Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1849-08-16


NJ RbsroR ThyousS curiosity, and desire
Is hear ie arguments ay kichfhe ieaFned lecsprsk
void Sas,ail he negalis q NE proposition po
Specyles aTpeaF 81 IepttEedss nfiia the mpluqde,
q -, conf House. Ga {ianday evening week
e ,.e;,lsces we've il tsor Of tie lecturer but
WERE sfess arraienc& il opposition 10 the posi-
ton yhasAs y would be assumed in the
discussion n ine "a From his high repuia-
long oecupitd by slnkls an ables lsr "A ire \
gospel, expected 4tsgaiy treat and dis1{e..af
no little logical acumef. Nor weFe my expeciasF'
lions lowered upon heksing The Rev gentleman
state ID his Introductory rematks that the lecture
hh hem dritinally " kared for The entertainment
Of / few sciesfifs fTieafs was however, dooma
Ell ID disappoihtaies Tie STYLE. alter the Pyses
need oai - togtiiy me ms srtsulits
T6s Iaiiss i0wevsf a}ough aleif ssafs II the airy
phantoIs IF tle night iay not hare been dkpelled,
lemusl acknowledge ta indeste8nes for tle PAila-
sepAicat statement eftee cause 9. re saspass,ng
loveliness and excel gacy eonceded them By all--
Thev were not II a. rafs. formed nom The crude,
eSt clayl; bas tEpm that zlfeAde reHed and
fash;n,sea INTO he tfb af man-iR sooth they were
| i iss.sFfesi i'm pToyeiEss on he original
There was one ppistk II The lecture which deserves
particular notice. n9ssimpsy because Of is seeming
Ingenuity; but fncye especially because OF the dis
service which such descriptions ciilicism does hs
cause Of real rel;g5e4 reIeEsio the remarks Tor
| the lecturer upon Gam XXVIlI3 and beg leave
~
The circumstance leading 10 tic c5nsut satioaI of
the witch may be feAsy learned tpon Etegus al 0G
the chapter referred tbsabove Nod il was atfruieH
by the lecturer thattie woman saw nothing; that
her suFpriseor alaffa was seignei; and 10 proof
that nothing was sssl by her, attention was difsc
ed to the tactth pething vas seen BY Saul. That
the surprise Of theakStch was not fegnet plainly
appears from The Subsequent prediction, which ~
text positively declfEss shs delivered BY samuti-
| (which predieiionsshg the way and its f1lEimeAt
were not even hinga at;) and thai her testimony III
regard 10 what shk saw Is not 10 lie invalidated b
cause not seen hys&anl may be proved Nv the Eaei,
| that The ass Of BaiAnm perceived the angerof THE
Loni while Balak Sk seeing nothing mr. rpnscianslk
/ urged him on. Balihad the woman been practising
deception in this distance, is ii probable thai sHe
/ would have delivtEesi 50 uiiwecbme ptcpheey In
regard OF him him she So greatly feared 3FIl.
Thai Samuel 1iad really appears was evidently
i the opinion Of thbsancieHt Jews Thus the author
/ Of Ecclesiasticus says, Chap XLvI vi 90 speAE
ing Of Samuel After his death he propheuiea,
/ and showed 10 tta King bis endp AH II
In The views hkse presented, ami fully sustained
\ by Bishop Hols$ sDr. Clafke, and MrI Waison.-
Says DR.. Clarke ii 8 That Samteld did appear UNION
this occasion, il tkYs evidentirSn lhe text; nordan
this he denied hflapy lfsi3kgQie mode m nteTpfeta-
ton and il is AZ kFideAt that Ne was nefher raised
| By the power oe BE devil, northe ineaatatous Of
the witch, for iE ppearances hlch look PLACE al
this lime were sitsa she was wholly unacquAint-
ed with Her gsyslidr did not appcarS and from
The confused ptien She giFes ii isfuy evident
\ that she was b9n5 surprised ana ALARMED al What
she saw; being sdely different from what sllG ex-
i pected 70 see" gain, that Samuel did appear is
i plainly provcd4 81 ban the learned DR. y eomtnehIt on
verse -, in wlsch Samuel enquiries, not Of thewo-
man, but Of SAT- . Why hast thou disquicted me ~
I He says herliIeaniaieBs had no influence BIZ the
business and n Hers not appear thatIshs halieom-
nenced her A.5aliens Before tie Pfhphei
himself had Fahe his aPpcarance-' SAYS Mr..
/ Watson, E T fRal Samuel appeared, whsi pFola-
bly, she intendkt Ipgly some deception and hfFery-
Ing with a ldaF voice when she saw him, Proves
that She was 3safmed by something IuhexpSaged BY
herself whild IgaciisRg her incaHtatigns.l The
| whole was kp4cial injerpositiun df God furnish
ing in Saul NE practice Of necromaBey WHICH was
strictly forbitEieh il The law ard Warning him OF
his end, or lzsRr pronouneing he final Sentence
upon him, bTlla appearance oFthe spirit oiSamu-
el, whose nee letons were fully verified Nby the
/ mourniul TeS9Ilp Again,
THE lnesSase utiereJely Samuel is se much
i ia characterIHsd sosIanitfstly breathcs Tue spirit
i of DigineIlepinmission, that containing As / al
4 SO docs, e4piicit prediction, which was exactly
accomplished, we must CONCLUDED 6let loSise and
skeptcal eoaEsn tators con ecure shat theyplease
that there YaSsio deception here. The account po
only shows MAJ the Jews believedin the deefine Of
apPaftiol6 but that in fact such an appearance, OF
| this ocepsion, did actually occur which answers al
| the objeelitpss which were ever Fhsed, oil can b.
raised, from tlie philosophy Of The case against tn,
possibility df lie appearance Of departed spirits"
III do not Wish 10 appear in your paper as patror
bFof witches kal would remark that evidence a
leasi IS pb6r Of M bs fiPE Is hy h
readily adlltced in proof 81 the afirmatixe " hi
propositiou But as This is Is tic pFsen
cie and h4ytsg already trenched. perhaps loo nucl
l upon youTsreunns, will conclude BIZ bbseryin.
that the Epworh case, alluded to II ihe Iectnre
more easlg disposed o. in hejndgment Nc the lee
lhfer mans references 70 the facis of the case wou
warrant and by presenting In the words Of NJ,
Wa'sons Espy coniessionl Of faith in regard Of til
matter ul9cr consideration believe ib This al
partition pf the departed Samuel because he tel
, gosillYel calls the appearance Samael;' An,
4 SAMUEL said Why hast thou disquieIed me, Il
nFlng AefnpE Add 70 this, the account As given ii
the form n simple NARRATIVES, and cannot there
fore be resolved into poetic felton, ana farther
i predictipniMas uttered which.was fuIfIlad AS 10
appariti6n4 generally most ii he accounts cnrrcn1
among men may be resolved into Illusion and s,.
/ perfiiioh still there are some which rest mon An
cVlpence hosh Of circumstances, and of credit and
sobr sty itfhe narraiors. which renders III very diff
! cuit not ~ admit them Onthis suhjecI would
caq',en you equally against eredulity and unbeiief
fo9fss Sc lRyING.