The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-01-28
THE LECTURE SEASON.



On Tuesday morning Miss Bacon gave the con-
cudine lesson of her first term of historical lectures,
at the Stuyyesant Institute. She commenced her
discourse by observing that hitherto she had spoken
only of the direct influence of the great develope-
ment OF those first ages of human history upon the
present time, and upon the lives of the present
generation. In the sacred books which come to US
from this oriental age, from the period marked as
500 before Christ, we feel continually, from day to
day, and from hour to hour, the influence of the
thoughts and the feelings which were originated in
those ages. Those who gave laws in that age of
oriental antiquity give laws to Us. Their words
have controlled our movements. Their ideas have
moulded our institutions. One people, distinguished
from all the other people of oriental antiquity, have
excited this direct influence upon us. These Israel
ties, however, appear, on examination, to have alb
sorbed into their life the Development of all the
other people whose civilization has engaged 80 much
attention. They were situated midway between the
two great centres of civilization III those times. 1t
was in that civilized tract between the Tsris ana
the Euphrates that these people had settled as emil
grants from the neighborhood OF Babylon Their
early history represents them however, as inhab
tants Of Egypt BE that 1t may, the TWO extremes
of this Semitic oriental civilization are impressed
on their history and culture. In time, almost every
nation of Western Asia had contributed TO their
educational developement, and this deveupement
was afterwards to materially affect after ages.
When firmly established in independence in Pa
ieStine, we find that the most friendly rela-
tions existed between them and the Phenicians,
and thus Phoanican civilization added to theirs
Thus, the general States OF oriental antiquity have
only affected US indirectly; but the lsraetes by alb
sOrbing into themselves all that worth preserving
in the civilization Of those States, have affected
directly, and most powerfully through our whole
moral intellectual existence and social institutions
The effect is traceable through all history. This is
thn s,l,
ence and the indirect. We have the direct influence
of the Hebrews only. We have the indirect influence
of the other people, through the Hebrews. How,
then, history be understood without commencing
at that period in which that civilization commences?
Now, with regard to that disputed point intuition
There have been some doubts expressed about the
fact that by intuition they obtained those thoughts
which the rest OF the world did not know in those
ages. There are very ague ideas about intuition,
and therefore there az misunderstanding on the
view which the inspired writings present. Those
who would examine the question narrowly would be
ultimately of the opinion with regard to those
inspirations. Inspiration is that which we receive
without any volition of our own minds. Whence,
then does it come? In making up our minds on
the subject must not be deferred from coming to
8 correct opinion by religious fears. Our religion
does not require TO be in 1t requires
the sacrifice Of truth God is light, and in him there
Is no darkness at all He requires of US some painful
sacrifices; but the sacrifice of truth he never did de-
sire, and let US be thankful for that The Disco
veres in the East which place the Hebrew writings in
connection with contemporary monuments, will revo
lutionize, not only all ideas of the past, but will
inevitably unfold their results the future culture Of
the world. What does inspiration do for inspired
writer? Does it transplant him into our time, and
give him the knowledge which our professors of ma
turM science give yearly to their students9 Does
Jobs writings, touching subjects of natural his
tory. give the knowledge Of science to be obtained
now? There is no turning away from these ques-
tions; we need not be afraid Of the truth for the
truth is from Cod and this great book Of God does
and they are truly sacred-do not obterate the
Is there nothing Of the human medium in the Old
Testament? Nothing Of the germ, nothing of the
race, clingng to those revelations3 Is there de-
velopement In it II not, then, what is the use of
history? Why did not Christ come when Moses
came! Why were all those ages of trouble permit
ted? But as it is we that there had to be one
thousand five hundred years between Moses and
Christ Not one moment of those years was lost.
There was developement between the time Of Moses
and a David. Is there not very great difference
discernabe between the first page of the new book,
and the last page of the Old Testament? We turn
the leaf and find that leaf is leaf of centuries If
inspirations had been designed to obterate entirely
humanity, and TO give the divine view at one view
and altogether why do we find in all history this pro-
gressiye development? No, God did not give up
human nature in that way, nor despse the work
of his own hands. lie saw there was good in
it, and did not reverse that great decision which
he pronounced when the work of Creation was
finished. He did not say that humanity should
cease, and he himself be alone That would
be to destroy his creation, and so he de-
veloped what was in humanity Ii he had pleased,
he could have done so in a day. All the ages of his.
tory would have been unnecessary, if God had taken
possession OF the org us OF man. and made man
cease on tine earth. But such was not the case. On
the contrary man made the medium Of commu
nicatons from above, and humanity was slowly de-
veoped TO that necessary state Of civilization which
Immediately preceded the coming of Christ. If his
tory be studied carefully it will be no longer matter
of wonder why the coming of Christ was delayed so
long.
Miss Bacon made some further observations about
this theory of progression, and then proceeded to
read manuscript which had reference to early Per-
sian history from which such important results had
flowed. She concluded her lecture by giving gene
raj resume of oriental history which forms essen
.sia introduction to the study Of Greek, Roman and
modern history.