New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1860-02-21
Nssaalork DAILY Gribm,re
ABANDONED By THE
REV. 4. J.. HARRIS.


We venture 10 gay that the of " Sairitualsm
IereiS ed heavy blow since II first reared ts
hi6eols head ID America, some eighteen OF twenty
Yeas since az 1t cid yesterday morning in Edward
street Institution, Porinan square. The Rev. Mr..
Harrie SV edenbOrgiaD mlnlster, who had embraced
SpiIitualsm fifteen years ego, ana who lie allowed on
all hanos bs the ables. and most intellectual man in
America that Spirtaslsm has ever been able to num-
her amoig its disciples, bas been in this country
for some weeks, end had been amounted TO peach
on spni,ualtm yesterday morning Notwishstand-
ing the un'avora5le state OF the weather,
nearly ali the most intellectual Spiritualis's IN
London 81 d i.s nsighoorhood, amounting 10 between
3O and 400, ssse mbled to hear what they doubtless
expected wond ,rove OF the ablest and most eo-
Quett txpostoD- Of spirtuali,m that bad ever been
d-hvered We leave j, 10 our readers TO imagine wha
must have been their amazeDent, Us well ns morca-
* n when they fourd that nssead Of tnis the rev.
eleId gentleman exposed the felliee, immorailtes,
and disastrous conseqnt nees, spiritually and phys
caliy, of their ~ stem, with bnch power OF rea-
sonfng force Of eIoqueDce, ard earpestness Of pur
pose as have seldom been displayed by any orator
IN modern times. His triumphant exposures and
wi'ht ring deuuDca.ions of spiIitualism, "a beng
The results Of Satanic agency fell like 20 many
bumhsles, burstDg for nearly an henr IN RAPID suo'
cession, among bis audience. Probably we have
been present. durii the last quarter of century, at
more me etings of variOus kinds snd heard more OF
the leaOng public 81 eakers of the day, tban almost
any one else that could be nsmed but we never be-
fore Witnessed anything at al approaching TO the
eit cs " heh wee produced yesterday by tue argu-
mepfs eIoopence aud oratory Of the Rev. Mr. Harris.
To say that his audience were Startled, woud De say
ing rotbirg. They were enchanted, traoshxed, ut
lerly COMPOUNDED, he into ten thousand taers
their favotite system of rappiDgs, tabe:jampings,
seanceS, circles, mediums, and 10 FORTH
We went 70 the place from sense o. duty, expect
Inv as did sIl the SEQ or 400 s,itualists .ho were
present that we should hear The most mastery vndi-
zion If SliItualsm That could be given; and hoping
that having opce be rd it's sblest defense should re
tie ftied, opportunity offered, 70 expose with
al. us,ds hfap 81
asirous IesnlIs morally socially, and physically, OF
this latest and most insidious form OF Panthesm.
We viii not attempt - describe, because conld
not If we did, tbs mingled delight and snsPrse with
" heh we found the task executed to our hands, by
one OF the master minds Of the day. Mr. Harris hsld
Nd 10 tte ewes of his audience the system of Spiritual
i'm rs the most hideous and horrible thing which had
ever come from the neither world de sald that lie
himself was living proof of the danger, mentally and
Ihvejce)ly of cuuyating he so-callef science Of
SIiIitUalism. He mentioned that only few years
ago, il hal taken go absorbing a possession OF his
mind ard had obtained 20 comps;e mastery over
M that il gave rgidty 10 the muscles OF his frame,
and teri bile. unearthy preston TO B cOuntenance
He added that be had 81 Ell and known many others-
excellent and apiable persons before they became
Standardization whom the power which the demo-
nscal system had acquired over them had tsken
AWAY their sppt;tes had uDtte them for the ordinary
duties of life crushed all their terges, mental and
physical deprived them Of sleep at night and caused
lbeir bodies TO waste away as If the ylesns OF some
fell disease which set all medical skill at dehance
Others he had known and seen, whose arms and legs
had tecome as cold and end rigid those Of marble
statue while the expression Of their coun.enances was
20 horrible to resemble those OF demons than
Of hamsn beings The Sprualists OF America, he fur
Their stated are not only body Pantheists rejecting
alike the idea of the Scriptures Divine revelation,
and Of the existence of God but that they gross
sensuaiss and utterly immoral in their conduct IN all
the relations Of LIE
Mr. Harris added that this was not only true Ct the
Transatlantic Spirtualsts body, but that IL was
,rne of eyery g9 out of 600 Of their number. Thou
salds of peIPons had died in America during the fifteen
years that he Rad been Sprtualist, who had motto.
