Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1858-02-04
Sniritual Indecencies.

A few years since there was a sect in
Vermont calling themselves "Puritans," !"
who left the churches because of their al
legged want of spiritual life. These peo-
pie professed entire purity of heart and
conduct, and complete emancipation from
the control of human passions; and, to
demonstrate and exhibit their beauti6c con-
dition, men and women stripped them
selves naked in public assemblies, and
gloried in their shame. Men of considera-
bic intelligence and good sense were swept
away by this foul fanaticism, and partici-
pated in its heathenish orgies. Such con-
sequences as might have been anticipated
followed this crisis of the fanaticism, and,
having accomplished the ruin of many
families, it became stencil in the nostril
of society, and soon relieved the world of
its vile presence. A similar history was
that of the Cochranites, in Massachusetts,,
within the present century. Their public
exhibitions were even more grose than
those of the .Puritans," and the civil
power was in some instances obliged to in
terfere for the vindication of public decen-
cy. The Mormons have followed in the
same track. Polygamy was not an origin
al article Of their faith. 1t has crept in
gradually, through the absolute power
granted to their unscrupulous and beastly
spiritual guides, and it is not unlikely to
prove in very brief period, the dispersion
and destruction of the sect.
Their is decided tendency in the same
direction among a considerable portion of
the new and rapidly increasing sect called
Spiritualists. 1t would be an injustice to
most of the converts to this faith, to sup
pose that they do not dislike and discoun-
tenance these tendencies, so far as they
perceive them. But the danger consists in
the fact that under the peculiar fascination
of intercourse with disembodied spirits,
they become insensible to improprieties
which would shock their native good sense,
when in its ordinary activity. Within the
past year there has been community of
spiritualists organized under the direction
of John M. Spear, and lately disbanded,
the history of which is carefully suppress
ed by the spiritual papers. But that his
tory is instructive and monitory, and we
are promised an authentic account of it
from one familiar with its details. One of
the propositions made by "the spirits"
through this ''seer," was that the commu-
nifty should cease to use clothing for the
purpose of concealing their persons, and
trust to the purity Of each other. The
proposition was not accepted but on the
contrary, it startled the brethren and sis
tiers into the consciousness that Spears
spirits were not safe counsellors, and it
was one of the causes of the ultimate dis
solution of the community. We hear al
so from the best authority that there are
actually companies of Spiritualists in Bos-
ton, who sit in circles, perfectly undisguis-
ed with clothing that is to say, in paris
paturali6us-men and woman indiserirEi-
nately We should not credit this state
ment, did it not come TO us directly from
those that know the facts. We do not be-
lieve that large propotion of the Spirit
ualists approve these indecencies; but it
will be bad sign if they refrain from in
dignant denunciation of them, or affect
to consider the exposure Of them as an at
tack upon Spiritualism itself, as it is not,
unless the doctrine and its believers assume
the responsibility.-New York Tribune