Spirit of the times. [volume] (Ironton, Ohio) 1853-1858, 1854-04-04

| 'Io", " PccuIIdT people, Wh'le u eI'
feciually exposes the hypocrisy Of
christian profession, wherein the out
ward lille does not correspond with the
assump,ion OF inward lai,h, OF the same
time it forcibly illustrates that gr. at
truth--"lhe letter kilIe,h, but tho spri,
eveth li(e,"-and presents basis where.
on we can say TO the true worshippcr
everywhere, Of whatever name or nation,
caste or condiiion,--"bchoId my moth.
ere and my BRETHREN"
Yet, ii is no. our intention so much
10 Try 10 convince others of the truths
that have been so !orcibly impressed up.
on our minds, as ii is 10 induce them 10
Investigate for themselves, as any opin.
ion that might be founded upon over
limited, and exceedingly imperfect de.
Iineaiion Of the ideas presented, would
fall far short OF the reality: Sill tmust
not be presumed that mere casual OBJ
server can arrive at any just conclusions
Of . subject appealing entirely to the in.
tellectual man. Labor, and that earn.
est and unliring, is the medium through
which we must seek all permanent good,
and the individual who has no higher
motives than curiosity, or selfish views
to compass by his investigations, were
far better of, at his rosary or penance.
Reuchlin seems TO resort 10 the plea
Of insanity as his "slrons hold" Now
Of that evil, how is he able TO discern
that those who have become dernngod
throug IN religious excitement have be.
come so by the arrousal of an old idiosin.
cracy, while those from spiriluaism
have been strong minds, we ore unable
to conceive, unless he has given that
branch Of the subjec, much more inves'i
ealion than he has any other. lie can.
not be ignoran, of The publications in
the papers within the last year, of two
instances al least, Of suicide by Minis.
ters Of the Gospel, and one of them long
a professor. The truth is, that in,ensc
application 10 any one idea to the ex.
clusion of all others, is liable 10 des.
troy the equilibrium Of the reasoning ia.
cullcs by disease Of the material or.
ganism through which il acts; no matter
what the subject.
He also denies "any revelation since
the days OF the apostles. by saint or phi.
osopher. angel or devil" That there
have been revelations presume he will
c not deny, but that they should come
. through SUI. h sources. However we will
q state one instance among many similar
n ones that might be named. Those con.
. versnnt with some OF our church histor.
:, les Of recent date, will remember that the
If Rev. VIM. Teuncnt, of New Jersey, was
!. persccutel about an hundred years since
;. by prosecution on charge Of perjury
t. He had no witnesses for himself, and as
i, the day of trial drew nigh, his friend:
g insisted upon his asking postpone
n mcnt, which, however, he utterly refus
y ed; con6'ing in his. God, the conscious
n ness Of innocence gave him faith tha
!. He who had stood by him III six trial.
r. woulI not forsake him in the seventh
s On his way to Trenton for trial he wa
Il met By man anil woman, who immedi
of ately inquired if his name was Tcunen,
!. and upon his affirmation, stated tha
r. they had each dreamed three times sue
of cessively that he was in imminent dan
" yer, and they had come from Delawar
{. to his assistance. 1t so turned ont lha
to they were in possession of The sole evi
or dence that procured his honorable &C
G. quittal. Now mark the analogy be
or tween this and an other instance of NOR
,y ancient his,ory-",he angel Of the Lor
S. appeareth to Joseph in dleam," &c
III They were both revelat ons, bccaus
nc hey were the unlolin2, or discovery t
u. them Of things before unknown. If til
of angels are appointed as "ministerin
its SPIRITS" in what does their ministrato
let consist. "Reuchin's" ,aut on as to I'll
IN propriety Of reading from Revelation
he we'll worthy OF attention, and we mo-
by heartily commend TO his considerable
If a careful perusal Of the visions of Joh
Ih, while in The spirit.
OF "Reuchin's" fears as to the isms tn,
,r am likely 10 run into, are undoubtea
ry founded upon his desire for the wella
h. Of all, and as such he receives my hear
,g. felt gratitude for his good wishes. Y
Of so far as | am instructed, the only di
nd tinc,,on ain able TO make, is 5etwee
,at spirilualiSm as taught by Christ, ar
in strcnuously advocated by this ,heor
E. contrasted with materialism as act'
he uponby men, and denounced by tn
ey great teacher.
nat That these "sittings invariably run i
to those issres, and do HARM" is v
lat gary of the imagination, that like nea
Of ly all of "Reuchlin's" conclusions Y
ose on this subject, is not warranted by Il
oil facts. se-7 as4V
in. 1t is now near five years since we fl
the attended these sit,inss, and we ha
er never known an instance Of any Of t
his evils resulting from them, SO vividly pt
sin trayel by our brother. On the cont
hat ry. we have witnessed the renunciat
'di. Of infLelity, and the adoption and ha
lat. py experience Of Christianity, as the
ion climate effect Of conviction Of its
any verwhelming truths upon the minds
Sc. candid Investigators, that the most sire
and uous efforts OF sectaran theology b
rial failed to convince. And when ado
ed, and acted upon by the true belize
| to in Christ; we have seen them soaring
vor. bove the petty stri(es and technicalit
, oil that degrade the church, and stand