Remarks on the Preceding Narrative
Mr. Tennent’s trance not supernatural — Numerous diseases the cause of the phenomena — Case of Susannah Orrendorf — Mohammed — Lackinford — The dreams of the witnesses, cannot be accounted for on natural principles — God still, occasionally gives admonitory dreams.
It must be acknowledged, that some of the facts recorded in the preceding narrative, are of a marvellous nature; but we are incUned to believe that they all may be accounted for on natural principles, except one. The appearance of death, when life is not extinguished, but only suspended, has been often observed, on the termination of nervous fevers, and in epileptic and apoplectic fits. The temporary loss of memory on recovery, has also been often observed. Persons have been known to lie in one of these trances, for weeks together. And there is too much reason to fear, that many persons have been buried alive, by being prematurely carried to the grave. This undoubtedly would have been the imhappy case of Mr. Tennent, had not his young friend interposed. And as to the happy state of his mmd, during this period, and his imagining that he was in heaven, it is all very natural, and does not require that we should suppose the soul to have been separated from the body. We would not deny, that a man through life so highly favoured in receiving extraordinary manifestations of God’s perfections, and especially of his love, might, even when in this state of apparent death, have been the subject of a gracious influence, which filled his imagination with the rapturous views, which he enjoyed. We are disposed, however, to admire Mr. Tennent’s prudence, in not being forward to speak of his experience, during this period; and we do not feel disposed to regret, that he never committed to writing an account of his visions; or if he did, that his executor never could lay his hands on the manuscript. When Paul was caught up to Paradise, and heard and saw the glory of the third heaven, he uttered not a word respecting the nature of his vision. He merely said, that he unspeakable things, which it is not lawful for a man to utter,” The writer would further remark, that in certain states of the nervous system, when the common functions of life seem to be suspended, it is no uncommon thing for the imagination to be strongly affected. In the year 1791, he went several miles out his way, in company with three distinguished clergymen, to visit a young avoman, the daughter of a wealthy German farmer, not far from Hagerstown, who had been for more than a year subject every day at the same hour, to certain epileptic paroxysms, during which, she had the appearance of one dead, or in a deep sleep, and always came to herself, singing. And professed, that, every day, she visited heaven; and gave a particular account of what she saw in the celestial world. During the whole time that this nervous disease lasted, the family solemnly declared, that she ate nothing, except that she wet her mouth occasionally with a few drops of sugar and water. The description which she gave of heaven, and her passage thither, had a strong resemblance to Mohammed’s accoimts of paradise; so that, as he was in early life subject to epileptic fits, the writer has been induced to think it probable, that his whole imposture had its origin in the visions which he experienced during these paroxysms; and that, at first, being persuaded that he had divine communications, he afterwards resorted to fraud to keep up his pretensions. However this may be, the young woman attracted multitudes from a distance, who were fully persuaded, that she did really visit heaven, and some weak people, who had recently lost dear friends, come to consult this girl, whether she saw any such persons in heaven; and for a while, so great was the fame of her celestial visits, that preachers who had visited her, publicly mentioned what they heard from her lips, in their sermons.
On one occasion a number of fiery zealots, under the strong influence of party spirit, believing that they and they only were the favourites of heaven, visited her and seriously inquired, which of the several denominations of Christians had the approbation of Christ. To the ^-reat gratification of most, they received a signal rebuke to their sectarian spirit; for the young woman, looking sternly at them, answered,” persons are not judged of in heaven by their denomination, but by the purity of their hearts, and lives.^’ And when, in their prayers, they employed deafening vociferation, she asked them when they were done, whether they thought that their Maker was deaf, that they made so much noise. As many as two hundred persons were known to have visited Susannah Orrendorf, on the same day.
The writer has now before him, a printed narrative of the apparent death of Charles Lackingford, Allegheny county, Maryland. This account is confirmed by the affidavit of four of his neighbours, who declare, on oath, that they had been acquainted with the said Lackingford for at least twelve years, and that he had ever supported the character of an upright, honest man, and a good citizen; and that the utmost reliance may be placed on his word. In their affidavit, before a justice of the peace, these four men, whose names are given, declare,” That
on, or about the 14th day of August, 1803, they
2Z6 THE KEV. WM. TENNENT JR.
were sent for to the house of Mr. Charles Lackingford about six miles from Fort Cumberland; that on their arrival they found said Lackingford lying stretched out as dead to all human appearance; his eyes closed, his hands clenched, and limbs stiff. That they were informed by his family, that he had died on that morning, apparently in an apoplexy: That they were solicited to render the family assistance in discharging the last rites of humanity; that the deponents caused a coffin to be made; but that on the night between the 14tband 15th of the month, while watching with the supposed corpse, precisely at 12 o’clock, some inarticulate sounds were heard by all the deponents, as proceeding from the abdomen of the said Lackingford; on which account, on the morning following, they deferred the intended interment. That the sounds were again repeated at 12 o’clock, on the noon of the 18th, when symptoms of returning life appeared; and at a quarter after 4 o’clock, P. M., the said Lackingford opened his eyes, and in a violent voice exclaimed, ’ where am I?’ On which he was released from his winding-sheet, and placed in bed, when he declared, that the arcana of the infernal regions had been opened to him, and that he had actually seen and conversed with devils. Deponents further say, that during the four days above stated, the body of the said Lackingford received no nourishment of any kind 5 and except the noise above stated, was to all appearance,
THE REV. WM. TENNENT, iTR. 221
a dead corpse; and deponents further say, that to the feest of tkeh’ opinion and belie£, the trance of the said Lackingford cannot be ascribed to any physical ^ause; or to any other than one of the hidden and mysterious visitations of Providence, Further dag)onents say not
^’ Taken and subscribed before me,
WILLIAM GUSHING, J. R, A. C’
|SEAL.|
We have seen ticcomits of many instances of persons lying for days, and even for weeks, in what are called trances and of their telling of very marvellous things which had been seen hj them, during the apparent suspension of life; but we have selected this account because of its being so well authenticated.
