The Ohio star. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1830-1854, 1853-11-23
MODERN sPIRITUALEsrT.
BY HENRY WARD BEEcHER::

The New York Herald, of Sunday. October
80. 1853 contans the account of a two hours con-
versation between reporter of that paper and
Judge Edmonds, the author of a work upon Spirit
uaiism recently issued. We were much enter
tanned by the whole article but aone paragraph
was particularly interesting to US, as giving us i'm
portant information. such every man ought. in
such circumstances. to possess. 1t is as follows -
&c. Do any the clergy believe in it?
"a. Yes, many of them; but they are afraid
to speak out, account of their congregations.
They are beginning, however, to preach it from
their pupits. had letter day or two ago from
clergyman who delivered a sermon to his con-
gregaiion on the subject Rev. Horry Ward
Beecher, hearing Of my views on spiriualrsnl, was
desirous of seeing me. We met ut the.house of
mutual friend, in Brooklyn, and the result was
that Mr.. Beecher preached course of fur SER
mons on sprituasn,, covertly, and his congrega-
tion could bear; but ere long he will come out
plainly. He believes now that he is preaching by
Inspiration
One fact only, in this paragraph, do we know to
be true, and that is, very pleasant evening spent
at the house of a common friend, with Judge Ed
monds. We listened to his conversation, and to
several documents read by him, with respect and
interest We should always esteem it pleasure
to pass agreeable an evening with man so
agreeable.
But, until this paragraph met our eye, we had
no idea of the work wrought in US. The course of
"four sermons ON Spiritualism" were SO covert
ly" preached as to have eluded our attention at
the time, as they dodge our memory now. And
whenever we are convinced of the truth of modern
spiritual manifestations, and think it our duty to
preach four sermons the subject, we shall do it
with that same sort of cogerfness with which
mortar sends a bomb-shell into neighboring fort.
We have heard of man who said that he 8. acci-
dentuHy cleared up forty acres of woodland" We
think it would be tougher accident than that for
US to preach four sermons on SpirituaIism SO COW
ertly as not TO know it ourselves.
Our numerous personal friends must not be
angry if We indulge little mirth on this subject
1t will be much better than denunciaton. There
is 50 much Of sorrow and trouble in life, that one
ought to be willing to have smile born even if it
be at his own expense. Besides, we promise to
be very good d-natured ourselves, and as fair as
could be expected of man who is continually
birth of five children to him in one year; now of
the gift of thousands of dollars; and who, finally
finds out from the papers that he has been for
months converted to Spiritualism, and steallhy
apostle of it too, while oil that time he had sup
posed himself to be an utter unbeIierer not per-
haps in the facts. but in the theory by which those
facts are explained.
We have certainly enjoyed much at the hands
of this new Dispensation. We have watched the
progress of friends toward the mystery we have
been amused at the various phenomena which
they exhibited, full much at the facts of Spr-
itualsn. Then too we have been soberly regaled
by the history of very marvellous conversations
besides own. One man, for example, on one
occasion, dared the spirits to convice him, and
challenged them to put him upon yonder table,
With that he received blow across the ankles.
none the less painful for being by unseen hands,
and he was forthwith, incontinenty lifted, convey
ed, and spread upon the table. A little mortified,
he says, Let the spirits get me OIL The table
now," and he clutched it with his hands, and curl
ed his toes upon the edges. 1t was vain pre-
| caution. The table quietly stopped over to one
side, till he was near the fioor when it recovered
itself with a sudden jerk, and left him sprawling.
(The spirit that did thut must have been some old
wrester.) But the worst was to come. For now
the spirits descended upon him with poundiags and
blows and beat him until he was glad to believe,
aud roar out his conviction. Ga Ae. stHz
These facts are reoounted to us as unques,iou-
uble We shsll not question them. We only say
that such violence done to liberty of opinion would
never do here. in this mortal republican state Of
being. Probably the agents who reasoned the
matter clearly with their fists, were the spirits
of old Inquis;tors But If this process of proselyt-
ing is to 60 ou wish it were allowed US to pro-
vide subjsots for conversion. For we know of
some few men in public life who seem TO us to
have suffered for the want Of somo parental faith