingly of [??]- are divine only in the same manner that [??] thunder and rain, or any other law of nature is divine - that it is not supernatural, with which a stranger to the mysterious things for the first time would be [??] [??]. The more I think of it, note, compare and [??] of it, the more I am of the opinion that it-is natural, but in the most puzzling mysterious sense imaginable. The most hardended sceptic goes to the table and watches for him or herself and rises a confirmed convert, at first full of [??], but after, of matter-of-fact-seriousness. This [??] -ting to [??] the effect upon a sceptic [??] first hand. Last night, a young man, a sceptic when he laid his hands on the table, after seeing and hearing for himself cried while he was laughing. He was [??] with the belief it was natural, or he would not have laughed.