Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1859-10-04
CITY ITEMS

ov Jssrs C,misrWe have had occasion TO refer sew
eral times recently DIR. John Thomas In announcing
that he would lecture scriptura subjects and he Il
far from being generally known by reputation other
WISE In the community the inquiry has been put to us
10y divers persons-"wh is DR.. Thomasr Its In our
power TO reply that be formerly citizen Of Rich
mond, and practitioner OF medicine that he was az
time Campbellte," but dissenting from some OF
the tenets OF that denomination, aud proclaming doc
trincs to which the Disciples" did not assent he aud
Others seeded from that Church. and organized separate
congregations DR.. T. now resides In New York
aud publishes monthly serial entitled The Herald Of
the Age TO Come" lie has also written and published
several works biblical subjects. and has devoted him
self especially 20 the study of the prophecies contained
in the Old and New Instrumentation the better compre
hcnson OF which he has faniarzed himself with the
Greek and Hebrew tongues. DIR. T. Is about ffy-fve
years Of ageapparenty and having long gray beard Ia
Dr. Pummer and bald personal presence may
bc best descrbedby the word patriacha and although
he might be accused suspected of vanity thus assim
nting hc outward man. TO the popular or
of the Hcbraic prophets he h. doubtless
In his motives and berays vanity or couce in his
discourse unless the confidence with which he
asserts his views and Interpretations may regarded m
sclsuifcient reliance upon bis power Of discern
nent and deduction But did take up uor pen to
write biographical sketch OF DR.. Thomas We attend.
ed several OF his lectures recently delivered In this city,
and intending to present outline Of their prominent
points deemed IL Appropriate as the lecturer was com
paru'ely unknown to preface the abstract with some
personal alluson to him.
The first lecture was delivered at q, Hall nj,
Thursday night of last week Being introductory In it,
character il rather dscursve the necessity for e.
PLANTATION rendering frequent depression The
subject OF inquiry Do the Scriptures teach that
Jesus Christ will return again to Palestine aud IL so
what do they teach that he will have to do when he
makes his temperance the carthyr
Before proceeding with his lecture Dr. T. read In.
latter portion OF the 2Sth CHI of Acts commencing nj IN.
" YER lie then remarked that Christianity in its true
meaning, was the same. to-day, that In the DAYS
OF the Apostles IL there be any difference the change
Is not in the thing ITSELF but the times have been
changed by those who desire popudrse Christianity
In the Apostolic days Christians unpopular and
Rnai
La our time do not the exempfcation OF these
things. for II man will live godly so Ear from being
prosecuted he will acquire popularity; and if he would
oht'n wealth and POWER. let him begin by connecting
himself with church. Paul has been popular and
never will be until the coming of Christ.
Dr. T. asserted that the man who did not understand
the writings OF Noses and the Prophets could not right
ly interpret the New Testament For centuries the au.
thorship Of the books in the New Testament had been
subject OF dsputstion but the inquirer not trouble
himself about that; let him for himself TO asccr
tain the New Testament harmonzes with the Old T-s.
lament, and he may then interpret correctly Believe
morning taught by cergymen or popular men found
In the Dl0lr Take nothing for granted but exercise
mental independence, and cmancipate yourselves from
the thrall OF human authority Unless YOU do this said
DIR. T.. you credulous. not believers
The speaker then proceeded TO demonstrate the afr-
native oil his inquiry and, preliminary, cited the Ist
2d and Sd verses of both CHI. Deuteronomy lie expan
ed the original Specification of the words the Lord thy
God Correctly interpreted, they would be rendered
81 shall be who shall be-" and not II am that am as
they have been translated DR. T. said that the Lord
Messiah. his
eto reiirn (3d ver and gather the scattered nations
(of jews had not been fulfilled After citing other tes-
umonies' from the Old Testament DR. T. teferred 10
Matthew Path ch The sun, moon aud stars mentioned
IN the 18th verse he said political hodies In Gen
esis, Gods covenant with AUram recorded He
promised 10 gre Abram and his seed the land of Canaan
Tor an everlasting possession This promise has been
yet fulfilled for Abraham had to buy burying place in
the land OF Canaan, and Christ he seed Of Abram when
upon this EARTH had not where to Law his head y
I. IL promise must be fulfilled In the 4eth CHI of
yer te sail Tl,oa I. 4
part from Judah, lawgiver from between his feet
until Shiloh come: and unto him shall the gathering of
the people be- IL was understood by every student of
the Scriptures that Shiloh signed the Messiah Did lie
WELD the scepre Of Judah when upon earthY He told
Plate that his kingdom of this Eosmos (tran,-
lated worldly present constitution offhings (John
1856 The people did not gather him. during the
hessiahs mission upon EARTH will they do until
he comes TO WELD the sceptre of Judah Dr. remarked
that the Bible full of such testimonies He only
took specimen here and there.
