to verify his prophecy. During the meeting he said, Father H. if you will rise in the name of Jesus Christ, you can speak in Tongues.' He arose immediately, hesitated, and said, 'my faith fails me—I have not faith enough.'—Said Patton, 'you have—speak in the name of Jesus Christ—make some sound as you list, without further thought, and God will make it a language.' The old gentleman, after considerable urging, spoke and made some sounds, which were pronounced to be a correct tongue. Several others spoke in a similar manner, and among them was myself. I spoke as I listed, not knowing what I said, yet it was declared to be a tongue. The sound of the words used by some, in speaking in tongues, was a medium between talking and singing—and all, as I am now convinced, a mere gibberish, spoken at random and without thought.
"We had another meeting shortly after, at which there were present several others, besides those of the church.—Cahoon spoke in unknown tongues, as he pretended, going on at considerable length, which Patton interpreted nearly as follows: that the judgment of God should follow the men of this generation; that their tongues should be stayed that they should not utter; and their flesh should fall from off their bones; their eyes pine away in their sockets; and it shall come to pass that the beasts of the forest and the fowls of the air shall devour them, nearly as it is written in the prophets. He then asked me to speak, which I did, and he interpreted as he thought proper.
"The next time those men came among us, they gave us a rule for speaking in unknown tongues, and also for interpreting what was spoken by others. This rule, they said, was perfect—that as long as we followed it we could not err. And so I believe; it was a perfect rule to lead men astray. The rule, as given by Cahoon, is this: rise upon your feet and look and lean on Christ; speak or make some sound;
