Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1849-1856, 1854-02-16

ie" rem trks IN regard 10 last evenings
entertainment. We were favored with
lecture Oh "Spirit-Rappings, by the
Rev. Mr.. Brewer. The lecture was,
we may say, composed u two parts, Of
which the frat occupied nearly its en-
tire length, while few conclusive re-
marks formed The second part. These
Two determined relatively The character
in which the lecturer appeared. In she
fret he Vas thorough comedian, in The
second he suddenly remembered that
he W IS also miais'e-.
Considering the frs act, we must
a;kno ledge, thai wo were disappoini-
ed, aud pery agreeably disaPpointed.-
We attended The lecture with toll ex.
Peciaiion that the lecturer would make
IN attempt TO 8 ,ow with "a close logic
and u sharp intellect, ,'how these modern
phenomena called esprit RappIng."
were a complete delusion, and how IL
was, that 80 many tens Of thousands oi
his poor fellow SINNERS were thus awful
ly deceived, and some lew even depriv.
ed oi their reason. We had besides q
dim hope, ana very dim one il was
indeed, that the lecturer might perhaps,
be able 10 explain the point IN question
by some chemical or psychological law.
With this expectation. and our impres-
sion, which amounted almost 10 con-
vciion, that the lecturer was incapable
oI solving either problem, we felt appre-
heDsive that the lecture would prove a
complete failure.
Bot Judge Of our agreeable surprise,
when the Introductory remarks plainly
proved to us That the lecturer wisely
would attempt no such thing az to solve
aproblem which had puzzled 40 many
strong and intelligent heads. He CON-
fined himself to his sphere. We con-
less, that he is eminentiy gifted with
keen sense tor the ridiculous, and the
aim oil the lecture consequently was 10
sea rch Tor the most ludicrous incidents.
connected with there phenomena, and
present them IN such a light as to act
powerfully upon the nir,hiulness Of tho
audience. And IN this the lecturer sue.
ccedej with one or two exceptions to
our fullest satisfaction, We could not
help laughing heartily, when. after The
audience had been excited to the utmost
by his graphic descriptions Of the hor-
rors of the dread midnight hour, when,
as everybody was hanging breathlessly
on the lecturers lips, dreadipg and ye,
wishing 10 hear what terrible things he
might have TO reveal l. when, the whole
exploded on Judge Edmond's big ;oe.-
Our hair brist!ed, We looked with appre.
henson to the gas lighis, we congra,u.
lated ourselves that VIC were not alone,
when the ghost OF llamlers iather, IN
scpulehral, unenrlhly sounds. uttered
his Swear Swear! We deeply re.
cret that so much talent, which on the
stage would have shone brilliantly and
would have attracted large audiences at
Tie Bowery and Broadway theatres,
should be lost in an avoca,ion, where
there hardly ever is any need oi it, But
these musI be truly hard times, when,
10 use The lee turer words Judges turn
Giiie,s' and when, we may add, min
,SerS turn comedians
by the lecturers quotations from Swe-
denburg and from others, in relation 10
the existence and occupations ci dIsem-
bodied spirits, and his evident and If Ne
recolIect right, confessed inability, TO
understand or explain them, we were
iorcib'y reminded OF Pope's,-
a little learning is a dangerous thing"
The lecturer must OF course himself
believe, and must try to make others
hcI,eve, that here Ignorance is bliss"
Let the veil he once lifted, let tho mist
and the clouds which nov hang over
M d around the dread Aeheron be once
dispersed, let iull, strong and heaven
ly light once clear away mystery and
clerical mys'ifcG IONS, now separating
The spiritual world from the material,
and blend he n together in one harmo-
nious whole and The clergy rW loose,
as q clergy Their bread and butter. So
will increasing knowledge Of Physi iogy
and true conception OF Socialism final
Iy supercede the doctor and the iapyer,
and The human race will be immensely
benefited by IT,
But let us turn now 10 the second act
when the lecturer rememh hered that he
was also minister But If he remsm.
bercd thls, ne forgot that tolerance and
iorbearsnce must be among the first
qualities oi a true Christian minister
This second part OF the lecture stated
with one sweeping assertion, ,hat all the
believers IN the spiritual origin of these
phenomena were either fully insane or
Al least on The road to insanity.
Nov az we a'e personally acquainted
wl'h many oi these poor victims Of the
lecturers assertion, as ue have a pro-
found regard for their moral, truly
Christian and i"tellec;ual attainlnents,
as moreover, we ourselves may at some
future day find coiclusiye evidsnc. oI