Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1860-03-09
General iHtscelIanu.
SPIRITUALISM ABANDONED BY THE
REV. T. l.. HARRIS.

hEN. l. l.. liAhhlO.
From The London Advertiser.
We venture to say that the cause Of "Spir-
itualism" never received so heavy blow
since il first reared its hideous head in Amer
lea, some eighteen or twenty years since. as it
did yesterday morning in Edward street In
stitution, Portman square. The Rev. Mr.
Harris, Swedenborgian minister, who had
embraced Spiritualism fifteen years ago, and
who is allowed on all hands to be the ablest
and most intellectual man in America that
Spiritualism has ever been able to number
among its disciples, has been in this country
for some weeks, and had been announced to
preach on Spiritualism yesterday morning.
Notwithstanding the unfavorable state of the
weather, nearly all the most intellectual Spr-
itualists in London and its neighborhood,
amounting to between 800 and 400, assem-
bed to hear what they doubtless expected
would prove one of the ablest and most elo
quent expositions Of spirtualism that had
been delivered. We leave it to our readers |
to imagine what must have been their amaze
ment, as well as modification, when they !
found that instead of this, the reverend gem |
tleman exposed the folies, immoralites, and
disastrous consequences, spiritually and phys
ically, of their system, with such power of
reasoning, forces of oloqucnce, and earnest
ness of purpose, as have seldom been display
ed by any orator in modern times. His tri-
umphant exposures and whitening denuncia-
tons of sprituulism, as being the results of
Satanic agency, fell like so many bombshells,
bursting for nearly an hour, in rapid success
sion, among his audience. Probably we have
been present, during the last quarter Of
century, at more meetings of various kinds,
and heard more of the leading public speak
crs of the day, than almost any one else that
could be named but we never before wit
messed anything at all approaching to the eff
fects which were produced yesterday by the
arguments, eloquence, and oratory of the
Rev. Mr.. Harris. To say that his audience
were startled, would be saying nothing. They
were enchanted, transfxud, utterly confound-
ed as he tore into ten thousand tatters their
favorite system of rappings, table -iumpings,
seances, circles mediums, and so forth.
We went to the place from sense of duty,
expecting, as did all the 800 or 400 Spirtu-
alists who were present, that we should hear
the most mastery vindcation of Spirtualisu
that could be given; and hoping that having
once heard its abest defense, we should be
the more fitted, opportunity offered, to ex-
pose with greater success the iniquites, the
dangers, and the disastrous results, morally
most insidious form of Panthoism.
We will not attempt to describe, becaus,
we could not if we did. the mingled delgh
and surprise with which we found the tasl
executed TO our hands, by one OF the maste
minds OF the day. Mr.. Harris held up t.
the eyes of his audience the system of Spirit
ualism as the most hdeous and horrible thin,
which had ever come from the neither world
He said that he himself was living proof o
the danger mentally and physically, of cult
waiting the so-caled science of Spiritualism
He mentioned that only few years ago,
had taken so absorbing possession of hi
mind, and had obtained so complete a master
over him, that it gave rigdity to the muscle
of his frame, and a terrible, unearthly ex
preston to his countenance. He added tina
he had seen and known many others-exocl
lent and amable persons before they becam
Spiritualists-from whom the power whc
the demoniacal system had acquired over the
had taken away their appetitos, had unfittc
them for the ordinary duties of life crushe
all their energies, mental and physical, d.
prived them of sleep at night, and cause
their bodies to waste away, as if the victim
of some fell disease which set all medic
skill at defiance. Others he had known al
seen, whose arms and legs had become
cold and rigid those of a marble statu
while the expression Of their countenanc
was SO horrible as to more resemble those
demons than Of human beings. The Spiri
ualists of America, he further stated, are n
only as a body Pantheists, rejecting alike Il
idea of the Scriptures as a Divine reyelatio
and OF the existence of God, but that tn
are gross sonsualists and utterly immoral
their conduct in all the relations of life.
Mr.. Harris added, that this was not on
true of the Transatlantic Spiritualists as
body, but that it was true Of every 900 q
of 1000 of their number. Thousands
persons had died in America during the |
teen years that he had been a Spiritual
who had VIGOROUSLY lived most immoi
lives, and yet the spirits Of every one
these persons affirmed that they were all p,
fectly happy. The Spiritualist literature
America Mr. Harris also stated, was, wi
one or two exceptions, ia a thousand cas-
Pantheistic feeble, dwelling, nay, almost i
otto. The Splrituallsts were utterly selhi
as well as sensual and grossly immoral Tn
were destitute Of all human sympathies, a
never were known to perform a single bent
client action. They fully believed that, in
future state, they would live the same lice
tious lives as they had done on earth. I
American Spiritualists were in reality a DO
ofPagans, worshiping, like the ancient Paga
obscene, and, in every respect, grossly lie'
tious duties Aud a. regards the spirits W
whom they held communication, they reese
bled the sorcerers and demons who tc
possession Of men and women in the days
Christ, and who are 50 frequently referred
in Gods Word-that word which is the OF
sure foundation Of our faith, and the only 8
rule Of our conduct.
There were a few Christian men who /
been deluded into the adoption Of the syste
but only in a modified degree, and so long