riousy lived most immoral lives, and yet the spirits OF
every one Of these persons affirmed that they were
al perfectly happy. The Spirituslst literature Of
America, MI. Harris also ssied, war, with one OF Two
exceptions in thousand cases Papthestic, feeble,
drivelpg ray, almost idotic. The SpIitus'isss were
utterly sesh as well sensual and grossly immoral
They were destitute Of all humao sympathes and never
were known perform SINGLE benevolent action They
fully believed that, in future state, they would hve
The same ceDtiuus lives they had done on earth.
Tie American Spiriiualsts were IN reality body Of
Pr gans worshipng, ike the ancient Pagans obscene,
and ID every respect, gossly heentous deites. ana
as regards the spirits with whom they held communi-
cation they resembled the sorcerers and demons VINO
took possession Of men and women in the days Of
Christ and who are 70 frequently referred 10 IN GODS
Tord-tbat word which il the only sure foundation OF
our faith, and the only safe rule Of our conduct.
There were few Christian men who had been de-
modified degree and long as their Sprituaism was
Kept in subecton by their Christianity, the observa-
tons he hao made did not apply to them But these
exceptions few "a 70 be hardly worthy OF no.
tee He begged 70 impress on the minds OF his au-
depfe thai ali that he had said of the stem OF spr-
tualisn-which he characterized as an internal sys'
tcn--was the result of hs own personal knowledge
and experieuce He mentioned some individual caces,
of which he was an eyewitness, III which the demon
Of Spfituslism bad obtained 80 entire mastery ever
its yictims az 10 throw them down on platforms ana
other pubic places Just as the evil spirits did Of which
we read in the New Testament.
The marriage VOW imposes no oonganens In the
views of SpirTtualjsts Husbands who had for years
been 30 eddy attached 70 their wives that they
have raid nothing in the world but death sof couia
part them, have abandoned the T wives, ana formed
criminal connection with other females because the
srTs bad ol6 them that there was greater SPIRITUAL
lit affinity between these husbands and certain other
women, than bet xeen them and their lawfui Tives-
Wives too the most devoted and loving, and true to
their husbands that had contracted the marriage
obligation had lefs their husbands and children, and
lived in open immo -aly with other men, because the
spirits had told them that they ought to do co. On the
ground of t:eir being greater sprtusist sympathy
between the AID these men, than between them ana
their husbands.
For those who were the victims Of this terrible dc.
usion Mr. Harris expressed the most profound COM
passion II 80 completely subjugated them 10 ts de-
nouacA power that they could neither think or speak
Of anything ese The only way in which they could
escape from the horrible tyranny which Ia exercised
over them, WAS Dy having recourse 70 AmVhc VI
Grace, preceded and accompanied by feryent prayer
an ureeasing watchfulness. In no other way could
their release from the iron grasp of Spirituasn be
achieved.
The sermon Of Mr.. Harris was one Of the most
evangelical, az well as intellectual, have ever
head He sought il language the most eloquent,
and in tones the earnest, 70 his hearers of
the caDgers their mental facuss and their physical
frames here as well as of their guilt in the sight of
GOO and the consequent Danger 70 their souls here
afteT-of having anything to do with seanees, circles