“After various manifestations, Mr. Home went into the trance, and
addressing a person present, said, ‘You ask what good are such trivial
manifestations, such as rapping, table-moving, etc.? God is a better
judge than we are what is fitted for humanity, immense results may spring
from trivial things. The steam from a kettle is a small thing, but look
at the locomotive! The electric spark from the back of a cat is a small
thing, but see the wonders of electricity! The raps are small things,
but their results will lead you to the Spirit-World, and to eternity!
Why should great results spring from such small causes? Christ was born
in a manger, he was not born a King. When you tell me why he was born in
a manger, I will tell you why these manifestations, so trivial, so
undignified as they appear to you, have been appointed to convince the
world of the truth of spiritualism.’”
Wonderful! Clearly direct Inspiration!—And yet, perhaps, hardly worth
the trouble of going “into the trance” for, either. Amazing as the
revelation is, we seem to have heard something like it from more than one
personage who was wide awake. A quack doctor, in an open barouche
(attended by a barrel-organ and two footmen in brass helmets), delivered
just such another address within our hearing, outside a gate of Paris,
not two months ago.