On Friday night, DIR. Thomas resumed the subject and
commenced by satircal alusons the clergy lie said
that the various systems of religion in the world
the clergy, and matter of gratitude they are bound
10 sustain the systems Some OF them believe that Christ
will come again, others that lac will not The for.
ner fix the period o. his advent about years from
the present time and that when he comes he will explode
volcanic gases in the interior of this beautiful planet
and blot II out from the universe Others believe that
he'wil come again in order that he may take the elect
To some tuans-solar region Kingdom aud then the
earth will be utterly destroyed Do the Scriptures teach
all these conflicting theories? II they do they are not
Wor'hy he respect oil intelligent men. IL they do not
then the clergy not worthy of respect There
D no salvation for jew Gentle unless Jesus Christ
the earth Dr. T. proceeded TO argue the oues
ton by addueipg and eXpatiatng upon passages of scrip
ture. lie quoted from Psalms no. |, ''S thou at my
right hand until make thine enemies thy footsool -
and declared that this promise of Jehovah his only
begotten Son, had not yet been fulfilled
The DR. again let loose against "the clergy" for not
rfinzinS out Moses and the Prophets and by quoting
pyak 1927, showed that Christ himself had eSpounded
all thc Prophets, beginning at Moses, concerning him.
coli Ill aafa or Had NF.su
mah 3ii AMI other passages of the Old Testament con.
tanning prophecies concerning Christ which have not yet
been fulfilled. In Matthew 2G27 it declared that
the Son oi man shall in the glory of his Father
with his angels" Jesus on earth at that time Did
b" mean himself or some other man? Again, in Mat.
chew 25:al: when the Son OF Man shall come in his
glory and all the holy angels with him. then shall he sit
apon the throne of his glory The clergy tell YOU that
he is sitting the throne of his glory. Which do
you believeY In Matt 1928: And Jesus said unto
them, this disciplcs) Verify, say unto you that We
which have followed me ia tie regeneration when the Son
of Man shall sit the throne OF his glory We also shall
sit upon twelve thrones Judging the twelve tribes Of L.
raei This Is different story. said DR.. T., from that
which the clergy tell you. They sometimes quote John
lI2 TO show that Jesus had declared 81 90 10 prepare
place for YOU but in the verse Il said aud II
go and prepare place for you UiH rome agaiB etc
TO 9Th verse; In Acts, ILL., the verse rcads Eye
of Gslilee why stand We gazing up into heaven
this same Jesus which Is taken up from you Into heav.
en- snail so como "a IKE manner as ye have him 60
unto heaven"
DIR. 7. then proceeded TO argue that Christ would come
upon the earth 20 sit upon the throne of David and rule
over the saints, 20 make hs enemies his footstool 20
gather together the nations Of Israel etc. all of which he
undertook to prove demonstrate by quotations from
the scriptures. His doctrine IL that Christ will reign
thousand years upon the EARTH this period constituting
the millennum,) and viii then deliver up the kingdom
20 his Father This earth will then be regenerated aud
u" ha' table by the elect forever Whether DIR. T. il
right wrong, In his deductions and conclusions we of
course, do not undertake say The reader can Judge
for himself
W. a..
Ysser, arraigned the charge Of beating his wife
Rachel the 3Oth ult IL appeared that Yaiser had
sunstroke last July since which time at monthly inter.
vas he has been subject 90 attacks Of HacV concur.
rent yVifh he n a.