The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-02-01
REV. DIR. GEORGE w. BETHUNE's LECTURE

Il.
The Ninth Lecture of the course before the Mer-
camille Library Association delivered last night
in the Universalist Church, on Calvert street, by
the Rev. DIR. Bethune. Subject "Oracles'' The
lecturer commenced by saying that the mind nat
urally Graves knowledge. The thirst is insatiabe-
are reaching after the fresh or the novel;
1t is seen in the little experiments of babe the
lap of its delighted mother, and in the confession of
the dying philosopher that all his science seems to
him as pebbles on the shore, while the great ocean
of truth lies beyond. 1t is noble quality of man,
which, next to his capacity of understanding truth,
marks his original likeness to the Father of light
The most stupid simpleton has his questions to put
and is excited by being puzzled within his narrow
sphere; tattng busy bodies gather around teapot
to whisper scandals and compare malignant
among sots in taverns; penniless black
guards nightly congregate at the street
corner to discuss matters which decent people
never dream of, and the cries of extra, when
steamer is in stirs whole city. The ignorant and
vicious battle for their hypothesis as eagerly as ma
turaists or metaphysicans. 1t is only the objects
which are aimed at that make the difference be-
tween the wise and the sly but for the most part
all spend their time either to tell to hear some
thing. There is one way in which this anxiety
shows itself, and it has been general at all times
and among all nations. 1t is desire to know the
future.
The lecturer here referred to the laws which
govern man, and remarked that while industry
was at times unrewarded, Incidence never sue
ceeded This disposition to inquire and thirst after
knowledge was commendable. He then referred to
the general desire which pervades all people, to
seek knowledge from sources which are not natural,
and said that Cicero had said he did not know
a nation whether civilized savage. which did
not think they could in some way discern, under
stand and foretel the future. He then referred to
Votares remark, that eve can know nothing of the
future because cannot know what does not
OF
Divine revelation. The future does exist in the
mind of God. All the knowledge we may have of
the future must come from God. As an evidence
that the Latins believed this, he referred to the fact
that the term used by them for revelation was
divination, and the Greeks used fury or phrenzy
because the human being when supposed to utter
predictions was in state of unconscious ecsacy
rapture from divine influence. The most i'm
portant and most truthful method of divining the
future was by seeking the oracles, or in asking
questions in the temples and sacred places where,
as they thought divinity had shown itself willing
to be consulted. Oracles, continued he, were very
ancient. Idolatry instead of being an invention of
men seeking after God, a corruption of the
worship, which at the beginning had been derived
from the creator.
The lecturer then remarked that the East was the
source of philosophy, science and superna-
| tural arts. Not only at the beginning of the
Gospel, but also at the beginning of history
the wise from the East, and
even at this day the wandering tribes of Gipseys
hold an intimate connection with races who existed
before the days of Abraham The lecturer then re-
terred to the famous oraces of the heathen;-spoke
of the character of those who took this means to
awe the supersttous and govern the weak; the fact
alluded to that the workers of the oracles allied
themsev ves to kings, and made their divinity speak
when the monarch needed assistance He referred
to the means which were employed to get the oracle
into the divine phrenzy, and stated that at first
beautiful maiden was used as the medium, who
when placed upon the stool and surrounded by va
pors, would franticay shrek, which the priest
ftr,, into &t1,o
them at round price. Owing to a scandalous af-
fair which was said to have taken place between
one of the beautiful youthful oraces and one Ethie,
the maidens were set aside and old women placed
in their stead, which however did not result to ad
vantage, for if virgins would love love, old women
were apt to love money. The oracles became very
rich while the elderly ladies acted in that capacity
After treating at some length this class of ora
cles, the lecturer remarked that the Sbyllne ora
cles claimed some attention, because in the early
| centuries of Christianity they were thought by
many to have contained clear prophecies of Christ,
and of the Christian SYSTEM but learned men were
now unanimous in believing that they are forger-
les, contrived to advance at that time the Christian
religion against the Pagan. The lecturer said as
Christianity prevailed over paganism, oracles lost
their influence, and many ceased altogether. Ora
cles by the time of our Lord, had well nigh worn
themselves out. They had been characterized by
so many absurdities and had grown utterly false
IN their threats or promises, that all educated men,
if they ever had any, had lost all confidence in
them. The lecturer then went into an extended
description of the manner in which the messages
were received by the oracles and the means of de-
ceptlon which they practiced, and then said it
must, however, be admitted that antiquity in all
its mutifarious modes of extracting knowledge
from spirits, never hit upon any expedent so des-
perately awkward, or fashioned such preposterous
extrayagances as our modern necromancers. Their
kings. and statesmen. and philosophers, too
dignifed and honored in their Eysium to be raped
up at moments warning for an evening show
fifty cents admittance, children half prices Cato,
the censor, never learning to play the guitar like
John c. Calhoun; Pontifex Maximus to give reve-
lations about shpwreck, which should be made
public month after everybody knew it.
The lecturer next referred to the fact that women
were and had been in all ages, most used oracles
They were used several thousand years ago in that
capacity, and to-day they were to be found prin-
cipally as mediums. The doctrines of the class
styled spiritualists were not new; they had been
practiced from the beginning of the race. Adam
who would have been more than match for the
devl alone, yielded to Eve, the first maxim OF spir
tual communication on record, and there has never
been day when woman has not ruled his sons
She is his best counsellor and friend and guide in
the path to virtue and Immortality, and his most
dangerous and subtle tempter in the ways of vice.
There is nothing more melancholy in the history of
superstitions than the readiness with which women
have been made to serve their deluding mischieis,
and most gravely do utter the caution to
those who have our hearts in their keeping, that
they should not stoop from the dignity of their
beautiful position, to aid, by their countenance or
eolusion, folly so wicked. The lecturer, after
ferring to pretensions of the prevailing super
stition, said 1t is now in all the past they teach
no truth useful to man-no secret of science,
though the ghosts of Newton and Franklin are
evoked-no eloquent counsel or patriotic caution,
though Washingto ton and Webster speak-no confr-
nation of Christian faith, though the holy names of
apostles are usurped. They give nothing but
stumbling attempts to read childish riddles or
wilder blasphemies, making the spiritual life
of the good we have loved wretched, un-
honored existence, unlike all they hoped
for here and aspired with pious zeal to
| reach. The lecturer then closed by calling on
the spirits, that had given, according to the me-
| diums, many communications, to defend themselves
there if he did them wrong. If they could write
they could speak, and he desired them to come into
court and testify to their existence. Let our eyes,
continued the lecturer, be convinced as we'll as our
ears, for if you reach by you should
be able to do so by another. They speak not-they
| appear not-they are not worth a rap.
Charles Lever, the novelist, is appointed British
vice consul at SpeZza, celebrated for three things:
| faultess climate, beautiful women and the gallant
| ry which furnished from its small means sixteen
vessels and two tire-shps to the Greek navy during
| the late revolution.
Captain Corrie, of the yacht Wanderer, has
made his appearance at Charleston, and given
bond in the sum of SIS 900, to appear before the
! next United States District Court.