, 1859-05-07
SPIRKTEALlSm.


Reply of rros 1les. 11ilgsny to Dr. NJ L.
Editors rrcss and Tr'eunc:
1haYe been reading the report Of Dr.. Rice's
lecture against spiritunlism a. published in your
paper of March 18th. desire to review it
briefly through your columns. In his lecture
the Dr.. says: "Hc would agree with Spiritual
lists slat spirits both good aud bud were inter.
ested in the niIairs Of men. We call the good
spirits angels, to which the spiriua1ists deny
existence" Here the Dr. is altogether ut fault.
Sp;ritualists affirm in most unequivocal lnan-
ner tl,e existence mud agency Of these angelic
beings And they affirm that these good spirits
arc called angels because they arc employed as
messengers for good under the divine admins
tzation. Spritua'ists believe that angels arc '""-
is'tring spirits; and in this the Dr. belief coin
ci,lcs With theirs They likewise believe in the
rAsteucc Of evil spirits, or those WHO are not in
lovc with truth, purity ard justice; and TINT
tley exert an influence oycr, "and hare m
agency in human affairs." They believe tle
New Testament teaches the doctrine Of demoni-
cal possession; and as SpIritualists they have
never sneercd" at that doctrine. There IS
more intidelity in the church, today, upon that
subject, us taught in the Bible, than there is
among the SpiFitnalists.
But the ur. remarks 'stherc is this difference,
the angels need never cast about for medium.
The angel ut Peters prison did not wait to hunt
IN medium Here is an exhibition of an ln-
excusable amount Of stupidity Peter, himself
medium, according TO the accounts given OF
him, from the day of Pcntacost until that time,
both seeing spirits and hearing them; possess
spiritual gifts in high degree. under the int}u-
cucc of inspiration, needed no other mcaunlship
than his OWL for that manifestation. \ like
medium Of to-day might receive the sanlc lla,i-
tcstation from, the angels, without the trouble Of
| hunting up other mediums. The conditions
| described und attributed to Peter, constitute
| mediumship nowadays.
Angels rs Gods messengers have never spol-
en- to the world except through mediums. And
God has spoken to the world only through
angelic agency, so far as we can know. Why
bus hc ever spoken through the agency Of pro-
phets and inspired apostles, if he could have as
well spoken without such agency: Why did
Jesus appear only to lis diciples and friends.
und impose upon them the necessity Of estah-
fishing the truth Of his resurrection and ascen-
sion, if lie could as we'll have appeared in lis
| spiritual or resurrection state to the material
senses Of the world: If he needed no maniles-
tation to the physical sense why did he not OBJ
near bodily before plate, Herod and the Jews
| Hhv did he not walk the streets Of Jerusalem,
and TO put all cavilins to silence, ascend to llca
ven III presence of tue multitude: If tile DR..
is capable Of reflection, and had taken time for
second thought, can hardly suppose lie could
haye made 50 stupid suggestion, to in,i'
mate that spiritual heings kare 10 ned Of 4 me.
dun FIR plysi,ul manifestations. by such posi-
tion he utterly ignores every principle o
science, every fact Of revelation, and every de-
,,oustrnton If philosophy. lie is the last man
who ought to require that the man who discuss
cs spirituulisn with hin shall have tile rcpnta
.ion Of scholar" Many IL plain man. with
| out scholastic attainnents, Gun teach him much
upon this subject, if be will coudescend to hear
the above being fair specimen Of his prcsen
understanding Of Sp!ritual!sm.
nr. Rice SAWS thai he will not deny that Ger
tain wonderful phenomena take place; nor is h
prepared to say that they can be accounted fo
upon any other than spiritual hypothesis. H.
Is disposed to come directly to the question o
their reliability and use 1h's IS certainly yer!
far on the paft o' NE nr. -ilth"usn 'le o1yn
70 De ceFlaih that nts aa',ilssi9"S az
ne makes @hci'1. 40" VIVA! sua!l oe !he lest
reliability, liz the 1's admits the existence 0
both kinds Of splrits:
By reference to the 18th chapter nj Deute
ronony. Mr.. Rice will find the test tlc Lord i
sad to uaFe ElFea LOT suen purpose anu tiln1
that ought to SATISFY h''1. heSlnn'hS III she !9t
verse, II reahs as lollo"': hut inc prophe
,xHic1, shall f,rr>uu1e IL F3IpaE IL WDfl i'll nj
name which l hnyc not comhahue" INN =
speak, or ti!at Shall speak IN t!e ia,hc o. ONE
gods, even ttat prophet sll1il dc; And II tho
say III tllne heart how s'lall we Emo" te "oT'
which the Lord hath not spoken: When
} prophet speaketh IN inc name of INC Lord,
the thing folio" not, nor come to pass, thnt
the thlng ~ttch Tue LORD lssth mol sposeh III
prophet hath spoken It presumptuonsly, CT
Now, according to SUCH tests, modern nan'fe:
thtlons reveal the presence ot po1h ciasses I"
determined in the same way.
ur: K1ce suggests several tcsfs ny "hfch !
try the spirits. Ito says: - good splr
will not bring communication from u
: spirit, world, VI variance win sound p'!'
: lo,ophicM pr'nc4ples. NOT VII! good sr'r'
us the bearer Of a message from t'od, come
me without credentials. lie must WORK 'Mr'
f clc., etc. ] nope me pr. wi1 rsmeinner.
laying down pr1nelpes ~ w!'leh 10 test est, o. :,
: faith. to be careful ana adort none nc would
+ unwilling to hear applied to his own An
when applied, | hope the Doctor will stan
erect, ana mol takc rei"ee unue1 'nt F'tA
, miraculous ln'eryention A.
It IS sad that ,'"sn"a commahnea Inc =, Su
mud moon to stand stu, and they an 80. IN
: Ifczck1af,, ny h's PRAYER, procured INC sh9ao
oEo backward h1teeh degrees On MS dlal. Nos
+. did these things take place III accofa"nGe VII
h ! sound ptl'losnpnca1 principles! Anu "hen !;
l. angel or spirit, IN inc Douy or OIL oi H. aSsef
= such tu bc t'lct' sla!l bete'e il1n1 as oelt
u within the noetof tcS1 ol 'ru'h' Ut. ~
I, must remember that we have just Us much rG
). 10 dodge under miraculous intervention
himself; and thai fhe same i"ope-hole OUT
II which ne can escape, IS open 10 o'ilefs*
r. Dr. Rice says, :" tie spirit must brinE hts CT
:, dentials; he must Work miracles How Is II
!! Doctor to decide what is and what IS n"t,
It miracle: II !ta spirit produces results ~ Il
:, use of means lying beyond the Doctors Know
III edge, how is l'e to know whether It l. Il mlrnt
10 or not: but AGAIN, can none but gooa splr1
If perform these wonders: According tn III
" evidence, miracles can nc performed br e.
D. spirits. The historvot OF tt!e labors fhara
u. disclose some interesting fncts. The MAJ
~ cians could do everything that Moses did, {
ccpt to produce the lice from The dust. And
l. think it would trouble Or. Rice to nrorc. ~
n cordin2 10 well estaphshed scleht1i!c prin
. pies" that the making of Ice was any MO
IL miraculous than turning = rod into serpel
i'd water into blood, or producing all incredIt
=. number of frogs. II may be more d!NrM{
~ make lice than frogs; it certainly Is smaller
q sines*.
nu 4 Y%rf kn