The mans own narrative of his x’isit to hell, as he imagined, occupies about twelve pages. This we do not wish to transcribe. It serves, however to show, how differently, different persons are affected in such a state of syncope. Mr. Temient imagined himself in heaven; so did Susannah Orrendorf; but Mr. Lackingford was persuaded that he was in hell, and held much conversation with Belphegor, the high constable of the place, who took great pains to show him all the apartments, where different classes of sinners were confined and punished.
It mav, however, be satisfactorv to hear Mr.
Lackingfords account of his former life, and of the circumstances attending his falUng into this trance. “I am now,” says he,” fifty-seven years of age. In my early days, I was brought up to the mercantile business, at a store on Elk Ridge Landing, near the City of JJaltimore. In this situation, I made acquaintance with most of the fashionable vices of commercial life, and must confess, that I indulged in no small practice of them; but, however, thank heaven, without impairing my naturally athletic constitution. Early in the contest for our glorious independence, I became a soldier, in defence of my country’s rights, and in that capacity, continued to fight her battles, until Great Britain was forced to acknowledge our sovereignty.
“I am now settled on my share of land-rights, granted by congress for my services; and in the capacity of a plain farmer, have earned my bread for the last twenty years. I never had any ambition to see my name in print, or to hear myself talked of, beyond the limits of my little farm; but I could not resist the soUcitations of my neighbours, to give to the world the extraordinary adventures which I experienced, during the four days and nights, when nature suspended her functions in my system, and left the soul unclogged by the massy materials of the body, to roam at large into the hidden regions of the damned spirits.
“On the 14th of August, 1803, just after sunrise, as I was stacking some hay, I ?ieard a voice, as if it proceeded from the middle of the stack, exclaim, Charles, go to thy bed.’ Terrified and struck dumb, I instantly threw down the stack, supposing some one was concealed therein, but to my still greater amazement, found no one; I looked all around me; no living object was visible. I threw myself on my knees, to implore the aid of Providence; but, alas! my power of utterance was deprived me — my tongue refused its office. Every limb trembled with fear, and still the same voice struck with redoubled energy on my astonished ears. I rose up, — a dimness overshadowed my eyes, and I went trembling towards my house, resolved to obey the invisible mandate. I had scarcely reached my bed, when one of the most welcome sleeps closed my eye-lids.” Then he goes on to narrate what he imagined he saw and heard, in the infernal regions.
The only thing in the foregoing history of William Tennent, which cannot be accounted for, upon the ordinary principles of human nature, is, the dreams of the man and his wife, which brought them from Maryland to Trenton, and whose testimony was absolutely necessary to save this good man from an ignominious punishment. In this case, if the facts are true — concerning which there can be no reasonable doubt — there must have been a supernatural
interposition. These simple people could have had no knowledge of what was transacting in New Jersey; and when they came to Trenton, they knew not for what purpose their presence was needed. la all ages of the world, suggestions and impressions have been made in dreams, which have been hnportant to the safety or interest of certain persons, for whose sake the communication was made. And we learn from the Bible, that dreams of this supernatural kind, have not been confined to the pious, but have been granted to heathen kings, and other persons who knew not the true God, as in the case of the butler and baker, of Pharaoh, and Nebuchadnezzar. Such dreams are still on certain occasions granted, probably by the ministry of angels, for the admonitionor direction of the people of God; or for reasons unknown to us. Although it is true, “in the multitude of dreams there are divers varieties,’’ and although false prophets pretended to receive communications in dreams, and at this time, many persons are superstitiously affected by dreams, yet the truth of the fact ought not to be denied, that even in. our day, dreams are sometimes admonitory, and seem to preserve certain persons from evils, which they could not otherwise escape. God has no where informed us, that this mode of communication with men should entirely cease; and if there are, however rarely, such communications to certain persons, in sleep, it furnishes some proof of the existence of a world of spirits, invisible to us, but near; and that we are surrounded, and often guarded, by kind angels, who minister unto us, and preserve us from many evils of which we are not aware. Such dreams are not properly called miraculous, nor cah the persons to whom they are vouchsafed, be said to be inspired. They are merely extraordinary intimations to the mind, probably as was said, by the agency of guardian angels. The only unaccountable thing in this whole business is, that Mr. Tennent and his fellow travellers, had not sent off immediately to this distant place for witnesses; for there were many there who had heard him and Mr. Rowland preach. Conscious of innocence, they seem to have apprehended no danger; and when one of their number was found guilty, and actually punished for perjury, there might not have been time to bring persons from such a distance. But in regard to Mr. Tennnet, he was not only conscious of innocence, but had suchunshaken confidence in God, that he feared nothing; being fully persuaded that He would, in some way, interpose by his providence, for his deliverance; or would overrule his unjust condemnation and punishment, for his own glory. This last seems to have been especially on j his mind; for we are informed, that he had prepared a sermon for the occasion, to be preached while standing on the pillory.