Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1849-1856, 1850-12-05
% We think that the Committee Of

John Lord Esq, (for we see by differ
cnt papers, that he wears both these
titles, on different occasions) to deliver
one hdD of the lectures of their course.
and these, too, upon Heroes and
Saints. The fact is. IL Course of Lee
lures before promiscuous audience.
such rs is gathered on these occasions,
in order TO be successful and popular,
must be delivered by different persons
because majority Of people do not at.
tend lectures for the pnrposc of obtain
ing instruction. or storing their minds
with useful knowledge they 90 to be
amused, to pass away time, for the sake
of variety, and all this kind Of thing
Hence, curiosity impeIs many to at
tend, for the purpose Of seeing the speak
er, particularly il he is stranger they
like novelty they want a new Iectur-
er and anew subject every week, and if
they do not have these, they feel less
interest in the lectures, and are less
inclined to attend them. Ofall subjects,
for series eff lectures, they will be
most weary of Heroes and Saints"
The fact is this earth has produced but
very few real Heroes, and even less
Saints, unless we all admit the truth
iulncss and accuracy of the dogmas of
the Roman Church in that case, we
should find no lack Of these deities up
on the Calendar. Those who are called
Heroes and Saints, and about whom
SO much has been said and written, were
flesh aud blood mortals like ourselves,
and lived very much as we are all liv-
ing, and died very much as we all shall
probably die and we do not believe
that their deeds on earth entitle them,
or any Of them, TO the appellation of
Saints. We think that these Heroes
and Saints, as they are called, ought
now to be permitted to rest in their
graves for centuries past, they have
been dsentombed and dragged before
the public their poor old bones have
been dissccted by amateur operators,
until there is scarcely anything left of
them. They have been bleached in the
crucible of truth, and blackened again
in the furnace of error, by the Roman
Church an1 the English Church,-di-
vided and subdividcd- one taking
an arm, and the other a leg, until the
poor old Heroes and Saints, had they
the power Of re-animation, would be
more puzzled than the famous cork leg,
in seeking out their appropriate parts,
and becoming familiar with their own
identity.
We do not know what Mr.. Lord can
possibly say in six mortal lectures
about these old Heroes and Saints, that
has not been said and written more than
ten thousand times, during the last two
hundred years. All that appertains to
the Reformation is matter Of history
numberless works have been written up
on it, all of which are within the reach
OF every person, in the public Libraries of
the day. They are matters of Religious
dispute, and the human family will be
no wiser for anything more that may be
written on the subject; they will only
agree on these vexed questions when
truth ultimately triumphs over error,
and all on earth are believers in the one
doctrine which Christ taught, whatever
that is, and are members of the one
Church which He established. which
ever it is. At the close Of Mr.. Lords
lectures, we trust that he will give the
Heroes and Saints final and respect
iul burial in the oblivion Of the past,
there to remain forcvermorc because,
as we have said, we are confident that
he will not be able to throw any new
light on the subject, and we think that
the poor "Spirts" have been sufficient
ly troubled since their mortal careers
closed on earth, to be permitted to rest
now. We are very sure that MIR.
Lords lectures will not prove interest
ing TO a majority Of those who have
hitherto attended the Mechanics course.
We shall publish communication in
favor of these lectures tomorrow, from
one who takes different view Of the
matter from ourselves.