The Spiritualist newspaper > No.142, May 14th 1875

THE SPIRITUALIST.
231
May 14, 1875.
“ And I have none,’' said Mrs. Ferrier; “ only my talk is
strange to them as don’t know me. Well, as I was saying,
the Word forbids me. He says I am sent not to work but to
teach.”
” Who is the Word ? ” said Edward.
At this question Mrs. Ferrier gave a convulsive start, and
said—
” The Word !—the Word is a fire in the inward parts—the
woice of Him that walketh in man, even as a man walketh in
his garden.”
Edward started; and as Mrs. Ferrier seemed much excited,
he began to think that he was in the presence of a maniac.
“You must know, sir, that the woice that spake to the
prophets of old is speaking again to man in these days. He
is stretching forth His hand a second time to gather His people
and bring them out of bondage; and He comes in the woman
the second time, for the man can do nothing alone! ’Tis
true ! ’Tis the woice that speaketh.”
Here Mrs. Ferrier was again convulsed, and put her hand
on her chest, whilst she sighed deeply.
“ This seems strange,” said Edward to Eva. “ What does
all this mean ?”
“ You must find it out,” said Eva. “ I cannot tell you.”
“Don’t be alarmed,” said Mrs. Ferrier; “these young
women know my way, and they are not afraid. Perfect love
casteth out fear. I suppose you have never read the woman’s
writings ? ”
“ Woman’s writings! ” said Edward. “ What woman ? ”
Eva laughed and looked at Betty, and the two girls seemed
greatly to enjoy Edward’s simplicity and astonishment.
“ I mean the woman Joanna Southcott.”
“ Joanna Southcott! That old impostor that was going to
bring forth the Messiah!”
“ That’s the woman I mean,” said Mrs. Ferrier. “ She
was an impostor, and everything is imposture to those who do
not understand it. She has imposed upon us. She imposed
upon herself; and the Word has made fools of us all. We
shall be the wiser for it afterwards.”
“ Eva, I am astonished at you,” said Edward.
“ And I am astonished at you,” said Eva.
“ What! you don’t mean to say that you believe in Joanna
Southcott?” said Edward.
“ I don’t mean to say anything at all. I don’t know what I
believe. My father was a Jew and my mother was a Christian.
My uncle is a man of open mind, and my aunt is a woman of
enclosed, but impassioned mind. I have the blood and tbe
milk of many religions in me—so many that I am quite con¬
founded. But, Edward, I am not prejudiced. I do not con¬
demn unheard. Now, I am astonished at a man of your
intelligence and professed liberality and candour going with
the mob in a vulgar prejudice, and condemning a woman of
whom you know nothing. It is not only unjust, but it is
nngallant. Which is the most foolish, you or I? You who
follow the judgment of the rabble, literate and illiterate, or I
who despise all railing accusations, and think for myself when
I think at all?”
Edward was abashed. To be taught charity and feeling and
strict absolute justice by a girl was humbling to his pride.
But the openness and candour of his natural disposition soon
relieved him from the embarrassment.
“ You are right, Eva,” he said. “ I deserve the rebuke. I
shall only ask one other question. Does your uncle know that
you visit this house ? ”
“ He does, and you may describe this scene to him if you
please. Perhaps I shall describe it for you, and at your
expense, too,” said Eva, smiling, “ if you don’t take care.”
Thus kindly admonished and cautioned, Edward considered
that it would be wisdom in him just to hold his tongue until
he knew what to say.
“ The Word says, ‘ Fear not! I am with you ! I will clear
up all mysteries at last. Let the young man think! The
spirit is strengthened by thinking. I am the Lord! I am
coming! I am coming to establish the catholic law—even
the universal law of nature—to redeem man from the fall, and
to give him to eat of the tree of life. I shall come in secret
before I show myself openly! Did I not say I shall come as a
thief ? I shall take you by surprise! I shall break in upon
you by stealth in the night! I shall come as a man—as a
man under the fall! If I did not, how should I raise up him
that is fallen? ’Tis a mystery, but I shall make it clear.
Fear not. The young man has faith. I will teach him that
which it is useful for him to know. I will feed him with the
food convenient for him. You know not how to feed one
another. I am the feeder of all.’ ”
“ ’Tis the Word that speaks,” continued Mrs. Ferrier.
“ Do you mean to say,” said Edward, “ that a spirit speaks
these words to you, or commands you to speak them ? ”
“ Yes,” said Mrs. Ferrier, “ I do; my mouth is forcibly used
to speak words which are not my own. Sometimes I hear
them spoken inwardly, and repeat them afterwards ; sometimes
I see a wision, and a person in wision converses with me.
There are warious ways. But they are quite different from
my own thoughts.”
“ And how long have you been visited in this manner ? ”
“ Since 1827, on Whit Sunday, when the power first came
upon me suddenly, and threw me down on the floor in a state
of insensibility. It has never left me since. It communes
daily with me as man with man, and gives me adwice on all
subjects, even relating to household matters and going to
market.”
“ Then it must be a familiar spirit,” said Edward.
“ It is a familiar spirit,” said Mrs. Ferrier.
“ Moses was ordered to cut such persons as you from the
face of the earth.”
“ Moses was ordered to do many things, but not to save man
from the fall. I have nothing to do with Moses. He was
faithful to his own mission—I must be faithful to mine.
Moses has no power now ; his day has gone by.”
“ But are you not afraid that you are doing wrong? ”
“No; I have no fear of the sort. A wisitation of the spirit
removes fear.”
At this moment a knock was heard at the door, and on Mrs.
Ferrier saying “ Come in,” the door was opened, and two
gentlemen, dressed in black, entered, and bowed to Mrs. Ferrier
in a distant manner. She introduced them to her previous
visitors as two gentlemen belonging to the Irvingites, in
Newman-street, a church with twelve apostles, of whom Henry
Drummond, the banker, at Charing-cross, is the chief, he
being called the Pillar of the Apostles.
“ We do not call ourselves Irvingites,” said one of the men
somewhat indignantly, as he took hold of a chair to seat him¬
self ; “ we belong to the Apostolical Church. It is merely a
restoration of the head which the Episcopal Church has lost.”
“ There is another head to come,” said Mrs. Ferrier—“ the
head of the Apostles, unless you mean to set up Drummond as
the man to come.”
“ There is, and we look for his coming.”
“ Well, it is to them that look for him that he will come.”
“ But we must be subject to the power and authority of the
Church,” said the man. “ Such straggling spirits as yours are
out of order ; they ought to be subject to the Church.”
“ Well,” said Mrs. Ferrier, “let the Church subject them.
The strong man armed gives way when a stronger man than he
comes.”
“ But, Mrs. Ferrier, you resist a constituted authority; you
are obedient neither to bishops nor apostles.”
“ I am obedient to a higher power. You are not subject to
the Church bishops, because you say you have apostles to
govern and direct you. I am not subject to your apostles,
because I have a greater than Henry Drummond to direct me.
The Word says, ‘ These men want to change thy faith and
make thy spirit subject to theirs. This cannot be; tell them
from me this cannot be.’ ”
“ This cannot be the Holy Spirit,” said one of 4he men to
his companion; “ the Holy Spirit is a spirit of order and
subordination.”
“ Ask these men what is the Holy Spirit—ask them if it is
not the spirit of the whole man. Have they that spirit ? ”
“ We believe we have.”
“ Then why are the bishops not subject to it ? Let the men
answer thee. They have it not—no man has it. It is not yet
come. Let things go on as now till the time appointed.”
' “ This is blasphemy,” said one of the men.
“ Ask them what blasphemy is. They know not; no man
knows what blasphemy is, for he knows not what the whole
spirit is against whom it is spoken. Tell the men that in
following their own faith they do well, but not in attempting
to persuade thee to abandon thine. I am a God of order, and
will make men do my work; for if they have not a will of
their own I will give them one.”
Edward became more and more impressed with the novelty
and singularity of the scene in which he now took part. The
opposition of the two gentlemen had at first pleased and re¬
assured him; for he had little doubt, from their appearance as
intelligent men and men of education, that they would say
something powerful in support of the view he had at first
taken of the matter. But Mrs. Ferrier was a woman who was
not easily conquered or even confounded in argument. Her